Outlaw Star: Forgotten Dreams 9- Recruits and Torture Techniques

Okay! That being said, thank you! I thank everyone who has put up with the delays and the errors and EVERYTHING! As I said before, we're going to be reintroduced to some very familiar characters…

"Jimmy, wake up. Come on, kiddo. It's time to get up, Jim."-

"I SAID GET UP!" a loud, booming voice roared in Jim's ear as a large foot came down hard on his side. Jim yelped in pain and grabbed his cracked ribs as he rolled over on his side. He let his eyes open wide enough to send out a hateful glare at whoever had kicked him.

It was a large man, muscles bulging from under his black attire. He wore a black mask covering his entire face save for two holes cut out for his hateful, ice blue eyes.

Those eyes…

"Hmph… That's more like it… Now get up, you wretch," the man ordered, grabbing Jim by his black T-shirt and forcing him to his feet. The boy hunched over in excruciating pain as he held his battered chest and his broken pride.

"Who are you…? And what do you want with me?" Jim demanded.

"James Arthur Hawking, Jr. Our sources reported your detailed research and knowledge of the Kei Pirates," the man read from a slip of paper handed to him by another masked felon. The man with the deep blue eyes then bent down on one knee so he was eye-level with the boy and asked him in a chilled voice, "Just what are you trying to find out, Jimmy?"

Jimmy…?

He straightened up and continued with his speech, pacing as he spoke. "We went into hiding years ago. Everyone forgot about the infamous 'Kei Pirates'. We were a legend… A thing of the past…" He stopped and stared Jim in the eyes. "Imagine our surprise when we discover a pre-teen knows everything about our operations. We've been watching you for weeks. We've observed your surroundings, associates… And you know too much."

"What are you planning on doing to me…?" Jim asked, his face gone pale and his voice unsteady. A small chuckle came from behind the mask of the apparent leader.

"Nothing, Jimmy… At least… Not if you tell us what we want to know…"

Jim was gone. All Gene had was his trusty Caster and the old clunker Jim crashed.

The note said not to come looking for the kid. But he was like family to Gene Starwind now. He saw the boy not as a son, but perhaps… A younger brother. Of course he was going to find him.

But Gene couldn't do it alone. As cocky as he was, he knew his limitations. He'd need some aid on this mission, and he knew where to get it…

…Sort of.

"Gene! I can't believe it! How long has it been, Genie? Months? Years, even?" the man cried joyously as he embraced the redhead tightly.

"Yeah, whatever. Good to see you, too, Fred…" mumbled Gene in reply as he pried to green-haired lecher.

"So, Gene. Take a seat. What brings you here?" Fred asked as he returned to his desk and folded his hands on top. With a sense of realization, his brow furrowed. "It's not a matter of business, is it?"

"Actually, yeah. There's something I need to do… So I need you to hook me up with weapons-"

"Consider it done! It'll be a snap! Let's see, you'll need a flamethrower…"

"- And a crew," concluded Gene. Fred Lowe's jaw hung open for several seconds as he collected himself. As he cleared his throat, he continued with a heavy heart.

"Gene, that'll be a bit more difficult. Especially considering your hostile personality. You're not really compatible with any type of people, and you don't play well with others. The odds of finding a person you can tolerate enough not to liquidate their brains with a twentieth century egg-beater and drain them out through their nostril's and who can drive stick are highly unlikely. And you know that!" Fred screamed as he jumped up and pointed a finger defiantly at the other man.

"Well, gee, Fred, that was horribly… Vivid… … Why do they have to drive stick?"

"I'm just saying it'll take some time. … And money," Fred added as he reclined into his chair and crossed his arms.

"I don't care how much it costs. I need this done. I need to do this. It's a recon mission, and this person is very… Important to me," Gene said. He seemed determined to get this job done.

"There isn't… Someone else… Is there?" Fred asked dramatically, his eyes watering up and a handkerchief in his mouth.

"What!" Gene bellowed as he jumped out of his seat. "It's a kid!"

"Oh, Gene! Parenthood is a wonderful adventure full of twists and turns and bends and forks and potholes and such! I'm so glad you're finally admitting to something in your life! With manhood comes responsibility, I always say!" Fred cried exuberantly. He had now leapt out from behind his desk and had locked hands with Gene. "I think I can scrounge up something. Check back with me this time tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? I need this now! He could be hurt!" protested Gene.

"Tomorrow or nothing!"

With that, Gene left. He couldn't sleep at all that night. But come next morning…

"Gene, after a long night of careful planning and consideration, I think I've found the perfect crew for you," insisted Fred and he lead Gene to the back of his office. He whipped out a remote control and pushed a large red button. A huge television screen came down from the ceiling. With another push of the button, it turned on to a very attractive woman. "Gene, this is Aisha Klan-Klan, head of the Ktarl-Ktarl Empire. She's full of brute strength and best at hand-to-hand combat." Fred pushed the button once again and the image of the young lady was replaced with an older woman with long hair. "And this is Lady Sazuka, better known as Twilight Sazuka. As you may have heard of her reputation, she's an expert assassin who never misses her target after twilight, hence her name. Her specialty is ancient Japanese kendo and sword fighting. Her weapon is a wooden sword." Fred pressed the red button one more time and the screen went blank and rose back up to the ceiling. "Any questions?"

"… That's it?" Gene asked blatantly. "That's not a crew, that's two hot babes!"

"Gene, please! They're professionals! And they cost so much!" Fred pleaded.

"Couldn't you at least get me one burly guy with a gun?"

"Ahem." Gene turned to see where the voice had come from. He saw the two women from the screen.

"So you're Gene Starwind, huh?" the girl who Gene remembered as Aisha said as she approached him. She indefinitely sized him up. She was two inches taller than he was. "You're a lot smaller than I thought you'd be!"

"And you're a lot harrier than I thought you'd be," he replied snidely.

"Now, now, children," the other woman, Sazuka, said in a soothing tone. "We've got work to do, don't we? Now, Mr. Starwind, who is this child we're supposed to rescue?"

Yeah! Alright! Let's dance! That was fun. :eats Mandarin oranges: Man, I love these things… Okay, people. Another one bites the dust. Next time, the recon mission heads underway and Jim makes a few escape plans of his own.

READ IT!