Volk.....Could it be? Could it really be you or someone that just looks like you? What happened to you? I used to call you friend, I used to look up to you, respect you, look to you when I was lost. But that's changed now...Now you're the enemy, someone I may have to defeat in battle. But could I do it? Could I really kill someone I loved so much?

How could you, Volk....How could you turn your back on me and Sky.....How....COULD YOU?!

~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~

I woke up in a cold sweat, gasping for breath. Did I have a nightmare? No, I don't have dreams let alone nightmares. I sat up in my bed and suddenly grunted in pain. All the stuff I did yesterday was coming back to bite me in the ass. My whole body was soar, I could move but I was still hurting bad. I got up and looked for my clothes. This is how you know I am not able to think right when I get up. I spent ten minutes looking for my clothes before I realized I had them on, actually it would have been longer if Jess didn't come in. "What are you looking for?"

"My clothes."

"Uh, you mean the ones on your body?"

"What..?" I looked down. "Ah, dammit...."

She laughed then sat on my bed. "So, you want to talk about anything?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"A lot of stuff happened, Y'know. We just held off a fleet, took down their commander, and was almost killed by the leader of Ka-Shinta, who just happened to be in the neighborhood at the moment. God, Strife....Do we ATTRACT this stuff or something??"

I ignored her and started to put on my weapons, taking the 93F plus it's two extra clips with me just in case.

"Something wrong, Strife?"

I shook my head no.

"You sure?"

I nodded yes.

"Is that about Bolt or whatever he name was."

"His name is Volk!" My sudden outcry pushed Jess back to the wall. "Uh, sorry...."

"It is about him, huh?"

I nodded again.

"Are you going to tell me what it's about."

"Nothing to tell." I mumbled, walking out the door.

Jess grabbed my hand. "Strife....If there was something wrong, would you tell me?"

I pulled my hand away from her and continued out the door, not responding. How could I tell her about Volk? She wouldn't understand. She wouldn't be able to grasp the misery going through my head about maybe having to fight him in battle....She just wouldn't understand. No one would.

I made my way to the bay and found my ship which was still being repaired. Kitty came running to me with a smile bigger then her head. "STRIFE! GUESS WHAT!?"

"You finally found your Riddilin?!"

Her hand came up and smacked me hard in the face. God, I thought a slap from NORMAL women hurt. I rubbed the pain out as she told me. "No, jackass! Malashar's engineers are giving our armor a serious upgrade!! They've been working on this metal that's 50 times stronger then the stuff covering it now! We'll be able to take so many more hits with this thing!! Which is good considering who our pilot is."

She nudged me playfully in the stomach. "Yeah, yeah. I'm a n00b, I get it."

"Don't you mean 'newb'."

"How did you know I spelled it differently?"

"Because I was reading what you said...."

There was a pause of awkward silence before Kitty said she was going to go off and help them put the armor on.

I walked out of the bay and looked around the town. Some of the buildings were pretty torn up but they seemed to be getting fixed by some kind of construction cars. I walked around looking for something to do until the ship was fixed. As I walked around I saw some people getting on one transporter labeled "To lower floor." Curious, I stepped on. The usually stuff happened. Bright light then we all ended up somewhere else, but this somewhere else was different. It looked more run down, I want to say it was the ghettos of Galactica but that wasn't really true. The people walking around looked just as finely groomed as the people above, it was just their surroundings that didn't look so top-notch.

I went up to the nearest person and asked why people were down here.

"Oh that's quite simple to answer. The population is so large that some people must live in the lower sections of buildings. No one minds, though, because no one thinks any less of people who live above and people who live below."

Wow, this place had to be heaven....Everyone were too nice to be human!! No, they weren't human. These people were saints. I kept walking around, taking in the sights. I started heading down some lonely street to get away from the crowd. I couldn't help it, I liked to walk down streets with little to no people on them. All those people made me somewhat uncomfortable, I also learned that it's very hard to have a gun-fight on a crowded street. So I always stuck to alleys, side streets, and anything else quite.

I was some ways away when I heard some chick screaming and struggling with someone. I would have been more worried if the woman sounded like she was in trouble, but from what I heard it was the opposite. It sounded like she was kicking some serious ass!

I turned the corner so I could watch the fight, the chick was kicking some ass alright and against three other guys. Guys that looked like they should have been easily able to take her.

She looked pretty nice, actually. I kind of thought she might've been around fifteen or sixteen since she was about as tall as one. She also seemed to have some meat on her bones but from what I was watching most, if not all, was muscle even though she was somewhat lanky. Her clothes were a gothic shade of black, from the gloves on her hands, to the tight turtleneck, bag pants, and shiny boots.

Her hair and eyes contrasted her clothes. Her hair was about down to her mid-back and blonde while her eyes were a hard, slate blue. Even though they now were full of determination to beat these people down they seemed to hint that maybe she might have had some softer side to her....Maybe...

As I looked on one of the three people came at her, but she was more then ready. She glided to the left of the man, swinging her foot up in a roundhouse, promptly knocking him hard in the face. Before the first man hit the ground, another came up from behind her. Without turning around to meet him, the chick brought the back of her foot right between the man's legs. Ouch, I had to cringe after seeing that.....As the man started his warm-ups for a part in a Soprano choir, the girl turned around and slammed her fist dead-center in his head.

I laughed in spite of myself. I would have never expected someone of her stature to be able to take on three people, it was quite a sight to see. Unfortunately she wasn't able to hold her leg-up for too long. The third man leaped at her, grabbing her by the back as the first man, now off the ground, started ramming his fists into her stomach. She brought her knee up, sticking the man in front off her and knocking him away giving her a chance to run but the man behind her had a firm grip on her shirt so as she ran it ripped right off. I raised an eyebrow.....Seems the bra matches everything else, too...

That's when it started getting pretty bad, all three men were up and putting their all into the girl's body. She hit the ground but they kept attacking. Ok, guess I should step in a do the hero thing.

I ran from my corner, leaped into the air, and put the clearest impression of my boot into the closest man's face. He was out like a light. I took a quick glance down at him, it was the same guy who received the 'unflattering' blow from the girl's boot. Damn, today was not his day.

I looked over at the other two people. "Now how can you just gang up on such an innocent girl?"

"Hey! I'm far from innocent." She said from behind one of the men.

I smiled at her. "Yeah, whatever babe."

"What did you call me?"

She started walking towards me, quite pissed.

I backed up and waved my arms. "Hey! I'm on YOUR side!"

I looked back over at the two guys. "Oh yeah, sorry I forgot about you guys. You want to run off before this gets serious?" I pulled out my gun to further my point. They got my subtle hint and started to book.

She seemed even more pissed at me now. "You let them get away?! They were pirates!"

"Heh, sure they were. Listen, youngin. What don't you run back to school."

".....I'm nineteen.."

I almost hit the floor. "Holy crap, you are one SHORT chick!"

She crossed her arms and turned away from me.

"Hey look, I was just playing with y-" I stopped my sentence cold.

She turned back to me. "What is it?"

"There are pirates around here but it wasn't any of those guys," I raised my 9mm to her head, "it's you."

Her anger turned to surprise. "What? What are you talking about?!"

"The tattoo on your back, a skull with a black snake going through the eyes, it's the pirate's insignia."

"Oh, dammit! It is! I didn't know, I got it like thir...." Her voice trailed off.

It looked like she just remembered something very bad....Like me remembering Volk.

"What's the matter?" I asked, not quite lowering my weapon yet.

"Nothing, you wouldn't understand...."

Didn't I give this speech to Jess? "Oh yeah? Try me."

She took in a deep breath. "I've been frozen for thirty years...."

My mouth dropped. "You're lying."

"....I wish I was....But I lost everyone I cared for! Everyone.....Kashamie.....Tuno.....Hell, I even think I'm going to miss Gene."

I tilted my head. "Gene Starwind?"

"Yeah! You know him?"

"Know him? He gave me his caster and ship."

Her eyebrows shot up way over her head. "No FRIGGEN way!! You have to take me to him!"

"I can't right now, he's on Sentential III but Melfina and Aisha are here. Do you know them?"

"Yes, I do! Can you take me to them?"

"Sure, follow me....By the way, what's your name?"

"Maki Zouw."

"Nice name, I'm Strife."

"Hmm, original to say the least."

"Heh, let's just go. Oh and take my jacket. I doubt these people want to see a woman all indecent and such." I said, giving her my trench coat.

"Thanks...." She said, grinning and putting it on. You could defiantly tell it was name made for her. The bottom dragged along the ground by about a good couple inches.

As we headed for the bay, were I hoped everyone was at, Maki told me about her past. How she escaped from the gravity prison with the help of some half-human half-C'tarl C'tarl named Tuno, how she meet her best friend and ally Kashamie, how she was wanted by everyone, including Mr. Gene himself, for the 50 million Wong bounty on her head. This spiked my interest but when she said there's a good reason for the bounty I decided that I didn't need the money THAT badly. She also told me about the latest Heiphong race she was in went from just a simple race to her life being drastically changed and a visit to the Leyline.

"You went to the Leyline? Why?"

"It's a long story but I'm basically a better version of Melfina."

"Hmm? What's Melfina?"

"A bio-android, duh."

I smacked my forehead. "Oh yeah, guess I forgot. I only heard about that once. So you're a bio-android to?"

"Yep, but with upgrades, sort to speak."

I shrugged. "Eh, whatever."

"So what's up with you, you got a story?"

"Me? Na, I'm just going to change this whole universe for the better, that's all?"

"Why? What's wrong with it?"

"Wow, you really have been out for a long time."

I told her the whole history of how the war started, she looked stunned.

"So much happened....That's unbelievable.

"Yeah, the universe has really changed."

"Not that, the thought that you can actually make it all better."

"Hey! I can and I will."

"To each, his own."

I smiled. "Insightful, are ya?"

She laughed, "I know some things."

"Yeah, well I've started all I could about things that happened in the past."

"Pfft, I've LIVED it first hand."

"Ah, touché...."

"Heh, that was lame."

"What do you mean?"

"Touché. It means to agree or good point. That was the best you could think of?"

I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment. "Heh, well I was half expecting you not to know what that means. No one really does nowadays."

She smiled and shook her head. "Guess being old had it's perks. So um, about the Ka-Shinta, more specifically this Ketsu. What's he like?"

"Eh, I don't really know. All I know is that he's really getting on my bad side as of late. Some refer to him as a Hazanko Jr."

Her fist clenched up.

"Something the matter?"

"No it's just that name has some bad memories."

"Oh, I'm sorry. But I know what you mean, he caused pain to a lot of people."

".Nothing like what I went through...."

She mumbled her last sentence to I couldn't hear it. We were already at the bay so I didn't bother to make her repeat it. Jess and Kitty came out to greet me.

"About time, Strife! We were going to take off without you!" Kitty said, slapping me on the back. "Who's this?"

"This is Maki," I turned to Maki, "Oh and so you know. This is Jessica Hawking and Kitty Clan Clan."

She laughed. "Daughters, eh? Damn, I would have never guessed."

Melfina and Aisha came out to see what the ruckus was about, both Mel and Aisha were ecstatic by who they saw. "Maki, you're still alive!!" They yelled, running over and hugging her. "And you haven't aged a day."

"I could say the same about you, Mel."

"Hehe, well I was programmed not to age."

Maki turned to Aisha. "You on the other hand....Look like my grandmother."

She laughed but Aisha crossed her arms and pouted. "We all can't stay young, Maki."

"Yeah, I know."

Aisha smiled again. "So where's Kashamie?"

Maki paused and looked at the ground, Aisha looked confused so I made something up. "She's walking around town!"

I only lied because I knew how hard it was to talk about a lost friend.

Maki shook her head. "No, it's ok Strife. I can talk about it.....She's dead, Aisha. She died protecting me as I went into cryostasis. She was a great person, I just wish I could thank her...."

We all fell silent, Mel soon spoke up. "Hey, Maki. We're about to leave, how about you join us?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No, that's alright. My ship's on this planet and I can't leave it behind, I'm just trying to find some jobs around here to fix her up to top shape. Thanks for the offer though."

She waved and started walking away.

We all waved back. "Hey, Maki. It was nice to get to know you. Hope we run into each other again." I said to her.

"Yeah and maybe next time I'll be one saving YOUR ass." She laughed after saying it.

I shook my head and went back into the ship. I headed into my room and lied down on my bed. Jess came in five minutes later.

"We'll never have a dull day, huh?"

"Heh, do you mean that in a good way or bad?"

She laughed then shrugged, sitting on my bed. "You know, Kitty saw Maki walking away with your jacket."

"Oh dammit! .....Ah, nevermind. I'll just by a new one."

She laughed a bit.

I sat up across from her. "Jess...."

"What's up?"

"I didn't mean to give you the silent treatment before, it's just that I couldn't talk about Volk. It brings up some bad memories."

"Yeah, I get it."

I sighed, watching Maki talk about her friend really made me think....I heard somewhere that talking about good experiences you had with lost ones helps you to better talk about the bad, so that's what I did. I talked about some good times I had with Volk and Sky....Right out of the blue.

"I had another friend, too. Her name was Sky. Wasn't a real name, all three of us hate our real names so we got fake ones. Anyway, I remember a time when I was fifteen they tried to teach me how to drive....In Volk's car. The damn thing didn't make it through five test drives, Volk was crying for a week."

Jess laughed so I laughed a bit too. "Y'know....They were like my parents. They were with me through thick and thin, for better or worse. I could always turn to them if I had a problem.....Then one day, we were being chased by the Forces. They forced us down onto a planet." I turned to Jess and looked her in the eyes. "I lost to friends on that planet. I was alone....I didn't know what to do. But now one's back from the dead....But on the enemy's side. I don't know what's worse, him being dead or.....A pirate...."

"Do you know why he did it?"

I shook my head and put my hand on my knee. "No, but I intend to find out."

"WE intend to find out, Strife." She placed hand on top of mine. "Together."

I grinned. "Yeah, together."

She smiled and leaned forward, giving me a kiss on the cheek. "I better get going. They're going to want someone up there to get this ship running."

She got up and left my room. A lied back down and rubbed my cheek. Man, what a woman....

-------------*---------------------*-----------------------*---------------- ---------*-------------*

Author's note: Woo! That was it! And they're finally off Galactica!....Er.....Almost....Ok, the next chapter will actually have a different setting! Like one that's NOT galactica!

Macky: Yeah, all three McDougles will big a major part of the story. I want Dracon to be some kind of rival or continuous, pain-in-the-ass enemy to Strife. I want him to be someone Strife just can't beat or get rid of. I'm also going to make Dracon into a real bad-ass character. The Mcdougle brother themselves will play a pretty big role, too. I'm not so sure about Ron though since he's old and like I've been doing with all the old characters, I think I'm going to drop him. (BTW I'm going to drop Aisha sooner or later, too.) But hey if you like Ron and don't want to see him just sit down and retire then I'll give him some kind of dramatic scene before I cut him, I'm here to please the reader. Harry on the other hand....I think he'll play a pretty big role throughout the whole story. I'm just not sure if I want to make Harry and Dracon a team, I mean I want both of them to be on great terms with each other but I also want Dracon to solo it out....Ugh, I dunno. I'll think about it.

Oh and thanks to MeiDarkreign for allowing me to use her Character, Maki. The character is ALL hers, I don't own Maki at all, in the least..NADDA! If you want to see Maki in full action then go read Mei's story "The Fourteenth Heiphong Space Race." Oh and if you're wondering why Maki's ON Galactica....Well.You'll find out....It just won't be in my story....

Oh and did you all like Strife and Kitty's conversation about him saying 'n00b'? I thought it would be funny if it was like one of the characters was reading the story as the reader was, ah well.....That may have fallen on deaf ears. No biggie.

Ok, I think that's all I have to say. Good fight, good night! ....Er....Actually..

This is Blades. "Good reading equals good times." I'm out