~~~~
Of course it didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. What had he done? He had told that… That Cyborg his life! Not to mention Stith's! Why had he done it!? If Stith found out… He didn't want to think about it. Stith was private about those things. It still stumped him on how Korso found out. But then again… That human could find out anything he wanted to. Good thing he couldn't find out about his past. His past was something he kept locked away in his mind. Until recently.
Preed stared at the picture of his mother. She was different than any Akrennian… At least, she wouldn't have to know how her son turned out. He was a fool. He knew it. But he was proud of it. He was a backstabber. He had betrayed all of them. Did he care? No. It was a fight for survival. Besides… Space Pirates would rob the new planet Earth soon any ways, or slave traders. And he could say so long to that human named Cale and Akima… Oh, his God did he hate her now. Actually, he had always hated her. When he decided to "hit" on her, it was only to make her hate him more. He didn't want her to like him. He never asked to be loved.
How could he have been so juvenile? Oh sure, telling her his past wasn't enough… He had kissed her! But then again, she was asking for it. She had gotten up so close to him, their lips almost touched. …Wasn't she asking for it? He had said she interested him. He told her! But, hadn't she told him he interested her? His race. He, himself, did. It just didn't make sense! Did he actually, truly, really, care for her? She was just a Cyborg! Created for nothing! NOTHING! She didn't even know who she was created by! She could of acted human. She didn't. She could of been accepted. She didn't. She was different, all right. A different that scared him in his soul.
A slender finger ran down the picture as he just stared, no expression on his face, but sadness in his eyes. Never would he show it to anyone, especially Stith, but he was in his quarters, alone. Alone… That's all he knew. He had been alone most of his life. Isolated from most. He had found a friend by the name of Joe Korso. He met him in a trashy hospital. Back alley, to be exact. Not extremely thrilled with having a male human that reeked of hormones, he did his best to ignore him. For some reason, though, something Korso had told him stood out in his mind.
"When I was heading off to my personal, one person ship, to follow Sam Tucker, the brains behind the Titan, I found this little girl… I don't know why she caught my eye. Something about her just made me want to help her.
"I yelled at her. She whirled around. Her hair was blotched with blood, but it didn't hide the blond hair and strange ice blue eyes. I took her a ship and asked her where she got so many wounds. She stared at me, as if she couldn't believe me, but I left before she could answer. I had a job to do, any ways."
It sounded so familiar…
"Oddly as it is… A drifter colony found the very same ship twenty four hours later and said everyone was dead inside… They had been brutally killed. Some stabbed. Some shot. Some kicked to death. But the little girl was never found. I just pray the little girl got away from the ship…"
Blond hair… Ice blue eyes… Something seemed familiar.
He sat down in a chair, staring at the picture, his mind wandering away. It stood out… Stood out so much… She sounded familiar… Everyone aboard was found dead, but the girl… Ice blue eyes. Blond hair blotched with blood.. No… It just… Couldn't… Could it?
~~~~
"Calm down!?" she shrieked into her communicator. "How can I calm down!?"
"He may not have discovered anything."
"KIRO! HE'S NOT AN IDIOT!!"
"Yes, I do know."
"I heard him talking to himself! That human fool Korso told him about finding me on Earth and putting me on that ship!! The fool TOLD him what I looked like! Preed is becoming suspicious!! He may report it to Stith! Stith is no fool either! I have to finish the job soon before he starts realizing the truth! You know Akrennians!"
"Yes. I have worked with many of them."
"He's going to look up on my background and discover I am a first class Bounty Hunter that is well known and FEARED throughout the universe! You need to hide the files in case he tries something fishy! You hear me, Kiro!?"
"Yes, yes Junnea. I will do so."
She said in a mocking voice, "I will do so. I will do so. YOU HAD BETTER DO IT OR I'LL HAVE YOU THROWN INTO THE SEA OF KUSMINE!!"
There was a pause of silence. Junnea paced in her quarters, wiping her hair from her face every few seconds. Beads of sweat stung her forehead as she bit her lower lip in anger.
"Doing so right now, ma'am."
"GOOD!!" she shrieked and shut off the communicator. She stood there, breathing deep, shuddering breaths. Never, in her entire life, had she felt so furious. Then again, she had never been discovered. This Akrennian was something else. He wasn't foolish. She had to get the job done, and soon. But first… The weapons had to go. The Mantrin would be the hardest, but she could do it. She has killed them before, any ways.
~~~~
"My guns! Where did they go!?" Stith threw various shirts out of their place, eyes narrowed. Who in their right mind would steal her guns!? The only person that came into her mind was Preed. But, he wouldn't stoop so low. Would he? No. He wouldn't. He wasn't that stupid.
"PPPPRRREEEEEEEEEEDDD!!!!!!" she screamed.
He grunted and poked his head in, and a shirt landed on his face. He yanked it off and let it flutter to the ground, his eyes narrowed.
"Yes, precious?"
"Where are my guns!?" she hollered, shooting around to face him.
"How would I know? I don't touch those things." He turned to leave.
"Do you know where they are!?"
Preed turned his head and replied coolly, "No, darling, I don't. I wouldn't dare touch them, either. I have no use for your guns. Even if I did, I wouldn't steal them." He paused. "Why would you assume I did such a thing?"
"You're the only one I don't trust, creep!"
"And what about that Cyborg?"
"What about her!?"
"Don't you find her… Odd? A strange thing, that dear is."
Stith snorted and continued to search through her drawers, mumbling, "If I found her the slightest bit odd, I would have done away with her a long time ago! Which, I do say so myself, need to do with…" She whirled around, glaring daggers at him and spat, "YOU!"
Rolling his eyes, the Akrennian proceeded in leaving again.
"So sorry. I do hope you find your beloved guns, precious!"
"CALL ME PRECIOUS AGAIN AND YOU'RE IN FOR IT!!"
"Precious!" he whispered and ran for it when he heard her feet stomp abruptly.
Stith sighed and kicked the ground. Where had they disappeared off to? She wouldn't be able to get replacements! Not until they landed, and she was not willing to go to Solbrecht. After what she had done. Not even a herd of Kisake's could drag her there.
Leaving her quarters, she tried to think of who could of possibly stole her guns, unaware of the eyes that followed her every movement from the shadows. The figure did not move a muscle, but after a few seconds, Junnea emerged. She ran her slender fingers through her golden hair, and grinned. She patted the side of her robe, that was slightly bulging, but not noticeable. Chuckling under her breath, trying to press down the tension deep in her throat, she walked back to her quarters.
Setting down the numerous guns on the table, she studied each one. One was similar to an Earth Rocket Launcher. To admit, she used them. Once in a while. She turned a more smaller one over in her hands, studying the craftsmanship that went into it. It was, to admit, well done. Highly outdated though. Then again, Bounty Hunters got the best everything. Everything they had was ten times that of the most advanced race. Everyone knew that. That's why no one dared trying to destroy them. Unless, of course, they were fools. Rarely did anyone try to stop Bounty Hunters. Most, though, never succeeded. Even though space was a vast, open place of nothing, word spread quickly to the Hunters. They learned everything they wanted to know.
"She'll be looking for these…" she grunted, putting the weapon down hastily. It meant nothing to her, any ways. "Stith is going to want these pieces of trash. Might as well make a little adjustments…" She laughed silently and pried open a compartment with a tool. Skillfully, she started to make little changes here and there. Her objective was to mess up the circuits, so when the Mantrin pulled the trigger, it would blow up her face. Of course, the Mantrin would try and use it on her when her little secret was discovered. But, she wouldn't get very far. She'd have to make the same adjustments on all the other guns in the ship. That could take a while. Even though the Valkyrie was small, it still could have thousands of secret stashes, which could be a problem in her behalf. Preed was starting to discover the truth and he'd be watching her more often, more closely. It was not going to be a simple walk in the park. Then again, almost nothing ever was.
Finishing with the guns, she hid them in a box that resembled an Earth treasure chest. She drummed her fingers on the table, expecting for someone like Kiro to contact her. Possibly the Drej, who were most likely becoming extremely impatient at the moment. They were restless fools. It wouldn't surprise her if they contacted her. By the way they kept contacting her, she knew they'd call.
"You need to keep focused, Junnea… Maybe, one night while the other three are in a sound sleep, you can go back to the Academy for a little bit to catch up on some old schoolmates and train a bit…" she murmured to herself. It was a lie, because rarely do Bounty Hunters go back there. Sometimes they do, to brag to the beginners or any Hunter they knew, but that was mainly it. Maybe to catch up on some further training, too. Otherwise, no one went back.
Junnea leaned back in the chair, remembering, once again, about her past. About the time when the Earth ended. When she stepped out, into Hell… No. That wasn't Hell. She has felt Hell and seen it. Hell was not a dark place. Actually, it was bright. Always bright and rarely ever dimmed. Those down there would have to sleep, if they dared, with lights shining in their closed eyes. Sleeping was the least concern, the least thing wanted. If you slept, you'd dream the most horrible nightmares. Damn, she hated to admit it, but she was afraid of going to Hell. Seeing the tortures and everything. It scared her.
Everyone thought Hell was nothing but eternal suffering in flames. Nuh-uh. There was no flames. You just went insane, sooner or later. That was what Hell is about. Fire is only used for those who are "bad". You'd suffer for a while, but then, you'd be let go. To go insane once more.
She couldn't exactly admit it. Almost every, if not all, races believed in a Hell and a Heaven. Personally, she believed in the underworld, but she didn't believe in Heaven. Never in her entire life had she felt anything close to Heaven, so why believe it? They said those who are good go to Heaven, and those who are evil go to Hell. But then again, what was considered good? What was considered evil? Those who are considered "evil" consider their enemies "evil" and they consider themselves "good". She felt Hell, so how could she not believe it? What drove those insane was seeing their endless mistakes. Over and over again. Over and over and over… Never to end. It'd drive her insane.
The Cyborg shuddered. It had been a long time since she actually thought this. It had been five years since she touched the never ending light of Hell and agony. No. It wasn't agony. Agony was a pain that made you want to die. It was something else, but she couldn't put her finger on it. They say those with a soul get to go to either Heaven or Hell, depending on who you were. Well, what if you didn't have a soul, like her? She was a human/machine. She was a mainly human based, but still had robot parts. She doubted she had a soul. In fact, what was a soul? It never came to her before. What was a soul? What was it like to have a soul?
Shit, she thought. I'd better stop thinking like this. I'd be damned to think like this anymore.
But she couldn't. It hit her too quickly for her to stop. Was she going insane? It ran over and over in her hand. Memories. Those memories. Those tightening, ice cold hands tightening around her throat… She couldn't breathe… She was being choked!! Gasping for air! Lungs screaming for oxygen!! … She had lost it.
"I need rest… All this sudden stress isn't doing me well… I just have to take it easy. Soon, I'll be able to finish my job, and I can leave and take a long break from Bounty Hunting… I can forget about Hell and Heaven and souls and all this shit…" she murmured into her hand that was placed over her face. As she spoke, she could feel the hands slipping over her throat again. She shook off the feeling, gasping quietly, then went to bed.
Laying there, she tossed and turned. Sleep would not come to her, and she could not find it. This was just a load of crap. She couldn't sleep. She didn't feel like eating. What was wrong with her!? Had she really lost her touch!? Hell no! Maybe she was just restless. Yeah. That's it. She was restless. Too many things on her mind. That was it.
Junnea heard foot steps outside her door. Whoever it was, was reaching out to open it. Cursing, she pulled the covers over her head, or most of the way, and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to look like she wasn't awake. Even before his head poked in, Junnea knew it was Preed. It was always him.
The Akrennian stared at her sleeping figure. Her breathing was light, yet also deep at the same time. A word suddenly appeared in his mind.
Beautiful, he thought. She's so elegant… Ack! What am I thinking!?
He turned and left the room, not wanting to disturb her peace. It was almost impossible to think she… She could be not more than what she seems. He had to be cautious. Though, he knew, it was too hard.
She sat up quickly and shoved the blankets down roughly. She had seen the look in his eyes when he stared at her. He was interested in her, no doubt. No. He wasn't interested in her. He was interested in who he saw, but not the real thing. He wouldn't dare be fond of her if he saw who she really was.
What foolish emotions, she spat in her mind, laying down, hoping that comforting darkness she loved would come to her.
~~~~
It never happened before in his life. At first, he didn't know what it was. He thought he wasn't asleep, but day dreaming like he did sometimes. But, when he was sitting up in his bed, holding his head in his hands, he realized he was asleep. He had not been day dreaming. He was hallucinating, maybe. No, it was a dream. A dream! His species never dreamt! NEVER! But… He did. There was no denying it. He did.
Splashing his face with the cold water from his own private bathroom, he kept playing it over and over again in his mind. It did pay to be a first mate. He got his own private bathroom and a room, about ¼ smaller than Korso's room. But that wasn't the problem! He kept drifting away from what he tried to focus on. It didn't seem possible. The dream, any ways.
It didn't start like a normal dream. It was rather odd, to admit. The air was cold. Bitterly cold. The foul stench of blood, death, and war filled the air and just did not go away. The sky was an almost brown color, and the oxygen, when breathed in, was damp and heavy. The ground was stained with bright reddish blood and other mixed colors. A war must of had been going on.
He was there. He could taste, feel, and smell everything. He saw the children on the ground, crippled on the ground, dead. Most were either Mantrin, human, or some other races he didn't quite know. Preed didn't want to know.
This dry, hard cored fear was welling up inside of him as he slowly advanced forward. He had to step over bodies and avoid those who were still alive. None really caught his attention, until he saw one human child.
She was small, not even six years old. Her face and strawberry blond hair was drenched in blood. Not from her, but from her mother, who was unmoving on the ground.
"Mommy!!" the girl sobbed, tugging at the adult female's arm, who had a huge hole in her stomach, and blood was spilling. It was awfully quiet… The only thing heard was the sobbing of the child, and her shuddering breaths.
A tall figure was staring down at them. Preed couldn't see who it was, but whoever it was, wore a stunning navy blue robe. The figure stared down, and reached out a hand.
"Please mommy! Get up! Pleeeaase!" the little girl begged, shaking her mom. She looked at the figure and quivered in fear, cowering. But the Akrennian knew the small child knew her time was up. He watched in horror as the child buried her face in her mother's blood soaked chest, sobbing.
The figure pointed one finger. It looked so slender, and the finger nail exposed was black. With a quick movement, the hand reached inside the robe, yanked out a gun, and fired.
Then, there was silence.
Preed just sat there, resting his elbows on the sink. Why had he dreamt!? Why!? He wasn't suppose to! It wasn't in his nature! It was ruining him! Just like it did to the last Akrennian he heard about!
"Oh hell…" he murmured. "Now I'm going to go psycho. Just great. I might as well yank of my pants and run around the ship bare assed."
He sighed, thinking of the dream over and over again, without much luck. He was lost, dazed, and confused. He knew it'd drive him bonkers soon, but he might as well get something to eat while he was at it. Who knows? He could, of course, ruin Stith once again if he was going to flip.
~~~~
"Life is rather unfair, don't you think?" Preed asked Stith slyly, rolling the 'r' on unfair so it annoyed the Mantrin.
"Yes. To me, it is."
"And why is that, precious?" he crooned.
"BECAUSE YOU'RE IN MY LIFE!!!"
"Oh, pity, pity…"
"Shut up! Get out of my sight! I don't want to see you!!"
"Sorry, Captain Stith, but I need to pilot the ship. You, on the other hand, can leave if you wish. Now, scoot scoot." When he said scoot scoot, he waved his hand away, indicating that he wanted her to leave. Too bad she didn't. She knocked him over and pinned him on the floor with her tail, her gun, that she had found on her bed, at his head. Junnea saw this and said absolutely nothing. If the Mantrin pulled the trigger… She tried not to laugh out loud.
"One more word, Akrennian," she hissed. "One more word, I swear I'll pull the trigger. I don't need you anymore. Junnea over here can pilot the ship. I have no need for you! So, GET OUT!! Get OUT OF MY SIGHT! I don't want to see you! I don't want to hear you! I don't even want to smell you! If I do… Oh you'll wish your God saved your scrawny ass, Preed. I am SICK and TIRED of this!"
"You're bluffing," he spat.
Stith narrowed her eyes and pulled the trigger.
Nothing came from the barrel of the gun. He had clenched his eyes shut, praying his life wouldn't end. Not now. But the firing never came. Instead, he heard a loud explosion and a strangled cry of agony.
His eyes snapped open and he smelt the raw stench of burning flesh and blood. Jumping to his feet, he saw Stith, holding her, blood dripping from her hands. Her gun was on the floor, or the remains of it.
"STITH!!" Gune wailed, running over to her. "Oh! Oh! Is Stith okay!? Is she hurt badly!? Must Gune and Preed and Junnea take her to the Sick Bay!?"
Nothing came from her. She just screamed, cowering down. Junnea was at her side, talking in a calm, soothing voice, her hand on the Mantrin's shoulder.
"Shh.. It's okay. Take your hands from your face, Stith, so we can see the damage… Everything will be okay."
Whimpering, she removed her hands. Preed was astonished… Never ever, since he came aboard the Valkyrie had he seen Stith whimper or let alone cry. Her face was covered in her blood, that gave off a slight smell. Nothing could be seen, but her eyes, that were full of fierce pain, and tears were slicing through the blood. Junnea grimaced at the sight, and helped her to her feet.
"IT HURTS! I HAVE NEVER FELT ANYTHING SO AGONIZING!" Stith cried, barely being able to balance, so Junnea had to help her.
And another bites the dust… she thought gleefully to herself, yet, a pain surged in her chest. Brushing it away, she helped the Mantrin to the Sick Bay.
Gune gathered up the remains of gun, mumbling things about Stith to himself. Preed just stood there, gawking at what just happened. Never would he have guessed something so horrible happen to Stith…
She deserved it! he thought bitterly to himself. She's always threatening to kill me and she pulled the trigger! If the gun didn't explode, I'd be dead!
Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. The gun was safety. Stith wasn't intending to kill him! Just to scare the living shit out of him! She was never planning to hurt him! Just to teach him a lesson! As hard as it was to admit to himself, he felt bad for thinking she deserved it.
~~~~
Junnea finished cleaning up Stith's wounds. Sighing, she looked at the scar that was left. It ran down her right eye, but lucky, her eye was left perfectly fine. She was, however, disappointed the gun didn't do anymore damage. Then again, she tampered with the other guns even more, so Stith was going to get an even bigger surprise.
"I… I never intended on… On shooting him!" she stammered. She was clearly in shock on what happened. "I always keep my guns cleaned… I always check on them… How could I have been such a fool?…"
"It was just an accident. You're going to be fine…"
"But my face…" She gingerly touched the scar and winced, because it hurt a little. "Oh my God… I have a scar…"
"I have many scars, too. You don't need to be ashamed."
"You're right. It shows I'm a fighter."
"Of course," she flashed Stith a fake smile and pushed her some of her golden hair to reveal a slash that went down the side of her face. It was healed, but the horrible mark would stay there forever.
"Where did you get that?"
"Slave trade. Remember when I told you I was captured by traders and they tried to sell me, but didn't make it very far? I was foolish to underestimate them and they got in a few good hits."
"Yes… I see…"
"Well, you're perfectly fine. You look rather cool with the scar, if I do say so myself. Get something to eat and lay down the rest of the day so the pain will subside fully."
She nodded and the Mantrin left. Junnea leaned against the wall, grinning quietly. Her first plan had succeeded. She got Stith to bed and injured her. Now… There was something else for her to do… She could do other things, to drive the three insane, and then double cross them. Yes… That sounded good. She had some time, any ways. Though, the next time the remaining Drej would contact her, they'd be severely pissed and want the head of Preed. Still… She was in no hurry. Bounty Hunters were patient and always got their prey.
~~~~
SPOILER ALERT!!!
Note: This spoiler is from a future story of mine that'll take place a few months after the three remaining crew members of the Valkyrie meet up with Junnea. Tell me what you think of it! Be honest! I do like honest opinions! Good ones and the bad!
"Look! I'm sorry, okay!? I didn't mean to start a fight back there but I was only defending my supplies! Those jerks started something with me, just because I was a human," the boy grunted, not evening turning his head to look at Preed.
"I don't want to talk to you about that!" he snapped, staring at the brown and reddish brown hair of the young human male.
"Then what!?" he spun around, his eyes narrowed.
Preed stared. Those eyes….. Oh his God….. He knew those eyes! It just….. Couldn't be possible! There was the possibility of a relation….. Like….. His nephew or cousin! But it just couldn't be possible!! The boy looked to be about seventeen and there was no way!
"Well?" the teenager asked, clenching the strap of his bag that was thrown over his shoulder. Blood trickled down the fresh wound from the earlier brawl, but there no signs of him being in any sort of pain.
"Well what!?"
"What did you want, Akrennian!? You said you wanted to talk! I do not have any time. I have to get back….."
"Hey! Jay!" a voice yelled out and the boy twirled around.
The male Akrennian lifted his head in time to see another human male come running over. This one had long hair, the same color as Cale's, but tied back with a string. His hair looked dirty, but not greasey. His bangs were long and were parted in the middle so his childish brown eyes were exposed. Preed also noticed he had a scar going right across his face, starting above his right eye,and ending on his left cheek. He had two little dash mark like scars under each eye, and one going down the side of his nose. He was extremely tall. About 6'7", but looked young. Most likely around Akima's age.
"Oh. Hey Saoto."
"Jay?"
The boy named Jay looked at Preed and frowned…….
"Who's the Akrennian?" the one named Saoto asked, jerking his thumb, that was gloved, towards Preed.
"Don't know….. He followed me."
"Well, my boy, I would like your name."
"What's yours?"
"I asked you first."
"The name's Jason, but my friend, Saoto here, calls me Jay, along with my twin, who's not with me."
"I would like your full name, child."
"It's Jason……."
"Yes, I do know that."
"Jason Korso."
Of course it didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. What had he done? He had told that… That Cyborg his life! Not to mention Stith's! Why had he done it!? If Stith found out… He didn't want to think about it. Stith was private about those things. It still stumped him on how Korso found out. But then again… That human could find out anything he wanted to. Good thing he couldn't find out about his past. His past was something he kept locked away in his mind. Until recently.
Preed stared at the picture of his mother. She was different than any Akrennian… At least, she wouldn't have to know how her son turned out. He was a fool. He knew it. But he was proud of it. He was a backstabber. He had betrayed all of them. Did he care? No. It was a fight for survival. Besides… Space Pirates would rob the new planet Earth soon any ways, or slave traders. And he could say so long to that human named Cale and Akima… Oh, his God did he hate her now. Actually, he had always hated her. When he decided to "hit" on her, it was only to make her hate him more. He didn't want her to like him. He never asked to be loved.
How could he have been so juvenile? Oh sure, telling her his past wasn't enough… He had kissed her! But then again, she was asking for it. She had gotten up so close to him, their lips almost touched. …Wasn't she asking for it? He had said she interested him. He told her! But, hadn't she told him he interested her? His race. He, himself, did. It just didn't make sense! Did he actually, truly, really, care for her? She was just a Cyborg! Created for nothing! NOTHING! She didn't even know who she was created by! She could of acted human. She didn't. She could of been accepted. She didn't. She was different, all right. A different that scared him in his soul.
A slender finger ran down the picture as he just stared, no expression on his face, but sadness in his eyes. Never would he show it to anyone, especially Stith, but he was in his quarters, alone. Alone… That's all he knew. He had been alone most of his life. Isolated from most. He had found a friend by the name of Joe Korso. He met him in a trashy hospital. Back alley, to be exact. Not extremely thrilled with having a male human that reeked of hormones, he did his best to ignore him. For some reason, though, something Korso had told him stood out in his mind.
"When I was heading off to my personal, one person ship, to follow Sam Tucker, the brains behind the Titan, I found this little girl… I don't know why she caught my eye. Something about her just made me want to help her.
"I yelled at her. She whirled around. Her hair was blotched with blood, but it didn't hide the blond hair and strange ice blue eyes. I took her a ship and asked her where she got so many wounds. She stared at me, as if she couldn't believe me, but I left before she could answer. I had a job to do, any ways."
It sounded so familiar…
"Oddly as it is… A drifter colony found the very same ship twenty four hours later and said everyone was dead inside… They had been brutally killed. Some stabbed. Some shot. Some kicked to death. But the little girl was never found. I just pray the little girl got away from the ship…"
Blond hair… Ice blue eyes… Something seemed familiar.
He sat down in a chair, staring at the picture, his mind wandering away. It stood out… Stood out so much… She sounded familiar… Everyone aboard was found dead, but the girl… Ice blue eyes. Blond hair blotched with blood.. No… It just… Couldn't… Could it?
~~~~
"Calm down!?" she shrieked into her communicator. "How can I calm down!?"
"He may not have discovered anything."
"KIRO! HE'S NOT AN IDIOT!!"
"Yes, I do know."
"I heard him talking to himself! That human fool Korso told him about finding me on Earth and putting me on that ship!! The fool TOLD him what I looked like! Preed is becoming suspicious!! He may report it to Stith! Stith is no fool either! I have to finish the job soon before he starts realizing the truth! You know Akrennians!"
"Yes. I have worked with many of them."
"He's going to look up on my background and discover I am a first class Bounty Hunter that is well known and FEARED throughout the universe! You need to hide the files in case he tries something fishy! You hear me, Kiro!?"
"Yes, yes Junnea. I will do so."
She said in a mocking voice, "I will do so. I will do so. YOU HAD BETTER DO IT OR I'LL HAVE YOU THROWN INTO THE SEA OF KUSMINE!!"
There was a pause of silence. Junnea paced in her quarters, wiping her hair from her face every few seconds. Beads of sweat stung her forehead as she bit her lower lip in anger.
"Doing so right now, ma'am."
"GOOD!!" she shrieked and shut off the communicator. She stood there, breathing deep, shuddering breaths. Never, in her entire life, had she felt so furious. Then again, she had never been discovered. This Akrennian was something else. He wasn't foolish. She had to get the job done, and soon. But first… The weapons had to go. The Mantrin would be the hardest, but she could do it. She has killed them before, any ways.
~~~~
"My guns! Where did they go!?" Stith threw various shirts out of their place, eyes narrowed. Who in their right mind would steal her guns!? The only person that came into her mind was Preed. But, he wouldn't stoop so low. Would he? No. He wouldn't. He wasn't that stupid.
"PPPPRRREEEEEEEEEEDDD!!!!!!" she screamed.
He grunted and poked his head in, and a shirt landed on his face. He yanked it off and let it flutter to the ground, his eyes narrowed.
"Yes, precious?"
"Where are my guns!?" she hollered, shooting around to face him.
"How would I know? I don't touch those things." He turned to leave.
"Do you know where they are!?"
Preed turned his head and replied coolly, "No, darling, I don't. I wouldn't dare touch them, either. I have no use for your guns. Even if I did, I wouldn't steal them." He paused. "Why would you assume I did such a thing?"
"You're the only one I don't trust, creep!"
"And what about that Cyborg?"
"What about her!?"
"Don't you find her… Odd? A strange thing, that dear is."
Stith snorted and continued to search through her drawers, mumbling, "If I found her the slightest bit odd, I would have done away with her a long time ago! Which, I do say so myself, need to do with…" She whirled around, glaring daggers at him and spat, "YOU!"
Rolling his eyes, the Akrennian proceeded in leaving again.
"So sorry. I do hope you find your beloved guns, precious!"
"CALL ME PRECIOUS AGAIN AND YOU'RE IN FOR IT!!"
"Precious!" he whispered and ran for it when he heard her feet stomp abruptly.
Stith sighed and kicked the ground. Where had they disappeared off to? She wouldn't be able to get replacements! Not until they landed, and she was not willing to go to Solbrecht. After what she had done. Not even a herd of Kisake's could drag her there.
Leaving her quarters, she tried to think of who could of possibly stole her guns, unaware of the eyes that followed her every movement from the shadows. The figure did not move a muscle, but after a few seconds, Junnea emerged. She ran her slender fingers through her golden hair, and grinned. She patted the side of her robe, that was slightly bulging, but not noticeable. Chuckling under her breath, trying to press down the tension deep in her throat, she walked back to her quarters.
Setting down the numerous guns on the table, she studied each one. One was similar to an Earth Rocket Launcher. To admit, she used them. Once in a while. She turned a more smaller one over in her hands, studying the craftsmanship that went into it. It was, to admit, well done. Highly outdated though. Then again, Bounty Hunters got the best everything. Everything they had was ten times that of the most advanced race. Everyone knew that. That's why no one dared trying to destroy them. Unless, of course, they were fools. Rarely did anyone try to stop Bounty Hunters. Most, though, never succeeded. Even though space was a vast, open place of nothing, word spread quickly to the Hunters. They learned everything they wanted to know.
"She'll be looking for these…" she grunted, putting the weapon down hastily. It meant nothing to her, any ways. "Stith is going to want these pieces of trash. Might as well make a little adjustments…" She laughed silently and pried open a compartment with a tool. Skillfully, she started to make little changes here and there. Her objective was to mess up the circuits, so when the Mantrin pulled the trigger, it would blow up her face. Of course, the Mantrin would try and use it on her when her little secret was discovered. But, she wouldn't get very far. She'd have to make the same adjustments on all the other guns in the ship. That could take a while. Even though the Valkyrie was small, it still could have thousands of secret stashes, which could be a problem in her behalf. Preed was starting to discover the truth and he'd be watching her more often, more closely. It was not going to be a simple walk in the park. Then again, almost nothing ever was.
Finishing with the guns, she hid them in a box that resembled an Earth treasure chest. She drummed her fingers on the table, expecting for someone like Kiro to contact her. Possibly the Drej, who were most likely becoming extremely impatient at the moment. They were restless fools. It wouldn't surprise her if they contacted her. By the way they kept contacting her, she knew they'd call.
"You need to keep focused, Junnea… Maybe, one night while the other three are in a sound sleep, you can go back to the Academy for a little bit to catch up on some old schoolmates and train a bit…" she murmured to herself. It was a lie, because rarely do Bounty Hunters go back there. Sometimes they do, to brag to the beginners or any Hunter they knew, but that was mainly it. Maybe to catch up on some further training, too. Otherwise, no one went back.
Junnea leaned back in the chair, remembering, once again, about her past. About the time when the Earth ended. When she stepped out, into Hell… No. That wasn't Hell. She has felt Hell and seen it. Hell was not a dark place. Actually, it was bright. Always bright and rarely ever dimmed. Those down there would have to sleep, if they dared, with lights shining in their closed eyes. Sleeping was the least concern, the least thing wanted. If you slept, you'd dream the most horrible nightmares. Damn, she hated to admit it, but she was afraid of going to Hell. Seeing the tortures and everything. It scared her.
Everyone thought Hell was nothing but eternal suffering in flames. Nuh-uh. There was no flames. You just went insane, sooner or later. That was what Hell is about. Fire is only used for those who are "bad". You'd suffer for a while, but then, you'd be let go. To go insane once more.
She couldn't exactly admit it. Almost every, if not all, races believed in a Hell and a Heaven. Personally, she believed in the underworld, but she didn't believe in Heaven. Never in her entire life had she felt anything close to Heaven, so why believe it? They said those who are good go to Heaven, and those who are evil go to Hell. But then again, what was considered good? What was considered evil? Those who are considered "evil" consider their enemies "evil" and they consider themselves "good". She felt Hell, so how could she not believe it? What drove those insane was seeing their endless mistakes. Over and over again. Over and over and over… Never to end. It'd drive her insane.
The Cyborg shuddered. It had been a long time since she actually thought this. It had been five years since she touched the never ending light of Hell and agony. No. It wasn't agony. Agony was a pain that made you want to die. It was something else, but she couldn't put her finger on it. They say those with a soul get to go to either Heaven or Hell, depending on who you were. Well, what if you didn't have a soul, like her? She was a human/machine. She was a mainly human based, but still had robot parts. She doubted she had a soul. In fact, what was a soul? It never came to her before. What was a soul? What was it like to have a soul?
Shit, she thought. I'd better stop thinking like this. I'd be damned to think like this anymore.
But she couldn't. It hit her too quickly for her to stop. Was she going insane? It ran over and over in her hand. Memories. Those memories. Those tightening, ice cold hands tightening around her throat… She couldn't breathe… She was being choked!! Gasping for air! Lungs screaming for oxygen!! … She had lost it.
"I need rest… All this sudden stress isn't doing me well… I just have to take it easy. Soon, I'll be able to finish my job, and I can leave and take a long break from Bounty Hunting… I can forget about Hell and Heaven and souls and all this shit…" she murmured into her hand that was placed over her face. As she spoke, she could feel the hands slipping over her throat again. She shook off the feeling, gasping quietly, then went to bed.
Laying there, she tossed and turned. Sleep would not come to her, and she could not find it. This was just a load of crap. She couldn't sleep. She didn't feel like eating. What was wrong with her!? Had she really lost her touch!? Hell no! Maybe she was just restless. Yeah. That's it. She was restless. Too many things on her mind. That was it.
Junnea heard foot steps outside her door. Whoever it was, was reaching out to open it. Cursing, she pulled the covers over her head, or most of the way, and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to look like she wasn't awake. Even before his head poked in, Junnea knew it was Preed. It was always him.
The Akrennian stared at her sleeping figure. Her breathing was light, yet also deep at the same time. A word suddenly appeared in his mind.
Beautiful, he thought. She's so elegant… Ack! What am I thinking!?
He turned and left the room, not wanting to disturb her peace. It was almost impossible to think she… She could be not more than what she seems. He had to be cautious. Though, he knew, it was too hard.
She sat up quickly and shoved the blankets down roughly. She had seen the look in his eyes when he stared at her. He was interested in her, no doubt. No. He wasn't interested in her. He was interested in who he saw, but not the real thing. He wouldn't dare be fond of her if he saw who she really was.
What foolish emotions, she spat in her mind, laying down, hoping that comforting darkness she loved would come to her.
~~~~
It never happened before in his life. At first, he didn't know what it was. He thought he wasn't asleep, but day dreaming like he did sometimes. But, when he was sitting up in his bed, holding his head in his hands, he realized he was asleep. He had not been day dreaming. He was hallucinating, maybe. No, it was a dream. A dream! His species never dreamt! NEVER! But… He did. There was no denying it. He did.
Splashing his face with the cold water from his own private bathroom, he kept playing it over and over again in his mind. It did pay to be a first mate. He got his own private bathroom and a room, about ¼ smaller than Korso's room. But that wasn't the problem! He kept drifting away from what he tried to focus on. It didn't seem possible. The dream, any ways.
It didn't start like a normal dream. It was rather odd, to admit. The air was cold. Bitterly cold. The foul stench of blood, death, and war filled the air and just did not go away. The sky was an almost brown color, and the oxygen, when breathed in, was damp and heavy. The ground was stained with bright reddish blood and other mixed colors. A war must of had been going on.
He was there. He could taste, feel, and smell everything. He saw the children on the ground, crippled on the ground, dead. Most were either Mantrin, human, or some other races he didn't quite know. Preed didn't want to know.
This dry, hard cored fear was welling up inside of him as he slowly advanced forward. He had to step over bodies and avoid those who were still alive. None really caught his attention, until he saw one human child.
She was small, not even six years old. Her face and strawberry blond hair was drenched in blood. Not from her, but from her mother, who was unmoving on the ground.
"Mommy!!" the girl sobbed, tugging at the adult female's arm, who had a huge hole in her stomach, and blood was spilling. It was awfully quiet… The only thing heard was the sobbing of the child, and her shuddering breaths.
A tall figure was staring down at them. Preed couldn't see who it was, but whoever it was, wore a stunning navy blue robe. The figure stared down, and reached out a hand.
"Please mommy! Get up! Pleeeaase!" the little girl begged, shaking her mom. She looked at the figure and quivered in fear, cowering. But the Akrennian knew the small child knew her time was up. He watched in horror as the child buried her face in her mother's blood soaked chest, sobbing.
The figure pointed one finger. It looked so slender, and the finger nail exposed was black. With a quick movement, the hand reached inside the robe, yanked out a gun, and fired.
Then, there was silence.
Preed just sat there, resting his elbows on the sink. Why had he dreamt!? Why!? He wasn't suppose to! It wasn't in his nature! It was ruining him! Just like it did to the last Akrennian he heard about!
"Oh hell…" he murmured. "Now I'm going to go psycho. Just great. I might as well yank of my pants and run around the ship bare assed."
He sighed, thinking of the dream over and over again, without much luck. He was lost, dazed, and confused. He knew it'd drive him bonkers soon, but he might as well get something to eat while he was at it. Who knows? He could, of course, ruin Stith once again if he was going to flip.
~~~~
"Life is rather unfair, don't you think?" Preed asked Stith slyly, rolling the 'r' on unfair so it annoyed the Mantrin.
"Yes. To me, it is."
"And why is that, precious?" he crooned.
"BECAUSE YOU'RE IN MY LIFE!!!"
"Oh, pity, pity…"
"Shut up! Get out of my sight! I don't want to see you!!"
"Sorry, Captain Stith, but I need to pilot the ship. You, on the other hand, can leave if you wish. Now, scoot scoot." When he said scoot scoot, he waved his hand away, indicating that he wanted her to leave. Too bad she didn't. She knocked him over and pinned him on the floor with her tail, her gun, that she had found on her bed, at his head. Junnea saw this and said absolutely nothing. If the Mantrin pulled the trigger… She tried not to laugh out loud.
"One more word, Akrennian," she hissed. "One more word, I swear I'll pull the trigger. I don't need you anymore. Junnea over here can pilot the ship. I have no need for you! So, GET OUT!! Get OUT OF MY SIGHT! I don't want to see you! I don't want to hear you! I don't even want to smell you! If I do… Oh you'll wish your God saved your scrawny ass, Preed. I am SICK and TIRED of this!"
"You're bluffing," he spat.
Stith narrowed her eyes and pulled the trigger.
Nothing came from the barrel of the gun. He had clenched his eyes shut, praying his life wouldn't end. Not now. But the firing never came. Instead, he heard a loud explosion and a strangled cry of agony.
His eyes snapped open and he smelt the raw stench of burning flesh and blood. Jumping to his feet, he saw Stith, holding her, blood dripping from her hands. Her gun was on the floor, or the remains of it.
"STITH!!" Gune wailed, running over to her. "Oh! Oh! Is Stith okay!? Is she hurt badly!? Must Gune and Preed and Junnea take her to the Sick Bay!?"
Nothing came from her. She just screamed, cowering down. Junnea was at her side, talking in a calm, soothing voice, her hand on the Mantrin's shoulder.
"Shh.. It's okay. Take your hands from your face, Stith, so we can see the damage… Everything will be okay."
Whimpering, she removed her hands. Preed was astonished… Never ever, since he came aboard the Valkyrie had he seen Stith whimper or let alone cry. Her face was covered in her blood, that gave off a slight smell. Nothing could be seen, but her eyes, that were full of fierce pain, and tears were slicing through the blood. Junnea grimaced at the sight, and helped her to her feet.
"IT HURTS! I HAVE NEVER FELT ANYTHING SO AGONIZING!" Stith cried, barely being able to balance, so Junnea had to help her.
And another bites the dust… she thought gleefully to herself, yet, a pain surged in her chest. Brushing it away, she helped the Mantrin to the Sick Bay.
Gune gathered up the remains of gun, mumbling things about Stith to himself. Preed just stood there, gawking at what just happened. Never would he have guessed something so horrible happen to Stith…
She deserved it! he thought bitterly to himself. She's always threatening to kill me and she pulled the trigger! If the gun didn't explode, I'd be dead!
Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. The gun was safety. Stith wasn't intending to kill him! Just to scare the living shit out of him! She was never planning to hurt him! Just to teach him a lesson! As hard as it was to admit to himself, he felt bad for thinking she deserved it.
~~~~
Junnea finished cleaning up Stith's wounds. Sighing, she looked at the scar that was left. It ran down her right eye, but lucky, her eye was left perfectly fine. She was, however, disappointed the gun didn't do anymore damage. Then again, she tampered with the other guns even more, so Stith was going to get an even bigger surprise.
"I… I never intended on… On shooting him!" she stammered. She was clearly in shock on what happened. "I always keep my guns cleaned… I always check on them… How could I have been such a fool?…"
"It was just an accident. You're going to be fine…"
"But my face…" She gingerly touched the scar and winced, because it hurt a little. "Oh my God… I have a scar…"
"I have many scars, too. You don't need to be ashamed."
"You're right. It shows I'm a fighter."
"Of course," she flashed Stith a fake smile and pushed her some of her golden hair to reveal a slash that went down the side of her face. It was healed, but the horrible mark would stay there forever.
"Where did you get that?"
"Slave trade. Remember when I told you I was captured by traders and they tried to sell me, but didn't make it very far? I was foolish to underestimate them and they got in a few good hits."
"Yes… I see…"
"Well, you're perfectly fine. You look rather cool with the scar, if I do say so myself. Get something to eat and lay down the rest of the day so the pain will subside fully."
She nodded and the Mantrin left. Junnea leaned against the wall, grinning quietly. Her first plan had succeeded. She got Stith to bed and injured her. Now… There was something else for her to do… She could do other things, to drive the three insane, and then double cross them. Yes… That sounded good. She had some time, any ways. Though, the next time the remaining Drej would contact her, they'd be severely pissed and want the head of Preed. Still… She was in no hurry. Bounty Hunters were patient and always got their prey.
~~~~
SPOILER ALERT!!!
Note: This spoiler is from a future story of mine that'll take place a few months after the three remaining crew members of the Valkyrie meet up with Junnea. Tell me what you think of it! Be honest! I do like honest opinions! Good ones and the bad!
"Look! I'm sorry, okay!? I didn't mean to start a fight back there but I was only defending my supplies! Those jerks started something with me, just because I was a human," the boy grunted, not evening turning his head to look at Preed.
"I don't want to talk to you about that!" he snapped, staring at the brown and reddish brown hair of the young human male.
"Then what!?" he spun around, his eyes narrowed.
Preed stared. Those eyes….. Oh his God….. He knew those eyes! It just….. Couldn't be possible! There was the possibility of a relation….. Like….. His nephew or cousin! But it just couldn't be possible!! The boy looked to be about seventeen and there was no way!
"Well?" the teenager asked, clenching the strap of his bag that was thrown over his shoulder. Blood trickled down the fresh wound from the earlier brawl, but there no signs of him being in any sort of pain.
"Well what!?"
"What did you want, Akrennian!? You said you wanted to talk! I do not have any time. I have to get back….."
"Hey! Jay!" a voice yelled out and the boy twirled around.
The male Akrennian lifted his head in time to see another human male come running over. This one had long hair, the same color as Cale's, but tied back with a string. His hair looked dirty, but not greasey. His bangs were long and were parted in the middle so his childish brown eyes were exposed. Preed also noticed he had a scar going right across his face, starting above his right eye,and ending on his left cheek. He had two little dash mark like scars under each eye, and one going down the side of his nose. He was extremely tall. About 6'7", but looked young. Most likely around Akima's age.
"Oh. Hey Saoto."
"Jay?"
The boy named Jay looked at Preed and frowned…….
"Who's the Akrennian?" the one named Saoto asked, jerking his thumb, that was gloved, towards Preed.
"Don't know….. He followed me."
"Well, my boy, I would like your name."
"What's yours?"
"I asked you first."
"The name's Jason, but my friend, Saoto here, calls me Jay, along with my twin, who's not with me."
"I would like your full name, child."
"It's Jason……."
"Yes, I do know that."
"Jason Korso."