In orbit around Beta Nix
"Commander, a small portal opening just above Quin, almost in the atmosphere. A small cloaked signature, Sir."
"Take us in and engage Black Shepherds as soon as we are in range. Chymera you have the bridge." This one is personal and Caine isn't going to miss it.
Jupiter accompanies him to his Zero and kisses him for luck. She's not seen this steely out for blood look since he'd rescued her from Titus almost two years ago.
He's got to make this one count - for himself and for the pack. Upon receiving clearance for deployment, he slips his hands in the controls and pulls his right hand back to initiate drop. (Really there's thrusters to push the Zeroes out into the void. But it feels just like a drop.)
The little craft must also have extremely advanced tech to spot the cloaked Zero fighters, because it takes off in a hurry. Doggedly pursuing the small craft through evasive rolls, and j-turns the majority of the Zeroes keep the craft's attention. Thought sharing on the pack's network makes this much more efficient and elimiates communications that could be intercepted.
Meanwhile, Caine and Lyle veer off and make a calculated direct line to head off the target. Each of them taking one of the two most likely end points.
Caine sees the tiny craft careening toward him, and he decloaks with the Zero's plasma canons focused ahead and the armored suit's wings impressively splayed out to block the way.
The minute craft comes screaming in and tumbles as the pilot tries to turn around. There's no where to run, he's netted in now with Black Shepherds on all sides so he stabilizes from the negative yaw and pitch spin and floats waiting for his fate.
"Pilot of the cloaked craft. Decloak and drop your shields. Prepare to be boarded and escorted." Caine feels no need to announce who he is.
Silence.
Caine charges the top two plasma canons. One set of blasts drops the shields. Another disables the engines. And they tow the disabled vehicle into the Nighthawk's bay as the pilot cusses them out calling them pirates and intimating that bigger fish will find them.
When the tiny ship is settled in the bay, Caine orders the door to be opened and the pilot to exit with his hands up. Receiving the verbal equivalent of the bird, he nods to Lyle to utilize instant door generators. Mag shields flare up, as the pack expects to be under fire. Cautiously, Caine enters in a crouch, so he's covered by his shield.
...
Meanwhile, Jupiter is absolutely ecstatic. she wasn't allowed on a fighting mission. But the pack agreed to allow her in her pregnant state on a retrieval mission. The Red Shepherds will capture Marnz's contact. Caine made her promise to only be backup if there was a fight.
...
Marnz is holed up in a maintenance area prepared for a standoff. Caine cautiously levels his pistol at the jittery man. "Put your weapons down and come out now." Several pack members join Caine and a thought message assures him that the ship is surrounded and the pilot can't open an instant door to escape.
"You're going to kill me anyway. I'll take as many of you out as I can..."
...
Beta Nix is a pretty low tech planet, and the Red Shepherds have no problem sneaking up on the bar and capturing Dree. The contact is none too happy.
"Commander we have the target's splice girlfriend," Veyla reports.
...
"I don't have time for this." With a pair of precise shots to the shoulder and knee, Caine disables the pilot. The pack drags Marnz to a holding cell for interrogation and a load of Regenex is confiscated.
Dree has been pleading for her boyfriend's life and agreed to try to get him to talk. Jupiter and Veyla explain Marnz's activity to Dree and she's devastated. She knew he was in trouble, but didn't have any idea it was involvement with the likes of Deep Echo and forcefully modifying others. Such violation is unthinkable to her.
When Dree is allowed in, Marnz has a sullen determined attitude, despite his many bruises. Caine is pressing him up against the wall about to punch him again, snarling that he'd better talk.
"Stop! Please! Oh God just stop!" Dree pleads and throws herself protectively over Marnz.
In a low rumble, Caine spits, "You have no idea what he's done or what he's a part of."
"I was told. Please, just let me talk with him!" she sobs.
Jupiter sends a thought message to Caine, so she doesn't have to override him publicly, that maybe Dree, Veyla and Chymera could take a turn.
'Only if Your Majesty wishes,' he grudgingly concedes in a barely controlled tone that he hasn't used with her before. Switching places with the trio, he stalks out.
"That's right dog, go with your tail between your ..." Marnz hollers after him. But Dree claps a hand over his mouth and hisses, "Idiot! Do you have a death wish?"
After the door shuts, Caine's whole posture changes immediately to one of making himself smaller and submissive to his mate. "You think I would have killed him."
Taking his hands, offering believe and comfort. "Nope. Not one second did I think you would compromise the lead we have. He and Dree do not need to know you wouldn't, though. Veyla suggested a variant on the good cop/bad cop scenario and you played it perfectly. Now that you know, you may really enjoy it."
Confidence returning he stands up straight again, "Your Majesty has me wrapped around her finger. Just a few sentences and I'm disarmed completely, again."
"Maybe later you'd like to wrap yourself around more than just my finger?"
His chin dips as he grins with his trademark sweetness and replies, "Any time Your Majesty wishes..." Encircling her waist and pulling her to him, "Just for the record, Your Majesty still has the corner on corny come ons..."
"But they work. You did end up wanting to bite me after all..." She leans back with an air of satisfaction.
"And you had no idea what I meant by 'maybe' back then."
"Oh I had a bit of a clue..." She runs her fingers seductively from his neck and along his jaw, as if she's about to scratch under his chin.
"Come here you... before I throw you over my shoulder and drag you off somewhere." He pulls her back to him and kisses her before she can tease him any further. For the next few hours, he needs to be able to think straight. As she leaves, he lovingly slaps her backside.
...
Veyla sends Caine a thought message that they are nearly through, but if he could stand outside the door menacingly it would be peachy.
Caine leans against the wall across from the door, affecting his best glower, trying to flatten his ears, and slaps his fist into his palm repeatedly.
Veyla leads the cuffed Marnz out, who flinches upon seeing Caine but tries to muster bravado. Following closely, Dree skitters out of his way.
'Damn it was hard to keep a straight face as he saw you, Sir. This thought and tracking network is the best thing since sliced bread. It makes us look like a tighter meaner pack than we already are,' Chymera thinks to Caine as he stays to talk while Veyla leads Marnz and Dree out. "Marnz will do anything we ask. His girl will remain here with the ship, until we are through with him as our guarantee. He's to join the 'mothership' in three days. Only an imbecile calls their flagship the mothership."