Maki stepped to the side, as did Shinotoko. Both had their weapons
poised and ready to strike. "So, Maki, it has been a dreadfully long time
since I last saw you. I almost don't recognize you with long hair."
"Save it for your maker, bitch. I couldn't give a damn if I never saw you again." Maki swung her sword in an upward arc. Shinotoko blocked it with her whip. The whip wrapped around the blade and Shinotoko pulled at the whip.
"You forget how well I know you, Maki. A sword won't work against me."
Maki smiled. "That's what you think." She let go of the sword. The sharp tip went through Shinotoko's side. Blood ran down her black suit to the floor. "Hey, don't stain my floor. I had it cleaned not too long ago." She began to laugh, but so did Shinotoko.
"You think I can be defeated that easily?" Shinotoko began to unwrap her whip from Maki's sword. "Such naiveté will be your downfall." In mere seconds Shinotoko had struck Maki several times with her steel whip. Blood ran from two deep gashes; one being across her face, the other across her chest.
"You're still good, I can say that much at least. But, you still underestimate me." Maki backed up slightly and slammed in a button on the starboard wall. A sheet of metal gave way and the grappler arm began to recede into empty space.
"Damn you." Shinotoko quickly jumped back into the grappler arm. Maki smiled and then hit another button that sealed two bulkheads on opposite sides of the hole. She then scrambled back to the cockpit.
The enemy ship was backing off. Kashamie let out a laugh. "Glad to see you're happy," said Maki as she sat in the captain's chair. Kashamie smelled blood. Maki's blood.
She quickly got up from her seat and checked Maki. "Maki, you're badly wounded. We need to get assistance from the race committee."
"No. The rest station is coming up shortly. I don't want to get farther behind." "Venec," Kashamie said, "Is there anyway to treat Maki's wounds while we're moving?"
"Yes. Please wait one moment." Kashamie heard a whirring sound and then a hatch opened up from the floor behind the captain's chair. "Maki, please step into the compartment." Maki did so, fumbling a bit on the way. Once the hatch closed, a big tube thing rose up form the floor. Metal blinds went to the side and revealed Maki, naked.
"Maki, do you feel any better yet?" Kashamie asked. Maki did not seem to hear.
The tube was very strange. It seemed to reveal a person as they naturally are. Her hair was now only down to her shoulders and her body showed many scars that had been covered up by makeup. Her wounds were soothed, but they were not healing. At least it would be easier to endure the short distance to the rest station in the tube.
"Kashamie," Venec said, "The Outlaw Star is hailing us."
"Put them through. Maybe they'll know what's going on."
Gene Starwind appeared on the screen. Then, his face went red. "Is something the matter Captain Starwind?"
"Um, not really, but, uh, I was just, uh, wondering what that ship was doing attacking you?"
"We wanted to ask you that question. We don't know."
"And, um, why is Maki Zouw in that big tank?"
"Huh?" The reality hit her hard. He knew who Maki really was and that was not a good thing. "Venec! End transmission now!" Venec did so. "Shit. That's just what we need right now. More trouble."
"Save it for your maker, bitch. I couldn't give a damn if I never saw you again." Maki swung her sword in an upward arc. Shinotoko blocked it with her whip. The whip wrapped around the blade and Shinotoko pulled at the whip.
"You forget how well I know you, Maki. A sword won't work against me."
Maki smiled. "That's what you think." She let go of the sword. The sharp tip went through Shinotoko's side. Blood ran down her black suit to the floor. "Hey, don't stain my floor. I had it cleaned not too long ago." She began to laugh, but so did Shinotoko.
"You think I can be defeated that easily?" Shinotoko began to unwrap her whip from Maki's sword. "Such naiveté will be your downfall." In mere seconds Shinotoko had struck Maki several times with her steel whip. Blood ran from two deep gashes; one being across her face, the other across her chest.
"You're still good, I can say that much at least. But, you still underestimate me." Maki backed up slightly and slammed in a button on the starboard wall. A sheet of metal gave way and the grappler arm began to recede into empty space.
"Damn you." Shinotoko quickly jumped back into the grappler arm. Maki smiled and then hit another button that sealed two bulkheads on opposite sides of the hole. She then scrambled back to the cockpit.
The enemy ship was backing off. Kashamie let out a laugh. "Glad to see you're happy," said Maki as she sat in the captain's chair. Kashamie smelled blood. Maki's blood.
She quickly got up from her seat and checked Maki. "Maki, you're badly wounded. We need to get assistance from the race committee."
"No. The rest station is coming up shortly. I don't want to get farther behind." "Venec," Kashamie said, "Is there anyway to treat Maki's wounds while we're moving?"
"Yes. Please wait one moment." Kashamie heard a whirring sound and then a hatch opened up from the floor behind the captain's chair. "Maki, please step into the compartment." Maki did so, fumbling a bit on the way. Once the hatch closed, a big tube thing rose up form the floor. Metal blinds went to the side and revealed Maki, naked.
"Maki, do you feel any better yet?" Kashamie asked. Maki did not seem to hear.
The tube was very strange. It seemed to reveal a person as they naturally are. Her hair was now only down to her shoulders and her body showed many scars that had been covered up by makeup. Her wounds were soothed, but they were not healing. At least it would be easier to endure the short distance to the rest station in the tube.
"Kashamie," Venec said, "The Outlaw Star is hailing us."
"Put them through. Maybe they'll know what's going on."
Gene Starwind appeared on the screen. Then, his face went red. "Is something the matter Captain Starwind?"
"Um, not really, but, uh, I was just, uh, wondering what that ship was doing attacking you?"
"We wanted to ask you that question. We don't know."
"And, um, why is Maki Zouw in that big tank?"
"Huh?" The reality hit her hard. He knew who Maki really was and that was not a good thing. "Venec! End transmission now!" Venec did so. "Shit. That's just what we need right now. More trouble."