Duncan McGavin always had a sense of humor. Despite just being eight years of age, he tended to look at the brighter side when bad stuff would happen. Take yesterday for example. First, as he played along on the beach he found the body of a dead woman. Secondly, as his guardian Natasha Kerensky left with to take the body to the police, he got kidnapped right on the beach. He tried to fight them off but his little arms and legs could only do so much against big, bad grownups. They didn't really hurt him, just grabbed him and held him tight enough so he would be unable to get away. In fact they were quite gentle compared to the bullies he would stand up to at school. Another thing that struck him was how funny looking they all were, they acted so strange and they wore long black robes that covered most of their body. Duncan thought they just looked real corny, real stupid. With the way they shuffled around and always trying to please the big fat man who seemed to be their leader, he guessed that they weren't so tough at all.

  But there was one among them that scared him somewhat. When they brought Duncan into their temple and gave him some clothes to wear that were too big for him to fit in, an oriental man dressed in black, the only one not wearing robes, came to offer him some food and water. Unlike the other adults in robes, Duncan noticed that this man carried himself differently. It was almost as if he didn't belong with the rest of these clowns. The oriental man seemed shorter than the other grownups but yet he seemed tougher. Duncan could just see it in his eyes; they had that cold, faraway look. The same look that he saw sometimes with Natasha when she got real angry. Duncan knew that Natasha was the toughest girl he had ever met and in that sense she and the man in black were very similar. That was what frightened him.

  As the night wore on, while Duncan was tearing off the excess part of his oversized pants so that he could fit in them, the oriental man came into his room. As the little boy buttoned up his pants and looked up at him, the man offered a chocolate bar.

  "Thanks." Duncan said as he tore off the wrapper and munched greedily.

  The oriental man smirked. "You are welcome. I noticed you did not eat much dinner and so perhaps this may quell the rumblings in your stomach."

  "So when are you gonna let me go?" Duncan asked as he finished off the candy.

  "You should see your mother by tomorrow boy. We only took you because we needed something that she has. Do not worry; you won't be hurt. You have my word of honor."

  "She isn't my mom." The little boy answered.

  "Oh? Your sister perhaps?"

  "Nope."

  The man was curious now. "I see. An aunt perhaps?"

  "Bzzt. Wrong again slowpoke." Duncan teased.

  The man laughed. "You remind me of my son."

  "Oh really? Where is he?" Duncan asked.

  It was then that the man became serious. "He is dead."

  "Oh. Sorry mister." Duncan looked down.

  "That is alright. I like to think that he is in a better place now." The man sighed quizzically.

  It was then that Duncan decided to change the subject. "My name is Duncan McGavin. What's yours?"

  "You can call me Yao."

  "Nice to meet you Mister Yao. Say, what's that skull pin on your collar?"

  "It is the insignia of my former unit. The Death Commandos."

  Duncan's eyes lit up. "Hey I heard of them, they're with the Cappies right?"

  "Yes. Look, I have to go now. Get some rest. " Yao began to move towards the guarded door.

  "Hey mister. You know, I just wanna tell you that you ain't like the other kooks in this place. You know, I don't think you even have to be here. Why don't you just leave?" Duncan said.

  Yao stopped cold. Then turned around slowly to face the boy. "You are a very perceptive lad. But please don't bring that up again. I belong here. When I lost my family during the war, I had nothing. It was the Deacon who brought me back from the land of the dead and I owe him everything- including my life."

  Duncan didn't answer. He thought that maybe this man would help him. He was wrong and he started to cry.

  Yao leaned over and gave him his own handkerchief. "Do not worry little one. I promise you that whatever happens, no harm will come to you. Get some rest, you will see your family again by tomorrow."

  Duncan smiled somewhat and said thanks. Yao opened the door and got out. He had broken one of the rules in regards to prisoners- never develop a bond between them and you. He cursed at himself for his weakness. As he bolted the door behind him, Yao turned and noticed that the Deacon's son Erik was leaning against the opposite wall of the corridor.

  "My, my. That was touching. You are actually bonding with a prisoner." Erik giggled as he played with his serrated knife.

  Yao held his temper in check- just barely. "Don't patronize me. I was merely assuring the boy that he would see his family soon."

  "Oh no he won't. Once we get the scarab, I will slice him from end to end along with his friends. I never killed a child before, but I guess this will be my chance." Erik laughed as he made a slashing move with his blade.

  In a split second, Erik's knife clattered along the stone floor of the corridor as Yao kicked it away from his hand. The spike-haired youth tried to pull out his laser pistol from his holster but he was quickly pinned to the corridor wall, his hand twisted in a painful grip of steel, ready to be broken by the former Death Commando.

  "I am loyal to the Covenant. But not to you." Yao hissed in his ear.

  "You fool." Erik choked out his words. "I am the Covenant."

  "The Deacon is the leader of the Covenant. Not you." Yao threw the young man down onto the floor and walked away.

  Erik thought about drawing his pistol but thought better of it. He would bide his time until the moment was perfect. "My father will pass the reigns of the Covenant on to me sooner or later! And then we shall see who leads!"

  The spiky haired youth pulled himself up. Soon, Erik thought. Soon, I will take over this order and I will kill that Capellan fool.

  As the heir of the Deacon walked away in order to plot his ascendancy, a different sort of plot was brewing a few hundred kilometers north at the coast of Erebor. By this time the rules of the exchange were negotiated between the Covenant and the Black Widow. It was to be held on the very next day in an abandoned industrial park several miles from the outskirts of Rivendell.

  Between the three of them, no one said a word after the negotiations. It was if they knew that any sort of failure could mean the death of someone they so dearly loved. Ethan did not say a word since their return; he sat close to the bonfire, gently stoking it to keep it burning. Kieran had recovered and the pain in his throat settled into a dull throb that made him cough now and then; he had been in tears since recalling the story of Duncan's abduction to the other two. The only time Natasha did say anything was when she consoled Kieran, telling him that it wasn't his fault. When the Deacon spoke to hear on the communicator, all she did was acknowledge that the exchange would be made.

  It was Kieran who broke the silence. "Nasty, I'm so sorry."

  "You've said that a hundred times already. Like I told you, it wasn't your fault." Natasha gave him her handkerchief since by that time his own was already soaked.

  "If only there was anything I could have done different." He sobbed.

  "Stop torturing yourself lad. What's done is done. We must go on from here." Ethan added.

  Kieran started to recompose himself. "Thanks."

  Natasha stood up and stared out into the evening sky. She could hear the pounding waves as the wind blew into her red hair that seemed even more fiery thanks to the light of the bonfire. The planet that she had chosen for their vacation seemed so serene, so peaceful. It was all a lie. Danger was everywhere. Fate intervened once again. She could no longer escape it. Her anger boiled and festered within her. She had seen too many people die, too many friends. This time she would set things right.

  Ethan got up from his station and stood by her shoulder. "What do we do?"

  "We go through with the exchange, but on our terms." The Black Widow replied.

  Ethan ran his rough hands along his graying beard. "Natasha, there are only three of us against a whole gang of fanatics. What can we do?"

  "Let's go." The Black Widow announced as she headed to the jeep.

  "Go where?" Ethan asked as Kieran got up to follow.

  Natasha did not reply as she got into the driver's seat and started the ignition. Ethan wanted to protest but when he saw that her eyes had that faraway look that he usually saw in only hardened killers, he let it go and jumped on the back of the vehicle along with Kieran. The Black Widow quickly shifted gears and drove off into the darkness.

  For the next half hour no one said anything and all one could hear was the whine of the engine as Natasha drove it full throttle. After veering off into a copse of trees, the jeep traveled towards the edges of a massive tree line that obscured the base of a hill. Ethan wondered where they were going.

  As they drove into the cover of the trees Ethan opened his mouth in shock. Standing in a small clearing were several crates. But what truly shocked the old prospector was the giant war machine that towered over them. It was an all-black Warhammer battlemech. As soon as the jeep got to the center of the clearing, Natasha stopped and turned off the engine. Kieran quickly got out and began opening several crates. The tree canopy combined with the hill had effectively camouflaged the clearing to prevent anyone from seeing it from either the road or from the air. Ethan got off the jeep in disbelief.

  "I had this rendezvous point set up just in case we ever encountered trouble on this planet." The Black Widow stated.

  "How?" Ethan gasped.

  "It was easy, I paid extra to ship the Warhammer here. Let's just say that I wanted to be prepared in case a few of my enemies decided to drop by on my vacation." Natasha explained.

  "You're gonna need more than just a Warhammer if you want to take on the Covenant." A baritone voice from the edge of the clearing said.

  Kieran froze as Natasha drew her pistol. Ethan grabbed a flashlight and pointed it to where the voice was coming from. A tall man stepped out from the base of a giant oak and walked out into the open. Natasha could see that it was the man who saved her when she was at the bar. It was Casanova.

  "Nice to see you again babe." Casanova smiled as he activated a portable lantern that bathed the whole clearing in illumination.

  "You know this guy?" Kieran asked.

  "Yes I do. He saved my life at the cantina in Rivendell. Hello Casanova; or is it Jimmy?" Natasha answered.

  Casanova laughed. "You can call me Casanova. Your two friends can call me Jimmy."

  "Allow me to introduce my two friends, Kieran and Ethan." Natasha said.

  "Nice to meet you. I hope you can help." Kieran shook Casanova's hand.

  Ethan seemed lost in thought, and then quickly pointed a finger at Casanova. "Jimmy. I know you."

  "Can't say I know you old man. I never seen you before in my life." Casanova answered.

  "Jimmy Clavell. One of Gentleman Johnny's many sons." Ethan replied.

  Both Kieran and Natasha were dumbstruck.

  "How in the hell did you know that you old coot?" Jimmy Clavell asked sarcastically.

  "The clothes, the looks, but most importantly- I have friends in Wolf's Dragoons who told me all about you. You have got quite a reputation; been busted four times for insubordination and drunkenness, thrown out of Zeta Battalion for disobeying direct orders and most importantly, killed a fellow Dragoons officer in a drunken brawl that got you a dishonorable discharge. Quite a story." Ethan chuckled.

  A flash of anger temporarily flashed across Clavell's face but soon disappeared into a sly smile. "Well now, it seems my reputation has preceded me. You don't know the full story old man. So why don't we just keep all this to ourselves okay?"

  "No problem with me." Ethan answered.

  "And me. I don't mind having a former Wolf's Dragoons soldier at my side." Kieran added.

  "How did you know about this place Clavell?" Natasha asked.

  "I didn't. That's why I followed you. I was observing your beach camp and when you started up the jeep, I knew you had to have a rendezvous point."

  "Now that you're here, will you help us?" Ethan asked.

  "You didn't say pretty please. Just kidding. Of course I will. I have a score to settle with that damn cult." Clavell replied nonchalantly.

  "What do you mean by a score?" Natasha queried.

  "One of those damned cultists, the Deacon's son. He killed a friend of mine. Here's my chance to get even." Clavell answered grimly.

  "Look, all I want is to get Duncan back. I don't want to have to take them all." Natasha clarified.

  Clavell smiled. "Won't happen babe. The Covenant are a bunch of fanatics. It's all for one and one for all in their eyes. You gotta take them all down."

  "So be it. What's the composition of their forces?" Natasha decided.

  "Oh about a company of battlemechs, a few armored vehicles, a couple of infantry platoons-" Clavell started.

  "A company of mechs? Oh my God. How are we gonna deal with that?" Kieran asked, dumbfounded.

  That was when everyone looked at the Black Widow. All she did was smile.

  "Ethan, were you able to translate the parchment?" Natasha asked.

  "Sure did. It seems to be a set of directions for a hidden treasure." Ethan replied.

  "So that's what they were after." Kieran added.

  "Ethan, have you done any extensive exploration of that dead city? The one where you met Kieran in?" Natasha inquired.

  "Sure, I was searching that place for years. Got a map where I located pretty much all the booby traps." Ethan responded.

  "Good, I'll need that encoded on my Warhammer's computer. And Clavell, I could use your expertise as well." Natasha stated.

  "What exactly have you got in mind babe? We're gonna be outgunned and not to mention outnumbered no matter what." Clavell intoned.

  "Trust me." The Black Widow countered with a cunning smile as she began to outline her plan to the other three.