Inspector Smith walked into Bora Ship Repair hearing and smelling what one would normally experience in any hanger. Although for some reason he couldn't put his finger on, when he walked into this particular hanger he always felt more … relaxed. Ratnena's father had build up his business from the ground up; putting in more hours and sweat then anyone else, Smith had met before or since. It has never been easy to be an independent around here but he was one of a handful of successful independent repair shops to exist. A true indicator of the kind of man he truly was.

"Good morning Mr. Bora," Inspector Smith said when Ratnena's father looked up to see him walk in.

"Morning Inspector Smith, how are you today?" Mr. Bora had a guarded look on his face, which was normal for anyone who was getting a surprise visit from the Security Force.

"Overworked and underpaid, about par with life in the government service," Smith said with a disarming smile on his face, "how are things in this neck of the city?"

"Oh you know how it is," Bora said trying to be at ease but not quite pulling it off, "another day another .05 credit after taxes."

"Yea, those guys in the governor's office must have really sticky fingers to afford all the taxes they come up with."

"You ever heard of a politician that doesn't," Bora said with a snort.

"True," Smith said with a chuckle, "is Ratnena around this morning?"

"Yea," her father said with a worried tone returning to his voice, "She is in her ship, I think in the shield control housing. Why do you want her if you don't mind? She has been behaving herself since she has arrived."

"No, I am not here on any official reason," Smith said, which was partially true, "I wanted to see how she was holding up after that … well you know."

"Yea," Bora said looking and sounding like a worried father, "she … well she hasn't been sleeping real well since it happened, you know what I mean. I've tried talking to her about it but … I …"

"Yea," Smith said, "maybe she will talk to me about it."

"I wouldn't … you know … ask you Inspector … but she … she finally got her act together and all. I don't want to … you know …"

"Yea," Smith said suddenly feeling as if he was about to get in to something he rather not officially know. If he was reading Ratnena's father correctly, he knows that Ratnena was up to something but wasn't sure what it was or if it was on the right side of the law. It didn't sound as if he was putting on a pair of blinders but was still holding out hope that he was wrong about his youngest child. "Let me go talk to her real quick, see what I can learn." Bora gave him a weak smile as Smith clapped him on the shoulder. As Smith walked towards the ship, he found something that surprised him. He saw that he too was hoping against hope that somehow Ratnena was, if not innocent, at least had a damn good explanation for everything that she has been doing since getting home. "I must be getting soft in the brain," he mumbled to himself as he climbed up the cargo-loading ramp.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Annie Bora read rapidly through the text of the message she had received this morning from one of the leading talk show host about family relationships. She had wrote to him, and to others that she had seen as well, hoping to get some advice on how to break through that wall that Ratnena had erected to just annoy her. She didn't have much time before Ratnena would have to leave again; Annie was disappointed that they have yet had one of those mother/daughter moments that all her friends' brag about to her. Oh sure, her daughters in law and her often share many moments like that.

Unlike Ratnena, her sons' wives do appreciate everything that she has done for them. They were always happy to come over, with her grandchildren, and spend time with her. They never have uncontrollable fits of anger; they never purposely make her feel inferior or heap unacceptable demands on her. More importantly, they never blame her for their screw-ups; never act ungrateful for the sacrifices she made to get them into the best schools only to be tossed out later! They never made her the object of ridicule nor had people talk about her behind their backs! Oh, she never heard them but she knew that they were talking about her, and what a horrible child she produced!

She snarled a curse as she shut of the screen. The quack doesn't know what he is talking about! It's not me that has the problem! Ratnena is the one being selfish! She couldn't understand how he could seem so intelligent on the screen yet write such an idiotic letter, nor could she understand why he sounded like the other 4 letters she received from other shows. Oh course, the actual host probably never saw the letter or wrote back! That must be it; they have stupid interns writing the letters for them! Those interns obviously don't know what they are talking about.

She let out another curse when the door system announced that she had two visitors wishing to speak with her. Annie wasn't really in the mood to have visitors; she had to find someone to help her with her daughter!

When she looked out into the hallway, through the security monitor, she knew that the Creator had heard her pleas for help.

"Headmaster Yunder, this is an unexpected honor!" Annie said as she open the door to allow Headmaster Yunder and his young companion into their home.

"Mrs. Bora, it is and always has been a pleasure to see you," Yunder said in a very cultured voice, walking into the room and giving her a dignified bow. Annie was amazed that even thought he was in his mid fifty; he was still incredibility hansom man, who was very athletic, very intelligent and has been always the most eligible bachelor on Kidriff 5. Although, many women on Kidriff 5 and from near by systems all fought to gain his attention, he never had time for a family or any relationships of his own. At least they never heard of any rumors or even seen him at the any of the many functions he attends with any women who attached themselves to him for their own personal and immoral reasons. He threw his whole heart and soul into serving the children at the institute; he only lived to help the special children learn how special they were to the rest of Kidriff 5. "If you would allow me to introduce my personal assistant, this is Celia."

"Good morning Celia," Annie said shaking hands with the young blond girl dressed beautifully. Annie felt a sharp jab of jealously as she looked at the young girl, which had been Ratnena's position before she was removed from the school. There have only been three personal assistants for him since he became the headmaster twenty years ago. "How can I be of assistants for you today?"

"I had just learned that Ratnena has returned home from the military," he said focusing all his attention on her, "I stopped by to see if this was in fact true?"

"Yes, she has been home for a few weeks now. Unfortunately, she has about a month left before she returns to the service."

"Oh how terrible," Yunder said in distress, "I was hoping to spend sometime with her to see how she has changed in the years that she has been gone. I understand that she has really shined and made a real name for herself in the military. Very few people have ever received pardons and were awarded with a promotion after the unusual events that seem to surround her life. Although I must admit that I have not heard about the details. I had hoped to have her come back to the school and speak with the class to teach the children how she has been able to redeem herself."

"Oh, my," Annie said breathless. "I know that Ratnena would be more then honored to speak to the children for you sir."

"Do you think so," Yunder asked, "after all we hadn't separated on the best terms?"

"I know that if you asked her Headmaster Yunder that she would be unable to say no."

"I do have a way with her," Yunder said with a smile, "is she home right now?"

"Err no;" Annie said looking distressed, "I am afraid that she is down at her father's hanger working on a ship."

"That is the Ratnena I remember very well," Yunder said with a grin, "she was forever tearing apart air cars and droids at the school, reprogramming the computers. She was always a joy to watch as she learned new skills; even if many of her projects tended to added extra work for the staff."

"If you wish, I would be glad to escort you to the hanger."

"I couldn't impose on your time …"

"It would be no trouble at all," Annie said. Maybe, she thought, I can get him to sponsor Ratnena to be an instructor at the school and get her out of the military! Annie knew that if she left it up to her daughter, she would never leave the military and never do anything worthwhile.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Inspector Smith could hear Ratnena and her droid tooling around somewhere up forward of the cargo hold. "Permission to come aboard?"

"Are you 2 meters tall, tan, built and think I am the greatest thing to ever exist?"

"No, but I always thought you were the greatest pain in the rear," Smith responded as he walked forward.

"Close enough, Inspector." Ratnena responded as she looked around from the shield control access. "What are you doing down this way?"

"I was in the neighborhood, thought I would stop by and see how you are doing," Smith said while studying her, she did look as if she hasn't slept in a year.

"You just happened to be in the area?" Now matter how worn out she looked, Smith could see that her mind was still sharp as ever, "come on, why are you really here?"

"I was nearby and I haven't seen you since … well you know," he saw her tense while she fiddled with something. "I just wanted to see how you were holding up."

"Well, I'm doing better then those addicts are doing right now," she said without a hint of sarcasm that she was always famous for, nor did she look directly at him she seemed to be looking at a spot over his shoulder. "Did you fine who leaked out the information?"

"Not yet," he said honestly, the upper command has been demanding the head of the man who leaked out the word about the freighter. As of yet no information had been hinted at to who did it let alone find that scum. "Have you been keeping yourself busy?"

"Oh you know I've been doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that."

"Have you seen any of your old gang members?"

"Yea, I ran into Dirk the other day, we had a blast," she said glancing over at him.

"Really, you thinking of moving back home?"

"No way, I like my new unit," Ratnena said with a smirk, "besides Dirk considers me about on the level of road kill since I went 'straight'."

"Ah, the old friends don't want anything to do with you since you be came a hero and all," Smith said with some sympathy. "Must be hard to see them again …"

"Ha!" Ratnena said with a bitter laugh, "I have no friends on Kidriff 5. I had people I knew that either wanted me to do something or give them something I didn't want to give. No one cared one way or another about me," she stopped and gave him a martyred looked that she would give him when he stopped her for questioning when she was younger. "Well except you, you always cared about me … usually so you can track me down to ask me about some kind of bad thing that I would never do in a million years."

"That's our Ratnena, innocent to the last," Smith said with a laugh while she favored him with a grin that just seemed more genuine then she normally gave him. "That is one thing I like about you Ratnena you're never boring." Smith took a deep breath before plunging into the area that he really didn't want to go into when Ratnena beat him too it.

"So Inspector what horrible crime do you plan on trying to pin to me?"

"What makes you think that Ratnena?"

"Why else would you be here," she said waving around her ship before squeezing back into the shield control closet. "You are cool and all, not like most cops, but seriously you are not the kind to just stop by for a chat."

"Well I was in the area, investigating some Bliss crimes," he said honestly, "I just needed a break."

"That is horrible stuff," Ratnena said in a voice that Smith had a hard time hearing.

"Yes it is; it is without a doubt the worst drug that I have ever seen or heard of." Smith said watching her closely, "of course we are getting some help. The problem is we don't know who it is, or if it is a group of people, or what that person or persons intentions are," he paused waiting for her to say something. When she continued to work on her shields, he plowed on, "so far this person or persons had helped to nab about 8 accountants who were key in funneling money in and around Kidriff 5 and the G.F.F.A at large. Several safe houses and warehouses had been discovered full of Bliss, names of people in government getting bribes … well you get the idea. There are some who think that this individual or group is a real hero since they have helped greatly in bring down the Bliss." He once again waited for her to say something, when she failed to respond he crossed his arms and leaned against the bulkhead, "then there are those who feel this person or group must be setting themselves up to be the big players in the game. That is the only way they could know as much as they do. Still there is one more school of thought, that this person just using Bliss as an excuse to settle some scores."

"Which camp are you in, Inspector," Ratnena said very softly.

"I think she is a hero," Smith said kneeling down in front of her. When she turn to look at him he saw that look on her face, the same look that she wore that day the freighter blew up. "But I would be lying if I didn't say I was concern for her. See she is also breaking into supposedly secure satellites to rig them to appear to fire at random but was targeting certain ships, she is blowing up warehouses full of Bliss, she is killing the bad guys who are pushing this trash … so far. However, I am afraid that she is going to make a mistake, take out the wrong people, an innocent person. Then her enemies will be able to go after her legally and I won't be able to help her. I don't think that she is doing this for profit or just for the sake of killing, I think she has a better reason. Can you help me here and figure out what that reason is?"

"Maybe this person or persons just want to stop bad people hurting good people," Ratnena answered in a very small voice and after a very long pause.

"Do you think so," he asked and by the look she gave him, he knew he was sounding like an idiot. He also knew that the only way she would admit to anything was for him to play dumb, just not too dumb. "You see the dilemma I am in, I want to help her but she won't come to me to let me work with her. I know that she is not doing this for any evil intent but because she truly wishes to help. However, if she pushes too hard she could bring the bad guys down on her or accidentally injure an innocent person; if either one of those things happen I may not be able to protect her."

"Do you know who it is?"

"I think I do."

"Then why don't you arrest this person or persons?"

"I think I know who it is but I can't prove it, yet, but arresting her could be the worst thing that I could do. She is doing good and so far, the bad guys aren't sure who she is or they would have attacked her by now. If I arrest her then they will know! I want her to come to me, show me how she is getting her information. I will protect her and anyone she has dealt with, but I want her to work within the law not be a loose cannon."

"Do you think I can help you find this person or persons?"

"Yes, I hope you can," Smith said honestly.

"Well I can't …" she started saying as she turned back to her work.

"Ratnena …"

"I have been mostly here working on this wreck …"

"Ratnena let me help you …"

"You can help me all you want; do you know anything about environmental controls?" Ratnena said getting up and walking across the deck to a control station.

"That is not what I meant!" He said standing up.

"Do you know anything about ships? I got a …"

"Cut the crap Bora! You know what I meant and I did mean it!"

"I can't help you because I don't know who …" she said turning hotly on her heals and faced him squarely.

"How many people are there who can break into a military grade defense satellite, reprogram it to appear to be a malfunction and get back out without alerting anyone or leave a trail to follow? Care to take a guess? No, about 10 on the entire planet and your name is at the top of the list! Your old boss claimed that you tried to kill him last month; we shelved that investigation since we are too busy with Bliss! Now we have places blowing up all over the planet! How long do you think it will take to match those together?" He walked across the deck to stand in front of her, "right now no one can prove anything. However, it will happen or you will make a mistake and hurt the wrong person. If either of those events happens there will be nothing I can do, Ratnena." He waited but she didn't say anything further. He pulled out a card from his pocket, "this is my private comm code, this is the one only my siblings and their children have, if you change your mind, call me."

"I will contact you if … I hear anything, Gordon." She said taking the card and putting it in her pocket, Smith knew that was the best he was going to get out of her.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Darren Yunder walked up the cargo ramp of Ratnena's ship after leaving Celia behind with the Elder Boras to keep them too occupied to follow him. Celia was very good at distracting people he needed distracted, her natural charm, good grace and beauty, even at her tender age of 11, was enough to get the job done. Celia had all the makings of a excellent assistant, while not as smart or as beautiful as Ratnena … then again who could match her in either of those areas … she was a more agreeable and … pleasurable assistant. Ratnena for all her positives and skills had one underlining flaw in her near perfect body. A flaw that was threatening to be her undoing, once again.

When he enter the cargo hold he saw the access hatch open to the rest of the ship, taking it as a positive sign he step through, unafraid of her. She may kill a man for even touching her lovely hand but she would never harm me, he smugly thought as he crossed the threshold from the cargo area to the living area. He found her in the crew lounge area, with a R2 unit across the room from her; she was standing with most of her body protected by an interior beam and her right hand in her bag.

He felt an old excitement grow in him as he gazed at her, standing in the shadows; her long blond hair was still worn on the top of her head, the color beads of her gang crossing over her incredibly hypnotic light blue eyes that seem to just draw in your soul. Even the dirt, smudge and grease from working on her ship didn't detract from her beauty but somehow enchanted it for him. She had the kind of beauty that the gods themselves would fight over to posses.

"Hello my Nightlily", a nickname he gave her early on, never knowing at the time how appropriate it would become later in her life. "You can release you grip on your weapon, Inspector Smith is already gone. He won't be able to harm you."

"What do you want?" She said, her voice quivering slightly.

"Why to see you, Nightlily," he said walking over to her side, she didn't protest as he gently removed her right hand from the bag, empty of course. He was sure she would never hurt him, but better to be safe then sorry after all. "I had heard you were back from the military," he held her right hand up to his lips and began kissing each one individually, "I realized how much I miss our 'special' time together."

"Whose fault is that," she said quietly, not resisting his movements.

"Nightlily, you never understood," holding her right hand with his left, he traced the out line of her face, "and you left me no alternative."

"You could've done what I asked," she said as he pulled her in to an embrace, she resisted at first but only for a moment. "You could've stopped hurting people."

"Nightlily," he said softly as she laid her head on his chest, "the people don't matter. They are there for our entertainment, nothing more."

"Is that all I was to you," she said looking up at him, eyes moist from tears.

"No," he answered honestly, "people like you and I are special. We are above the common people as humans are above all aliens." He looked deep into her eyes, "you were always my special one, my Nightlily, you I love above all the rest."

"I love you too," she said reaching up to kiss him, melting her body against his. After the kiss, she wrapped her arms around his neck, tears flowing unabashed and said, "Please, let's go away, just you and I! I will desert; I don't care but please stop hurting people, stop selling Bliss!"

"Nightlily …"

"If I mean anything to you," she said burying her head into his chest, "anything at all you will stop!"

"What makes you think I am selling Bliss?"

"I can't prove it yet," her voice muffled as he rubbed her back, "but I will. When I do I will have to stop you and … and … I don't want to hurt you!"

"Nightlily, you couldn't stop me when I was selling spice by the mega-tons, what makes you think you can stop me now."

"I thought I meant something to you …"

"You do more then you could ever know …"

"Then stop," she said pulling away to look up into his eyes, "please, for me."

"I love you Ratnena and I will prove it now by telling you this." He reached by hind her neck to rub it slightly. "I don't care how, by X-wing or this ship, but get off Kidriff 5 and never come back. If you interfere with my associates again … well you won't like it."

"I can't," she said shaking her head, he thought for sure he could hear his heart break as he looked into those pleading eyes. He simply nodded as he grabbed the back of her neck and slammed her into the support beam. While she was off balance, he tossed her into the control panel across the room.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Little Brother had been one confused droid; the actions of Ratnena Bora and Tahiri have often left him wondering if his central processing unit was operating at peek efficiency. They were extremely illogical even for humans but Ratnena's action for this unknown male was even beyond her normal level. He had originally calculated that the male would have 25.9834556 seconds before Little Brother would have to summon medical personal if he failed to remove his hand from hers. However, it didn't happen.

Little Brother had been confused; however, confusion was not an option. His secondary program had kicked in, the one that allowed him to assist Ratnena in self-defense. Quickly he rolled over to the computer access and began slicing his way to the proper protocol.

"I don't know how you survived this long, but I promise you this time you won't get a second chance!" The male was screaming at Ratnena while striking her in the region of the body that held her kidneys.

Little Brother made a note to increase the response time of the ship's computer at the earliest acceptable time period. 30 second to bring the necessary systems up to full charge was not acceptable.

"I knew you don't love me you …"

"I do love you," he shouted back again striking her kidneys, "but you won't …"

At 3 seconds left, Little Brother disengaged and turned on the intruder.

CONSUME HIGH TEMPERATURE PLASMA, DEFECTED NEUTRON CENTRAL PROCESSOR. Little Brother screamed out as the fire fighting foam shoot out of the outlet pointed in the intruder's facial area. The pressure build up was high enough to cause the intruder to lose his balance and his grip on Ratnena. Little Brother rolled easily through the foam and extended his arc welder. The first attack was in the intruder's posterior area of his anatomy, the same location Lt. Littlefoot complained most males keep their central processor unit. Little Brother's second attack in the same area got the male intruder moving in an accelerated rate toward the cargo area.

The man was able to get far enough way to avoid a third attack and regain his footing, by his facial expression and vital signs Little Brother calculated the need for a … strong response. He extended and activated his circular rotating saw, which has a blade that can cut into any known material found in ships' hull. Little Brother observed that the male's optical sensors increased in size from it's normal operating level and his lower jaw was moving without making a sound.

YUB YUB FLESHY! Little Brother screamed out as he chased the intruder out of the ship.