Torrance, Fall Present, 3067.
"Did I tell you that I hate parties?" Natasha said as the limousine finally stopped in front of the estate.
"Just about every other minute since you received the formal invitation, Captain." Dominic smiled as he opened the door and walked out into the gravel driveway.
The Black Widow, looking immaculate in a classical black dress, stepped out of the still open car door as well. "Lady Terenson wanted to thank me personally and I guess I could not refuse." Natasha said as she surveyed the imported granite steps leading into the main foyer of the mansion.
"I'm sure you will enjoy this evening, come on." Dominic said as took her by the arm and led her up the steps. After giving their engraved invitations to the classically attired doorman, they ventured into the opulently decorated grand ballroom.
The Terenson Estate was situated several miles from the outskirts of Kiverson City and was the home of the hereditary ruling nobles of the planet. Acres of lush, rolling hills highlighted the grounds in which a massive, thirty-bedroom mansion that was built using imported granite and sandstone from Terra over six hundred years ago. Stables containing thoroughbreds of the best breeds had won numerous riding competitions for the past two centuries as well as several small streams provided ample fish stocks and a private game reserve boasted large herds of deer and wild boar. The fortunes of the Terenson family had begun to wax and wane over the recent years and when the government of Torrance toyed with the idea of a direct democracy using the interweb just several decades ago, it looked to be the final nail in the coffin. But the politically astute Baroness Martha Terenson had decided to marry into their main political rivals, the Palatines. Both families were locked in a constant struggle over who would reign supreme as the preeminent house in Torrance but the threat of a looming socialist democracy erased all feuds and they began to ally themselves against this common threat. With the alliance of the Terenson-Palatines, they began to win back crucial seats in the democratic council and when their political maneuverings were able to prevent the FedCom Civil War from spilling into the planet, the people gratefully returned back to their feudal traditions, for the time being at least.
Natasha could see that the grand ballroom was decorated in the French baroque style of the 18th century. Massive glass chandeliers were suspended on gold chains from the tall ceiling. The marble flooring gleaned with a meticulous shine. Grand portrait paintings adorned the wooden panels of the walls while classically costumed minstrels in the style of the royal courts of old strummed their violins and played their pianofortes.
A golden-haired young man, dressed in nobleman's clothes, walked over and greeted her. "Captain Kerensky I presume? I'm John Palatine." He shook her hand.
"We thank you for your invitation to this ball, Mr. Palatine." Natasha smiled. "How did you recognize me?"
John smiled in return; his white teeth were perfect. "Your reputation precedes you, Captain. And not to mention that you are the only beautiful redhead in a roomful of powdered white wigs."
Natasha laughed then gestured over to Dominic. "May I introduce you to Major Dominic Durant, SLDF Intelligence."
"A pleasure, Major." John shook Dominic's hand. "Please, if you could come with me, my mother, the honorable Lady Terenson, would like to meet you both."
As the three walked through a throng of guests dressed in wigs and fancy clothes of old Terra, they passed by a massive, sumptuous buffet table laid out on the marble patio. Imported braised beef from Galax, broiled venison, rack of lamb, roasted wild turkey, Palmyran boar, fresh Mara trout, steaming trays of vegetables, breads of all shapes and sizes, tureens of assorted soups, sauces and stews as well as cold lobster in aspic highlighted a grandiose, epicurean feast which was topped with an ice sculpture. A line was already forming there as well as another beside the open bar in which wine, champagne and all types of spirits from across the Inner-Sphere flowed freely from opened bottles. As they finally passed through the hungry crowd, they came upon an old woman in a dress of pure white snow; her face was a mass of wrinkles, but there was a fire in her eyes that belied an able mind. She quickly smiled and strode over to them; John quickly took her hand for support.
"May I introduce my mother, Lady Martha Terenson, Baroness of Torrance." John said. "Mother, this is Major Dominic Durant, SLDF Intelligence, and Captain Natasha Kerensky, Star League special forces. They were the ones who took care of that terrorist incident yesterday."
"Major, the people of Torrance owe you a great debt." Lady Terenson said, and then she turned her eye to Natasha. "And especially to you as well, Captain Kerensky."
"Glad to be of service, Lady Terenson." Dominic kissed her hand.
"Please enjoy the party, Major Durant. I have heard of your exploits in SLDF Intelligence, there are some who say that you are the successor to General Galen Cox." Lady Terenson said.
Dominic smiled. "You have well placed ears, Milady. But I have a long ways to go before I can even eclipse General Cox."
"That is why I have been in power for so long here, shall we say." Lady Terenson laughed. "I made sure that we get only the best; when I heard there would be trouble here, I specifically asked for the Black Widow Company. It was expensive, but I can see that I had made the right decision."
At that moment, there was a disorder near the entrance of the mansion. Due to the distance between the two rooms, only a commotion of great magnitude would be noticed by the large crowd in the main ballroom, but it was no ordinary uproar. One of the doormen, his collar torn off as well as nursing a split lip, rushed over to Lady Terenson's group.
The usher was clearly shaken. "Milady, there is a problem."
"What is it?" John asked.
"One of the SLDF personnel is causing quite a disorder at the entrance, sir." The usher answered. "He has an invitation, but he ventured inside completely drunk and he has uninvited friends as well."
"Let his friends in along with him, we can surely handle a few additional guests." Lady Terenson said.
"But Milady, the two guests with him are women from the downtown area of Kiverson City. They are dressed rather scantily and are of questionable character." The usher pleaded.
Natasha closed her eyes and sighed. Only one man would turn up stoned drunk at a formal party with prostitutes in his arms- "Casanova" Jimmy Clavell. Dominic sensed it too and came up with the same conclusion.
"I'll handle this." Dominic started walking towards the foyer.
"I'll go with you, you may need some help." John said as he followed Dominic.
Natasha turned to face Lady Terenson. "I think it's better if I handle this. I believe that man causing the ruckus is a member of my unit."
"Let them handle it, my dear." Lady Terenson smiled as she took Natasha by the arm and led her to a quiet place beside the patio. "I wanted to talk to you about a few things, anyway."
"Oh?" Natasha was surprised. "About what?"
"The reason why I arraigned for this party was to have a chat with you, my dear." Lady Terenson said as they looked out into the evening sky. Twin moons shone over the twilit horizon and bathed the grounds in a pale, incandescent light. "I have a friend in Solaris VII by the name of Loucynda Byrd, of the Solaris Council. She has spoken to me about you."
"And what did she say?"
"She is most curious about who and what you really are. Many rumors have abounded of the ghost of the Black Widow returning from the grave and such. I wanted to see it for myself if this was indeed true." Lady Terenson said.
"Sometimes I myself wonder who I really am." Natasha mused. "I have serious gaps in my memory. I have no recollections of my childhood at all. I only remember things of the last few years; most of these memories are not good."
"I understand, my dear." Lady Terenson said. "I'm not here to pry your past from you. Whether you are truly the reincarnation of the Black Widow, who knows? Another good friend of mine is Misha Auburn, an author of a great many books about the woman you closely resemble. We have had many chats about it."
"And what do you think about who I truly am?" Natasha asked.
"I can say that you bear an uncanny resemblance to the original Black Widow; both in appearance and in deeds. I sense great power within you. You are so much like her and yet, so different at the same time."
"In what way am I different?" Natasha was truly curious now.
"The original Black Widow was a woman of dark fates, my dear." Lady Terenson patted her cheek. "There are sayings that a man has but one destiny, and the destiny of the first Natasha Kerensky was to live and die in battle. Your outcome on the other hand, is an open one. I can say that if you truly are the Black Widow reborn, then the fates have given you a second chance, a new way to forge your own path across time rather than repeating the tragic events of your past life."
"A second chance. If only I knew what to do with it." Natasha lamented.
"That is up to you, my dear." Lady Terenson said. "The one advice I can give you is to hold on to your loved ones, there are a few that do truly love you, this I can see. It is their love for you that may yet turn the fates around."
A group of sycophants then descended upon the two. Because of class etiquette, Lady Terenson could not turn down their request for a chat and so she strode along with them to a nearby table, leaving Natasha alone with her thoughts.
The Black Widow leaned on the marble railing and sighed. Lady Terenson spoke from a wellspring of wisdom. Despite the fact that they had met only a few minutes before, the Baroness was a great judge of character, seemingly able to analyze her from a few short glances and a quick conversation. Natasha began to wonder if she could truly break away from her fate; the advice from Lady Terenson was cryptic at best, for it only served to heighten the enigma that she was. So many secrets, so little time to unlock them all. It was said that everyone had their own secret, a little piece of information that they keep only to themselves and never reveal it to anyone else; upon their death, that secret would remain hidden forever. Every man was entitled to their secret; but the Black Widow was a trove of secrets, within her mind lay the answer to all her questions and to her eventual future. Would she dare probe into herself to unlock those hidden memories? Would the revelations ultimately free her or destroy what was left of her humanity?
A light touch on her shoulder broke Natasha's train of thought. She turned around and saw a youth dressed in an old cavalryman's uniform, his light brown hair fluttering in the slight breeze; his energetic smile both infectious and reassuring.
Natasha returned the youth's smile and kissed him on the cheek. "Kieran, how do you find the party so far?"
"It's great, Nasty. Thanks for getting us some extra invitations. I've never been to a party like this before." Kieran's cheeks glowed bright red from her kiss. It was an alluring mixture of timidity and tenderness.
Kieran McGavin was the orphaned grandson of Lloyd McGavin, the creator of the Draconis Combine's Nightstalker regiments. After Kieran's older sister was killed in the game world of Solaris VII, Natasha Kerensky found him along with his eight-year old brother, Duncan. Since then, the Black Widow unofficially adopted the two boys. Kieran went on to become a technician for the unit while Duncan was shipped off to the Wolf's Dragoons training school in Outreach.
"So where is Ethan and the Monk?" Natasha said. "I had invitations made for them as well."
Kieran shrugged his shoulders. "They decided not to come. Ethan said he was way too old for parties and the Monk said he didn't like going to them. He preferred to brush up on his mech's technical manuals."
"I guess that's why we call him the Monk, he has only one passion in life- war."
"Yeah, I guess so." Kieran said. "Nasty, I couldn't help but see you brooding again after you had a talk with that old lady. Is everything okay?"
Natasha grinned. The boy always seemed to go out of his way to express his concern; it was one of his charms and enabled him to make friends with everyone in the unit. "Everything is fine, Kieran. If anything, that old lady opened my eyes to new possibilities."
"Possibilities?"
"Yes." Natasha said. "I've been thinking, maybe I have been somewhat grouchy to you lately. I want to make that up; we will be going on R and R very soon and I want to spend some time with you and Duncan again, just us."
"Really?" Kieran's eyes lit up. "Just like old times?"
"Just like old times. Lady Terenson said something about people who truly love you, I think I now know what she meant." Natasha laughed. She had found the answer; it was staring her right at the face. The original Black Widow never had a care for anyone, but with the two McGavin boys, she could truly believe that she was on the path of redemption. She had a family.
"Oh Nasty, this is so wonderful." Kieran hugged her tightly. "Thank you."
"My pleasure." Natasha said as she tried to twist away from Kieran's crushing bear hug; she almost tore her black dress which made her laugh even more as she was able to twist away and steal a glance around the area just in case someone might have thought that this wanton display of bliss to be too inappropriate. As her eyes looked down towards the grounds, she instantly froze in complete astonishment.
Down below the lower balcony, in the manicured grounds of the large garden at the back of the mansion, Natasha saw the same young man that she had seen just a few days before. He was dressed like the other guests, in an ancient cuirassier's uniform but it was his face and precise movements that gave her a sense of déjà vu. He was strolling through the hedge maze, a silver chalice in his right hand; it looked like he was by himself.
In a scant millisecond, Natasha's blissful demeanor changed into one driven by obsession. Her head began to pound as she began to sweat profusely, despite the cool nighttime air.
"Nasty, what's wrong?" Kieran's face changed from happiness to concern as well.
The Black Widow ignored him as she bounded over the railing and jumped down into the grounds. The drop was a good fifteen feet but Natasha was trained to break her fall as she switched to a running sprint when she landed just as the man strolled out of sight into the hedge maze. Natasha quickly followed.
After hurrying through several twists and turns through the maze of leaves and vines, her search came up empty. Natasha stopped and caught her breath. Her heart was pounding at an unfathomable rate, the perspiration steamed from her body. As her body made a slight tremble from the loss of adrenaline, she heard a voice behind her.
It was the voice of a man, sturdy yet harmonious. "The stars seem so beautiful tonight."
As Natasha made a quick turn, she noticed the very man she sought was standing behind her, admiring the night sky. It was almost as if she just ran past him, never even knowing that he was there. For a few seconds that seemed like an eternity, she stood there, petrified by perplexity. Her senses told her that she had never seen him before yet she could recall vivid memories of knowing him in a most intimate fashion. The conflicting emotions and recollections tore the power of speech and logic from her body's control. For a brief history of time, the Black Widow became a perfect paradigm of indecision.
After what seemed like hours, Natasha was at last, able to say something. "Who are you?" She said.
"Joshua Pennington, Federated Suns MI-5. And you must be Captain Kerensky. Pleased to meet you." Joshua smiled.
"H-how did you know my name?" Natasha could barely form the words in her mouth. She was still in a daze.
"From your file, Captain. I was the case officer that handled the report on the White Hand terrorist network." Joshua said.
"I'm sorry for overlooking that. I am just not feeling well." Natasha said as she kept trying to clear her mind. "But I have a distinct feeling that I met you before."
"Really? Strange that I wouldn't remember one that is as beautiful as you."
"Perhaps I was mistaken, but something inside of me is telling me that I have known you before." Natasha said. It was an intense feeling, as if her entire body was screaming out a message to her but she couldn't quite place what the meaning was. Her knees felt wobbly and she was having trouble staying on her feet.
Joshua immediately saw her awkward stance and took her by the arm to hold her up. "Maybe it's just the weather that's making you sick. Would you like to talk about it? That may help you feel better."
Natasha smiled at him. The moment he touched her, she felt as if she was somehow made whole again. It was as if a great void, which had existed within her, was now filled. Her body now felt exhilarated and serene, for the first time in her life.
"I would like that." She said.
As the two sat down on a stone bench in the middle of the hedge maze and started to converse, Kieran looked away. He had followed Natasha down onto the gardens and into the labyrinth of leaves, hoping to try and help her with whatever was bothering her but it seemed now that he was being completely overlooked, as if he did not matter in the scheme of things anymore.
The young tech of the Black Widows walked back towards the mansion, tears streaming down his eyes.