Finally my second chapter is up! Again, please R+R and any constructive criticisms would be helpful.

Thanks.

Wyer.

Something to Prove

Chapter 2

Olaf leaned back in his chair, shifting his large bulk into a more comfortable position. The report from the ice base was late. When he'd tried to get through to them, the comms officer had given him some nonsense about the Orange Star satellite being out of commission. He would have sent a force to investigate but his men were still cleaning up the mess that vile girl, Lash, had made in his home town. In the second war she had led the Black Hole war machine to his town and obliterated it. Where he used to live, the town square, everything was gone thanks to her! And now she was supposed to be on his side. Preposterous, he thought, picturing the face of his nemesis and growling involuntarily. It was probably her who caused the breakdown in the first place, the poisonous little viper that she is. She could turn on them at any time. He had relayed his feelings to his fellow Blue Moon COs on many an occasion, but Colin had always said "She's our ally and she deserves our respect". That boy was turning into a real upstart. That's what happens when he spends too much time with Grit, Olaf decided and he brushed the crumbs out of his voluminous, brown beard. It would be better if Sasha and Grit didn't hear about this little incident; they would only have an attack of conscience anyway.

Back in her draughty quarters, Lash had changed out of her clothes into a long t-shirt, one of Hawke's, and climbed into bed. She pulled the thick duvet tightly around her. Being a CO, she got first pick of the few luxuries on the backwater base. She tried fervently to go to sleep, letting the darkness consume her, but her head was spinning with worries and speculation. Thoughts about the satellite, about the inconclusive meeting with Colin and Rachel, and about Him. She clutched the t-shirt that she was wearing and let out a cleansing breath. When she finally fell asleep, she was no more relaxed. She tossed and murmured in her shallow, restless slumber and woke with a start. She had felt a breeze across her skin. She sat up, adrenaline coursing through her, imbuing her with alertness despite her fatigue. A noise, a slight shuffle.

"Who's there?" Lash shouted, reaching for her gun. Too late. An arm came up around her throat, another seizing her wrist before she could grasp her sidearm. Her assailant dragged the thrashing girl back, away from her stowed handgun. She could smell him, his scent was familiar.

"I'm sorry." the figure whispered as he let go of her arm and brought up a cloth to her face. Lash gasped as he did so. Bad move. She took a lung-full of chloroform. As she crashed to the ground and began to drift into unconsciousness, she was sure she saw a shock of white hair.

Hawke stood over the form of Lash, she looked peaceful. She only ever looked peaceful when she was asleep. He deposited his note, completing his mission objective, and looked back at the slumped girl. Yes, he decided, she looks just like her mother. He stroked her cheek.

"Goodnight." He told her, wishing that she could hear him. And he left by the window he had come through.

The way back to the mountain-side was easier going than the way there. On the way to the base, he had come much closer to detection than he would have liked. Now he had timed his escape for a change of the watch. Otherwise, perfect, he thought contentedly. From his previous hiding place he surveyed the scene once again. It was up to her now. He could only wait and see

Adder straightened up his uniform and his posture before entering the last room of the grimy excavation site. He absolutely despised the dirt and dampness but he did as he was told and his leader had already relocated the operation to the site of their discovery. Opening the door slowly and carefully, he entered the capacious room and gave a grandiose salute to the figure that loomed there. On hearing the arrival of the stick-thin CO, the giant turned to face him. Adder looked into the cold pits of his commander's eyes which shone a malevolent green. The massive form was covered from head to toe in orange, reactive armour plating. Perched on his helm was an officer's peaked hat. Magenta clouds belched from his rebreather mask as he spoke.

"Commander Adder, I am content with this find," the voice was mechanical and menacing, not unlike wire wool churning through a rusty meat-grinder, "how soon can you get this equipment operational?"

"Very soon, Commander Sturm." Adder bowed, "My men shall not rest until it is done. We will do everything in our…"

"Good, leave me." The armoured monster finished abruptly. Adder looked on expectantly for a second or two, and then nodded and left his commander to his thoughts.

As he closed the door behind him, the pale CO frowned to himself. Odd, he thought. Usually Sturm would have gone off on a tangent about his plan and then would have told Adder to hurry up or he would do something nasty with a rock drill and the slender man's spine. He shrugged off his confusion and contented himself with the fact that he'd caught the great leader in a rare pensive moment. An "audience" with the prisoners would cheer him up, he finally decided. The reactivation sequence could wait.

Colin woke up to a scene of pandemonium. Soldiers were rushing out towards the West Barracks hastily like ants out of a kicked nest. He had to physically block the corridor (no mean feat for one of such small stature) to make one of them stop.

"Sergeant! W-what is happening here?" stammered he dazed CO. "Why is everyone rushing and…and d-dear god man! Do you call that p-proper, full uniform?"

"Commander Lash has been attacked sir!" Responded the hastily dressed sergeant, who Colin now recognised as the sentry from the main HQ entrance; Sergeant Brightling. "Someone got past our patrols and broke in! The recon patrols saw him on his way out and opened fire. He escaped I'm afraid sir."

"As you were Brightling." The short commander ordered, rendered incredulous by the news. As the sentry hurried on, Colin seized his jacket and joined the mass exodus. Outside, the assembled soldiers in various states of dress were organised by barking NCOs into search teams to find the intruder. In retrospect he found the spectacle intensely amusing, but at the time he had greater concerns. He jogged to the barracks entrance and rounded the corner to Lash's quarters. The sight made his heart sink. She was sat on her bed, hunched over. Her eyes were streaming with tears and her pale skin was slick with sweat. She was shaking terribly. Colin took a tentative step forwards.

"Lash, its m-me Colin." He whispered. She looked up at him slowly; her eyes were puffy, red and glazed. The distressed girl stood up, flung her arms around him, and began to sob again. She was cold. She was only dressed in a t-shirt and that was soaked through with sweat. Lash was saying something but Colin couldn't make it out.

"What happened?" Colin turned to face the stern voice, allowing Lash to slump back onto her bed.

"S-she was attacked. The intruder…"

"He's alive," interrupted Lash, speaking her first coherent words of the morning, "he's really alive!"

"Who is?" Replied Colin, bemused by the sudden outburst. Rachel knew who she meant.

"Lash …you know Hawke died. He's not back." She had heard it before. Lash clung onto a desperate hope that he was alive but there was no way he could have possibly survived. This was the one thing about Lash that Rachel couldn't handle and had no time or patience for. They were friends but they were also Commanding Officers and had to keep a realistic outlook.

"…Look at this." Lash said producing a piece of paper. Rachel snatched it with a sigh. A set of coordinates signed "Birdbrain", "I always used to call him that." She explained.

"Lash, I'm sorry but it doesn't mean he's alive. It's probably a trap; an enemy trick." Rachel stated flatly. The distraught girl said nothing and Colin just looked on uncomfortably. He knew that Rachel was probably right but Lash was clearly upset. She was only seventeen, a child-soldier for years before in the cruel regime of Black Hole. She was bound to have issues that needed attention.

Rachel turned to leave.

"We'll discuss our next course of action at the main HQ in one hour. Get ready and calm yourself down before then."

Kindle flew backwards with the force of the impact and crashed into the wall. She slumped onto the floor, winded. Flak stepped in to deliver another blow but a gesture from Adder told him to stop. Jugger had been promptly EMPed and placed on a gurney and Koal followed, phlegmatic as ever. Only Kindle had struggled. This was the fourth altercation on the way to the main chamber and it was really beginning to grate. Luckily, they were nearly there. Flak hoisted the unconscious, scarlet-haired woman over his shoulder and carted her off into the largest part of the cavern.

The Great Leader was waiting. By this time, Kindle had come around and started spitting venom again at once.

"So it is true, you are back. Like it matters. What could you possible hope to achieve now that the whole world, even your former countrymen, are against you!" she hissed. Sturm turned his armoured bulk to face her.

"Do you know what this is?" He asked, pointing behind him as he did. Kindle looked past him. It was a large, square, angular-roofed structure. Stacks and heat-sinks protruded from every surface and emblazoned on the front was the swirling insignia of Black Hole. She recognised the building at once.

"It's a factory from the second war, so what?" For some reason, Sturm found this amusing. He threw back his head and laughed, ejecting pink steam as he did.

"The factory is just the start. What it contains is the most exciting part." elaborated Adder from his master's side. "It houses all of the designs and prototypes that we didn't get to use in the second war… Lash inventions of course. These could have taken Omega Land for Black Hole. Not like your ineffectual Oozium." he continued, pronouncing the last word with more than a little disgust. "One of the little runt's inventions interests us greatly. I think she called it a Hydrogen Bomb"