Chapter 1
A hooded figure walked into the bar. It took the seat next to Gene, and ordered a dry martini. The voice was a woman's. It was a beautiful voice, like a choir of angels all on its own, thought Gene. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doors crashing. A pirate with a robotic arm charged in, the Kai crest tattooed onto his good arm. Attached to the arm was a miniature cannon. And it was pointed right at Gene.
A semi-robotic voice resounded. "Give me the mainframe access code to the Outlaw Star, Starwind," he said, "or the whole joint gets it." Gene thought. He couldn't give the codes. That would mean his ship, his friends, it would all be theirs. But all the people. He couldn't be responsible for all their deaths. But Gene wouldn't have to think that much. The hooded girl sprang up in the air, and in lightning-flash time, whipped out a shining glaive. The adamantium blade had inscriptions etched into it, and the staff was of pure dragonite. She slashed off the robotic arm, causing a malfunction to occur. The arm was shorted out as electrical sparks shot out and formed a current that eventually overtook the man and shocked him to death. The girl took his decapitated arm and threw a card in the direction of his body. His mind thought of only one person. Raven. Raven Miyazaki finished her martini in one gulp, pulled out a gun and shot the cover off the ceiling vent, jumped up, climbed in, and was gone. Gene climbed into the vent after her. This could be his only chance, and she could be off to kill Fred. He climbed up onto the rooftops in the muggy, cloudless night and saw Raven jumping from rooftop to rooftop, artfully, gracefully. Her hood was off now, but he could not see her face, only her long, jet-black hair floating in the air. He fired some shots in her direction, but they were too slow for her. She disappeared into the night. "Damn!" muttered Gene. Now he had to go find Fred, before it was too late.
Gene ran to the Lowe Enterprises building only to find that the doors were locked, and that the security entry keypads had all been shorted out. All of a sudden, a voice broke the silence. "Mr. Lowe is safe for tonight, Mr. Starwind." He whirled around. The hooded silhouette of Raven Miyazaki stood on the branch of a cherry blossom tree. Gene used this as his opportunity for a question-answer session. "Why did you kill that pirate back there?" "So all those people wouldn't die." "There's something else, I can tell." "Well, if you must know, there is a bounty on the head of every Kai, and that one just paid my way through life for half a year. As well as paying my way through other things." "Like-" Gene whirled around, for he thought he heard a sound. By the time he turned back around, Raven was gone, once again.
A hooded figure walked into the bar. It took the seat next to Gene, and ordered a dry martini. The voice was a woman's. It was a beautiful voice, like a choir of angels all on its own, thought Gene. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doors crashing. A pirate with a robotic arm charged in, the Kai crest tattooed onto his good arm. Attached to the arm was a miniature cannon. And it was pointed right at Gene.
A semi-robotic voice resounded. "Give me the mainframe access code to the Outlaw Star, Starwind," he said, "or the whole joint gets it." Gene thought. He couldn't give the codes. That would mean his ship, his friends, it would all be theirs. But all the people. He couldn't be responsible for all their deaths. But Gene wouldn't have to think that much. The hooded girl sprang up in the air, and in lightning-flash time, whipped out a shining glaive. The adamantium blade had inscriptions etched into it, and the staff was of pure dragonite. She slashed off the robotic arm, causing a malfunction to occur. The arm was shorted out as electrical sparks shot out and formed a current that eventually overtook the man and shocked him to death. The girl took his decapitated arm and threw a card in the direction of his body. His mind thought of only one person. Raven. Raven Miyazaki finished her martini in one gulp, pulled out a gun and shot the cover off the ceiling vent, jumped up, climbed in, and was gone. Gene climbed into the vent after her. This could be his only chance, and she could be off to kill Fred. He climbed up onto the rooftops in the muggy, cloudless night and saw Raven jumping from rooftop to rooftop, artfully, gracefully. Her hood was off now, but he could not see her face, only her long, jet-black hair floating in the air. He fired some shots in her direction, but they were too slow for her. She disappeared into the night. "Damn!" muttered Gene. Now he had to go find Fred, before it was too late.
Gene ran to the Lowe Enterprises building only to find that the doors were locked, and that the security entry keypads had all been shorted out. All of a sudden, a voice broke the silence. "Mr. Lowe is safe for tonight, Mr. Starwind." He whirled around. The hooded silhouette of Raven Miyazaki stood on the branch of a cherry blossom tree. Gene used this as his opportunity for a question-answer session. "Why did you kill that pirate back there?" "So all those people wouldn't die." "There's something else, I can tell." "Well, if you must know, there is a bounty on the head of every Kai, and that one just paid my way through life for half a year. As well as paying my way through other things." "Like-" Gene whirled around, for he thought he heard a sound. By the time he turned back around, Raven was gone, once again.