Disclaimer:  See Prologue

Outlaw Star: All in the Name of Love

Chapter 7: Part 4

===

Melfina and Jim were sitting at the table, going over the contracts and discussing plans to get additional clients to maximize their earnings for the run to Kaspar System when Suzuka exited her room and made her way down the metal stairs.  She looked around, seeing only Jim and Melfina, she assumed Gene must have left.  With evening fast approaching, she decided to partake in her one vice.  With as much money as she earned at Cielo Rojo, she was ready to enjoy herself, if only for a few hours.

"Oh, Suzuka," Melfina looked up, then looked at the clock.  "Oh, I didn't realize it had gotten so late.  I haven't even started dinner yet.  I'm sorry."

"No apologies necessary, I was planning on dining out tonight." She started for the door, then turned.  "I'll most likely be returning quite late tonight, so do not be alarmed if you hear noises in the early morning hours." That said, she walked out the door.

"Do you ever hear her when she comes or goes at night?" Jim asked.

Melfina shook her head and smiled.  "What would you like for dinner?" she asked as she stood up.

"Why don't we go out to eat?" Jim replied, standing as well.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. I've got plenty of my own money, and besides, you deserve it." He gave her a big grin.

"Ah, okay."  She smiled broadly, "Just give me a minute to change?" and she scurried up to her room.

Jim smiled up at her retreating figure, then he thought and looked down at himself.  He had spent most of the day working on the Outlaw Star and rummaging though scrap yards, and his clothes showed it.

"Guess I should go change as well," he said aloud, heading to his room.

---

After losing 16,000 wong at the roulette table, Suzuka decided to take a casual walk over to the bar.  Taking the time to survey the casino's clientele – always vigilant for any possible adversaries or potential clients – as she approached the bar, she spotted a familiar figure slouched over a drink.

"Buy a girl a drink," came a sultry deep voice.

"Not tonight, I wouldn't be very good company right now." Not bothering to look up, Gene waved her off.

Taken aback by his comment, Suzuka replied, "Really?" curiosity evident in her voice.

This time he thought he recognized the voice and turned to see the beautiful assassin standing beside him.  "Oh, it's you, Suzuka." He turned to the bartender who was refilling his glass and pointed to the woman standing next to him.

"What will it be, ma'am?"

"Vodka martini, shaken, not stirred," she replied.

Gene raised an eyebrow and turned to catch a glimpse of his crewmate.  "That's not your usual poison."

Suzuka sat on the just vacated stool next to him.  "Don't presume to know me, Gene Starwind."

Gene gave a silent laugh. "The enigmatic Twilight Suzuka, forever a mystery."

He raised his glass to his mouth and took a long drink.

"You're not so predictable yourself.  This place isn't one of your usual haunts."

"No… I needed a drink, but didn't want to be bothered by anyone either.  Can't do that at my usual spots.  I figured I was safe in a casino.  People here are more interested in losing their money, not their innocence." 

Suzuka nodded a thank you to the bartender and took a drink.  "Still upset over losing Melfina?"

Gene squeezed his glass, "Is it that obvious?"

Suzuka gave him a sideways look, "You surprise me, Gene.  I assumed you would be off working on your next conquest by now."

The outlaw finished off his drink and stood up. "Sorry to disappoint you, Suzuka.  Is it really such a shock to learn that I actually have a heart?" He tossed some bills on the bar and left.

Taken aback by his comment, Suzuka failed to reply before Gene was well beyond hearing range.  She stared after him until he was out of sight, obviously heading for the exit, then she ordered another martini and finished the one she was drinking.

---

Jim raised his glass and said, "A toast, to Starwind, Hawking, and Eirbright Enterprises, may we succeed where others have failed."

Melfina, who had raised her glass as well, giggled and took a sip.  "You know, Jim, you don't have to change the name of the company on my account.  I don't mind being a silent partner," she said, then took another sip.

"Are you sure, Mel?  I don't mind changing the name, and I'm sure Gene won't mind either." He only half believed that last statement.

Melfina put down her glass and considered Jim's comment.  She wasn't so sure her young friend was right.  'Gene didn't seem too happy with my success or my decision to become a partner.  He seemed… I don't know… threatened, maybe.  Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I don't think changing the name of the company right now is such a good idea.'  She grinned and suggested, "Well, I did just buy all those business cards.  Maybe we should wait until we need to order more before we go changing the company name?"

'Smart, Mel, very smart.' Jim thought for a moment, then replied, "Mmm… maybe you're right.  Hate to waste all those cards." He smiled.  A moment later their food arrived.

---

Having won back what she had lost earlier, plus a few thousand wong extra, Suzuka decided to take a walk in search of some solitude and reflection.  Her wanderings took her to Heifong's Interplanetary Botanical Gardens.  She walked the garden paths, observing the variety of plant life and enjoying the assortment of pleasant odors emanating from them.  As she walked, she came upon a separate building with a sign announcing the current exhibit of exotic real flowers from the outer frontier.  Suzuka immediately noticed the dramatic increase in the pleasant aroma within the small building, and as she walked around, she saw each unique type labeled, identifying its planet of origin and its natural environment. 

The time of day that it was made for a very peaceful walk for the kimono clad beauty.  While she walked she encountered one young couple who seemed to be more interested in observing each other up close rather than the plant life.  Realizing they were no longer alone, they made a rapid retreat from the sanctuary, laughing and giggling on the way out.  Suzuka continued her exploration, finally coming to the far end of the building.  Once again a solitary figure stood observing a rather unique red and yellow flower.

This time choosing to leave him to his solitude, Suzuka turned to make a quiet exit.

"She knew, just by looking at them, that they weren't real, unlike these." 

The assassin stopped and turned her head, giving Gene her complete attention.  Though she didn't say a word, he knew she was listening closely.  "We were running from Aisha at the time, and we ended up in a garden sanctuary back on Blue Heaven.  That was the first time she ever saw a flower, but she knew they weren't real.  They were… synthetic was the word she used, constructed, like her.  Then she questioned what she was made for, how, and why?"  He pulled off his glove and reached forward to touch the delicate bloom.  "It was then that I promised to find the answers to her questions for her.  She needed me back then.  I thought she still needed me.  I guess… I was… wrong." He lowered his hand.

Suzuka walked up to Gene.  Standing next to him, she gazed at the flowers that drew his attention.  "So, it's all about control, isn't it?" she inquired.

"What?" Gene felt genuinely insulted.  "I never tried to control her!  You're crazy!  You don't know what you're talking about!" he snapped.

"I didn't mean you wanted to control Melfina.  I meant you need to feel as if you are in control of the relationship.  Not just with Melfina, but with any woman you date."

This time Gene didn't put up an argument.

"That is why, though you and Aisha share many of the same qualities, you've never made an attempt at dating her."  She paused, anticipating a sarcastic rebuttal that never came, so she continued. "And that is why you never tried to date me.  You're intimidated by strong, independent women."

"I never asked you out because you said I was a child," Gene rebuked.

Suzuka cracked a faint smile, but only for a second. "True, but even still, I was not immune to your masculine appeal."

This drew a surprised stare from the outlaw. "Really?" He was curious to learn more.

She tilted her head to one side and debated with herself whether to let her feelings be known to him.  Finally, she spoke. "There was a time when I thought I might be falling in love with you, Gene Starwind."

This got the outlaw's full attention.  He turned to face Suzuka and placed his hands on his hips in a that's news to me posture.

"But the more I got to know you, the more I realized we would have no future together.  We are both too strong willed and independent to be the submissive participant.  And there is always a submissive participant in a relationship, always.  That is what made Melfina the perfect match for you.  Her very nature, the reason she was created, was to serve.  But she was also given the capacity to learn and evolve.  That ability enabled her to redefine herself back at the Galactic Leyline.  She came away from that experience with more confidence and self-assurance then ever before.  And now, you've helped her redefine herself once again by your selfish, inconsiderate behavior.  You took her for granted one too many times, and now she is determined to be independent and self-sufficient.  Exactly the type of woman that doesn't appeal to you."

Gene cracked a crooked smile. "You know, Suzuka, I think that was more words than I heard you say the entire time we were on Cielo Rojo."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't change the subject."

The smile vanished from his face as he turned back to the flowers and sighed. "You're right, I did take her for granted.  I thought she'd always be there for me.  No matter how badly I treated her… I assumed she needed me, so I could take my time and sow my wild oats as long as I wanted, because she'd always be there.  Where was she going to go?  What was she going to do?  Sure, she could navigate the Outlaw Star and she could cook, but beyond that?  At least, so I thought, now I know she was just holding herself back for me."  Sadness seemed to overwhelm him.  "She made me the object of her desires and focused herself on doing those things that pleased me, and I never noticed, I never cared.  I thought she did those things out of a sense of obligation to us for taking care of her… last night, after she broke up with me, I spent the night rationalizing with myself that this was only a minor set back.  That she still needed me and she'd come around in time, but after she came back this afternoon with a new hair cut, new clothes, and a new attitude, I realized that she didn't need me.  She didn't need me at all.  She managed to earn us more money in one day here at Heifong than Jim and I were able to make in over six months.  Starwind and Hawking Enterprises is going to survive because of Melfina.  She doesn't need us, we need her."

"So now that Melfina has proven her independence, you are just going to give up," the assassin said candidly.

"What else can I do?  What do I have to offer her?"

"Your love," she responded.

Gene laughed dryly, "All you need is love, is that it?"

"Something like that."

"Well, it's a nice sentiment, but love alone just doesn't cut it in the real world, now does it?"  He lowered his head and squeezed his eyes shut.

Suzuka shook her head. "You surprise me, Gene.  In all the time I've known you, regardless of the difficulty of the challenges you faced, you never gave up, you never quit.  Now, when you risk losing the one person who could possibly be your soulmate, you are giving up without even trying."

"This isn't like fighting pirates."

"No, it isn't, it's infinitely easier.  It's showing the person you care about that they are an important part of your life."

"Maybe, at one time, that would have been possible… but now… Mel has made it clear she's not interested in me anymore."

"You know, Gene, I think Melfina may have been right."

"What!?"

"You're not the right kind of man for her."

"Suzuka, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying if you're not even willing to try to get her back into your life, then Melfina was right.  You aren't the right kind of man for her.  The kind of man Melfina wants wouldn't be sidetracked from doing all he could to win back her affections, but that's obviously too much trouble for you to be bothered with."

Gene was speechless.  He couldn't believe how cruel Suzuka was being towards him, especially now when he was feeling so down.  He turned his back to her and gritted his teeth.  Anger raged inside of him. 

Suzuka observed him from the corner of her eye, 'Sorry, Gene, but you needed that.'

Slowly, his rage subsided as Suzuka's words repeated themselves in his head, as well as his actions over the past year.  Images of him staring at other women even when Melfina stood right next to him; Images of him fondling every women that gave him the slightest indication that he'd be able to get away with doing it; images of the dozens of women he slept with over the past year.  He hung his head in shame as realization set in.

"Maybe you're right."

"Wha…"Suzuka started to respond, shock evident in her tone.

"Maybe you're both right, I'm not the right man for Melfina.  She deserves better than me." He paused. "Thanks, Suzuka, thank you for helping me realize that the best thing I can do for Mel is just let her go.  She's an amazing woman, maybe she'll be fortunate enough to find an equally amazing guy someday.  Someone who'll love her the way she deserves to be loved."  With that, Gene just walked away.

Suzuka was in shock. She had spent years observing people, studying the things that motivated them.  She had thought she understood Gene Starwind.  She had thought she knew how to get him to realize what he needed to do to get Melfina back, and she cared enough about Melfina to want to try and help her get the man she loved to realize he needed her enough, wanted her enough, to do something about it.  She was wrong, not for the first time. She had misread this outlaw, and now she had done more harm than good.  She turned back towards the flowers. "Sorry, Melfina, I tried.  I… sorry."

===========

AN:  Sorry all you Aisha fans, still no catgirl here, but fear not, she is coming soon and in a very big way. 

As for this chapter, I tried to show that Gene isn't quite as shallow as he often appears, and Suzuka isn't as aloof and uncaring as she sometimes appears.  Will this turn into a Gene/Suzuka romance?  Will Melfina find love in the arms of another man? Will Jim ever hit puberty?  These and other questions may or may not be answered in the coming chapters. 

I'd like to offer a big thanks to everyone that read and reviewed my last chapter, and I hope you'll take the time to let me know what you think of this one as well. 

And as always, a very special thank you to my lovely and talented beta-reader, Janice.  Girl, you are the best.  Great Big Hugs and Kisses

Can you feel the love?

A. Amishi