Nothing In The 'Verse
Episode 44: If You Want Blood, Part I.


WARNING: Contains some violent and potentially disturbing imagery.


En route to Ariel. White Sun.

"So are we ever gonna get a shuttle to replace number one?" Lori asked curiously.

Dani leaned back in her seat at the head of the dining table. "Thinkin' 'bout it. Mebbe wait till we get out to the Border systems, cheaper than the Core, yeah? 'Least we got number two fixed on Osiris."

Maribelle smiled over her coffee cup. "Still smells like a mortuary in there, though."

"Ta ma de diyu (fucking hell), is that what the smell is?" Dani asked. "Was my gorram shuttle used fer hauling 'round ruttin' dead folk?"

"Okay, I'm not gonna ride in it no more now," Lori said, wrinkling her freckled nose.

Kelly joined in the general laughter of the other women. Dani glanced down at her once-close friend. Still a friend? Still part of the family? She was tentatively trying to incorporate Kelly back into her life and the lives of the crew, and reconcile with the fact that Kelly was no longer an enemy. She had betrayed them, yes, but then redeemed herself. And now she had nowhere else to go.

It had been a month since Kelly was brought back aboard the Fortune's Favour, broken and bleeding. Most of the crew seemed to have taken well enough to her again. Maribelle was still cautious around her, but included her in conversations and such. Dani could tell that her brother still didn't trust the former Agent fully, but it was hard to earn back his trust once it was broken. Mebbe the same c'n be said of me.

Dani did note that Sara was conspicuously absent whenever Kelly was around. She'd sat down with her daughter a week ago and tried to explain how things now were. Sara had accepted it, but she said that it was too difficult to look at her still. Her other side, Shrike, would try to come to the surface whenever she saw Kelly, remembering the fight in the courtyard that one day, seven months ago now.

And since Kelly was mostly healed up, though her left arm was still in a sling, now she could visit the galley. It made for some awkward moments when Sara would suddenly get up and leave, but Kelly seemed to understand.

Emily walked into the galley just then and cleared her throat quietly. "Kelly, c'n Sara talk to ya fer a minute?"

The room went silent as all conversation stopped. Kelly looked up from her place at the table, startled, but nodded slowly.

Emily looked behind her and gestured for Sara to walk in. Dani's middle daughter padded in on sandaled feet to sit at the table across from Kelly without looking up. She sat there for a few beats, fidgeting and adjusting her dark blue dress, but didn't say anything yet.

Kelly looked over at Emily with her eyebrows raised, as if to ask whether or not she should say anything.

Emily shook her head slightly as she sat down and leaned towards Sara. "You don' hafta do this if'n yer not ready, hon."

"No, I need to," Sara whispered. She looked up at Kelly then, staring intently at her for awhile. Her breathing sounded slightly labored, as if she were either girding herself up or trying to calm herself down. It slowed after a minute and she swallowed nervously. "I... heard you were tryin' to help me, an' Rain... keepin' us outta sight... an' I jus' wanna say, um, thanks."

Kelly nodded, smiling softly. "I owe you an apology, sweetie, from that courtyard."

Sara shrugged slightly. "S'okay. I've gotten better 'bout it." She looked down at table again. "I'm gettin' better now. An' I think I c'n look atcha without seein' ya as an enemy now, so mebbe we c'n eat together and stuff?"

"I'd really like that," Kelly murmured.

Sara glanced up again with a smile. "'Kay." Then she got back up again and headed down the rear hallway towards the engine room, likely to hang out with Cali.

Kelly, Maribelle, and Dani shared a meaningful glance, and then turned to Emily.

"What jus' happened, Em?" Dani asked cautiously.

Emily smiled as she stood up from the table. "Healin'. She really is gettin' better, gu ma (aunt, father's sister)."

Dani got up and hugged Emily tightly, tears of gratitude in her eyes. "Dao xie, zhi nu (thank you, niece [brother's daughter]). Dao xie."

Ariel. White Sun.

The ground team stood outside the upscale bar where they were to meet with a prospective client, looking around curiously. "We expecting a setup?" Jess asked, noting the lack of ground traffic.

"Never expect a setup, but never discount the possibility," Keith rumbled.

"Should be our motto," Lori snickered. "Wan' me to grab a vantage point, One?"

"Yeah, might be a good idea," Keith murmured. "Four, scout around please? Let us know if you find anything even a little out of the ordinary."

"On it!" Sara piped up cheerfully, and then scampered around to the alley that circled the block.

Dani noted that Sara's disposition seemed to vary greatly, but she was more often than not in a better mood when on a mission, as if the enhanced activity gave her focus. Need to 'member to ask Em 'bout that.

The remaining three crew members entered the bar cautiously, hands on the butts of their guns.

It was dark and gloomy inside, but they didn't see anything suspicious. After pausing at the doorway to scan the room intently, Keith gave a grunt and started forward again towards the bar. He put in an order for three beers and tipped generously. "There a man by the name of Bertram here?"

The bartender scooped up the credits and nodded over towards the rear of the room, where a solitary man sat nursing a glass. He was huddled inside his overly large coat like it was a shelter from the rest of the patrons, obviously uncomfortable being there.

"Right," Keith murmured. "Should have figured that." The three headed over to the table and sat down facing the man.

"Mr. Bertram?" Jess asked, as she had offered to speak with the jittery man first.

"Yes, that's me. You are the crew I'm meeting, I presume?" he answered in a rich, cultured voice at odds with his jittery manner.

"That's correct," Jess replied, and introduced themselves.

"What I need is simple, pengyous (friends)," the man began quietly without preamble. "I have some items I need to move without attracting attention. Are you able to do so?"

Jess glanced at the others before responding. "Well, Mr. Bertram, if it's a sensitive cargo we're willing to help within reason. There are some items we're not willing to move."

Bertram took a sip from his glass and wet his lips nervously. "Human cargo?" he asked in a whisper.

Jess's eyes flashed dangerously. "Again, that depends. Are we talking willing or unwilling cargo?"

The man looked at her intently for a beat and then gave a nod. "I see. My apologies, I think I have wasted your time here."

"Well, at least we cleared that up quickly," Jess responded, trying very hard to conceal a disgusted sneer. The Favour's crew got up and walked rapidly out of the bar without further comment until they reached the street again.

"Ang zang de yukai gou shi (filthy piece of shit)," Dani growled.

"Not disagreeing with you there," Keith rumbled. "Wonder if we need to better stress such things beforehand?"

"Difficult to do, hon," Jess mused. "We're willing to move some illicit cargoes, but we have some lines we don't cross. And, fortunately, we're all in agreement on those."

Keith sighed slightly. "Four, Five, we're done here, you catch all that?"

"Roger that, One," Lori replied. "On my way down to ya now."

Keith paused a beat. "Four?"

There was no answer.

"That's odd," Dani frowned. "She never turns her comm off..."

"Five, when was the last time you had eyes on Four?" Keith asked, searching over the heads of the crowd streaming by.

"Not since she went down that alley, One" Lori said anxiously. "Want me to head back up, see if'n I c'n see anythin'?"

"Affirmative," Keith ordered briskly. "Three, head down the alley that Four did. Two, next alleyway over, go around the block. I'll stay out here and look around."

They broke apart, Dani racing ahead frantically, her heart starting to beat faster with worry. She reached the next alleyway and started walking slower. It reeked of rotting garbage and stale piss. There were a couple of huddled forms, obviously homeless folk sleeping off binges. The dim sunlight that filtered down gave her just enough illumination to see that there was no evidence of a struggle as she walked towards the end, carefully searching the ground and walls.

"This is Three," Jess called back tensely. "I found her comm unit. Signs of a struggle, no blood... Wait, I see a discarded tranquilizer dart. It's been expended."

"No..." Dani whispered, the walls of the alley beginning to spin around her. She started to run back towards the street, stumbling as she talked. "No no no no, didi they took her, they took her Keith, oh God we have to find her, we gotta get her back!" Her voice had raised to a panicked shout by the end.

"Jiejie, calm down," Keith urged over the comm. "We'll find her, alright? Who do we think took her?"

"We're here again," Dani moaned, unconsolable, stopping at the entrance to the street and looking around frantically. The towering buildings loomed overhead, silently bearing the full weight of Alliance judgement upon her. "Ariel, where they took her last time, it's them again..."

By that point Lori had gotten back to the ground and reached her. She ran up and wrapped her arms around her wife as Dani started sobbing hysterically. "Hush, wo de ai (my love), we'll get 'er, y'know we will..."

Dani jerked her head up suddenly, dashing her tears away with a fist. "Wait. Kelly."

"Right," Keith said, following her sister's train of thought as he walked up. "Let's get back to the ship and see what she can tell us. We'll gear up there, full load out."

"You sure, hon? Here on Ariel?" Jess asked cautiously, jogging out from the alley Sara had disappeared from. "We're on a Core world!"

"And while we head back, I'm going to make a few calls," Keith continued determinedly. "Got a couple of favors I can still call in. We won't be interfered with, at least not by the local Feds."

Undisclosed lab. Ariel.

Sara awoke groggily. Her mind was a tangled mess of jumbled thoughts, struggling to remember what happened last. She shunted that all aside, though, and her senses snapped into focus as she realized her current predicament.

She was sitting in a chair, her arms and legs restrained. And she was naked.

Trying to control her panic, she struggled while looking around wildly. The only other furniture was another chair facing the one she was sitting in, which her attempts didn't seem to budge. Must be bolted down. There was a large mirror on one wall, and she could see the reflection of herself, bruised from where she fought back before they must have drugged or subdued her somehow. She'd never looked at herself naked before really, and it unnerved her. She could also see cameras in the corners of the ceiling, and unwilling tears started to flow down her cheeks from embarrassment. She felt exposed, unable to cover up. And, she could admit to herself, she was becoming frightened beyond reason.

A doorway she had not noticed before opened up. It was seamless with the wall and there were no controls, no door handle on this side. A old man walked in, grandfatherly-looking with neat white hair and steel-framed spectacles, wearing a lab coat.

Sara was stunned, recognizing him from the lab on Ariel that she and Cali had escaped from. "You," she breathed.

The scientist was carrying a handheld device, evidently recording their session, and murmured into it as he shut the door behind him and walked forward. "Subject has recollection of the last time we met. Appears agitated on first awakening." He looked over at Sara as he sat down in the chair facing her. "Hello, dear," he said, giving her a smile that was intended to be kind and reassuring. All it did was creep her out even further, sending shivers of dread up her spine.

"Please," she whispered. "C'n I at least have some clothes?"

"Interesting," the man murmured. "Subject has greater desire for clothing than escape or comfort. Analysis was correct on subjugation technique."

He smiled at her again, ignoring her request. "My name is Dr. Norton. And we are going to be spending much time together. Now, I realize you may think you can escape, or be rescued, but I assure you it is futile. I'm going to find out everything I can from you. We've done this many, many times." He looked off distractedly, and Sara realized he was starting to ramble. "Previous subjects were selected primarily for their mental and psychoactive capabilities, but that simply hasn't gone well. So no, we're going to work solely with the physical now."

He focused back on Sara, smiling gently again. "We're going to find out what makes you tick, and then, unfortunately, shave off all that lovely hair of yours before surgery. And, eventually, you will be the perfect killing machine for the Alliance. You'll be an instrument of the greater good. Isn't that lovely?"

Sara stared at him in horror, hot tears blurring her vision. "No..." she whimpered.

"Now then," Dr. Norton said, sitting back and consulting his handheld, "let's talk about the planet Shadow, shall we?"

Fortune's Favour. Ariel.

As soon as they returned to the ship Dani had grabbed ahold of Kelly. "Please, please help me get her back, Kelly," she whispered desperately.

"It's okay, Dani," Kelly reassured her as she led her over to the dining table. "I'm going to help any way I can. Let's all sit down first, alright?"

Some of the crew had already assembled with worried faces. Besides her other two daughters, Mike and Maribelle were present at the table. Cali and Rain in particular looked ready to race out into the city in search of their sister, but Lori came up behind them and enveloped both sisters in a warm hug, whispering reassurances into their ear, before sitting down beside Dani and gripping her hand tightly.

Dani was grateful for her wife's calm, because she felt as if she were about to crawl out of her skin.

"Right, so here on Ariel I know of a few research centers that could have done this, based on what Cali told me while you were on the way back," Kelly began as she took her seat. She folded her hands in front of her, gathering her thoughts. "I have a feeling I know which one, but it was pretty top-secret when I was still involved. They might have moved it since my disappearance, I don't know. It was involved with the research and modification of a dangerous person the Company has been heavily invested in retrieving."

Keith nodded grimly. "It's a place to start. You have the location for us?"

Kelly nodded back, pushing over her handheld. "I marked it, as well as a likely backup location if they moved operations. But you have got to be careful. Though this is a government facility, Blue Sun will be funding and protecting it. That means more Agents, as well as plenty of soldiers."

"We'll be ready," Keith said. "I'll assemble all of our armor-piercing ammunition. I spoke with a friend on the local federal force here, and he's going to run interference for us. Put out a notice that there's going to be a training exercise, and ignore calls from certain facilities. I'll update him when we leave as to the exact addresses." He looked around at the rest of the assembled crew. "We're going out fully loaded, but in case this gets back to the ship, you have to be prepared to run. Get off-world and rendezvous somewhere."

"Aberdeen," Dani whispered. Keith swiveled his head towards her.

"You think that's wise, heading back there if we're avoiding attention?" Keith rumbled.

Dani sighed. "No, you're right, we can't bring this down on the O'Toole's. Where then?"

Jess snapped her fingers. "I've got it. That hollow asteroid in the Motherlode, Red Sun. Plenty of space, we can bring supplies and hide out if need be."

"Right," Dani nodded. "So if we give the signal to run, or if you don't hear from us within, what, five hours, bug out and meet us there. We'll get a transport somehow and meet up when we can." Her words had become unnaturally crisp as the stress brought her Bernadette accent to the fore.

"I'm not leavin' you, too," Rain said firmly.

"You will," Dani replied just as firmly. "You're the pilot now, you listen to Mike, he's in charge when we head out. He says to go, you go. Dong ma (understand)?"

Rain set her jaw stubbornly, causing Dani to sigh. She smiled gently at her eldest child and tried to ease the tension in her voice. "Look baobei (treasured one), I know how yer feelin', but you gotta look out fer the ship, an' yer sister, alright?"

Rain glowered down at the table but gave a reluctant nod. Cali just shifted her gaze between her sister and Dani nervously, but nodded also. Mike, for his part, didn't say a word. His beard was bristling angrily, but he managed a reassuring grin for his sister-in-law.

Kelly spoke up. "Dani, do you want me to come along?" she asked solemnly.

Dani glanced over and smiled wanly. "No. I 'preciate it, but you know you can't show yer face none on a Core world. Stay here, keep the rest of the family safe. Please?" Her quiet plea was heartfelt. She was terrified of losing the rest of her family, her other two girls, if she did what they were planning to do to rescue Sara.

Nodding, Kelly agreed to stay. The rest broke up to make preparations as best they could. Dani met Keith, Jess, and Lori down in the cargo bay within five minutes, all of them loaded for battle.

Dani slung her shotgun over her shoulder. "Are y'all sure you wanna do this?" she asked, softly.

All three gave her smiles, and Lori reached over to grab her hand. "We're with ya zhen'ai (true love), all the way."

Ariel. White Sun.

The first location was, as Kelly had suspected, empty. It looked like it had been occupied at one time by some sort of research facility, but it was barren now.

Dani and the others wasted precious minutes scouring the facility anyway for some sort of clue, finding nothing of value.

Sighing, Keith called back to the ship.

"Home, this is One. No joy on target one. We're heading to the second target facility."

"Affirmative, One," Kelly answered. She had remained on the bridge to try and help coordinate things, as well as provide what tactical support she could. "Keep us posted."

"Have to remember this," Keith commented as they headed towards the next address in the Mule. "Might be useful in the future, having Kelly on the comms to support us remotely."

"Sure," Dani responded absently. Please be okay Sara, please be okay, hold on honey we're coming...

Undisclosed lab. Ariel.

"Interesting. You show far less attachment to your biological family than you do for your adoptive one," Norton mused, looking at his handheld and tapping out notes. "You blame the former group for your ending up on Shadow, don't you? Do you realize that all of the misery you endured there, all of the pain and hurt, would never have happened if you hadn't moved from Jiangyin?"

Sara didn't answer. It was unnecessary, really. 'Course I blame 'em, you wang ba (son of a bitch). "I don' think 'bout 'em much," she whispered truthfully, staring at the floor between them.

"I highly doubt that," the scientist said dismissively. "This is the root of your pain. The center of your being, yes? I'm sure you have an enormous burden on your psyche about it."

She was starting to get angry now. She needed to hold onto that anger, to that fury, let it override her fear... Sara closed her eyes briefly, and imagined a ruined landscape smelling of death and decay.

Sara.

Sara stood in front of the ruins of her house on Shadow. "Please help me," she shouted.

"Only you c'n help yerself," the expected voice purred silkily from behind her.

She turned her head to see Shrike prowling forward, stalking in a circle around her like a predator eyeing a prey that was weakened and ripe for the kill.

"What d'ya mean?" she asked irritably. Really don' have the time for more gorran riddles.

"Only you c'n lemme out to play," Shrike smirked. She giggled, the sound like the crackling of bones in a crushed hand.

"No, we already talked 'bout this," Sara said, desperately, turning her head to keep her within sight.

Shrike shook her head pityingly. "What we had earlier... let's call it a truce."

"It wasn't a truce," Sara replied, eyes wide and unbelieving. "It was an agreement!"

With a razor-sharp smile, Shrike replied, "One ya can't really enforce right now, c'n ya, love?"

Undisclosed lab. Ariel.

Sara was shocked back into reality by a harsh slap against her cheek.

"Now, now," the scientist chided. "No drifting off. It's very important we stay focused here, yes?"

Sara shuddered. It was so hard to hold on to her anger while feeling so helpless.

"Good," Dr. Norton murmured. "Now then, you displayed admirable agility and speed the last time you were my guest. How did you obtain weapons initially?"

Sara clamped her mouth shut. Yer not gettin' another ruttin' word outta me, piyan (asshole).

The man sighed in disappointment. "Subject is becoming resistant. Moving on to the next coercion technique." He tapped a few keys on his handheld and turned it around so Sara could see. On it was a picture of Cali, obviously a closeup from when they were escaping the last time. She had a grin of fierce joy on her face.

"Your meimei (little sister), yes? Should we go fetch her then, tie her up as well to get you to cooperate?"

"No," Sara sobbed. "Please, no, leave my family alone..."

"Well, now, that's all up to you, dear. About those weapons? How did you obtain them initially?"

Research Center. Ariel.

The crew had much better success at the second location, as it was obviously occupied. The problem with that was that it was also guarded by six security personnel at the solitary entrance.

But Keith Grant rarely let such trivialities stop him from an objective.

He strolled into the towering lobby of the building. It was emblazoned with Blue Sun logos, but once inside there were several government notices regarding required clearances and authorized personnel. Keith wore a black overcoat over his usual clothes and his Ares holstered on his belt. He was stopped at the security desk by two armed guards.

"Sir, you'll need to leave that here," the first said, holding out his hand.

Keith grunted irritably, and handed his firearm over.

"Can we see some identification, please?" the other asked politely.

"Certainly," he replied, pulling his left hand out of his inner coat pocket. Instead of an ident card, however, it held a combat knife.

With a quick thrust upwards he skewed the first guard through the throat, and a sideways slash took out the second's. Before the other four could react, he pulled the special operations coat to the side to reveal several pockets lined with a variety of deadly toys. Two throwing knives were sent out, one into a guard's eye and the next into another's shoulder. Grimacing, Keith pulled out a compact Skorpion submachine gun from the coat's lining. Getting old Keith, should have made both kill throws. He raked fire across the three standing guards, dropping the wounded one and a second man. The last managed to hurl himself out of the way, chattering anxiously on his comm. Growling, Keith strode over to loom above the cowering guard, who cut off his transmission with a squawk.

The former spec ops soldier ended him with a short burst of fire.

He turned, tucking his weapon away again as the other three from his team strode in, guns out and ready. Dani bent to pick up Keith's Ares and tossed it to him. "Lose somethin' didi?"

He gave a smirk as he deftly caught and holstered it in one smooth motion. Reaching out to take his assault rifle from his wife, Keith started issuing orders.

"They know we're here. Stick together in formation. Double-wide where possible, Two and I up front. Five, you always bring up the rear." He checked his rifle and flicked the safety off. "Move out."

They passed the elevator which was heading up from the basement. Jess paused to place a grenade at the bottom of the door, using adhesive to secure it to one side and the pin to the other.

As they entered the stairwell and headed down, they heard the ding of the elevator arriving. Three seconds later the lights flickered as an explosion from the lobby registered.

"An' why is it we immediately head downwards?" Lori asked, keeping an eye on the stairs above her head.

Keith paused at the next landing to shoot out a camera. "Because that's where the secret labs always are. Unimaginative bureaucrats can't help themselves."

"Y'know they're gonna track us by the cams you shoot out, right?" Dani asked curiously.

"Sure," Keith smirked. "Still fun, though."

There seemed to be one additional level beneath the basement, but they stopped at the first landing and opened the door cautiously. It seemed to be an office complex, filled with oblivious corporate drones.

"Next floor down," Keith stated, and shut the door quietly.

The final landing down they repeated the process and were met by a blank hallway stretching off to either direction. They filed out of the stairwell, taking up positions.

"Which way?" Jess asked cautiously.

The group was saved the decision by the pair of gaunt-faced suited men that strode around the corner. Dani didn't even need to see their blue hands to know exactly who they were facing.

Agents.

Around the other side, further away, several soldiers came lumbering around the corner, taking up firing positions.

"Switch," Keith ordered quietly. "Two, you have the Agents. Delay."

"Roger that," Dani said with satisfaction, tucking her automatic shotgun into her shoulder and moving behind Keith to cover the approaching Agents.

"That's far enough," one of the black-suited men said as they strode forward, unafraid. "You will now tell us who-"

Dani only waited to hear from behind her the clicks of her team's magazines hitting home, indicating they had changed over to armor-piercing ammo, before opening fire. She sent four rapid shots at the Agents, dropping them both, though their armor would stop the worst of the damage. She kept her shotgun trained on the two fallen men as the others opened up on the soldiers. Some return fire came back at them and she felt the burn of one bullet as it grazed her calf, but not bad enough to disable her.

After a few seconds, Keith strode up next to her. "They playing dead?"

"Most likely," Dani murmured. She was rewarded in her assumption when one Agent quickly reached into his pocket to withdraw what Kelly had called the sonic device. Dani was ready, however, and shot him again, shattering the device and sending a few of the pellets into his throat.

The other Agent rolled to the side and sprang to his feet, pulling out a slim and deadly-looking automatic pistol. Before he could bring it to bear, Keith had riddled his torso with holes.

The Agent dropped his gun, looking down at the blood spilling down his chest in astonishment.

"Surprise, fucker," Keith growled, and shot him once more in the forehead.

Dani walked over to the other wounded agent and placed the barrel of her gun against his face, disintegrating it with a blast of buckshot.

After quickly bandaging Dani's calf, they decided to head down the hallway the Agents had come from first. A warren of doors and hallways presented themselves, with all of the doors unlocked. It seemed to be a dormitory of some sort, though all the beds were empty and unmade.

"I don' think this is it," Dani said worriedly.

"Deng yi miao (hold on a sec), Two," Jess murmured as she pushed another door open all the way. It had been left cracked, and there were computers and displays inside. It looked to be a monitoring and control room, likely where the Agents had been stationed.

"Two, Five, stand guard," Keith ordered. He and Jess sat down to run through the displays to see what they could while Dani reloaded her shotgun.

"I've got security feeds here... labelled for cells... but they're all empty," Jess reported quietly.

"No activity on the logs, no entry or exits. Yeah, I don't think this is an active facility," Keith rumbled from his chair.

"Oh, here's an examination room... nope, also empty." Jess gave a disappointed sigh, but then perked up. "Hey, this one is a view of where we just were. One of the guards is moving, looks like he was just wounded."

"Two, Five," Keith barked.

"We're on 'im," Dani shouted over her shoulder as the two girls sprinted back down the hall.

They reached the earlier scene of their firefight to find the wounded guard on the floor with his helmet off. He had blood streaming down his face and was trying to wrench off the helmet of a fallen comrade. His discarded helmet lay broken behind him.

"Freeze!" Dani yelled. The soldier glanced over as he reached for his firearm, but slowly put his hands up as he looked down the ominous barrel of Dani's shotgun.

Keith and Jess trotted up then. "Looks like his comm was damaged," Keith commented.

"Do they know we're here?" Dani gritted out. The soldier just stared back at her without speaking.

"Little girl was taken today. Small, curly brown hair. You seen her?" Dani questioned, her voice raised. Again the man just looked back with his lips pursed shut.

"Where is my daughter?" she screamed, thrusting the barrel of her shotgun into his face.

"Two," Keith interjected. "Let's take him into the examination room over here."

"Right," Dani growled. She slung her shotgun across her back and grabbed the man by the front of his shirt, hauling him to his feet and propelling him towards the door of the room. Fear and anger lent her strength, and she hurled him into the room to land sprawling next to a table and chair standing in the middle of the space.

Keith walked past her and pulled the soldier into the chair, then stepped back, arms crossed.

Dani stood across from their prisoner, her hands planted on the table, and stared into his eyes. He's not gonna talk.

"Lori," Dani whispered, her gaze still intent on the captured soldier. "Please wait outside. Keith, hold his hand out on the table."

Lori looked at her wife, shocked as she realized what she was about to do. "No... Wo de ai (my love), please don't do this..."

"Please, Lori. Leave. Now," Dani whispered without looking at her. There was no way she was letting her observe what she was intending. The freckled woman complied with a shaky breath, closing the door behind her.

Keith grasped the man's left hand from behind in an iron grip, splaying the fingers outward, while keeping his face expressionless. The soldier was looking at Dani with panicked eyes as she took out her combat knife and held it point down in between his last two fingers, blade facing out.

"Where is she," Dani whispered without emotion.

"You rutting biao zi (bitch), I can't tell you, they'll-"

Dani leaned down hard, and with a sickening wet crunch chopped off his little finger. He screamed in pain.

"Where's my daughter."

He could only babble in pain as she moved the blade back over the next finger, but still wouldn't answer.

Another crunch, and another finger came off, rolling across the table and leaving a wet trail of blood in it's passage. The soldier screamed again, shaking his head. Tears were flowing from his eyes, but Keith held on to him grimly.

In the corner from where she was watching, horrified, Jess made a retching noise

"Jess, can you please go keep Lori company?" Dani loudly requested over the man's wailing. Without answering Jess bolted from the room, the man's frantic screams following her out the door.

Jess stood there, pale and shaking, and was startled when Lori slipped her hand into her own. They just stared wordlessly, gripping each other tightly, as the man's repeated bouts of screaming reached a feverish pitch.

Eventually they could hear the soldier talking, begging for mercy as he spoke, words tumbling out in a rush. After a muted conversation by both Dani and Keith, the two women standing outside the room heard a gunshot. Then the Grant siblings walked out the door, splattered in blood.

"Do you have it?" Jess asked in a whisper.

Dani nodded but held up one finger. She walked over to a corner of the hallway and threw up violently. Standing, she wiped her mouth on her sleeve and said hoarsely, "Okay, I'm good. Let's go."

Undisclosed lab. Ariel. White Sun.

"You are a remarkable little girl," Dr. Norton mused. "I can tell there's a decent amount of rage just below the surface, but you keep it carefully contained, don't you?"

Sara hung her head, her hair falling like a curtain. It concealed her somewhat, both her nakedness and the emotions swirling across her face.

"The subject will look at me when I'm speaking."

She sniffled, and slowly raised her head. I will kill you, her look promised.

"Ahh, there it is. Subject is finally responding to stimulus." The man typed in a few items with self-satisfaction. "Parameters noted and cataloged for future stimulation. Now, then," he said with a smile, "let's discuss the other subject you released. Kirika, she called herself."

Sara furrowed her brow in confusion. He keeps changin' direction on me, keepin' me off-balance, mebbe it's on purpose. "Yeah?" she whispered.

"Why did you release her?"

Sara snorted softly. "'Cause she was yer prisoner. An' nobody deserves that."

Dr. Norton tapped his chin. "As simple as that?"

She nodded wordlessly.

"Hmmm." He stared at her intently for a moment longer, but she just returned it back on him.

He glanced down at his handheld and then back up at her again. "So you have not seen her, or had contact with her, since the last time you were our guest?"

Sara grimaced at the label of 'guest' but shook her head, again without speaking.

"Subject does not seem to have any further information on the subject Kirika. Ah, well. She's been quite the thorn in our side, you see. We had to move the location of our facilities elsewhere, but we will catch her eventually." He smiled again then, a hint of malice underlying the grandfatherly smile. "We always do."

She shuddered at his words as he rose from his chair. "Session on hold for now. Subject will remain confined until recess is over."

The scientist left without another word, pausing in front of the door. It opened silently for him, and then closed behind him again, leaving her alone in the stark, white room with nothing but her own reflection to look at. She closed her eyes wearily.

Please, God, please get me out of this, take me away from here, God please make me a stone...

Ariel. White Sun.

The underground passageway to the secondary facility was right where the soldier had said it would be. Nobody in the ground team said an unnecessary word, and their normal banter was conspicuously absent.

Dani was too focused on their task to worry about it.

The tunnel stretched on for a kilometer underground. It was illuminated by overhead fluorescent lights that turned on in stretches when motion was detected, and then off again after a short delay, so that it seemed as if the four of them were isolated in their own little pool of light in the deep Black of space.

Eventually they came across another door. Keith held his hand up while he pressed his ear to the door. Listening intently, he then stood back up and nodded. "Several guards," he whispered, pointing at Dani and then gesturing left. She nodded back.

They took up their positions, and then Keith flung the door open before darting in and to the right. Dani, next in line, ran towards the left, and Lori and Jess filled the doorway.

There were eight soldiers in what appeared to be a combination break room and monitoring station. Four were seated around the round table in the center, playing cards, two lounging on a couch to the right, and two more seated at the monitoring stations to the left. All had sidearms, but their helmets and bodyarmor were off and stacked along the far wall, while a gun cabinet on the same wall contained their assault rifles.

The Favour crew gave them no time to react or sound an alarm. Dani immediately blasted the two guards in front of her, sending one spinning out of his chair at the impact to his chest to land in a heap on the floor. The other guard's head disintegrated, leaving a bloody mess across the shattered and ruined monitor behind him.

She kept moving to the left, swinging the barrel of her shotgun around, but there were no more targets. The other six had been dealt with just as efficiently.

Dani slung her gun over her shoulder and walked over to the station. "Gorramit," she cursed bitterly. "I took out the camera station."

"It's okay, jiejie," Keith said gently. "I have a layout here for the facility. I see the cells, let's try there first."

She was still mad at herself, but nodded curtly and motioned for him to proceed. Should have used my gorram pistol. Jess took out an EMP grenade and set it on the console, setting the timer for five minutes. Dani raised her eyebrows at Keith. "Did the same at the last station," he explained. "Covering our tracks."

Dani took her shotgun back out and held it ready as Keith opened the door a crack, then all the way to reveal an empty hallway.

Several meters down they made a left, than a right. The hallways were unmarked, but the doors had simple numbers on them, at least until they got to the cells. Those all had tags on them with the word 'Subject' and then a number designation. Below that was a date.

"This one is from yesterday," Dani whispered, brow furrowed. "D'ya think it's by when they captured 'em, or when they decided to do the capturin'?"

Jess walked over to look as well. "I'd think it would be by capture date, but let's take a look to be sure."

Lori stood apart from them, rifle held at the ready and guarding the rear. She hadn't said a word to Dani since her torture of the soldier, but she didn't have the time now to worry about that. Only one thing mattered at this moment, and that was finding Sara.

The door opened quietly to reveal a young man sitting up in bed as if expecting their arrival. He wore a straightjacket, and gave them a lopsided grin.

"I'm sorry but your princess is in another castle."

"What the diyu (hell) does that even mean?" Dani asked angrily, disappointment written across her face.

"She's not here jiejie, let's go," Keith answered. He walked in though and freed the man first, pointing out the exit from which they came, before continuing their search.

Several more empty cells down, they came across one marked with today's date.

"Here!" Dani said excitedly, not even bothering with stealth anymore. She pulled the door open to reveal an empty cot that didn't seem to have been occupied at all. Sheets were folded neatly at the foot of it.

"Hun dan gou niang yang de (bastard son of a bitch)!" she screamed, kicking the cot onto it's side. "Where the ta ma de diyu (fucking hell) is my nu'er (daughter)?"

Sara.

Shrike prowled around the ruins of Sara's old house, the slate-grey sky offering little comfort. "You know it's the only way we're gettin' outta here alive. Gimme control. I c'n save us, jus' like I always have."

Sara barked out a shaky laugh. "Like you always have? Fang pi (bullshit / you're lying). You leave nothin' but corpses, guilty an' innocent alike. That's not savin' me, that's damnin' me."

"Oh don' give me that morality pi hua (shit, nonsense)," Shrike replied, rolling her eyes. "This's about survival. Do you wanna survive? I'll make it easy for ya. Yes or no."

"Yes," Sara whispered despondently.

Shrike pulled back her lips in a snarl. "Then. Let. Me. Out."

Sara stared down at her feet. She was so tired already, it wouldn't be long before the feng li (crazy) scientist broke her down completely when he returned. Shrike waited for her answer, tapping her leather-clad foot impatiently.

"Only one condition, then, an' you gotta swear by it," Sara whispered, looking up at the other girl fiercely. "Swear on Kaasan's life, 'cause you know she's the only reason we're alive at all."

Shrike cocked her head to the side in agreement. "Go on."

Sara paused, and then continued intensely, "The minute you see or hear a family member, an' you know who I consider t'be family, you release control. You lemme back in. Other than that, I give you full reign. Agreed?"

Shrike took a moment to consider her words carefully. "Agreed," she replied calmly, and reached her hand out to Sara.

"Alright, then, I'm all yours." Sara took a deep breath and extended her own hand to clasp Shrike's in her own.

Shrike grinned maniacally, throwing her head back and cackling like a clarion call, a harbinger of some kind of apocalypse.

Sara closed her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Kaasan..." she whispered.


NOTES: And that's the end of Part I. Consider it like a season finale. What will happen next? Stay tuned...