“Red Planet: the crimson flowers of death”
Navigating the Helios System proved to be a difficulty. The distance between Pluto and the asteroid field that quarantined the gas giants from their smaller, solider relatives was astronomical (no pun intended), yet the Acheron sisters knew they could not employ Lennethium-drive due to the high risk of running into said asteroids. They would literally be starting it and stopping it again, with an infinitesimal margin of error— they would either be pummeled to pieces or stop just in the nick of time, and neither of them were foolhardy enough to try their luck. They were forced to make brief light-speed “hops” from one planet to the next: twins Neptune and Uranus, mighty Saturn, and the King himself, massive Jupiter, each an inspirational sight. Shana busied herself with painting these magnificent worlds; Fuuka desperately tried not to draw any connections with anime. For her, it was like having a bad itch and not being able to scratch it.
“Sailor Moon,” Athena sighed, not wanting her beloved to suffer. She smiled sadly and hugged her close. “And Martian Successor Nadesico and RahXephon, of course.”
“No, honey, the Mulians didn’t actually have anything to do with Jupiter. They just used some kind of holographic facsimile to keep them secluded from the outside world, or something. I was never really clear on the matter.”
“The dorks are at it again,” Lil muttered. She glared at Fuuka, but returned to her own affairs when Athena mirrored her glare and drew her sword. The Usagin sighed and took her beloved to another part of the ship: there, they could watch the Jovian-Martian asteroids pass them by. This space was silent and empty; it was a heavenly graveyard, perhaps the remnant of a moon, or even a planet— some celestial body that had undergone a cataclysm and was now nothing but rubble. Most of the crew was amazed at the monstrous size of the Helios system. They were used to the heavens being small, neighborly, and warm, not massive and distant. No wonder the humans of Gaea had taken so long to reach beyond their borders: it was not the technology, but rather the distance. Thank goodness for Lennethium, though.
“Here comes Mars,” Alala grumbled to herself, feeling melancholy. “I wish we had a good excuse to stop there. I really wanted to visit my old school and introduce everyone to the Headmaster.”
“Including me?” sang a very familiar, very annoying voice. Alala’s pulse burst in excitement and frustration as her beauty, her bane, wrapped loving arms around her.
“Except you,” she grumbled, wiggling away. Yenae giggled and backed off.
“You know, once we leave the asteroid field, we’ll have communications back up. We may not be able to stop there, but you could probably send them a little message. You know, just a quick ‘hello, how are you, I’m doing fine’. Oh, and speaking of messages— ”
“I know, I know, mom and I are still keeping in touch. Once we get finished with Earth, I’d like to go back and be there when my new sister’s born. It still feels weird, but I guess I’ll get used to it!” Yenae gave her a beautiful smile that hinted at just how deeply she loved Alala, and for a moment, the Felinis lowered her guard. The moment ended when Herut waddled through, a curious look on her face as she coughed for attention.
“Excuse me, but we’ve just received an urgent message from Mars. Miss Alala, you’re one of the recipients.”
“Uh…me? Who was it from?”
“She’s asking for your presence, so please come to the bridge. Miss Marliir, I would advise you to not show your face for the time being.”
“Probably a military bigwig,” she sighed helplessly. “All right, I understand. My huggle bums can survive a few minutes without me.”
“Oh, just zip your lip!”
Alala was a little surprised to see Director Astor’s face on the monitor. Eve Kasberry had also been called, and since the animosity she once bore towards the UCM had now been quelled, she looked to the older woman as a sort of friend. Clarissa had deep concern in her steely eyes and folded her hands nervously.
“Thank you both for coming,” she began. “What I am about to tell you must be held in the strictest confidence. There are very few people in this life that I trust, and since you are the students of two of these people, then I must rely on you. I have just received word from Headmaster Stellkei that a large quantity of academic information has been stolen from Phobos and Ares Academies. We don’t know who the perpetrators are, but we believe one of them to be a shape-shifter. If this information should fall into the wrong hands, the academic world will suffer a fatal blow, and perhaps lives may be at risk. Miss Alala, as a former student of these schools, you know exactly what I mean.”
“Yes ma’am,” she whispered ominously.
“So why not call out the military?” Eve asked.
“The closest patrol is just past Saturn. I’ve dispatched them anyway, but I doubt they’ll make it.”
“What about Earth headquarters?”
“Again, I’ve already sent them out, but you are much closer, and time is vital. Alala, Evita, they cannot leave the planet with that information. The Headmaster has activated an emergency communications shut-down, which should keep them from transmitting anything, but all that will be meaningless if they make it to their ship. I implore you, please help us. I know I’m in no position to ask anything from you, Miss Kasberry— ”
“Call me Miss Renchina, Claes!” she grinned, crossing her arms just as her mother would. “And forget about saving face. If you’re good enough for my mother, you’re good enough for me. Besides, if that shape-shifter’s who I think it is, you probably couldn’t stop us from helping. I, uh, hope you don’t want her in one piece.”
“We’d prefer to keep everyone alive if possible, but do what you must. I am prepared to look the other way this time.”
“Must be some hot stuff they pilfered,” Eve whistled. She glanced at Alala, who nodded grimly.
“Yeah, there’s a reason they’re tough schools to get into.” Eve pursed her lips anxiously, then slapped her fist into her palm.
“All right, may as well get started! Looks like we’re going to Mars anyway. I better go tell the twins.”
“This isn’t what I meant,” Alala murmured to herself.
……
With communications down, docking and going through customs was a nightmare, especially now that all ships were being monitored very rigidly. With so many of the crew still on the “most wanted” list, they might not have made it anywhere if Astor hadn’t cleared them personally. Martian military was skeptical— why ask two dozen rogues, outlaws, ruffians, and ne’er-do-wells to take care of their job— but Astor vouched for them, and hearing that the mythical Miracle was in their group put their fears to rest.
“My efforts keep backfiring,” Amy groaned. The guards figured that the situation was too serious to let petty technicalities get in the way, so all twenty-four women made it through and hired a bus to take them to the scene of the crime. While they were waiting, those who had sharper ears fell victim to a long string of colorful curses. Lyara recognized the voice at once and groaned; a few of the others were too curious to sit still, and investigated.
“Gods damn it, you useless red-shirt! Do we look like frickin’ criminals to you?! We’ve got legitimate passes with us— we went through customs and everything! What more do you want, asshole?!”
“That’s beside the point, ma’am,” he grunted. “Nobody’s allowed to leave or take off unless they have special permission from Headmaster Stellkei or Director Astor. Now please, return to the lobby and wait for the all-clear.”
“Fuck this!” she screeched. “At least tell us what the friggin’ hold-up us!”
“I can’t do that. Now please return to the lobby. We’ll tell you when you can proceed.”
“You’re just enjoying this little sliver of power, aren’t you?” she glared. By now, the crew could plainly see the frustrated tourist; she also had two accomplices, an older woman and a girl her age; they didn’t look nearly as agitated.
“Honey, don’t make such a fuss about it. It’s probably some emergency. I don’t mind staying a little while longer.” Her touch had a very soothing effect, and soon the infuriated woman was calmed.
“Mrr…fine, whatever makes you happy. I just thought we were on a deadline, was all. God, I hope this doesn’t last too long, or it’ll be your head!!”
“She doesn’t mean that,” the older woman said warmly. “Ferrara’s really a sweet person once you get to know her. She just needs to learn patience.” The woman blushed and walked away. She and the crew met almost at once; the look on her face was priceless.
“Aw, shit, talk about adding fuel to the fire! Of course we’d run into you assholes! Where’s Amy?! She’s the only intelligent person left in this rabble!”
“Not necessarily!” Amy chirped as she hopped up. The poor girl fell, of course, and was lifted to her feet by Fuuka and Athena. The fox-girl gave Ferrara a patient smile and bowed her head.
“If you want, we could let you in on the secret. Amy and Sharyn seem to hold you three in very high regard, so perhaps today’s the day we finally bury the hatchet.”
“That sounds wonderful!” Cirrus squealed. “I always hoped we could be friends.”
“With them?”
“Now-now,” Alto chided her lovingly. “If the situation’s that serious, we shouldn’t be fighting. Stop holding onto this silly grudge. Forgive and forget, right?”
“Always a wise word doth fly from thy lips, highness,” Sharyn smiled. The harpy rolled her eyes.
“I guess so. All right, I suppose I can put up with ya. So what’s the scoop?”
“Let’s find someplace more private,” Allegra pointed. “I don’t think G.I. Jerk over there would take kindly to our loose lips.” Of course, not even they knew the whole situation— why should stealing a few scraps of information from a school even matter?— but Alala swore to them that it would be worth all the time and effort, and Amy agreed.
“Let’s just say that Martian schools are privy to information no other institution has access to. At the very least, it would compromise the security of the students.”
“That’s good enough for me!” Allegra exclaimed, whipping out her rifle. “So where do we start lookin’?”
“We’ll split into two groups,” Amy said. “I’ll take one team to Phobos. Alala, you take the other to Ares. Let’s keep in touch and try not to do anything reckless.”
“Do I get to be on your team?” Yenae squealed. Alala solemnly nodded her head, which earned her a suffocating hug. “Oh, darling, you DO like me!”
“Hey, knock it off, it’s nothing like that! If we’re gonna catch these bastards, we’ll need the most devious person around, and you’re overqualified!”
“Like I said,” she cooed, cuddling closer. Everyone had one last laugh before getting down to business. Ferrara gave Alto and Cirrus a longing stare as she parted from them: she was going to accompany Alala, while they went with Amy.
“Be careful, okay?” she murmured, blushing cutely.
“You too, darling,” they smiled, each kissing her forehead.
……
Thankfully, Phobos Academy and the Academy on Phobos were two completely different schools— otherwise, Amy’s team would’ve had to go through even more customs and security, and once was adventure enough. No, this school was merely named after one of the two Martian moons (there was also a Deimos Academy in correspondence), and it was also the school that Amy, Kyle, and Keiko went through together, although they had went their separate ways during college.
“Of course, it’s been about twelve years since I was last here, so I doubt they’d remember me,” she told them. “I was not a particularly good student.”
“Thou jests, Amy!” Sharyn exclaimed. Miracle shook her head.
“I only straightened out my act after taking a year off when I graduated. I don’t suppose any of you might know where to look for missing information, eh?”
“Why not try the archives?” Mink suggested. Amy looked at her as if the thought had never occurred.
“Oh yeah, of course. But I never learned where that was…”
“Most likely in the vicinity of the front offices.”
“You should let her be team leader instead,” Kyrie murmured sarcastically. Amy blushed and freely admitted she had no idea what she was doing, and put Mink in charge (an idea that caused the Yun to smirk slightly). Finding the hall of records was not difficult at all: it looked like a bomb had gone off, scattering bricks, dust, and debris everywhere. You didn’t have to be an alumna to know what happened here, so they tried asking where the burglar might have gone.
“This doesn’t concern you,” the investigators replied gruffly. “Go back to your business. The school will be closed temporarily until the area can be cordoned off and investigations are complete.”
“Oh, but we have the Director’s— ”
“Shove that pompous police shit up your scrawny candy ass and tell us everything you know!!” Naja lifted the poor man up by the collar and glared death into his eyes. Leave it to an Elshyrin to attack the problem head-on.
“I-I-I-I c-can’t! Y-you’d need clearance from above! N-now p-p-put me down before I have you arrested!”
“Listen, jackass, I served as Sergeant First-Class aboard the UCM frigate Bellerophon, which is a hell of a lot higher than you’ll ever get, so don’t talk down to me like I’m some turkey civilian!! Tell us where this mother-fucker ran off to or I’ll stick you with enough venom to kill you five times over!”
“That’s enough,” Amy sighed, bopping Naja on the head with her cane. “Let him go. I was about to tell him that we have this clearance, if you had allowed me three seconds to talk.”
“Ohhh…fuck that!” she wailed, roughly dropping him. After he shakily dusted himself off, Amy showed the poor man her clearance, signed and sealed by the Director herself. He gave Naja an extremely respectful berth as he reported all possible escape routes the perpetrator might have taken.
“Now was that so hard?” Allegra said. “Sheesh! Don’t you know that honey draws more flies than vinegar?”
“Yes, but garbage draws the most,” Valti sagely observed. Naja made a face.
“What’s all this shit about drawing flies? Do I look like a fucking toad? So where are we headed, Amy?”
“He says that there’s an emergency route underneath the school that leads directly to a spaceport. It passes underneath all security checkpoints, and was built mainly as a way for students and faculty to escape during a crisis. There are two other places our burglar could go, but I’m betting this is the one they took.”
“It’s the one I’d use,” Valti shrugged.
“I suppose all criminals do think alike,” Aseria murmured. “Can we head them off?”
“Yes, but we’ll have to hurry. The tunnels are labyrinthine and probably in disrepair, so the burglar’s bound to be slowed down. There’s another entrance at the lake several kilometers away which should take us past all that. Hopefully we can get the drop on them.”
“Then let’s not waste any time.”
If they had known there was no reason for them to make haste, the team wouldn’t have scrambled like their lives depended on it. It was true that the tunnels were in poor shape and difficult to navigate, but their enemy had not even reached them yet. She had stolen the information, true, but another “job within the job” consumed her time; she figured she could spare it and focused on the most immediate concern first. It was quite customary for her to take two or even three positions during any given mission, and so putting this academic thievery on hold was nothing new to her. She wasn’t worried about getting captured, however: she had never fallen victim to her own blunders before, and she always took the time to cover her tracks, open several possible retreat options, and befriend the right people at the right time. By now her pursuers would be running in circles— and she was already at the lake.
“I guess it’s time for me to cash in,” she murmured to herself. There was a storage shed next to the artificial lake that had a secret basement which led to the tunnels, and up until recently, the Phobos headmaster had owned the key. Now it belonged to her; she fished around for it idly. It wasn’t until she grabbed it and held it aloft did she notice the company she had drawn: about fourteen women of various races, colors, and skills, all of them either on some grand Martian vacation or else out for her blood. Either way, a good time to be had by all.
“Oh shit,” Lil said as they came within view, “it’s her.”
“Oh goody, it’s you,” she answered. This was of course the Jackal; nobody else could be this devious (except for Yenae, maybe. Or Naja— and Vimmy was hardly a saint— and there was also Aseria… But moving on). “Hello! Come to see Mt. Olympus? If you’re looking for treasures, I’m afraid there’s not much here, unless you like iron oxide. Oh, Evie darling! So great to see you again! It’s been such a long time— you didn’t come all this way just to see me, did you?”
“Hardly!” she scowled. “We’re through right now, Quincy! It’s over between us! I deserve better, and you…you’re probably the most untrustworthy person in history!”
“Take thy beak from out my heart!” she exclaimed in surprise. “Oh well, I can’t blame you. I may be a prize, but all prizes lose their novelty in time. Still, we had our fun.”
“Hand over the information you took, Miss Winchester,” Amy said. “It’s very important that it stays on Mars.”
“This?” she said, bringing out a disk. “Personally, I don’t see what the big fuss is about. It’s just school records. But, money’s money, and somebody’s willing to pay me big for this. I do regret not being able to pilfer Ares’ stash, but…as it is in romance, dear Evie, you win some and you lose some. I have lost today, so I must bid you adieu.”
“Oh yeah, like we’re really gonna let’cha go!” Allegra growled. The Jackal smiled sweetly as the women slowly surrounded her. Naturally, she had an ace in the hole.
“I think you might. I can at least distract you. Somebody thought it would be fun if I had some assistance for this job, so how could I refuse?” As the Jackal spoke, a thick cloud of fog rolled in, so quick and impenetrable that it could not be an act of nature or Man: this was evil at work. At once the fog took the shape of deadly assassins, standing between the hunters and the Jackal. She tipped her hat, bowed, and said, “Play nicely, everyone. Eve, my dear, we’ll always have Centania.” And just like that, she had disappeared into the mist. Lyara scowled.
“Fog Ninjas… Why did it have to be Fog Ninjas?”
……
Not long after the hunt began, Ferrara was forced to admit that not all of Amy’s friends were complete jerks. Yenae’s and Vimmy’s reputations preceded them and the harpy kept her distance, but she grew fairly fond of the others. Riene was beautiful and intelligent, Rebecca had a serene glow about her, Fuuka was sweet and sisterly, Shana was cute and brilliant, Herut was direct and sharp, and Alala was just plain cool. She was loathe to admit her changer of heart out loud, though, because she was a proud woman and pride never dies easily.
There were no facts indicating Changera was their enemy— it could just as easily be any other Doppleganger out there— but nobody was really concerned with the truth right now. They believed whatever they wanted and chose to go about the hunt as if she really were responsible. Rebecca and Riene has a particularly large bone to pick with her, though they never revealed the reason why. Latoli negotiated her way through several miles of red tape and, with Alala leading them, brought them to Ares Academy where all this trouble began.
“Nothing’s changed,” the Felinis smiled. Yenae had a warm glow about her, but said nothing. Alala brought them to the archives, and was immediately recognized by the keeper, who was overjoyed to have a valedictorian helping out.
“The director believes it was a Doppelganger because only a select few have access to this room. Our security uses retina, print, and voice ID, so either it was one of us or a perfect copy. Naturally, there was a scramble to prove our innocence, and a lot of time was wasted verifying all our alibis.”
“Any idea where the Doppelganger might have gone?”
“We obviously shut down the spaceports the moment we realized what had happened, and tripled security measures, so it’s unlikely they’d head there, even if they can change their appearance. Other than that, I’m afraid I can’t help you. Doppelgangers are tricky to capture.”
“Leave that to us,” Athena said. She, Fuuka, and Alala sniffed around the archive room for awhile, trying to distinguish the various scents. They discerned six odors that permeated deeply throughout the archives, no doubt belonging to those who had regular access, and one that was more fleeting. They followed it outside and, with thanks to the archivist, the hunt resumed. The group traveled at a fairly quick pace for about half an hour, outside the school and onto the artificial turf, away from campus and into the local town, but they were stymied as they came to a door that led to the outside, and realized the culprit must have taken a suit and a buggy across the Martian wasteland.
“Okay, no problem, we just have to think this through,” Alala said. “The closest dome is a few kilometers away, to the north, and there are two others a bit further away. Only one of them leads to the port; the other two…uh…they’re other cities, I think. I’ll take the port. Fuuka, Athena, take some of the group with you and head into different domes. If you pick up her scent, contact the others so they know where to rendezvous.”
“And if she’s not in any of them?”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First let’s narrow these places down. I’m not sure what course of logic that guy was following, but security or not, a Doppelganger’s got a good chance of getting through.”
“So you want to check the ports out first?” Shana said. Alala nodded and everyone suited up for the journey. It came as no surprise when, a few minutes and one bumpy ride later, Alala picked up the scent and notified her comrades. Fuuka and Athena had ran into a bit of trouble, though, so Alala’s group would be on their own for awhile.
“Not a problem,” Kate said. “We should me more than a match for a Doppelganger.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Rebecca warned her. “They can be very devious creatures, take my word for it.” Alala was too excited to use much caution, but she tried to restrain herself. Yenae’s pestering helped sober her up, however, and they continued trailing the scent until it led them to a spacious arboretum designed for the pleasure of tourists. Since all traffic had been put on hold, visitors were clustered everywhere; it was difficult getting more than a few paces. This was the perfect place for a Doppelganger to hide, and with so many people around, it was impossible to keep track of one scent. They were forced to split up again and search the place individually, with no clues aiding them other than their own intuition.
Yenae picked the most isolated spot she could find and sat down on the grass. Alala continued to impress her. Even while facing a classic “needle in the haystack” situation, she didn’t back down or pause in frustration. Alala plowed forward, believing in her abilities and her mission with all her heart. Some of that tenacity did come from her fondness for the schools, but the rest was “pure Alala”, the way she had always been, the woman Yenae was hopelessly in love with. Someday, she knew she could prove herself to the noble Felinis, and that Alala could trust her with her heart, but until then, all she could do…
A shadow covered her face, and she swung her fist in the air. “Only you could relax in this mess,” the sentinel spoke, raising a prosecuting eyebrow. Yenae sat up, turned around, and stared at the rude intruder. It was the one person she had feared running into, a bounty hunter she had scorned and bested, out for revenge or some other mischief. Even with that disguise, she recognized her at once.
“This can’t possibly be a coincidence.”
“What do you mean— my presence here, or yours?”
“Either one,” she smiled darkly. “Why are you doing this, Changera? What made you turn so rotten? You used to be better than this— you used to believe in something. We may have been enemies at the time, but I still respected you.”
“Respect doesn’t run the world,” she proclaimed, assuming her true form. She came very close to Yenae, close enough to touch— or to stab— or to strangle— and smiled bitterly. “I had to learn many truths about life the hard way. An abstraction like justice is merely a word people use to encourage a certain behavior. Only the powerful get to decide what’s fair and what’s just. But I can see I’m boring you. Never mind— I didn’t come to preach and I didn’t come for you— but maybe you can help me.”
“Oh, that’s rich,” she snorted. “I said I respected you, but there is a line.”
“Just shut up and listen,” she grumbled. “I didn’t join up with Miracle’s people for the fun of it. I was asked to spy on you all. That’s what I do, remember? We Doppelgangers were born for espionage. But most of us never leave our home planet. I would’ve been content to stay there as well, if it weren’t for…some inconvenience.” Her face turned dark as she brooded on some vague assault on her former livelihood. Yenae couldn’t help but show curiosity.
“Like what? Does it involve stealing this information?”
“I don’t care about this shit,” Changera growled, clutching something close to her body. “And I don’t work for them because I want to! I don’t have a choice! Believe me, if I stood any chance of fighting them, I would’ve taken it! That’s why I need you. You were once one of the most wanted criminals in the galaxy. I know you can help me.”
“With what? Lord knows I would if I could, Changera, but you have to tell me. Who’s this ‘they’ you keep talking about? Is it Origin?”
“I shouldn’t be surprised you know that name,” Changera smirked. “With your resources, you would’ve found out eventually. But Origin is bigger than everything we’ve ever known: bigger than the UCM, Demise Industries, the Ozmund Enterprise, you name it. I have no delusions about ‘taking it on’— I just want…to do something…so I don’t feel so fucking powerless anymore!!”
“Uh…Changera…I’m not sure what I can do! If it’s really that big…” Yenae was confused; this was above and beyond her expertise. She did want to help, but… Suddenly, Changera grabbed hold of her face, squeezing tight. Her eyes became livid and she spat in desperate fury.
“Don’t give me that bullshit, Marliir! I have to do this!! You have to help me!! If you won’t come with me on your own, then I’ll force you!”
“Hey!!” Changera and Yenae jerked away from each other, startled by the sudden cry. Yenae’s spirits were lifted as she saw Alala standing above them, beautiful and heroic and brimming with righteous anger. She jumped down and screamed with uncontrollable rage, “SHE’S MINE, BITCH!!”, slashing with her claws. Changera dropped her bundle and roared in pain as blood spurted from her face: her left eye had been completely ripped apart and her cheek was gushing red fluids. Alala stood before Yenae protectively, hissing venomously as her silvery fur stood on end. Changera glared furiously with her one good eye, but she was powerless to fight now, and she knew it. Without hesitation, she ran, forced to flee Mars without anything to show for it. Alala gradually calmed down once she vanished, and retracted her claws, licking the blood off.
“I swear, the nerve of that— ”
KER-GLOMPINATOR!!!
“Oh, darling, you really DO love me! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it all along! My sweetums came to my rescue because she loves me!!”
“NO, YOU IDIOT, YA GOT IT ALL WRONG!! I just couldn’t stand by while that asshole was smothering someone I li…uh, I mean, she was being awful about it and…goodness knows you need all the help you can get. HEY, IT’S NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL! I don’t like you— well, I mean, I like you, sort of, sometimes, but it’s not like I… You’re misinterpreting my… Uh…would you at least get off me?!”
“Not a chance, sugar kitten,” Yenae purred, snuggling and kissing her even more.
“Y-you’re so annoying,” Alala murmured, blushing cutely. “And why do you have to be so soft?!”
……
The Jackal was very accustomed to running for her life and was not tired in the least when she stopped to check her surroundings. A professional freelancer like her would not make the mistake of getting lost— in fact, she had memorized all three of her original escape routes by heart to prevent such an embarrassment. She only paused because one of the passageways was blocked off by fallen rubble and slipshod reconstruction efforts. She hadn’t taken this into account, naturally, but what fun would it be if everything went according to plan?
“Merely a detour,” she muttered, smiling as she rubbed her chin. There were two other paths to take: the one she just came out of and one that led into the unknown. The Jackal believed she would still have a chance at retreat if she turned back, but…again, what was the fun in that? She clutched her prize close and chose the most adventurous path— but something was amiss. She heard footsteps approaching from the dark unknown, very slow and meaningful, a metronome’s rhythm of great consequence. Either her visitor knew exactly what they were getting into, or was entirely innocent— but either way, the Jackal could not afford to be caught. She glanced around for something to use as a distraction— killing her visitor was out of the question as she detested murder— but froze as the person slowly emerged from the black.
“It’s been a long time, Quincy— far too long for me. You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this moment, what thoughts I whispered in the dark, what vows I made to the depths so that my patience would bear fruit. Do you remember me? Or do you think I’m just a ghost from beyond Hell? I assure you, Jackal, I have not forgotten you at all in the long days I spent in my own personal Purgatory. Today you will answer for all you have done.”
“It can’t be!” she hissed, honestly frightened for the first time in her life. “I heard you were killed! How could you have survived?!”
All of her nightmares suddenly came to life as the entity emerged from the shadows, burning with indignation. It was the Dead Rose, plucked from the devil’s garden, a phantom turned real by her vengeance.
“Let’s just say that God had sympathy for the devil. He can even grant my prayers— and now I have you, trapped like the rat you are, with nothing between you and the embrace of fire. You’re going to pay for murdering my crew, Quincy.”
“But I had nothing to do with that!!” she yelped. “It was the Dutchman, Rose— Barbarossa killed your crew!”
“And you were the one that led him to us. You work for Origin, don’t you, Jackal? There’s no use talking your way out of this one: the Dutchman told me everything! You put the hit on my crew, you were in league with those bastards, and right now, I don’t give a flying fuck what you’re doing, but it can’t be any good! I’m cutting you down before you can do any more harm!”
“Rose, wait! I told you right from the beginning that I was like that! You can’t be angry just because it’s my nature!”
“WATCH ME!!” she roared, and swung her sword with the power of a vengeful death-goddess, neatly cleaving the Jackal’s head right off her neck. The body stood petrified for a moment, blood spurting out like a geyser, spraying against Rose and her blade, while the head careened through the air and smacked against the floor, bouncing and rolling until ay last it came to a stop. Rose jammed her saber through the chest, pinning it against the wall, and slowly lurched away, until she came to a crawl and sat on the floor. Her rage eventually subsided and she delicately cleaned her face, satisfied with her work.
“See you on the other side,” she muttered. “That’s when I’ll start getting nasty. Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of company. It’s their turn now.” After a few moments of quiet reflection, Rose heard someone approaching from the same hall the Jackal came out of. She stood to meet them, but kept her sword hidden: she had already spent her passions and was not in the mood to fight. What greeted her, though, was the very last person she expected to see. The woman jerked to a halt, her eyes widening, tears streaming and limbs shivering as she gasped and covered her mouth in a wild hope.
“Alto…” Rose smiled faintly at her new lover and first mate, and before the older woman could say anything, Rose walked over to her and kissed her with all her strength. “See, I’m not a ghost,” she smiled. Alto cried out and flung her arms around her Captain’s neck.
“Oh Rose…” She was racked with sobs of overwhelming happiness, and even now, as she felt her Captain’s arms comfort her, she didn’t dare fear it was just another dream. Cirrus had been there with her mother all that time, but stood back until their reunion had ended. Her tears were no less joyful as she embraced the Captain and kissed her face.
“We thought,” she began, but couldn’t say anything else. Rose grinned warmly.
“Hey, ya can’t keep a good pirate down, right? I wouldn’t leave you two hanging. I’m glad you managed to survive this long. How many more are left?”
“We’re not sure,” Alto warbled. “Ten…maybe fifteen. We sort of lost touch after…we heard the news. Oh, Rose, your hair!” Only now the mother and daughter noticed how shorn Rose’s hair was. Once the Captain of the Bloody Dove had boasted a snaking mane as long as she was, but now it barely grazed her shoulders. Rose smiled sadly and tucked it back.
“One centimeter cut for every crewmember lost. At least I’m not bald, right?”
“Of course,” they whispered, crying again. Rose laughed and kissed all their tears away, even though she was crying too. By the time the women had composed themselves, Amy’s team finally caught up with them. Eve was astonished to find the Jackal decapitated and impaled, and in spite of her feelings, couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. She may have had mixed morals, but she had been an attentive lover, and Eve had returned that affection, if only for a little while.
“Good to see you all are still kicking!” Rose exclaimed with a wave. Naturally, everyone was surprised to find her alive as well, and demanded an explanation. “Now just a minute. I only count about twelve of you, and if I recall correctly, there were twenty-four sultry goddesses all together. It wouldn’t be fair to leave them out of the story, and I’m not telling it twice! In any case, this place reeks. You all find a place to talk while I burn this trash.”
“One second,” Amy murmured as she felt through the Jackal’s belongings. She found the disk and tucked it away, then gave Rose leave to do as she pleased. Eve couldn’t help but touch Quincy’s hand one more time before leaving.
……
Rose took a moment to caress Alto’s and Cirrus’s hands; they were slowly adjusting to her unexpected return and needed a moment of silence. But soon she was ready to speak: “The man who killed my crew and destroyed my ship was none other than ‘the Flying Dutchman’, Captain Hendrik van der Decken, or Barbarossa as he’s known in some circles. That may not mean anything to you land lovers, but every mariner worth their salt knows the legend of the Dutchman.”
“A man cursed with immortality after blaspheming against God,” Amy said. Rose looked up at her and smiled with admiration. The Doctor continued: “Cursed to wander the seas, never to die, he can only make port after a certain period of time. He has but one day to find a woman who will utterly love him, and if he fails, he must wait for the next period. I believe that if he cannot find this woman after the seventh time on land, he’s doomed to sail until the end of time.”
“More or less,” Rose nodded.
“Are you saying that was the same man?!” Riene exclaimed. “I thought that was just a legend!”
“Even mythology has a grain of truth in it,” Amy replied solemnly. “I can understand your skepticism, though. Stories of immortal beings usually have little base in reality. Count Dracula, the Wandering Jew, the Flying Dutchman, they that eat the flesh of mermaids, and drink the blood of unicorns… Sounds like a fantasy.”
“But you mean he’s real?” she whispered. Rose grunted.
“As real as any of us. I stuck my sword right through his belly and it sliced out of his body like a knife through jelly, but he kept on going. He ran me through— ” She paused, opening her coat and bustier, revealing a large, reddish-pink scat on her abdomen. “— But he didn’t hit anything vital. I think he wanted to spare me because I was a Captain like him. Anyway, he told me who put the hit out on us, headed right for a star, set the ship on autopilot, and jumped out, leaving me there. Now you know I couldn’t leave this world like that, so I made my way to the escape pods. That was the most painful moment of my life— not because of my wound, but because I was forced to leave the ship behind and all my crew. But I had to do it, for their sake. I got the devil’s luck once I stuffed myself into the pod, and only just managed to escape the star’s gravity. I got picked up by a Centanian patrol ship and treated in a clinic— but they only bothered cuz’ they wanted to interrogate me. Anyway, I got real friendly with the doctor who patched me up— ”
“So even with a near-fatal wound, you managed to seduce somebody?” Alto stated jealously. Rose chuckled.
“Hey, gimme a break, she was a real cutie! Anyway, that doctor helped me get outta there before they could incarcerate me, and I made her an honorary pirate in return. I found a ship— nothing special, just something to tide me over— and put forth all my resources to tracking down that rat traitor Winchester. So now everyone’s been avenged and I can try to pick up the pieces.”
“Well, I must say,” Alto murmured, “that was quite a tale. So, is this doctor your lover now?”
“It’s nothing like that! It was a matter of life and death— you’d do the same if you were in my position! You’re the one I trust the most, Alto— but that doesn’t mean you can’t have her!”
“I’d prefer monogamy,” she muttered, but it was clear even from Alto’s haughtiness that she was overjoyed to have Rose back. Rose grinned and kissed her cheek, then stood up to address everyone in the room.
“Anyway, I accomplished what I set out to do, and that’s good enough. Alto, Cirrus, if you still want to, you can come with me and help me rebuild the Dead Roses. And you, the harpy— ”
“Ferrara,” she grumbled.
“Yeah, Ferr-Ferr, you can be a pirate, too. I’m always willing to bring in sexy new recruits.”
“She never changes,” Cirrus giggled. Ferrara was still on the fence, though, but once Rose brought up the prospect of treasure, wild horses couldn’t keep her away. She also offered the crew of the Dauntless positions on her new ship— particularly the Acheron twins, who she was still apparently in lust with— but they had all been together so long, and had been through so many dangers and adventures, it just seemed wrong to leave right now.
“If that’s your choice, then I must honor it,” she resigned with a charming smile. “But one day, I swear, I’m going to seduce you all! Particularly that sweet green knight, and the lovely Dr. Miracle!”
“Not likely!” Amy and Lyara balked. Rose laughed out loud, gathered her growing crew in her arms, waved farewell to her friends, and set off for the beginning of a new life and new adventures.
“Well,” Eve said, “we have had a time.”
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Preview of next chapter
Aseria: You know, it’s been awhile since we’ve had any big parts, Lillianne.
Lil: Uh, I thought we already covered the “neglected character” shtick in the last chapter’s previews, Aseria. Can’t we come up with something more original?
Aseria: Well, we’re headed off to Gaea’s moon in the next chapter… Hmm…how could we use that?
Lil: I dunno. Maybe Sati will make an appearance and start howling at it!
Sati: Hey!!
Aseria: I heard the moon once held one of the dark powers of the universe. It’s said that a great angel was cast out of heaven and imprisoned inside the lunar surface, tens of thousands of years before humans lived.
Lil: And the Inu people apparently go crazy whenever it’s full.
Sati: Do you want me to beat you up?
Aseria: I can’t believe we can’t come up with something clever to say about Gaea’s moon! But then again, what’s so special about a moon, especially if it’s covered in desolation? Alfheim has three, and they’re all habitable! So nya.
Lil: Ah, I got it! A tourist trap!
Fuuka: You mean like in Planetes?
Lil: Who invited the bitch food?
Aseria: Ooh, genuine moon rocks, only 45G! Honey, can we have some?
Sati: Watch the next episode, “Dark Side of the Moon: Selene’s embrace”, and please visit the gift shop for all your lunar needs!
Everyone: BECAUSE MERCHANDISING IS WHERE THE REAL MONEY FROM THE STORY IS MADE!!
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