Author Notes: Hey and thanks to every one that reviewed. You make me feel warm and fuzzy. So thank you to… Scaramouche, Bob, parisindy, Mercury's Winter, szhismine.
Anyway, on with my story, part eight and we're back with Harper…
Part Eight
Harper winced involuntary as Lanes shadow loomed over him. He had been on the station for three days. From his position crouched on the floor Harpers ribs cried out in pain. His jaw now held a colourful bruise, and his left wrist was numb and swollen from Lanes last demonstration
A hand grabbed a handful of his T-shirt and pulled him to his feet. Holding back a curse Harper was thankful that he hadn't been jacked in.
"I asked you to change this an hour ago." He snapped, throwing the engineer back to the floor and into the console.
"I'm working on it" Harper snapped up at the Neitzschen, pushing himself back to his feet.
"It shouldn't have taken this long. Do you take me for a fool kludge?"
Harper knew better then to answer that. The job Lane had given him was a simple one and shouldn't have taken this long but Harper was stalling. The longer he took working on one repair the longer before Lane tried to use his rib cage as a musical instrument.
Lane grabbed his neck and yelled in to his face.
"Answer me you little shit"
Harper grimaced knowing he couldn't win.
"I think fool isn't a strong enough word. Cocksucker maybe. Or mother-fucker."
The human was thrown once more into the console. A rain of fists fell down on him and a boot impacted into his chest. He felt one of his ribs snap. The pain exploded through his whole body and Harper allowed himself to fall into the painless black that was engulfing his vision.
(Author: Evil ain't I? I'm sorry to all the Harper lovers. I love Harper too. I'll get back to him soon but I think we should let him rest unconscious for a while)
Beka zipped past the blockade and approached the four orbital habits. She guessed that if they had dropped him on the planet he would have contacted her. However Beka knew she could find him.
FLASHBACK
"Seamus you're pissed" Beka complied as the young engineer fell through the Maru's airlock, sinking of alcohol and two days late.
"Nah boss. I only had a couple" Harper slurred while leaning heavily on the wall. "And I's ain't that late"
"That's 'I'm not' mudfoot" Beka corrected sighing
"Like I's said, I's ain't" the human slurred again
"Your two days late" she repeated calmly, this wasn't the first time he had come back late from shore leave. He normally spent all day surfing and all night drinking.
"Sorry boss" Harper managed to look sheepish, sobering up a small amount "I's got back as fast as I's could"
Beka had been wondering what to do with her engineer and while she had been waiting Beka had come up with a plan. Taking him to the small room that passed as medical she injected him with a small tracer
"What's that's?" Harper asked, jumping as Beka did the injection.
"Something so no matter how legless you are I can come and get you. No matter where you are"
END OF FLASHBCK
"No matter where you are." Beka repeated the words she had said years ago and switched on the scanner. It had been a while since it had last been used but Beka trusted her ship.
A few seconds later Harpers position showed on the screen and Beka looked at the view point,. The habit that held her friend hung still in space. Moving to controls around the Maru headed towards the station. As she approached a Neitzschen hailed her. Quickly she changed her hair colour jet-black before his face appeared on screen. Beka identified him straight away as Lane.
Keeping her face neutral Beka waited for Lane to speak first. She had been pulling cons with her brother since she could walk. The only difference was this time a friends life hung in the balance.
"Unknown ship please identify your name and business here"
"My name is Riley August" Beka lied keeping eye contact with Lane. He gave her a bored look and she continued "I've come here to but some engineers. I understand you have some with talent for a cheap price"
"Miss August" Lane said with force politeness "Why not simple hire someone?"
Beka gave him a cold look, she held up the small money chip her uncle Sid had given her. The one with unlimited credit. It didn't work now but Lane didn't need to know that.
"What I decide to spend my money on is my own business." Then raising her eyebrows she finished "Besides I may wish to do other things. I enjoy mixing work with pleasure."
Lane understood at once and with his eyes on the money chip he gave her a smile.
"Of course, but the best are not cheap." He warned and Beka forced herself to smile back before she said
"Money is no problem"
"Then Miss August board are once" Lane said and the screen went black.
Switching to autopilot Beka went into the crew area, pausing for a second outside of the other room. Harpers shirts were hanging on the edge of his bed and a few sparky cans littered the floor where the engineer had been living here for a few days.
Continuing to her room where she dug around in the bottom of her cupboard where a top Bobby had given her once lay. One that showed more flesh then it covered. Slipping it one Beka then checked that she had both her gun and her hidden force lance.
"Docking in station" The Maru informed her.
"Thanks" Beka said, heading towards the airlock, she had talked to the ship since she was little. "And don't worry, I'll bring our engineer back"
Stepping out of the airlock and activating the security lock so only her and Harper could get in without electrocuting themselves. Looking around, with a hand resting on her weapon, Beka watched Lane step out of the shadows.
"Ah, Miss August. Welcome to my humble station.
Once again Beka returned his smile "Thank you but call my Riley, Mr……?"
"Call me Lane"
Beka nodded studying the area around her. Small humans working at consoles with Neitzschen's breathing down their necks. There was no sign however of Harper. Beka forced down any panic and listened to Lane.
"Did you have any idea what you want" he asked and Beka bit down any comment as Lane treated the humans like animals.
"I was thinking young male, between 25 to 30. The best engineers you have"
lane gave her a smile again that made her skin crawl.
"I'll see what I can do"
Anyway, on with my story, part eight and we're back with Harper…
Part Eight
Harper winced involuntary as Lanes shadow loomed over him. He had been on the station for three days. From his position crouched on the floor Harpers ribs cried out in pain. His jaw now held a colourful bruise, and his left wrist was numb and swollen from Lanes last demonstration
A hand grabbed a handful of his T-shirt and pulled him to his feet. Holding back a curse Harper was thankful that he hadn't been jacked in.
"I asked you to change this an hour ago." He snapped, throwing the engineer back to the floor and into the console.
"I'm working on it" Harper snapped up at the Neitzschen, pushing himself back to his feet.
"It shouldn't have taken this long. Do you take me for a fool kludge?"
Harper knew better then to answer that. The job Lane had given him was a simple one and shouldn't have taken this long but Harper was stalling. The longer he took working on one repair the longer before Lane tried to use his rib cage as a musical instrument.
Lane grabbed his neck and yelled in to his face.
"Answer me you little shit"
Harper grimaced knowing he couldn't win.
"I think fool isn't a strong enough word. Cocksucker maybe. Or mother-fucker."
The human was thrown once more into the console. A rain of fists fell down on him and a boot impacted into his chest. He felt one of his ribs snap. The pain exploded through his whole body and Harper allowed himself to fall into the painless black that was engulfing his vision.
(Author: Evil ain't I? I'm sorry to all the Harper lovers. I love Harper too. I'll get back to him soon but I think we should let him rest unconscious for a while)
Beka zipped past the blockade and approached the four orbital habits. She guessed that if they had dropped him on the planet he would have contacted her. However Beka knew she could find him.
FLASHBACK
"Seamus you're pissed" Beka complied as the young engineer fell through the Maru's airlock, sinking of alcohol and two days late.
"Nah boss. I only had a couple" Harper slurred while leaning heavily on the wall. "And I's ain't that late"
"That's 'I'm not' mudfoot" Beka corrected sighing
"Like I's said, I's ain't" the human slurred again
"Your two days late" she repeated calmly, this wasn't the first time he had come back late from shore leave. He normally spent all day surfing and all night drinking.
"Sorry boss" Harper managed to look sheepish, sobering up a small amount "I's got back as fast as I's could"
Beka had been wondering what to do with her engineer and while she had been waiting Beka had come up with a plan. Taking him to the small room that passed as medical she injected him with a small tracer
"What's that's?" Harper asked, jumping as Beka did the injection.
"Something so no matter how legless you are I can come and get you. No matter where you are"
END OF FLASHBCK
"No matter where you are." Beka repeated the words she had said years ago and switched on the scanner. It had been a while since it had last been used but Beka trusted her ship.
A few seconds later Harpers position showed on the screen and Beka looked at the view point,. The habit that held her friend hung still in space. Moving to controls around the Maru headed towards the station. As she approached a Neitzschen hailed her. Quickly she changed her hair colour jet-black before his face appeared on screen. Beka identified him straight away as Lane.
Keeping her face neutral Beka waited for Lane to speak first. She had been pulling cons with her brother since she could walk. The only difference was this time a friends life hung in the balance.
"Unknown ship please identify your name and business here"
"My name is Riley August" Beka lied keeping eye contact with Lane. He gave her a bored look and she continued "I've come here to but some engineers. I understand you have some with talent for a cheap price"
"Miss August" Lane said with force politeness "Why not simple hire someone?"
Beka gave him a cold look, she held up the small money chip her uncle Sid had given her. The one with unlimited credit. It didn't work now but Lane didn't need to know that.
"What I decide to spend my money on is my own business." Then raising her eyebrows she finished "Besides I may wish to do other things. I enjoy mixing work with pleasure."
Lane understood at once and with his eyes on the money chip he gave her a smile.
"Of course, but the best are not cheap." He warned and Beka forced herself to smile back before she said
"Money is no problem"
"Then Miss August board are once" Lane said and the screen went black.
Switching to autopilot Beka went into the crew area, pausing for a second outside of the other room. Harpers shirts were hanging on the edge of his bed and a few sparky cans littered the floor where the engineer had been living here for a few days.
Continuing to her room where she dug around in the bottom of her cupboard where a top Bobby had given her once lay. One that showed more flesh then it covered. Slipping it one Beka then checked that she had both her gun and her hidden force lance.
"Docking in station" The Maru informed her.
"Thanks" Beka said, heading towards the airlock, she had talked to the ship since she was little. "And don't worry, I'll bring our engineer back"
Stepping out of the airlock and activating the security lock so only her and Harper could get in without electrocuting themselves. Looking around, with a hand resting on her weapon, Beka watched Lane step out of the shadows.
"Ah, Miss August. Welcome to my humble station.
Once again Beka returned his smile "Thank you but call my Riley, Mr……?"
"Call me Lane"
Beka nodded studying the area around her. Small humans working at consoles with Neitzschen's breathing down their necks. There was no sign however of Harper. Beka forced down any panic and listened to Lane.
"Did you have any idea what you want" he asked and Beka bit down any comment as Lane treated the humans like animals.
"I was thinking young male, between 25 to 30. The best engineers you have"
lane gave her a smile again that made her skin crawl.
"I'll see what I can do"