"Miss Caluroso?"
"Please don't call me that. What is it?" She was running her fingers along the edge of a ring. She slipped it over her finger and watched as it caught the light.
"There's someone here that wants to see you."
"Do they have an appointment?"
"He says he's an "Old friend"."
"Send him through then." She was starting to get frustrated.
Through the large double doors of her office came a familiar face. She knew it was him. Even after fifteen years, she still recognised his face.
"Miss Caluroso, eh?" He grinned.
"Is that really you?" She sounded as if she was about to cry.
"Who else would I be?" He took large steps towards her desk and pulled up a chair.
"But you're dead..."
"Yes. Yes I am, which is why you can see me right here, right now, in your office." He looked around "And it is a very nice office."
"What are you doing here?"
"I need your help." He started drumming his knuckles on the desk. "A new threat arises. Something unlike anything we've seen before."
"It's good to see you."
"I know. Did you give me a proper funeral?"
She shook her head. "No. Nobody cared."
"That's kind of annoying. Anyway. "Sakura Caluroso". It has quite a nice ring to it. So you got back with Panther then?"
"He only proposed this morning."
"And you said yes."
"Yes..." Said Sakura, slightly ashamed.
"So. What do you know about the aparoids?"
"What, you mean they're back?"
"No, but something not dissimilar." He took the glove off his other hand, revealing a metallic armour. Sakura looked shocked. She stood up abruptly and backed away towards the window.
"I've seen that before. Do you remember fifteen years ago? Do you remember Cole?"
He put the glove back on. "Yes. He was the one that stole the Strike Wing. Anyway, the Space Pirates are using it. Under a new leader."
"Okay, I'm going to help you. I assume you need a ship?"
"Nope, I got one."
"You stole it? That's just sinking to their level, Blitz."
"You remember my name? Well that's good, because I forgot." Still grinning.
"Let's just go. Quickly."
"What about Sarah and Nick?"
She stared at him. "You know?"
"Of course. I know a great deal that you don't know I know."
"They've got to come with us."
"Fine by me." He shrugged, before standing up and walking to the door, his tail flicking from side to side.
The Cornerian skyline was shrouded in smog. Blitz found it hard to breathe. It took them quite a long time to reach the hospital.
"She'll be alright?"
"She's made a quick recovery. Although, I don't know how to get in touch with Nick."
"He visits every so often. If we're lucky, they'll both be here."
"And if we're not?"
Blitz grinned "I hadn't thought that far ahead."
"Stay outside."
"Why?"
"Well, for one thing, you're dead. Enough to give one of the older patients a heart attack. And also, your swords could interfere with the equipment."
"Fine, I'll go back to the ship. Meet me there."
Sakura had already packed her bags, and loaded them onto the frigate. Blitz said that it could be a long time before she saw Corneria again. Lorna was waiting there for him.
"So, are they coming?"
"Sometime." He trudged into the ship and flopped on his bed. "The one thing I hate about space travel is having to adjust to the difference in time zones."
Lorna smirked "Jetlag?"
"That's one way of putting it."
