Dylan looked up as a girl was dragged into the prison by three guards. He recognized her as the girl who'd broken into his ship. The guards unlocked the cell across from his and pushed the girl in. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "There's no need to be rough! Jeez, are you guys still mad about the whole chase thing? I'm sure that other guard will recover." The guards didn't answer. They locked her arms into the chains against the far wall. "Oooh, these are new," the girl commented. "They're nice. They add to the whole dungeon effect."

"Shut up," one of the guards commanded sharply.

"Geez, you're touchy. The guards last time weren't nearly as crabby!" she yelled as the left the prison, locking her cell door after themselves. After they were gone, the girl finally noticed Dylan. "Oh, hi Captain. Looks like you let me go for nothing, huh?"

"What did you do to get in here?" he asked.

The girl took a deep breath. "I interfered in government matters, I aided and abetted enemies of the government, I resisted arrest, and I assaulted members of the Secret Police."

Dylan shook his head. "How did you manage to get into so much trouble in one day?"

"Oh, I met up with your friends, saved their lives, helped them escape from the S.P. You're all enemies of the government now, you know?"

"I'm still trying to figure out what I did," Dylan said. "Why did the Ambassador turn on me like that?"

The girl laughed, "You didn't know? The Ambassador's been running this place like a police state for the past decade. He and his Secret Police do and take whatever they want. Now you come and want to spoil all their fun with law and order? What did you think would happen?"

"Yes, what in deed, Captain Hunt?" asked a new voice from the shadows. A man in a Secret Police uniform stepped out.

"Merdy!" the girl exclaimed. "Long time no see."

"And you," Merdy said, stepping up to the bars of the girl's cage, "from petty theft to treason, what am I to do with you?"

"I vote you release me," the girl offered.

Merdy laughed. "Not likely. I owe you."

"Oh, that's okay, I'm willing to let old debts be forgotten," the girl said.

"But I'm not," Merdy answered. "You made me look like a fool, little girl. When you and your brother escaped my prison last year, the Ambassador decided that I wasn't ready to be promoted. I should have my own ship to command by now! Instead, I was sentenced to another ten years working as keeper of this hellhole."

The girl shrugged. "Sorry."

Merdy growled. "You will be. First, you are going to tell me how you escaped my prison. Then, you will tell me where the Captain's crew went."

"Then, you'll just let me go, right?" the girl retorted sarcastically.

"No, then I'm going to kill you," Merdy replied. He turned Dylan's way "But first, the Ambassador would like me to get a recording of Captain Dylan confessing his guilt on the charge of treason."

"If the Ambassador didn't want to join the Commonwealth all he had to do was say so," Dylan said. "There's no need for this."

Merdy shook his head. "Unfortunately, the Ambassador has to answer to higher powers, the Council namely, and they like the idea of joining the Commonwealth. The fools! Of course, they have no idea how the Ambassador and the Secret Police have been running the sector. They've secluded themselves in their private dome for so long that they've lost touch with reality. Imagine, believing in such fairy tales as the Commonwealth! The problem is, they've got the people believing it too. But you're confession will change all of that."

"Sorry, to disappoint you, but I'm not going to confess," Dylan answered.

"I knew you'd say that," Merdy said, "but I think you'll change your mind." With that, he left.

"Well, he's still a bundle of laughs," the girl declared.

"Who was that?" Dylan demanded.

"Merdan, head of the Secret Police. You probably guessed that last part. I'm Estay by the way," the girl said. "I don't think I told you my name before."

"Well, Estay, Merdan said that you escaped from his jail before. Think you can do it again?"

Estay nodded. "Definitely...as soon as I figure out how to get out of these chains. Merdy is really going too far with this ancient dungeon theme."

***************************

Beka, Rommie, and Trance emerged cautiously from the building, now full of holes. "Thanks for the rescue," Beka said. "Who were those guys?"

"Secret Police," Harper answered.

"Apparently, the Ambassador isn't as thrilled with the Commonwealth proposal as he pretends," Tyr said.

"Yeah, he sent his goons to kill me!" Harper added.

"Kill you?" Trance exclaimed. "How?"

"He threw me down an airshaft!" Harper answered. "If Estay and Rullin hadn't come along, I'd be a Harper pancake right now."

"Who?" Rommie asked.

"You remember the two that broke into the ship yesterday?" Tyr said.

"Hey speaking of," Harper said turning to Rullin, "where is Estay, anyway?"

Rullin frowned. "I don't know, she should have been back by now. She must have gotten into trouble. Again."

Just then, a little girl, about eight years old, ran up. She was dirty and dressed in rags just like Rullin. "Rully! Rully!" she yelled. "The S.P.s got Estay!"

"What?" Tyr demanded.

"The S.P.s got Estay!" the girl repeated. "I saw the whole thing!"

"What happened, Holy?" Rullin asked.

"These four S.P.s chased her down Main Street. Then she turned off onto fourth, but she must not've know that they'd closed it down for repairs. It was a dead end! So she turned, and POW!!" the girl illustrated with a fist in the air. "She decked the first guy, then the next two ran up and tried to grab her, but she did that back flip thing with no hands. Then, she grabbed this metal pole and WHACK!!" the girl pretended she was holding a pole in two hands and swung so forcefully that she spun all the way around. "Right to the head. But the other three grabbed it and pinned her against the wall till they could get the restraints on her. Then, you know what happens next, a trip to that wacko's dungeon. He's not going to be happy to see her again. Well, good luck. See ya, Rully." The girl ran off down the street and disappeared between two stores.

"What dungeon was she talking about?" Tyr asked.

"Merdan's dungeon," Rullin answered. "I've been there before. Now, I guess we have to go get her out. Works out nicely though, that's where your captain probably is by now."


That's all for now. Sorry it took so long. Does this count as a cliffhanger? Anyway, thanks for reviewing. Keep it up :).