Rhade stood by the door to the main diagnosis room with Rev and a lancer, watching as Trance checked out Isolde. The Nietzschean sat on the edge of diagnostic table while Trance passed a scanner over her. Isolde's weapons and bandolier had been confiscated, leaving her in her leather, low-cut top, matching sarong and bone-blade gauntlets. Her backpack was on the table next to her.
"So far so good," Trance said with a smile. "Some minor sprains when the ship-" She broke off when the scanner reached Isolde's belly. Then she passed it over Isolde's head again, frowning.
"Yes," Isolde said.
"What?" Trance asked.
"Your instrumentation is correct."
"Is there a problem?" Rhade asked.
"Uh…" Trance looked at her scanner. "No problem, but I have to collate some stuff. Excuse me." She headed for a screen at the other end of the room.
Dylan entered with Rommie. Rhade stayed by Dylan's side.
"Isolde," Dylan said. "I'm Captain Dylan Hunt."
"Captain. Thank you for responding to my message. I guess Harper didn't forget?"
Rhade said, "He didn't. Although he never said he had a friend in the Drago-Kasov Pride."
"I'm not Drago-Kasvo anymore," Isolde said. "I'm Sabra-Jaguar."
"Since when?" Rhade asked. "How did that happen?"
"Duke Charlemagn Bolivar personally inducted me."
Dylan smiled. "The Dragon's loss is Sabra-Jaguar's gain," he said. "In any case, how did the Knights Templar get wind of your mission?"
"Beats me," Isolde anwered. "Tyr kept security locked down tight right up to when I left. No one should have known. But a whole squadron of Templar capital ships was waiting for me in the Capella system. I managed to shake them, but not before they got a few shots in. My slipstream drive was good for only one or two more jumps, and I made it to Bifrost Drift before the exotic matter lens gave out completely. The rest you know."
"Well, the Knights Templar's involvement complicates things…" Dylan started, but he trailed off at the sound of voices coming through the wall.
The door slid open. "…in there now!" Beka's voice called from outside.
"But-" Harper's voice answered.
"Or I have Rommie carry you in. And it won't be kinky and you won't enjoy it."
"All right!" And Harper stomped in, Beka behind him, and they stopped just inside the door. Dylan half turned so so as not to block Isolde and Harper's view of each other.
"Uh, Hi," Harper said.
"Hey, Harper," Isolde answered.
"Long time no see."
"You could say that. Bet you never thought you'd see me again."
"No, not really."
"Uh…." Isolde's eyes flicked between Dylan and Harper. "Do you think we could talk privately? If it's ok with your captain, of course."
Dylan smiled. "Well, Isolde, we have security concerns but I'm sure-"
"Doesn't matter," Harper snapped. "We got nothing to talk about."
Isolde snorted. "Well your grammar isn't any better."
"I have tried," Beka lamented.
Isolde's eyes flickered daggers at Beka, then she turned back to Harper. "C'mon, Harper….Seamus, after all this time, I think we should…clear up a few things."
"Yeah, Harper," Beka said. "Don't you have anything to say to Isolde?"
"Want me to say something?" Harper said, sounding more combative. "Ok." He turned to Isolde. "The Divine is good, don't do flash, and if you're nice to people, they still won't be nice to you. Deal with it."
"Tell me something I don't know," Isolde grumbled.
"Ok, Drago Musevini was a huge jerk."
"He was," Beka affirmed.
"Seriously now!" Isolde barked.
"Or what?" Harper said. "Twenty lashes? You can't do that here."
"I never punished you, Harper. Never did anything to hurt you."
"Yeah, you were so nice to your boy toy."
"Harper-"
"You were a snot-nosed spoiled brat," Harper ranted on, "an uber princess no different from a million others. And you said it yourself - given a choice between you and a uranium mine, I picked the least worst option."
"Ok," Dylan said, "we're all tired-"
"And you," Isolde shot back, ignoring Dylan, "you're stinkier now than you were then. And stubborn. And next to me, slow-witted. I could have a full frontal lobotomy and still be smarter than you."
Harper smirked. "Oh yeah? I was still mart enough to fool you and your 'da-deeeeeee.' Y'know you almost caught me that time? When I showed you my sonic screw driver? My gear was three feet away from where we were standing. You never caught on! And no one found my stuff. How do you like them apples?"
"Maybe we should have a time out," Dylan said.
Isolde hopped off the table and got right in Harper's face, finally tall enough to look him in the eye. "I can't imagine why I'd waste a moment thinking about you. You're not even that attractive."
"Likewise, I'm sure."
"Just as well I'm out of here once Dylan views Tyr's message."
"Fine by me!"
"Can't wait to leave!"
"Don't let the hangar door hit your aft on the way out!"
"Oh boy," Dylan groaned.
Isolde reached into her backpack and fished out a communication globe. She crossed to Dylan. "Captain Hunt. Tyr Anasazi, Regent of the Nietzschean people under Tamerlane Anasazi, has charged me to deliver this message to you."
"I accept it," Dylan said, taking the globe from her.
"I am not allowed to leave until after you have viewed the message and given me permission to go," Isolde went on, "and Tyr asks that I remain until after you have viewed the message. I'd like to return to my ship to and prepare to leave."
"You won't get far without a new slipstream drive."
"If you drop me at a commerce drift, I can send a message to Tyr, and he can send the *Wotan* to pick me up. It'll allow me to leave as quickly as possible."
"All right…if that's what you want. Lancers in the corridor will escort you back to the hangar."
"Than you, Captain." Isolde started to turn away, turned back, grabbed Dylan's neck, dragged him close, mashed a kiss onto his mouth, and pushed him away.
"Uh, was that supposed to bother me?" Harper asked. "Hardly. Dylan usually gets the chicks anyway."
"Which proves they're not blind!" Isolde shot back. She glared at Beka as she walked past. "Matriarch," she said coldly. The door closed behind her.
Beka looked dazed for a moment, then her face hardened. She followed Isolde out the door.
"My work here is done," Harper said. He went to the other side of the room and scrambled into a conduit.
"That could have gone better," Rev said.
"Isolde didn't kill Harper," Rhade pointed out, "so things could have been worse."
Trance came over to join her friends. "Looks like they still have some unresolved issues," she said.
"Oh, yeah," Dylan said, "that kind of rage, she still likes him."
"You ought to know abut angry women," Rommie and Trance chorused.
Dylan scowled at the avatars.
"Uh, I have to go over some things with Rhade," Trance said. "Rhade? Let's talk *over there.*" They went to the far side of the room.
"And I'll just keep my mouth shut until after we've watched Tyr's message," Rommei said. "Oh, Dylan?" Rommie made a circle around her lips with her finger.
"What?" Dylan rubbed his hand on his mouth and looked at the back of his hand; it was red with Isolde's lipstick. "Thanks." He sighed. "It's still never easy."
