A.N Guess what?!?!?! I'm back (not dead yet!) and I have another chapter, sorry again for the delay but now its the holidays and I should have a heap more stuff for you all to read really soon!

So enjoy this (even though its probably the shortest chapter in this story-the prologue) and have a great holiday/week/weekend/day/night/whatever it is wherever you are! NMEC's

Chapter 6: Man in a Mask

9.46am, Escape pod hangar, The Icarus.

"Show yourself," Trouble spat at the screen, a dark shape appeared in the view screen.

"I don't see why I should."

"We're going to die anyway aren't we?" Holly resisted the temptation to roll her eyes at this whole situation.

"Okay then, you aren't going to be telling anyone anyway where you're going." The figure in the picture made a few hand signals at someone who was out of the frame and a light was turned on in the background. The person was now revealed to be a fairy, gnome judging by the size of him, a mask covered most of his face.

"Why don't you show us you're face?" Trouble studied the gnome for something that would identify him.

"I was just about to," The person reached up with a hand and pulled the mask off to reveal-

"Sool!" Holly would have been up and smashing the screen within seconds had she not still been healing, but this didn't stop her swearing.

"That's a large mouth you have there Captain, I hope you remember who is in control of this shuttle." As if to demonstrate his point the shuttle flipped once in the air then continued on its course. "I have the power to kill you both without even moving a finger."

"Well good for you," Trouble said as he straightened up to his full height "but what the hell do you want with us?"

"Revenge, sweet revenge."

"That's all this is?" Holly stormed "Some idiotic gnome's revenge?"

"Careful Captain," The last remark seemed to have stung the former Commander "it would not be wise to anger me."

"Okay then, how long have you been planning this for?"

"Ever since the design papers came through my inbox, why else do you think it's called the Icarus?" This comment was followed by another torrent of swear words from Holly.

"How long till the hyper drives online?" Trouble tried to make his question sound innocent, like it wasn't the thing that decided if they lived or died.

"And why would I tell you that my dear Commander?"

"I want to know how long I have to live so I can cry and say my prayers."

"Three hours minimum," Sool's face actually looked pained.

"What's the matter little Sooly?" Holly taunted "is there a problem?"

"No, the hyper drives software was never completed though so it has to be finished and uploaded before the shuttle goes anywhere." Sool grinned again as a thought struck him "and because it has never been tested before you will either die in transit or die in the centre of the sun, my computer programmer's choice really."

"And who would that programmer be?"

"You don't need to know that, the bottom line is that you will die today."

"Then give us the answer to this question before you go then, why the sun?"

"The sun is the Earths source of power, the one thing that will never be conquered by man, the same is true for me."

"You're mental Sool, even if we don't get back to catch you the LEP will in time."

"And that's what I'm counting on Captain, by the time they find out that it was I behind all this I will be far, far away on a tropical island somewhere drinking champagne and nettle beer."

"You ba-" Holly started.

"Goodbye Captain," Sool said quickly and cut the connection.

"Yeah, you better go Stool because as soon as I get back I'll be the one tracking you down and I'll be the one who rams their buzz baton up you're-"

"Drop it Captain," Trouble bent down to pick her up "that won't help us at the moment."

"I know it won't help but it does make me feel a whole lot better, what do we do now oh great one?" Trouble grimaced and tried to ignore her "there is nothing we can do right?"

"I'm sorry," Trouble shook his head as he walked on "maybe we'll think of something later."

"And if we don't we're both doomed right?"

"I guess."

"Well I can think of no better person than you to die with Commander," Trouble smiled sadly and stepped out onto the flight deck.

"Neither can I, though I really hope that it doesn't come to that."

Thanks a bunch for reading this and please take the time to review (little bluey-purpley button down there-noooo! not the power button on the screen!)

Be back soon (sooner than you'd expect anyway! lol)

-Jess-