And now the first of the series. Hope you like it





Hazanko stood in a dimly lit room, waiting for his masterpiece to awaken. It

was lying on a metal table. As if reading his thoughts, it opened it's bionic eyes, sat up, and

looked into those of it's creator. It's face was inside a black hooded masked, and was clad in

long flowing black robes. It resembled death in it's appearance, which was the way

Hazanko preferred it. The creature rose from the table and stood. Hazanko could tell it

was studying him, making calculations, looking for strengths and weaknesses. "Do you

know what you are?" he asked.


"No" it replied in a deep voice. It's long metallic tail swayed rhythmically, the three

razor sharp points closing into a cylinder and opening again.


"Your name is Kaalo, and you are the greatest of my minions. You have been

endowed with power, your strength and agility are unmatched, and your weapons are the

most advanced of any of the pirate guilds."


"I see, and what will you have me do, master?"


"There are several beings that I want you to eliminate, and I believe you know who

those individuals are?


"I will not fail you, master." it said.


With that it left, leaving Hazanko by himself.


Something about this creature was unsettling to him, something in it's eyes. This

project had cost over one billion wong, not that money mattered much to him anymore, only

vengeance. If something went awry, he might lose this and the XGP and that was

unacceptable. But for now he brushed it off, the crew of the Outlaw Star would soon be dead

and he would finally have a revenge that would most sweet.



~~~~*~~~~


When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries
And look upon myself and curse my fate. . .


This poem is all I can remember of my former life, but that is enough to show I once

was alive. Hazanko wanted me to believe that he had made me. Ha! He merely paid for

my kidnapping, memory wiping (which was done sloppily), and mutilation. I knew that this

could not be my original form, nor was Hazanko my creator.


After I had departed the presence of my "master" I headed down the long hallway

toward the docking bay. I don't know how I knew where it was or which ship was mine. I

supposed the ones who had stolen my life erased the memory of my past only, and left all

other knowledge intact, so I pondered it no more. When I reached the docking bay, I made

my way toward my ship, the Marl Fox.


I was treated as commander of the ship, however I was feared, not respected. I gave

the order that we were to proceed to Haifong, to kill Aisha Clan-Clan, the first name on our

list. My plan was somewhat different, as you will soon see.



The crew no longer needed me to direct them to this planet so I retired to my quarters,

to find out more about myself than what Hazanko had told me.


My room had a bed, a viewport, and a computer with every single data file known to

the pirates. I hated these beings as much as someone without a past could, but I have to give

the devil his due, they were very organized. I sat down at the console looked myself up and

began analyzing the file. It was disturbing and awesome at the same time . . .


All five senses enhanced through brain tampering, enhanced bionic eyes, muscles

tweaked to give more strength, a small but very powerful tractor beam device embedded in

my right hand -- it also doubled as a repulsor -- that worked on a neural interface so I could

control it with my mind, a body encompassing light shield, a personal cloaking device, (The

light shield can be configured to bend light around the individual using it, but it does not

protect while in this state), 12 inch energy claws that were emitted from my fingertips, a

small blaster focused through three rubies in my right hand that would explode on impact,

trillions of nanotech robots in my bloodstream that could instantly heal almost any wound, a

pneumatic metal tail with a caster gun concealed inside the tip, and finally and most

frighteningly a radio-controlled self destruct right next to my heart.




"Wow"


I was one of the greatest scientific and militaristic achievements in history! Perhaps

the most powerful sentient being in all the galaxy!! But something was amiss . . . I had not

one friend in the universe, and loneliness is not an easy thing to bear. If you are in any way

thinking I was the heartless monster Hazanko wanted me to be, you are mistaken.




I stood up from the computer console and walked over to the view port, the only thing

separating me from complete emptiness. I gazed at my reflection


When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes
I all alone beweep my outcast state


How ironic it was . . . to have such great power on the outside and to be crushed by

something internal. Poetic justice perhaps? No. This was, in no way, just. I looked into my

eyes and felt that I still had a soul, the most precious thing I had still remained with me. But

something else was gone, no, not something. . .someone. My mother? Father? Sister?

Brother? Wife? Son? Daughter? WHO?!?! DID I EVEN HAVE ANY OF THEM?!!?


And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries
And look upon myself and curse my fate. . .



An idea occurred to me. All I had to do was take this damned mask off and see my

face, then I might be able to find some identity of myself somewhere. I was about to but

something stopped me. I was afraid. Afraid to see who or what might be underneath the

hood. "Which is worse?" I asked myself. "Having a bad past or no past at all?"


I had proved the old saying "There is no such thing as a dumb question" wrong.


I squeezed my eyes shut and slowly lifted the hood. I reluctantly opened my eyes and

stared at the stranger in the glass. He was a Ctarl Ctarl. A young man, maybe mid twenties

maybe, with long shaggy black hair cascading down his shoulders and over his back. His face

had a cleft in it's chin and high cheek bones. He had hazel colored eyes, just barely visible

under his hair. He looked as though he might be from some type of Ctarl nobility.



I almost couldn't believe he and I were the same. I was reminded of Narcissus and

how he was obsessed with his own reflection. I snarled at him and, of course he did the

same. I contorted my face and it had the exact same results.


So here I was.


I began to think about this situation. It made perfect sense as to why the pirates had

chosen a Ctarl Ctarl, but why me? What significance did I have? Was I just chosen at

random?


All good questions. Questions which I could not answer.


I went on musing over this subject for quite some time, until I was interrupted by a

rather alarming realization. That self-destruct would put a quick end to my little escape plan.

I had to get rid of it.


But how to get to it?


It was going to be a delicate process, but I would have to cut my chest open and

extract the device. Easier said then done.


Going on the gut feeling, I formed one of my energy claws. This was going to hurt.

I then mustered my courage and plunged the crimson blade into my chest.

The pain.

The pain I felt at that moment, no creature should ever have to be subjected to. I

screamed out but I forced myself to continue. I made a hole on my chest cavity large enough

for my other hand to fit through. Aha! There was a 4 inch cylinder right beside my heart. I

yanked it out and waited for the tiny robots to heal me. I collapsed on the floor beside my

bed, panting, watching my blood leak on to the floor, but despite all that, I was victorious.

Hazanko will pay a hundred fold for the little bit of hell I just experienced. I looked at the de-

atomizer I held in my hand. There was enough anti-matter in this thing to blow a twelve-

story building in half. "There may be a use for you after all" I told it breathlessly. "But not

just yet."



~~~~*~~~~


That's all for now. What is Kaalo's plan? What does it have to do with Aisha? All
will be explained in the next chapter. Some criticism would be appreciated, 'cause I can't
right better if I don't get it.

– Kuratagi