VanStalker

by DarkBlade the Damned

This is a crossover of Vandread and the DeathStalker novels by Simon R Green. Chapter 9. Tensions amongst the crew reach boiling point causing Hibiki and Tam to flee the Nirvana.

10. VanStalker Chapter 8: The Rat Bastard

Disclaimer: I do not own Vandread or DeathStalker.

Vandread belongs to Studio Gonzo.

DeathStalker belongs to Simon R Green.

Vanstalker Chapter 7: Meeting with a Rat Bastard

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Meia walked slowly down the main thoroughfare of the Vanguard hangar. She was not certain of the location of the one she was looking for. But judging by the frequent 'Clang' of metal striking metal they were both nearby.

She followed the sound as it became louder and louder. Until, finally she traced it to its source. Tam and Hibiki were sparring in one of the empty bays. Meia frowned as she saw that the bay was cluttered with boxes, tools and other items that appeared to be nothing more than junk. She noted that as the two moved around the bay Hibiki constantly had to step back and look around. Trying to identify the debris to avoid stumbling over it. She also noted that the moment he looked away Tam stepped up his attacks. Forcing Hibiki to desperately parry and move away once more.

Meia watched them as they moved. Hibiki's actions were still fast and often desperate. But despite that he was clearly moving better. Whenever he was forced to retreat from Tam's attacks he always covered himself. Denying the older man an easy strike. He was also much faster than he had been. Where he had once been just a reckless young boy he now held the sparring stick as if he knew what to do with it. And although he was obviously being stretched just trying to avoid Tam's attacks, there was now a surety, a purpose to his movements that had not been there before.

At least it appeared there was, right up to the point that he placed a foot on a box only to have it slide out from under him, sending him crashing to the floor.

Hibiki groaned as he clutched at his head. That had hurt. But all thoughts about his aching skull were forgotten as he suddenly noticed the tip of Tam's sparring stick was pointed at the base of his throat.

Tam smiled down the length of the stick at him. "Once again you're dead little brother."

He said before removing the stick and offering a hand down to the prone form of Hibiki.

The younger man grasped the proffered hand and used it to haul himself back to his feet.

"I wouldn't be if I hadn't tripped over that stupid box. Why do we have to spar in here anyway Tam? It's full of junk!"

"I know." Tam responded. "Who do you think put it all here?"

Hibiki looked at the older man in shock. "You did? But why?"

Tam sighed and made a motion to indicate the sparring area with the stick he carried.

"Because if we only trained on an open deck where there were no obstructions then you would get used to fighting that way. But in real life, very rarely will you have such an ideal battleground. Remember the time we fought on the desert planet, or in the asteroid belt?"

Seeing Hibiki nod the older man continued.

"Do you remember how much harder it was to fight there, because you had to be conscious not only of the enemy around you but of the terrain itself?"

"Yeah" said Hibiki. "But what does that have to do with practising in an area that's full of junk?"

"Everything little brother. What I am trying to teach you is to always be aware of your surroundings. To be conscious of what is around you and what obstacles to avoid without having to constantly look around. It is a difficult skill to learn, but once you get used to it you will find that it will serve you well."

Hibiki gave an exasperated sigh. "But we've been practising this for weeks and I still don't feel like I am getting it. How long did it take you to learn this?"

"How long until my teacher thought I was fairly competent at it?" asked Tam

Hibiki nodded.

The older man rubbed his chin as he stared at the ceiling considering the question.

"Oh I would say about twenty years, give or take."

Hibiki stared at Tam incredulously. "Twenty years!"

Tam smiled back at him. "Yes, that was when he considered me competent at it. This is not an easy skill to learn little brother. The basic's of it you can learn in a day. But it takes a lifetime to truly master."

Tam then laughed at the look of anguish on Hibiki's face.

"Don't worry little brother. Although it may not feel like it, you are getting better at this."

Hibiki lifted his head to stare at him, a hopeful look in his eyes.

"You really think so?"

Tam smiled. "Definitely. You are moving much better, and you are learning to cover yourself as you retreat. You no longer leave yourself quite as open to attacks. I even have to work a bit harder to get through your defence. Even that last time you fell was more due to bad luck than anything else. You were trying to use that box to boost yourself out of the way. Its just bad luck you didn't realise that it was one of the empty ones."

Hibiki then looked at Tam with a frown. "But would you have made that mistake?"

Tam smiled back. "Maybe, maybe not after all, when one dances ..."

"…The outcome is never certain." Hibiki chorused the end of the quote.

Tam smiled again. Then his face settled into a frown. "But while your defence is getting better little brother your attacks still leave a lot to be desired."

"What to you mean?" cried Hibiki indignantly. "My attacks are my greatest strength. I've taken out masses of Harvesters with my attacks. Its what I do best!"

"Yes." Said Tam, his tone oozing sarcasm. "You are very good at charging straight at your enemy and putting everything you have into one great all or nothing strike. Hoping that that will be enough to overcome your foe."

Hibiki flushed at the sarcasm in Tam's voice. "It's worked so far." He replied doggedly.

Tam shook his head. "No little brother it hasn't. It has only worked when you have been united with one of the women's dreads, never when you have been on your own. And it has only worked because so far no enemy we have come up against has been able to withstand the power of one of the Vandread's."

Now Tam stared at Hibiki, his expression hard. "But that does not mean that will always be the case little brother. After every encounter our enemies become stronger and smarter. What will you do if one day one of them is able to withstand your all out attack? What will happen if you leave yourself vulnerable to a counter?"

Hibiki grimaced, but did not argue with Tam's statement.

Tam nodded his head in reply. "Good, now time to practise your attacks. Try to strike me, but I warn you little brother leave yourself open and I will take advantage of it. And I won't hold back."

Hibiki nodded and moved to pick up his sparring stick. As he did so Tam cleared an area, standing relaxed both hands leaning on his sparring stick.

Meanwhile Hibiki moved into at attack stance but stopped puzzled when he saw Tam standing there so casually. Tam noticed this and his eyes narrowed.

"What are you waiting for? Begin!"

Hibiki shrugged, then resumed his stance and charged.

"Yeaaaahhhh" he cried as he pounded down the deck towards Tam his sword held out in front of him like a lance. Tam stood unmoving and for a moment it seemed that Hibiki would strike him. Then just before the stick would have struck him, Tam spun out of the way. As he did so he extended his sparring stick, thrusting it between Hibiki's rapidly pounding legs. This succeeded in completely tangling the young mans legs, sending him sprawling face first to the deck.

Hibiki got up spluttering, his eyes angry. Tam merely stood where he had been. Once again standing seemingly relaxed. His face impassive.

"Again." He said.

Hibiki was happy to oblige him. This time Hibiki charged in with his sparring stick held high over his head in a two handed grip. As he approached Tam he brought it down in a massive vertical swing. Tam started to move sideways to avoid the blow, but as he did so Hibiki suddenly changed the direction of the swing so that it was coming down at an angle.

For a moment it seemed that Tam would be caught off guard, then he suddenly dropped prone to the ground. The swing passing harmlessly over his head. Before Hibiki could bring his stick back to defend Tam suddenly lunged forward with his blade, viper quick. Jabbing the stick into Hibiki's belly.

The young man reeled backwards and clutched his belly, breathing deeply at the pain. His eyes hurt and accusing looked up to stare at Tam's. But Tams face was once more completely impassive. Completely expressionless. He merely stood there and repeated. "Again." And hurt and growing angry. Hibiki complied.

Again. Again and again. The sparing match continued. To one looking it may almost have appeared to be a farce. But to the two engaged it was serious. Repeatedly Hibiki attacked Tam. Although he was sore, tired and aching with bruises he repeatedly put everything he had into the attacks. He tried different tactics. Coming in fast, coming in slow. Changing his attacks from one side to the other. He tried feinting. Attacking and then drawing back at the last second. Trying to draw Tam out, to force him to make a mistake.

None of it seemed to make the slightest bit of difference. Tam avoided Hibiki's attacks with an ease that was almost contemptuous. Sometimes at the last minute he would move to avoid Hibiki's attack and then make a strike of his own. Always where Hibiki was unprotected and always in a location that was painful.

The match between the two finally came to a head. Hibiki feeling goaded beyond all endurance made another mad dash at Tam. Again Tam moved out of the path of the strike. But this time Hibiki was ready. Expecting the riposte from Tam he fell prone to the ground. He felt the passage of Tam's stick as it passed over his head. From his place on the ground Hibiki grinned. He had him now.

From his place on the ground Hibiki took a two handed grip on the stick and slashed at Tam's legs. Tam was still over extended from his lunge. There would be no way for him to avoid the blow!

Unfortunately Hibiki was wrong. Seeing the swing coming Tam flexed his entire body. Shifting his weight from his legs to the stick that was now braced against the deck. With a massive heave he threw his body forwards, flipping over Hibiki's prone body to land behind him.

Hibiki watched this in disbelief. But he was quick to react. Twisting his body he surged upwards using the power in his legs to drive himself upwards. Directly at Tam's apparently unprotected back.

But at the last moment Tam spun around, his sparring stick held point down in his hand. With a quick movement Tam parried the blade. Deflecting its path and forcing it away from his body. Meanwhile the force of Hibiki's strike brought him right up to Tam. The youth strained with his whole body. Both hands tightly gripping the stick in his hands. He was so close just a few more millimetres and he would finally be able to score a touch against Tam.

But Hibiki could not move his stick closer. Tam's parry had him trapped. So focused was Hibiki on trying to get through the parry that he failed to notice that Tam was using only one hand to hold him off. So it came as a complete surprise when Tam's other hand swung in with a roundhouse punch that connected precisely with Hibiki's jaw. Knocking him flying.

Hibiki crashed down to the deck. Slamming into some of the scattered debris. His stick went flying from his hands. Stunned the youth shook himself for a few minutes before trying to get up. There was a metallic taste in his mouth. He touched his lip and his hand came away wet and red. He had cut his lip with his teeth during the fall. Angrily Hibiki looked up at Tam.

Once again the older man simply stood there his face expressionless. His face betrayed no concern or sympathy. He merely repeated the now hated words.

"Again."

For Hibiki this was the last straw.

"NO. Not bloody again! What the hell did you hit me for that time?" asked the youth angrily as he wiped blood from his mouth.

"I told you that I was not going to hold back on you Hibiki." Said Tam tonelessly

"That doesn't mean that you had to hit me that hard. And what's with that anyway? I thought we were fighting with swords. What's the deal with suddenly using your fists?"

"I am trying to teach you to fight Hibiki. That means using any means at your disposal. Not just those you are most aware of at the time."

"Well you could have warned me!" yelled Hibiki angrily. "And if you're serious about teaching me why don't you show me some of your techniques instead of just telling me to attack you and then hitting me?"

"That is the way I teach." Said Tam

"Huh?"

"That is the way I teach because that is the way I learned. The way of body learning. Through pain I show you what you are doing wrong. To avoid the pain you force yourself to learn the correct moves and the correct counters to the attacks I make."

Hibiki looked at Tam in disbelief. "You mean that all the times you hit me, you were trying to teach me something?"

Tam nodded. "And it worked. After only a few strikes you no longer made the same mistakes. We were making progress before you stopped." Said Tam pointedly.

Hibiki looked down considering. "So can I expect much more of this before this training of yours is finished?"

Tam smiled and it was not a reassuring sight. "Oh little brother, we have barely even begun.

Hibiki seemed to consider this for a moment. Then he exploded to his feet and started stalking off down the hangar bay. As he walked he shouted angrily.

"Then you can take this training of yours and stuff it!"

"Hibiki!" Tam called after him.

But the youth refused to listen. "NO." Yelled Hibiki. "I'm sick of this. You've taught me enough. As long as I have my partner I'll be able to deal with anything else. I don't need you and you're stupid training."

And with that he disappeared around a corridor and left the bay.

Tam stood watching where he had gone for a second. Then he gradually let the sparring stick he was holding fall to the floor. He was about to leave the bay when a voice from above stopped him.

……………………………………………………………………………………….

"Don't you think you went a little hard on him?"

Tam looked up. Meia was standing on one of the antigrav platforms the engineers used to service the Vanguards. As he watched the platform descended and Meia jumped lightly to the deck before him.

"I am going much easier on him then the harvesters will." Responded Tam.

"That may be true." Replied Meia. "But even in the Dreads we allow a pilot to get a feel for the basic's before we expect them to learn to fly with the squadron."

"That's when you have the luxury of time to train your pilots before you send them into battle." Retorted Tam. "Here we don't have that luxury. Hibiki has been fighting with you ever since the ships merged and the Plexis sent your ships into the middle of nowhere. Since then he's stayed alive through a combination of luck and stubbornness coupled with the power of that partner of his. But that won't keep him alive much longer. Not the way that the enemy has been learning. I have to try to teach him how to survive before it's too late."

"How are you going to do that if you keep driving him away!" asked Meia cuttingly.

Tam turned to look at her with shock.

"What do you mean?"

Meia advanced on him. "You know what I mean Tam. You've been trying to drive Hibiki away just like you have been trying to drive away the rest of the crew."

Tam shook his head in denial. "I don't know what you mean. I've been training him the same way my grandfather taught me."

"Yes." Replied Meia. "I shared your memories of that. I know how your grandfather taught you. But I also know that that isn't the only training you received. You don't need to be that harsh. You don't need to drive him away like the rest of the crew."

At this Tam looked up at her his eyes angry. "It wasn't me who drove away the rest of the crew."

Meia flinched at his tone but did not disagree with the statement. After the battle on the water planet many of the crew had started avoiding Tam. Hustling away when he approached or shifting away when he sat down in the register. By now word had spread throughout the ship of the damage that Tam had done to the harvester machines in the temple during the battle on the water planet. The women knew that Tam was capable of destroying the machines physically with the primitive weapons that he used. But always before he had been badly wounded in the exchange. Proof that if he was not quite normal he was at least vulnerable. Until the battle on Antipatos.

There the members of the security detail had seen him standing over the wreck of the harvester Kraken. He had been tired, dirty and bloody from the wounds that he had taken. But none of them remembered that. Instead they remembered the savage primal figure, his face lit with unholy joy, screaming with victory as he stood over the destroyed machine. And they had all been terrified.

Just from seeing him there like that. They had suddenly known, suddenly realised that this man was powerful and dangerous and that they had no real control over him.

The doctor, Duero, was known and to an extent trusted by the women. They knew they could rely on him to heal them, and anyway Paiway was there to keep an eye on him.

The navigator Bart was a loudmouthed braggart, who was also a coward. Although then needed him to pilot the ship the women also felt that they could control him if need be.

Hibiki the kid, was a fighter, there was no denying. But he needed his Vanguard to fight. And it was only by joining his Vanguard to one of the dreads that he became truly dangerous.

But Tam, Tam was always dangerous. The man had demonstrated that he was deadly with any kind of weapon. What's more he had strange and unexplainable powers which unlike the others were not reliant on machinery to make them work. Several times he had helped save the ship. Each time demonstrating some strange and unexplainable skills. What's more his memories still had not fully returned. That was what worried the women the most. What new powers would he display next, and what would happen if his memories returned and he decided that the female crew were the enemy. He was after all a man.

So the female members of the crew had started avoiding Tam. It didn't take time long to realise what they were doing or to start to resent it.

"I'll ask the Boss to speak with the rest of the crew. She'll make them understand that they have no reason to be worried. They shouldn't treat you like this. Not after you have demonstrated your willingness to fight with us"

Tam smiled sadly. "Thanks Meia, but I wouldn't if I were you. You will only make them more nervous. I understand why they are so anxious, I may not like it but I understand it."

At this statement Meia looked at him questioningly.

Tam sighed before elaborating. "It reminds me of how others looked at me. In the empire, during the civil war."

Tam looked down and a grimace of pain crossed his face as he remembered.

"Often after we retook a world from the usurpers forces, the population of the world would treat us in the same way. At first we didn't understand why. Didn't understand why they looked at us with the same hate and fear that they had looked at the Durendal's filth. Then gradually we began to understand. The Durendal's forces were largely composed of local police and militia as well as forces from the church and the other factions that had joined Finn. At first they had seemed just like another police force. They said that they were there to help the people. To maintain order. To guarantee the stability of the Empire during these troubled times. It was only later when people began to disappear. When the soldiers stared to commit atrocities and kill or lock up anyone that tried to protest that the people realised what monsters they really were."

"And then we arrived. The fleet. Come to rid them from the Durendal's tyranny. Of course to do that we had to defeat Finn's followers and that meant fighting in the streets, collateral damage and the deaths of civilians whose only fault was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. So was it any surprise then that they did not trust us?

I couldn't blame them once I worked it out. We thought of ourselves as the ones in the right, the good guys, the side of justice. But to them we were just the same, men with guns, wolves among sheep. But to be fair they had reason to fear. They had already suffered terrible atrocities at the hands of people who were supposed to protect them. Why should they have believed any better of us when we came to fight those we said had usurped the throne?

That's the problem with a civil war. It they are lucky if they are lucky the two sides have a clear idea of who they are and what they are fighting for. But to the people caught in the middle, we're all the same." Tam finished sadly.

Meia stood shocked for a moment. Then a thought came to her.

"These memories, you didn't have them before?"

"No." replied Tam

"But I haven't experienced any of this. Haven't seen any of what you describe."

Tam smiled ruefully. "That's because I didn't want you to. I've been working to limit the bond we share."

"Why?" asked Meia shocked and a little hurt.

Tam turned to her surprised. "I thought you would be grateful, I thought you would value having your privacy back. Besides some of my memories I did not want you to share."

"Do you think that's fair Tam? After all you have seen most of my life, I have very few secrets that you don't know!" Asked Meia scathingly, now for some reason feeling angry that this man had tried to shut down the bond they shared without consulting her.

Tam looked at her surprised at the anger in her tone. "That's partly why I did it. You have enough burdens to carry. I don't want to add mine to your's. Besides I have seen things no one else should have to." The last was said almost in a whisper, which instantly intrigued Meia but before she could ask what he had meant Tam spoke again.

"Lastly, I thought it might be better if I the bond died down. There is not telling how the crew would react if they heard about it. Especially considering what happened over Christmas."

Meia grimaced as she remembered. Although she had not been there she had heard about it as had the whole crew. The female crew had prepared a massive celebration on the ship to mark the Christmas one of the favourite holidays on Mejere. The men had been intrigued by this having no similar holiday of their own on Tarak.

Dita had set out to inform the men and along the way had somehow found one of the old storage rooms dating back to the colonisation era. But the big shock had come when Dita had played a tape from that room over the ship wide network. The ship had showed a family sharing a Christmas dinner. But had what had shocked the crew of the Nirvana was that the family had apparently been made up of both men and women living together peacefully (1).

This had been a major bombshell to the men and the women of the crew. Although they had learned to work together and to an extent to live with each other both sexes believe this to be a temporary and unnatural situation. They had never in their wildest dreams thought that it would be natural for men and women to live together.

Most women had rejected the image out of hand and had reverted to their old ways of dealing with men to put the image out of their minds. Others may have found the image fascinating or even attractive. But they wisely kept their mouths shut and their thoughts to themselves. The net effect had been that most of the members of the crew had either reverted to their old behaviour or had become even more anti-male as a result of the tape. Neither of which was good news for the male members of the crew particularly for Tam as he was arguably the most dangerous of the men and the least useful (2).

Then Meia remembered something else about the Christmas celebration. Something that she had been meaning to ask Tam about.

"Tam over the Christmas, You disappeared for several hours no one could find you."

Tam looked contrite "Yes I'm sorry about that I should have been there to help you and Hibiki with that Harvester machine you discovered in the comet."

Meia shook her head. "That's not what I'm asking about. During the celebrations you disappeared. You didn't show up until much later and ever since then you have been distancing yourself from the rest of the crew, even from the men."

Tam turned away from her. Through what remained of their bond Meia could tell that he did not want to talk about this. But Meia could also feel his pain through the bond. The bond was faint now. So faint that she could barely even feel his presence anymore. For her to be able to feel his pain despite that meant that he must be suffering greatly.

"Tam talk to me. If it is something about your past you know you can trust me to keep your secrets as you kept mine. You helped ease my pain, let me repay that now."

Tam turned to face her. His face grim. Meia could see that he was using all of his control to conceal his emotions. She tried again.

"Tam I know something happened to you over the Christmas. Some new event or memory. Please tell me."

Finally he spoke, his voice low and hoarse.

"I do not like the Christmas. Not anymore. It requires a duty that I would rather not remember."

Meia stepped forward. "What duty."

"To hold a vigil."

Meia blinked at the unfamiliar word. But continued with her questions.

"A vigil for who?"

"For my family." Then he looked up at her.

Meia almost stepped back in shock. There was pain in his eyes. Naked anguish. A sense of grief of loneliness so great that it was soul wrenching. It was a pain that she knew and recognised. A pain that she had finally dealt with, with Tam and Magno's help. No she prepared to step forward to offer the same support, that this man, who she barely dared to consider a friend, had once given to her.

Unfortunately it was at that time that BC face appeared on a Comm. screen.

"Meia, Tam there you are. The boss wants you in the conference room. We've picked up something on the long range scans and we want you to check it out."

"Huh.. Yes Subcommander, we'll proceed there directly."

BC nodded then frowned. "Is everything alright?"

Meia and Tam put on their professional faces. "Perfectly Subcommander, we will se you up there soon."

BC nodded and cut the connection.

Tam looked at Meia his face once again expressionless. "Duty calls" he said. Then turned away, heading for the elevators to the bridge deck.

'Yes' thought Meia. 'Duty calls for now, but later I am going to find you. And we are going to finish this talk, whether you like it or not.'

………………………………………………………………………………………

Later the Nirvana hung motionless in space. In the distance could be seen a massive structure. A huge apparently man made space habitat sat at its centre. Massive girders linked it to a large number of asteroids that occupied the space around it.

Close up four dread fighters could be seen docked to the stations central core.

The peace of space was soon disturbed by the radio signals of their pilots.

"Hey! Did you find anything yet? Remember the pretty clothes are Jura's ok?"

……………………………………………………………………………………..

On the bridge of the Nirvana Magno and BC considered the shape of the station before them.

"So this is a 'Mission'." Said BC. "This is the first time I've seen one."

"It seems like they flourished during the colonisation era as relay stations." Said Magno. "But now they're just abandoned in these corners. It appears to be deserted."

………………………………………………………………………………………….

On board the mission the away team investigated the remains for anything that could be salvaged.

"It seems like there's quite a bit of stuff we can use here." Said Barnette as she looked around curiously. "I wonder where they kept the food?"

Jura followed her with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. This place looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years! She had to be careful lest she let herself get dirty.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

Meanwhile at the central core Meia, Hibiki and Dita were investigating the stations power plant.

"I wonder how the boss knew about an old space station like this?" asked Dita

"It's not a space station, it's a mission. Didn't you listen to the briefing?" asked Hibiki in annoyance.

"Stop chatting. We should get back to work." Said Meia

"Huh, if there's work to be done then why isn't Tam here helping us." complained Hibiki.

"He has his own job to do." Replied Meia. "Speaking of which. Tam. Report. Have you found anything on the outer ring?"

After a moment a voice came back. "Negative. I have only gone through the first quarter, but so far the outer ring is completely clean of ships. There isn't even a docking shuttle parked here. There is one thing though."

"Yes?" queried Meia.

"A few of the airlocks look like they were closed with an emergency release. Looks like the people who left here did so in a great hurry."

"Harvesters?"

"Unknown. No sign of them yet, or of any kind of a struggle, but I thought you should know."

"Affirmative. Let me know if you see anything else."

"Confirmed. Continuing with sweep."

Meia sighed. She could not fault Tam's work or his reports. It was just that he was behaving the way he had when he had first come on the ship. Calm and emotionless. Like a machine.

Suddenly she snorted. To think at one time she would have considered that the ideal way for everyone to behave, and now she was complaining about it.

Her reverie was interrupted by Hibiki's voice.

"Hey now that you mention it. This work that we're doing. Isn't it more like looting?"

Meia sighed in annoyance. "We're just making good use of resources that were left behind."

"Sounds like looting to me." Muttered Hibiki.

"Besides." Said Dita. "Everyone that was here left long ago. It's not like there's anyone around to complain."

Unfortunately the red head may have spoken too soon.

"Meia!" Tam's voice suddenly came over the comm. Net. "I'm on level 3 starboard side, halfway round the ring. There's a ship docked here!"

Meia was instantly alert. "Can you identify it? Is it an enemy?"

"Negative. It looks human but I've never seen the type before. But whatever it is it doesn't look like its been here long. Be careful, you may have company in there."

"Acknowledged. Barnette, Jura. Look sharp. There may be others on board the station."

"Acknowledged leader. We're heading back your way now."

Meia nodded in satisfaction. Then turned to tell Hibiki to hurry up. To her surprise he wasn't there.

"Dita. Where did Hibiki go?"

"Mr Alien went back to his partner. He said that he wanted to make sure no one took it."

Meia squeezed her eyes in frustration. 'Great. Just great.'

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Hibiki ran down the corridors of the deserted mission, one hand grasping the bag of parts that he had 'salvaged'. As soon as he heard that there were others on board the station he knew that he had to make sure that his partner was safe. Nothing else mattered.

The thought so completely occupied his mind that he failed to notice the obstruction ahead of him until he ran full tilt into it.

The impact knocked him flat on his back and caused his vision to momentarily black out. He was therefore somewhat confused when he next heard an unfamiliar voice.

"Hey kid, didn't anyone ever tell you to watch where you're going?"

At this Hibiki stared up in shock. Before him stood a tall figure. It was dressed in dark trousers and heavy boots. It wore a thickly padded jacket of orange grey and yellow. The figure appeared to have two diagonally stripped tattoos on the left side of his face. But most remarkable was that its right eye appeared to be covered by a red crystal lens. But the fact that came to Hibiki's attention first was…

"You're .. a man?" he exclaimed in shock. Then with rising joy. "You're a man right? Did you come to rescue us?" at this he moved forward to greet the newcomer. The action was apparently not appreciated.

As soon as Hibiki started to move forward the newcomers eyes narrowed. In a lightening fast motion he withdrew a large twin barrelled pistol from a holster at his side and pointed it directly at Hibiki's head. Hibiki instantly froze in shock.

"What.. what are you doing?" he stuttered.

The newcomer gazed at him impassively, then his gaze suddenly shifted as he sensed movement behind him. In a single swift motion he ducked and dived forward. Moving behind Hibiki. As he did so he grabbed one of the young man's arms and twisted it behind his back, using the exquisitely painful hold to keep him prone as he used Hibiki's body as a shield.

Through tears of pain. Hibiki could see Meia in front of him. Arm outstretched. Her laser ring held pointed at the newcomer.

"A woman huh." Said the newcomer as he crouched behind Hibiki.

"So what?" said Meia.

The newcomer grinned. "Looks like we have a standoff." The grin faded as the sound of metal sliding on metal echoed through the mission corridor.

Slowly the newcomer got to his feet and released his grip on Hibiki. Who jumped away and immediately started massaging his sore arm.

A moment later the newcomer reversed his gun and presented it to Meia, butt first.

"I take it back." He said. "It looks like the situation is bad." The newcomer carefully raised his hands as Jura kept the point of her sword over the centre of his back.

"What's this." Said the Blonde pilot. "Another man?"

Barnette reached out and grabbed the stranger's weapon. At the same time bringing up her own to cover him. "Seems like it." She said.

"Are you bandits?" asked the newcomer.

"We prefer 'Pirates'" corrected Meia.

"Ooh, the lady there too?" said the newcomer, nodding his head at Hibiki.

"Hey" he yelled indignantly. "I'm a man!"

The newcomer looked surprised and then started laughing. "This is good!"

"What's so funny?" demanded Hibiki.

"I am sorry." Said the newcomer, tears in his eyes. "Its just that you looked so cute I thought you were a girl."

The others looked at one another trying to make sense of this. That was all the distraction the man needed. In a single quick motion he spun on the spot. As he did so he grabbed the handle of the parts bag dropped by Hibiki, and using his momentum hurled it directly at her head. Meia had no time to respond other than to duck before the heavy bag crashed into her skull. In the instant that he was uncovered the newcomer ducked down a side passage and ran.

The others prepared to follow him. By just as they did so that station was suddenly rocked by shockwaves.

"What the? What the hells that?" asked Hibiki.

"Meia! Hibiki! Are you there?" Tam's voice suddenly came over the comm. Link.

"Tam we found a man but he got away, we're going to.." Tam suddenly cut Hibiki off.

"No time for that. Those shockwaves you're feeling. They're harvesters! There's hundreds of the damn things hidden in the rocks surrounding the asteroids. They're flying out like a swarm of pissed off hornets! Get back to the ships right now!

"You heard him." Said Meia. Everyone back to your ships immediately!"

………………………………………………………………………………………..

In space stillness was now replaced with frantic movement. From where they had been buried deep in the asteroids massive cargo containers burst forth to hang in orbit around the mission. As soon as they were in place they started spewing hordes of Cube fighters. The familiar form of the Harvesters. The fighters formed themselves into groups and started to swarm towards the Nirvana.

On the pirate ships bridge BC began to yell orders bringing the crew to battle stations. On board the ship bulk head doors sealed, the Plexis pulsed with energy as the defence screen was initialised and pilots raced to their dreads.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

In the mission Meia and the others raced to get to their Dreads and Vanguards.

"What the hell happened?" Yelled Hibiki as he ran.

"Our kind doesn't seem to be welcome here." Replied Meia

Suddenly they reached the main intersection where the dreads were docked. But as soon as the doors opened they were forced to stop in shock. A phalanx of dull green harvester robots stood between them and the Dreads. As they watched the robots swivelled their optical lenses to stare at them and started to move forwards.

The other froze unsure of what to do. Without the Dreads they could bot get off the station. But there was no way they could get through those robots on their own.

Fortunately they were not alone. As the robots were advancing a massive beam of energy suddenly ripped through their formation. While the robots were still trying to identify the source of the attack another thunderbolt struck them. The Nirvana crewmembers heard a now familiar cry of "SHANDRAKOR" moments before a black and brown blur smashed into the robots.

Seemingly seconds later it was all over. Tam stood over a final Robot as it twitched on the floor before he stabbed the blade of his two handed sword through its power pack and it dropped lifeless.

The tall imperial officer looked over at them and smiled crookedly.

"I thought you could use some help."

Jura, Meia, Barnette and Dita picked there way through the wreckage towards their Vanguards.

"You know." Said Jura as she stepped delicately over a robots body housing. "Sometimes its worth having you around."

"I have my moments." Replied Tam. Then he turned to Hibiki. "Come on little brother, there may be more of those things. Let's get to our Vanguards while they're still intact."

With that he started racing down the corridor Hibiki close behind.

………………………………………………………………………………………..

Minutes later in space the Dreads started to form up against the approaching enemy.

"Everyone Hurry." Called Barnette. "We have more attacking units confirmed as coming from the containers."

"Destroy them all before they can reach the Nirvana." Ordered Meia.

"Dita will take care of the Big ones." Called out the red head. Then she looked around confused. "Huh? Where's Mr Alien and Mr Tam?"

As if on cue the Gold and White and the Black and Silver Vanguards suddenly shot out from the bays where they had been docked. Heading for the oncoming cubes.

"Ah he's here. Mr Alien lets unite!" called Dita.

"No way!" yelled Hibiki as he shot past Dita's waiting Dread.

"What! Why?" Cried out Dita in shock. A quick call from Meia cut off any further comments.

"Dita watch out. They're coming!"

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Hibiki charged straight into the face of the oncoming fighters. His Vanguard wielded an immense battle axe which he used to impressive effect, slicing clean through several of the oncoming cube fighters. He fought with remarkable savagery if not any great finesse

Tam in the meantime also flew directly into the oncoming fighters. But he ducked and weaved between them, all the while sending out viper quick strikes of his Vanguards long sword. Piercing power plants and sensor panels. Destroying his enemies artfully, effectively.

The women in the mean time let fly with the heavy cannons mounted on their Dreads. And succeeded in taking out far more targets that either of the men. But that was partly because the cubes seemed to be clustering around the attacking Vanguards. Making them easy targets for the fast moving Dreads.

"These don't appear to be fighting as effectively as the others we've faced recently." Commented Meia.

"Agreed." Said Tam "They look different too. Maybe they're older models left over from an earlier Harvest?"

The question remained unanswered as it was unlikely any of the attacking cubes were likely to contribute the information.

And so the battle continued. The Four dread pilots continued to circle and blast at the frantic melee. While the men in their vanguards dealt out destruction in a frantic dance with the cubes.

Hibiki seemed to be particularly enraged today. He flailed and beat at the harvesters, both with his weapons and occasionally with other cube fighters. Unfortunately this almost proved to be his downfall as a harvester cube managed to ram him while he was busy swinging another by one of its mechanical claws.

The impact knocked away the axe he had been using and left Hibiki jammed against the harvester. Jura took this opportunity to bring her dread in behind him.

"Hey" she called over the net.

"What?" asked Hibiki angrily as he tried to free his Vanguard.

"You wanna unite?" asked the blonde coyly.

"Hell no!" yelled Hibiki.

Any further conversation was cut off by the arrival of Dita. With a happy cry of:

"Mr Alien Lets Unite!" The redheaded pilot brought her dread into contact with Hibiki's Vanguard, despite the vehement protests of the young man.

Instantly there was a blinding flash of blue Plexis energy. And a now familiar transformation took place. When the light cleared the massive Blue and greed Vandread stood in space.

From her new position on Hibiki's lap Dita called out in triumph.

"I did it. I did it!"

Soon a very irate looking Jura appeared on the comm. Screen.

"I don't believe this!" yelled the angry Blonde pilot. Dita, I'll remember this?"

"Yeah like I'm going to forget it." Retorted Dita as she stuck out her tongue and gave Jura the red eye. Meanwhile Hibiki sat in his seat and groaned in frustration.

"Would you three quit clowning around and take care of those harvester containers!" Yelled the voice of an irate Tam.

"Ok Mr Tam. Well let's GO!" Yelled Dita enthusiastically.

Instantly the massive pylons on the Vandread's back detached and settled themselves into firing position. For a moment they glowed as they charged their power. Then there was a searing flash and a massive beam of energy surged out to connect with the Mission station. For a moment nothing happened. Then there was a massive explosion like the birth of a new sun. When the shockwave cleared there was nothing left of the station but debris. Very small debris. From the cockpit of the Vandread Dita called out in triumph again. While a few angry Dread pilots called out at her to make sure they were clear before shooting next time.

But there was one other observer to the destruction Dita had wrought. From the cockpit of his ship the newcomer watched the scene of destruction with wide eyes.

He had been observing the battle, intending to let the Harvester cubes destroy the pirates and their ship and then comb the wreckage for whatever he could find. He had never in his wildest dreams imagined that they would actually defeat the cubes. Or that they would wield such incredible power. Instantly he knew that he had to learn more about this power, whatever it was. He didn't like it. It would be risky and he detested personal risk, but in this case the potential reward might be worth it. His masters would pay very well for information like this.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

Back on the Nirvana the crew contemplated the scant remains of the mission. The Dreads has easily mopped up the remaining cubes and the pilots had since returned to their hangars.

On the Bridge Magno looked out at the drifting debris.

"Well, well our business just went down the drain." Said Magno.

"I could say the same thing." The command crew looked up in surprise as the face of an unfamiliar man appeared on the viewscreen.

"Because of your irresponsible attack my engine took some damage. What're you going to do about it?"

"Who do you think you're talking to? We're pirates!" replied Magno.

"Is that so." Replied the newcomer. "Well I know for a fact you're not going to get much out of the remains of the mission. Fortunately I had the chance to scrounge a few of the choicer items before you came along and destroyed it."

Magno frowned at the mans image. "What do you want?"

"Nothing much." Responded the newcomer. Just let me stay on board your ship while I finish my repairs. Maybe we can do some business at the same time?"

"Hmm alright then come onboard."

"Alright. See you soon." Responded the newcomer before he cut the connection.

"Boss, are you sure this is such a good idea?" asked BC.

"We have a better chance of getting information out of him if he comes aboard willingly." Replied Magno. "Besides if he tries anything funny we can just rob him down bare."

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Several minutes later the newcomer's ship docked at the main airlock and he made his way aboard. He was greeted by a veritable forest of laser rings and rifles. It looked like half the security officers on the ship had showed up to escort him to the captain.

The newcomer however appeared unfazed by this. "Well, well." He said. "Such pretty ladies. My names Rabat. Nice to meet you all." He said as he stepped forward to greet each member of the security detail.

"Humph Pathetic. Grovelling among women, you're a shame to men." Rabat looked over to where Hibiki, Duero were standing watching the proceedings.

"Huh. What a ill mannered little kid." Said Rabat.

Hibiki flushed. "Men arn'ts supposed to behave like that." He said angrily.

"What like this?" Said Rabat as he pointed at his face and gave an exaggerated smile.

"Why you." Said Hibiki as he stepped forward.

"Stop." Called Meia as she pointed her laser ring between the two. "We'll take you to the boss. This way." She said indicating the direction with a jerk of her head.

"Yes, yes. As you wish." Said Rabat with his hands up.

Hibiki clenched his teeth in frustration as he watched them lead Rabat away.

Further away, hidden in the shadows Tam also observed Rabat's progress. For some reason the newcomer disturbed him. He 'felt' wrong. But he could not say why.

………………………………………………………………………………………

Later on the bridge Rabat was asking the captain about the men on board while he stared around curiously.

"They're prisoners." Explained Magno. "We're from Mejere, the men are from Tarak."

"Hm lets see." Said Rabat as he looked at the view screens curiously. "He was quite surprised to get a view of an apparently naked Bart sitting in his control tank.

"Hey Bro, don't catch a cold in there." Said Rabat, causing Bart to blush

"So what do you want?" asked Magno.

"I'm a scavenger and a trader." Said Rabat. "While I'm aboard just let me do my business."

"Very well." Said Magno as she watched this newcomer through narrowed eyes.

……………………………………………………………………………………….

Meanwhile down in the men's quarters Hibiki was expressing his frustration with the newcomer.

"Shit." He yelled as he kicked over a stack of boxes. "That guy is unbelievable. It irritating just talking to him." Reaching over he picked up his mop and bucket and headed for the register.

Meanwhile Duero sat on his bunk and considered. 'That man'. He thought. 'He knows about the interaction between men and women."

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Meanwhile on the main deck Rabat smiled to himself. Things were going well. The chief engineer of theirs had accepted the component he offered as soon as he said that it would work great with Plexis. Rabat had no idea what Plexis was, but he knew just what that component would do if placed in live machinery for any length of time.

As for the rest of the crew, they had been so easy it was almost laughable. All he had to do was share around a few pretty, but worthless baubles and a little make up and they had all been eating out of his hands. It was strange. Most women would have seen straight through a routine like that coming from a man. It was as if these women had almost no experience with men.

Well, thought Rabat. That could only work to his advantage. He had already learned some very interesting things. Particularly about this strange uniting weapon and this power source of theirs. The Plexis. Now that he thought about it the name did sound familiar. But why?

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

In the register Hibiki scrubbed determinedly at the floor with his mop. In the background Gascognue leaned back in her chair. There were only a few others in the register. Everyone else had gone to see what trade goods Rabat had to offer.

In act Gascognue was talking to two who had just returned.

"I was wondering why it was so quiet." She said. "Then I realised, Dita isn't here."

"Well she wouldn't come manager." Said one of the staff. "She's probably still down on the main deck. That new man is really great!"

"Yeah" said another. "They say he's different from any of the other men so far. Apparently he's really kind to women."

Suddenly their conversation was interrupted by a terrific Crash! They looked around to see that Hibiki had somehow gotten himself buried under a stack of overturned crates.

………………………………………………………………………………………

In another part of the ship, BC suddenly passed through a set of doors into a darkened room. The room was the hangar connecting the Nirvana to Rabat's ship.

Slowly the SubCommander made her way across the dim room to a computer terminal. The terminal was linked to both the Nirvana and Rabat's ship. As such it might be able to provide a bit of information about the newcomer.

BC stood over the terminal and punched in a few commands. The terminal cycled for a few seconds and then obediently displayed the information. BC's eyes narrowed.

'Interesting' the SubCommander thought.

Suddenly the room lightened as the door behind her opened once again.

"Are you looking for something?"

BC turned to face the voice and saw Rabat casually leaning against the door frame.

"Your ship doesn't seem to have taken any damage." Said BC as she stepped forward.

Rabat spread his arms as it to say well what can I do.

"The repairs were completed faster than I thought." He said as he started to move towards BC.

"What is your purpose here?" The question was almost a command.

"Don't be so sharp." Said Rabat easily. "I just wanted to do some business." He moved until he was standing directly in front of BC.

"But more than that." In a sudden motion Rabat leaned forward and cupped BC's chin in one hand.

"How about it? Shall we get to know each other better?" He leered.

BC suddenly smiled slightly, flashing her teeth. Watching her Rabat's leer quickly turned into a frown. His attempt to seduce the Subcommander had mainly been to provoke an angry response and distract her from her line of questioning. If it had actually succeeded then so much the better. But suddenly it didn't appear to be such a good idea.

Rabat was a very good judge of people. In his line of work it was a necessity and the feeling he was getting from the Subcommander put him on his guard. There was something not quite right about this one. There was something about her that was .. dangerous.

"I can smell it." He said. "The smell of gunpowder." Suddenly he backed away with his arms raised. "It seems like touching you is a bad idea." Said the trader as he backed away towards the door.

BC watched him until he disappeared through the door her face stony. Then a thought crossed her mind that made her smile. 'Imagine his surprise' she thought 'if I had let him follow though with his advances.'

………………………………………………………………………………………

In the engineering room Parfait completed a final series of connections though the engineering console.

"Ok, that should do it." She said. "Now lets test it!"

She was eager to see what the results would be of integrating the component she had obtained from Rabat with the Nirvana's power systems. The man had said that it would increase the efficiency of the entire system. Which could mean that they could increase the power to the ships drive, potentially meaning that they could get back home sooner!

Parfait watched nervously as she activated the component. At first nothing happened. Then the light from the plexis started to increase, the blue glow becoming brighter and clearer.

"Wow." Said the chief engineer. "It looks good!"

"Looks like its doing well there."

Parfait turned to see Rabat making his way towards her down past the engineering controls.

"Its like I told you right? The products that I carry are.." the man's voice suddenly broke off in mid sentence.

Rabat stared wide eyed through the viewport at the Plexis. He had though that he had no idea what the 'plexis' the engineer talked about was. But he had been wrong, very wrong. He knew exactly what it was.

How in the hell had the women gotten a hold of it. It had all been used up unless. His mind suddenly recalled a very old rumour. That back during the colonisation age a prototype had been smuggled away with one of the colony ships. Was that what he was looking at? The lost prototype?

Either way he had to get word back to his bosses. They would be very interested to hear of this and the information would be very valuable to them.

Then he suddenly remembered the power of the strange fighting machines he had seen earlier. Could they somehow be tied to this? He had to find out before he left. The potential reward was too much to pass up.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

BC and Magno sat in the captains cabin. Magno listened to BC talk with half an ear. Most of her attention was focussed on the Tarot deck she was shuffling before her.

"That man." Said BC. "There is something strange about him."

"He knows about our planet." Agreed Magno as she turned over a card and inspected it.

"And about the enemies identity or maybe.." BC suddenly fell silent as she saw Magno look at the card with greater scrutiny.

".. he is the enemy itself." Magno finished the subcommanders sentence. "A hermit." She said looking at the card before her. "A hermit implies an outsider, a pursuer an enemy or… a spy."

………………………………………………………………………………………….

In the medical bay Hibiki winced as Duero peeled off a strip of skin bonding tape. The falling boxes had opened a shallow cut on his forehead, but the tape had now sealed the wound closed.

"Are you worried about Rabat." Asked Duero.

Hibiki looked away frowning.

"He's pretty cool." Commented Bart around a mouthful of food cubes. Unlike the other men the Nirvana's pilot still persisted with the tasteless food of their homeland. This followed a rather unfortunate incident when Bart had decided to sample some of the women's food for himself. Unfortunately what he sampled was something called 'Vindaloo' that Tam had actually been making as an experiment. The result of which was that Bart had spent the next several hours with his head under a water tap and had declined to enter the kitchen since.

"Everyone is saying that." Replied Duero. "That he is kind."

"Are you guy's idiots!" Snapped Hibiki angrily. "He's just a Rat Bastard with a fast tongue. Everyone's getting tricked!"

"New's! Ribbit." The three men turned to see Paiway in the doorway, her frog puppet on her hand. "You wanna hear? You wanna hear?" she asked.

"Shut up! We don't have time for you know, come back later." Said Hibiki, feeling in no mood to deal with the ships resident gossip hound.

"Really? Its about Dita and Rabat, rabbit." Said Paiway, the puppet moving in time with her voice.

Hibiki suddenly blinked his eyes in shock. "Dita and the Rat Bastard? What about them?"

"Oh just that they went down to the Vanguard bays. Rabat asked her to show him your partner."

"WHAT? That Bastard" screamed Hibiki as he leapt to his feet. Before any of the others could respond he pelted down the corridor and was gone.

The others watched his passage bemused.

"Which one do you think he's more worried about?" asked Duero. "The Vanguard or Dita?"

"What's with that kid?" said Bart. "These days he's acting almost as weird as Tam. Speaking of which, where is Tam?"

………………………………………………………………………………………..

Tam sat in the dark room staring out at the stars. He was in a little used and not well known observation room in the Ikazuchi section of the Nirvana.

He said hunched over in his seat, his sword across his knees. In his hands he held his Kukri. One hand gripping the handle the other poised on the tip of the blade. He idly spun the blade in his fingers, watching the starlight flicker along the watermark patterns of the New Damascus steel. Suddenly a voice disturbed his reverie.

"So this is where you've been hiding."

Tam did not look up but his mouth twitched slightly in an almost smile.

"Its hiding when I just want to find a quiet place to think?"

"Its hiding when you shut yourself away from everyone because you don't want them to see your pain?" confirmed Meia as she took a seat nearby.

For a moment they sat in an uncomfortable silence. Tam was the first to break it.

"I didn't think you would be able to find me. I thought I had closed off the bond enough to prevent that."

"Yes you did." Agreed Meia. "But this bond we share, it works both ways. You may have tried to close it down, but if I focus I can still will it open. Not much, but enough to find you."

Meia turned to look at Tam who was still aimlessly spinning his odd knife between his hands. His face was blank expressionless, it gave no hint of what he was feeling. But Meia could tell. Through the bond that they shared she could feel his pain, but she could not find its source. His memories were closed off to her, she could not tell what had caused this. She could only tell that it had been growing since the Christmass, since Tam had remembered something he did not want to share.

"Tam, talk to me. Tell me what is troubling you."

His reaction was not what she expected. He turned to stare at her, eyes angry the Kukri suddenly gripped tightly in his hands.

"It is none of your concern." He ground out though clenched teeth.

That reaction would have caused most of the crew to back away in fear. Especially knowing what Tam was capable of. But there were very few things that frightened Meia these days, even fewer now. And she only knew one way to respond to a threat.

"It is my concern when one of my pilots is in pain. It is my concern when there are unnecessary tensions among the crew and it is my concern when one of my pilots is unable to perform their duties properly!" she replied forcefully.

Tam blinked confused and seemed about to protest, but Meia didn't give him the chance.

"Don't try to convince me otherwise. I can feel your pain through our bond. Ever since the Christmas you have been letting the crew distance themselves from you. What's more you have distanced yourself from them. Its almost like you want them to dislike you. And what you are suffering from is affecting your performance. How else do you explain the fact that you are sitting here while we have an unknown and possibly dangerous man on the ship!"

Tam looked at her and Meia could see that her arguments were starting to get through. He opened his mouth as if to say something.

But then suddenly Dita's face appeared on the Comm. screen. The Redhead looked like she had been crying and had hit the ship wide comm. In her distress.

"Help! Someone anyone, Mr Rabat is fighting Mr Alien in the Vanguard bay. He's going to kill him!"

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Earlier:

Rabat sighed. Just when things had been going so well.

It had been child's play to convince the pretty redheaded pilot to show him the Vanguard bays. Even more fortunate there had been nobody else there when they had arrived. Unfortunately as soon as he had expressed an interest at having a closer look at the Vanguard his guide had protested.

Dita stood in front of Hibiki's Vanguard. Arms wide as if to block Rabat's progress.

"No!" She yelled. "This is Mr Alien's precious partner!"

"I just want to take a little look." Said Rabat soothingly as he stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the Vanguard. 'Yes' he thought. 'there is definitely something here.'

"NO!" Yelled Dita again even more strongly.

Rabat looked down at her annoyed. "Move it" he said. His voice low and menacing.

Dita looked up at him, concern and fear written across her face. But she refused to move out of the way.

"Stop being so serious." Said Rabat as he tried a different tack. Reaching out his hand to cup Dita's face.

"What are you to him?" asked the trader.

"What do you mean?" asked Dita confused.

Rabat smiled slyly. "He doesn't think anything of you. On the contrary he thinks all women are enemies. There just step out of the way." He said as he leaned forward to kiss her. Only to halt abruptly.

"Stop right there! Let her go" Yelled Hibiki's voice.

Rabat turned in surprise. Hibiki stood in the entrance to the bay. Still panting slightly from his run.

"Hmph. That was a good moment there. What an uncouth kid." Said Rabat, who then sneered in triumph as he saw Hibiki tense up in anger.

"I'm not a kid." He retorted angrily. "Where do you keep your eyes."

"Here and here." Replied the trader pointing at his left eye and at the red lens that covered his right.

"I cant stand to think that you're one of us men." Said Hibiki almost snarling in anger. "Get out of here now!"

Rabat scoffed. "And what if I say no?" he sneered.

"I'll force you out." Yelled Hibiki with a raised fist.

At this the older man's eyes narrowed and he made his way slowly towards the younger.

"Interesting." He said.

Hibiki watched him approach for a second. Then he snapped. With a wild cry he hurled himself forward against his antagonist.

Rabat waited for him patiently, making no move. Then as the young man was almost upon him a blinding light suddenly shone out from the red lens over his right eye.

Hibiki pulled up short and instinctively raised his hands to cover his eyes. This was a mistake.

In the instant he was distracted Rabat surged forward and viciously kneed the younger man in the chest, knocking the breath out of him. Hibiki instantly collapsed. Only his grip on the older mans tunic keeping him upright.

"That.. wasn't .. fair.." he said gasping.

"Huh? I cant hear very well." Said Rabat as he raised a hand to his ear. "Anyway its your own rule right?" he continued as he lowered the hand and used it to lift Hibiki up by his head. "Its not mine."

The older man now held the younger at arms length before him. Their eyes almost level.

"I don't know who inspired you but you shouldn't just be parroting someone else's line's." With this Rabat drew back his other hand and sent a roundhouse right straight at Hibiki's face. Held pinned the younger man was unable to dodge. The force of the blow through him backwards across the room to land sprawled outside the bay. The savagery of this strike was what sent Dita running for the communicator.

………………………………………………………………………………………

"A fight?" said BC in shock as she looked at Dita's worried face.

"Please! Someone help. Mr Alien is going to die!" yelled Dita over the screen.

BC turned to look at Magno. "Leave it be." Said the Captain. 'Men learn many things through the body. Meia tells me Hibiki thinks that Tam has been hard on him in their training sessions. Maybe this will teach him differently."

"Understood." Replied BC.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

In the Vanguard hanger Hibiki stifled a cry as he was slammed against a wall. Pain had become the center of his world as Rabat pounded him around the Hangar.

Earlier he had been angry with Tam, thinking that the older man was being unnecessarily harsh. Now he knew different. The wacks Tam had given him were as nothing compared to the beating he was now receiving from Rabat.

"There's nothing more stupid than a hot head that gets provoked by someone else's trick." Said Rabat as he stood sneering down at the younger man. He looked calm and superior. A marked contrast to Hibiki's now bedraggled appearance.

Gasping Hibiki looked up. His face was a mass of bruises. He was bleeding from a cut lip and they were only his visible injuries. Other bruises covered his body. Moving was agony, even breathing brought pain. But despite this he still tried to stand up. This time he tried to take the stance that Tam had taught him. Rabat observed this and sneered.

"Even if you mimic the appearance your true self gets revealed quickly. You're just a hot-headed young punk!"

Anger gave Hibiki strength to overcome the pain. "Shut up." He yelled through bruised lips as he surged towards Rabat again. But the older man merely sidestepped, grabbed Hibiki's head in passing and used it to slam him into the deck.

Rabat looked down as Hibiki struggled to his feat. Groaning against the pain. He was staggering, he could barely stand upright.

"A really strong person is someone who can charge fiercely with their own words."

Suddenly Rabat surged forward, laying into Hibiki with his fists.

"Just. One. Strong. Real fresh. Word." He said, each word punctuated by a vicious punch to Hibiki's already abused body. "Is worth a million aphorism's." He finished by kicking out with his leg and using it to grind Hibiki into the deck below.

"Stop it!" Dita yelled.

Rabat looked at her and smiled. He was having far too much fun to stop now. The boy had so much more to learn. But Dita's cry had distracted him. He was also unaware of the gathering crowd of crewmembers that had gathered to watch the fight with mounting horror and soon he was much to distracted to notice.

Rabat lurched and gave a sudden cry of pain.

Hibiki had bitten his leg. Like a terrier attacking a lion the younger man had his teeth locked on Rabat's lower calf. His hands braced on the leg to hold himself in place.

Rabat fell back against the floor grimacing in pain.

"Shit!" he cried. "Let go!" but Hibiki only continued.

Enraged Rabat kicked out at Hibiki with his other leg.

"Let go. Let Go. LET GO!" he yelled. Each yell was punctuated by a vicious stamp directly into the younger mans face.

Hibiki refused to let go. But finally the force of Rabat's kicks knocked him away. He slammed into the opposite wall and lay still.

Rabat slowly got to his feet and when he looked down at Hibiki his face was murderous.

'He had been playing until now, enjoying himself. But now things had changed. That boy, that little snot had dared to actually hurt him! Well now he would pay for it.'

Rabat stepped forward to finish the kid off, ignoring the cries of the women around him. But then a brown covered arm grabbed his shoulder and held him in place.

"That's enough." Said a male voice. Rabat checked himself and turned to look into Tam's hard eyes. "What ever the kid has done he's paid for it. Let it be."

Rabat gazed at the newcomer. Took in his size, his clothing and the sword and knife he wore. This one would not be so easy. Best to take care of it quickly. Abruptly he stepped back.

"Alright I'll let it be." He said holding his arm out to Tam.

Tam reached forward hesitantly to shake the outstretched arm, but as he did so Rabat reacted. Surging forward he grabbed Tam's outstretched arm in both his own. Then in a single rapid movement he moved it away and to an angle. There was a sickening wet crack of breaking bone. In the same movement Rabat swung his body around. Pivoting Tam's weight around his own center of gravity as he threw the other man across the room to slam against the far wall.

The on looking women gasped in shock as Tam's body crumpled to a heap. Rabat sneered and turned to face Hibiki once more. He ignored the pleas and cries of the women as he slowly moved towards his victim, slowly considering how he would finish the boy off. Then another noise broke through his concentration.

"Ha ha ha. A ha ha ha." Laughter suddenly resounded through the bay. But this was not light joyful laughter. No, this was dark, deep and sinister. It reverberated around the bay with a hollow echo. All other noise stopped as all present turned to stare at the source of the disturbing noise.

Tam was slowly getting to his feet. He moved slowly with exaggerated care. His right arm hung at an unnatural angle. It had been broken below the elbow and dangled by a flap of skin. The white of the bone and the bright red of his blood could be clearly seen. But this was not the most disturbing thing. There was a wild light in Tam's eyes a madness apparent to all who saw him. All the women gathered started to move back in fear. The fear only increased as Tam spoke again."

""Ha ha ha. A ha ha ha. Forgive me for underestimating you. I thought you were only human but I see I was mistaken."

Rabat stared at the newcomer in shock. "What.. what do you mean."

Tam smiled sinisterly as he pointed at the trader. "Muscle enhancements all though your body. Reinforced alloy coating your bones. Back up life support systems to support the major organs and adrenal and endorphin stimulators. Yes you have a very nice set of augmentations. I wonder where you got them from?"

Rabat suddenly felt cold. When his bosses had given him his enhancements at the start of his mission they had ensured that they were well hidden. His job relied on him appearing human. On being able to blend in with the people on the worlds he visited. Only a detailed surgical scan should have been able to detect his implants, yet this person had done so with apparently his own eyes. What the hell was happening here?

"Yes you should be an interesting match." Continued Tam. "That is of course unless even with all your implants you're afraid to fight more than an undersize boy?"

That stung, but even goaded like that Rabat did not stop thinking. Lifting his hand he pointed. "What about that sword you're wearing. It'll hardly be a fair fight if you use that."

Wordlessly Tam reached up to unbuckle the straps of his baldric. He then laid the sword on the floor behind him and walked forward with predator's grace.

Rabat settled into a defensive stance and waited for him to come.

"Don't think I'm going to hold back because of your broken arm." He warned

Tam stopped and looked down. Then he grasped the gangling portion of his broken arm in his good hand.

"Oh you mean this?"

With a sudden motion he twisted the arm back into its proper position and held it in place, his good hand covering the break. There was another wet crunch that caused cries of disgust from the watching women. Tam ignored them. He simply stood flexing the broken arm for a few moments, then he removed his good arm.

Rabat and the assembled women stared in shock.

Tam watched the arm as he gave it a few experimental flexes and jabs. The arm appeared completely healed. There was still a gash in his jerkin where the bone had poked through, but the arm itself moved as if it had never been broken.

Tam ceased his flexing, apparently satisfied and turned to stare at Rabat with cold, cold eyes. "I trust you have no further objections?" he asked in a voice that would almost have been polite, if not for the chill it conveyed.

Rabat was unable to respond other than to shake his head.

"Then let us begin." Said Tam.

Then he moved.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Rabat was a veteran of close combat. In the course of his many travels he had met and fought and defeated more opponents than he could remember. At first solely with the superior speed and strength his augmentations gave him. But then over time he had mastered a number of close combat techniques. He found it so much more satisfying to defeat his opponents with skill rather than brute force.

But never in his travels had he encountered someone that moved as Tam did now.

There was no warning. No hint of his intentions.

One minute he was standing there seemingly relaxed after setting his arm. The next he was charging towards Rabat with deadly speed. Rabat was shocked. To attack so quickly with no indication, no hints to give away his intention was almost unheard of.

Rabat desperately backed away. Trying to put some distance between himself and this potentially lethal figure. But he could not match Tam's speed.

"Fortunately' he thought. 'I don't have too.'

Smirking he sent a command to the lens he wore over his right eye. One again there was a blinding flash of light as the lens let loose an optic flare. Under the cover of the flares burst Rabat surged forward, his knee already drawn back in preparation to strike Tam the same way he had Hibiki. With a smirk of triumph he sent his knee surging towards where the other mans gut should be.

Only to almost fall to the ground when the knee encountered only thin air.

Puzzled Rabat stopped and gazed around before him.

'Where is he? Where can he have..'

He was still forming the thought when an answer came. Suddenly Rabat was sent hurtling forward to hand flat on his face. Something had kicked him in the ass with the force of a sledge hammer. Rabat groaned and clutched his know aching buttocks.

'What the?' he thought.

"You will have to do better than that child beater. What's the matter? Are you only capable of facing opponents over whom you hold every advantage?"

Rabat looked behind him at the source of the voice. Tam stood several feet behind him. He stood seemingly relaxed, his arms folded before him. But the satisfied expression on his face removed any doubt that he had been the source of the strike.

Anger surged through Rabat and he translated it into action. Bracing himself he surged to his feet and charged at Tam. Arms and legs flying in a flurry of well coordinated punches and kicks. None of them did any good.

Calmly, almost lazily, Tam moved to avoid each of the strikes against him. He moved with an easy grace that was almost unnatural to behold. Ducking just before a punch, stepping just out of the way of a kick. Positioning an arm to deflect a strike just so. He made it appear childishly easy, and it served to infuriate Rabat even more.

But Tam was not done tormenting his attacker. Suddenly he shifted partly to attack.

Now each time Rabat attempted to strike him. Not with a strike in turn but with an open handed slap. The loud, Wack! Of flesh striking flesh echoed in the Vanguard bay. The strikes did Rabat almost no damage. But they did hurt and they were infuriating, which was just what Tam intended.

Anger coursed through Rabat white hot and moved to Rage. With an inarticulate bellow he aimed a massive strike at Tam's head putting the fully force of his body behind the blow. But once again Tam ducked under the blow and moved behind him.

Unfortunately for Rabat he had backed Tam into the edge of the bay. Instead of Tam's skull his fist encountered the hard unyielding steel of the Vanguard bay.

"Arrrraaahhhh." Rabat screamed in pain. He had almost crushed the knuckles of his own hand with that strike. White hot pain radiated out from his hand as he knelt on the floor, clutching it to his chest. Tears of agony streaming down his face.

Then he heard a voice behind him.

"Oh, how clumsy of you. Now why would you want to go and hit a wall like that?"

Rabat turned to face the voice. Once again Tam stood behind him, his stance calm and relaxed. Only now there was a smile on his face.

'He was smirking. That bastard was smirking at him!'

For Rabat this was the last straw. White hot anger surged through him, completely displacing the pain. He keyed buried mental commands, implanted many years ago.

The augmentations in his body acknowledged the commands and began to implement them. And for the first time since they had been installed, Rabat brought the full range of his augmentations online at once.

Rabat slowly got to his feet, making a show of being in pain. He waited until his augmentations confirmed that they were fully active. Then, he struck.

There was no warning. No indication of what he was about to do. One minute Rabat had been standing there clutching his hand. The next an orange and brown blur was hurtling towards Tam.

As he approached, Rabat saw Tam's eyes widen in shock. Saw him start to move out of the way. But it was too late. Rabat closed to within striking distance and as he did so he let loose with a massive roundhouse swing backed by all of his enhanced strength. The blow hit Tam directly on his jaw, and its force was enormous. A loud crack could be heard throughout the bay as another bone broke. But it did not stop there. The force of the blow was so great that it sent Tam flying through the air. He only stopped when he struck the far wall and slammed into it full force before he fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

Rabat laughed in triumph as he watched his enemy fall. Then he heard a noise.

He looked down in shock, then in disbelief. Tam was slowly getting to his feet.

'Impossible!' thought Rabat. 'A blow like that should be able to break steel. I felt his bones crack! No human should be able to survive that!'

But contrary to all expectations this man obviously had, and a cold chill passed down Rabat's spine as he realised that like himself, this man may not be wholly human.

Tam finally got to his feet. He shook himself a few times and felt his jaw. Then he turned to face Rabat. The watching women and even Rabat himself stepped back in shock.

Tam's face was locked in a Deaths Head grin. His lips drawn back in an unnaturally wide smile to show all of his teeth. Those teeth were bloody. The blood from split lips or gums trickled through them and down his chin.

But this only served to make him more disturbing, not less.

"Now" he said in a sibient voice that was halfway between a growl and a whisper.

"That's better!" he breathed deeply for a few moments before saying one word "Boost"

And then he moved, charging forward with a speed so inhuman he was no more than a blur. As he did so the familiar battlecry of "SHANDRAKOR." Thundered through the bay. And across the bay Rabat charged to meet him, his speed equally inhuman, equally fast. The rage that had fuelled him before now enhanced by another emotion. Fear.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

A large number of the women of the crew were by now gathered outside the bay. Watching the fight take place. But when asked later, as many of them were, almost none of them would have been able to describe exactly what took place.

The two combatants moved as blurs. Both were moving so fast that only the vague shape of their bodies could be seen. The two blurs were not in constant contact. Rather they circled one another at incredible speeds before slamming together for a few moments when their speed became even more frantic before moving apart. Sometimes one of the blurs would suddenly be thrown violently across the room. But even then they were usually moving so fast that it was hard to identify who it was. But a fight was definitely taking place. The floor of the bay was dotted with splatters of blood. Some little more than drops, some far larger. This was the only indication most of the women had as to hard and vicious the fight was. Except for one.

Meia stood on top of a power generator in a corner of the bay. She had been watching the fight since Tam had intervened. When she first saw Rabat break Tams arm she had been worried. But after seeing Tam get back up and humiliate Rabat she had relaxed. Now she was worried again, but for a different reason.

Unlike the other women she was able to follow the progress of the fight. She did not know if it was due to her experience as a dread pilot, with the need to be able to perceive and react to fast moving objects, or her connection with Tam. But somehow she could clearly see the progress of the two combatants. And what she saw worried her.

The conflict between Tam and Rabat was savage. They would separate, circled one another looking for an opening but when they slammed together it was hard and brutal. Each man would aim a flurry of blows and kicks at the other. They appeared to be targeting the head, the lower body, the legs and the groin. That more than anything showed this was a serious fight. They were not playing, they were trying to kill each other. Rabat was obviously putting everything into the fight. He aimed his punches to kill or cripple and he desperately sought to avoid blows aimed at him.

But Tam, he was just wading in. He seemed focused on hitting his enemy, but the blows he struck seemed more to cause pain than to take Rabat out of the fight. What's more he was making little or no effort to avoid Rabat's attacks. He seemed to wade right into them as long as it meant that he could strike back in turn.

'In fact' Meia thought as she saw Tam's death head grin widen slightly as he absorbed a vicious punch to his guts. 'He seems to accepting the blows, even asking for them. It's almost as if he wants to be hit.'

The thought disturbed Meia enough that she decided to try something she would otherwise never have done. Tam's attention was completely focused on the fight below. She hoped that meant that he would be distracted enough.

She breathed deeply, centering herself and then she reached out for the bond she shared with Tam.

When the bond had first started neither of them had been sure how to react. It gave them access to one another's thoughts and feelings and even their memories. For someone as private as Meia it was an intrusion almost beyond bearing. But Tam had been familiar with such bonds in concept if not in experience and he had helped her to lay down some rules so that they could both live with what had happened to them. Meia was about to break one of those rules now.

Reaching out she suddenly entered Tam's mind. At first there was pain and Meia almost gasped aloud. So much physical pain, but the pain was balanced by the rush of adrenaline and endorphins that the Boost flooded through Tam's system and eventually Meia was able to block it out. But now came the difficult part. Reaching out once again she tried to enter the inner portion of Tam's mind. This was his private space, his innermost self. The same place that he had gone to in her mind to save her when she had been dying from the Plexis shard. If she did this he might never forgive her, but she could not stand by and watch him destroy himself. He had saved her life. She would repay that now, even if it meant destroying the trust that had built up between them. So slowly she reached out with her mind and brushed his inner barriers.

There was resistance at first. Tam had built up too many walls trying to minimise the bond they shared. But the mental walls required his concentration to maintain, and all Tam's attention was focused on his fight with Rabat. So slowly she was able to make her way through them. Then suddenly abruptly she was through. She could feel the full force of the bond. Felt it recognise her, accept her and pull her in. Into a world of pain and anguish.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Pain not physical pain but mental pain of the most excruciating sort. Anguish, despair and longing so strong it felt like it would swallow her whole. Tam's inner mind was a roiling volcano of these emotions. Meia felt them wash over her and this time they were so strong that she was forced to her knees. It took all her will, all her mental discipline but she was able to distance herself from it. To tear herself away and re-establish the mental barriers that Tam had placed on their bond. When this was done she sat on her knees and watched the fight below her with a new understanding, as the memory of the pain she had briefly shared throbbed through her whole being.

Pain. That was what Tam felt. She had known that he was in pain but she would never have guessed that what he was feeling was as bad as this. It was there lurking within him. That was what she had felt. Somehow since the Christmas this pain had awakened within Tam. He was desperately trying to conceal it, but it was too strong. It was eating away at him and so he had been looking for some source of release.

That was the reason he had been distancing himself from the crew. That was the reason for his fight with Hibiki, for him trying to shut her out of the bond. And that was the reason that Tam was allowing himself to get hit in the fight below.

He wanted to be hit. He wanted to be hurt. Because he wanted desperately to feel something other than the despair and anguish that was gnawing away at his heart.

But he would not succeed. Meia knew, just as she once had rather than facing the source of his pain he was running away from it. Until he faced it he would find no relief. And that meant that the fight below was pointless.

Nodding to herself, her decision made, Meia got to her feet.

……………………………………………………………………………………….

Tam and Rabat exchanged blows. One delivered a vicious uppercut to the jaw, while the other delivered a punch straight to the others guts. The force of the blows knocked the two away from each other for a moment. They stopped briefly and stared at one another.

Both combatants were covered with bruises. Their faces a patchwork of tan and purple skin. Both of them were bleeding. Either from the mouth or from scrapes along the forehead. They were both tired, they're bodies driven to the fullest. But as they looked each other in the eyes their hatred was undiminished. And then suddenly surged forward to continue the conflict once again.

But before they could engage again they both slammed to a halt as the brilliant flash of a laser blast cut through the air between them. The both backed up to give themselves space, then they turned to look at the source of the shot.

Meia stood on top of the generator. The laser ring on her hand held out before her.

"Game over." She said. Both men looked at her angrily, then their eyes were drawn back to each other. Despite their injuries it was obvious that they both wanted to continue the fight. Meia's voice rang out again. "Tam! Did you hear me? I said it's over." Tam continued staring at Rabat and for a moment it seemed that he would refuse. Then he let out a deep sighing breath and he stepped back, allowing his body to relax. The habit of obeying orders was too ingrained, just as Meia had hoped.

Rabat looked at Tam angrily. As he saw the other man relax he started to step forward, determined to finish this fight. Another blast of laser light made him stop. He turned to look at Meia angrily. Then he heard another noise behind him.

He turned to see the onlooking crowd of crew members. Only now they weren't just sitting back and watching. Each of the women held a laser ring or a rifle and they were all pointed at him.

"You're ship is repaired and your business here is over." Said Meia. "Time for you to go." Rabat sighed and relaxed. Raising his hands he started to make his way back to his ship. There was no point in fighting a losing battle, and the future would offer opportunities for revenge on much more favourable terms.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

The bridge crew watched on their monitors as Rabat's ship disengaged its docking tube and started to move away.

"Rabat's ship is leaving." Reported one of the techs.

"Parfait! Fire up the engines!" ordered Magno. "Lets go the pirate way." Said the commander with a smile.

Moments later the Nirvana's powerful engines flared to life. Instantly propelling the ship forward in pursuit of Rabat's retreating vessel.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

In the engineering bay Parfait watched entranced as the Plexis stared to glow brighter and brighter.

"Cool, cool." Said the chief engineer. "It's operating at five time's normal capacity!"

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

In his piloting tank. Bart crouched forward in anticipation as the Nirvana closed on Rabat's ship.

"Closer, closer, closer." He said excitedly.

"Don't let him escape!" ordered Magno. Then in a lower voice to herself. "We're gonna rob you down good."

…………………………………………………………………………………………

On his ship Rabat swore angrily as he applied more pain numbing paste from the medical kit.

His whole body felt like it was on fire. It almost felt like he could feel each individual muscle screaming in pain. The augmentations he had allowed him to move inhumanly fast in a fight, but his muscles themselves were still human and they had never been designed to move that fast. He only hoped that there would be no long term damage from this fight. Body parts were so expensive to replace.

Suddenly a proximity alarm started to beep. He looked over at it and saw it display the Nirvana moving up close behind him. He grinned unconcerned. They might be closing on him for now. But any minute now…

………………………………………………………………………………………..

Suddenly in engineering the glow of the Plexis started to fluctuate like a dying light bulb. It flared brightly for a moment before dying away to almost nothing.

"What! What's happening?" called out Parfait in alarm.

Suddenly there was a massive explosion from one of the panels. Filling the engine room with thick black smoke.

'Well' thought Parfait as she coughed in the thick smoke. 'That's what you get for using bootleg components.'

…………………………………………………………………………………………

In space Rabat's ship continued to accelerate away. But the Nirvana suddenly came to a dead stop.

"Hey what are you doing?" yelled Bart angrily. "Engine room. He's getting away."

"I don't know exactly. But I think that system we got from him exploded. That component was definitely defective. Someone put in a complaint!"

On the bridge BC and Magno watched Rabat's ship retreat into the distance.

"He got us." Said Magno

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Rabat watched the Nirvana recede into the distance behind him. He had obtained great satisfaction from seeing his booby trap work. It would be quite a while before they could come after him and by that time he would be long gone.

But the satisfaction he felt did not overcome the pain he was now in. The pain had been getting worse and worse since the fight ended. Not even the painkillers from the medical kit were completely blocking it out.

Silently he vowed that he would have his revenge on that ship and on that man in particular. Then he smiled and looked at the data disk before him. The disc contained all the information that he had obtained about the ship, its weapons and its power source. He had a feeling that his masters would be very happy with what it contained.

In a way it was almost a pity. There had been so many gorgeous women on that ship. He wouldn't have minded having his way with quite a few of them. But he had a feeling that his masters would leave them in no fit state for that after they were finished. A pity, but there were other women out there and he would be able to buy the attentions of many with the reward he would obtain from this information.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

Later as the Nirvana entered its night cycle Tam made his way to the captains briefing room. He was dressed only in his brown leathers. The bruises on his face were now fading, either thanks to Duero's ministrations or his own accelerated healing. He carried no weapons, not even his Kukri. Earlier he had received a very terse call ordering him to report to the Captain immediately and that was what he was here to do. He was about to press the intercom to report his presence when the doors suddenly slid open and Magno's voice echoed through.

"Come in Tam."

He stopped for a moment in surprise then he entered the room.

When he entered he received another shock. The room was nearly empty. Its only occupants were Magno, who sat in her usual chair at the head of the table and Meia who stood behind the Captain on her right hand side. Unusually both BC and Gascognue were missing from the meeting.

Tam approached the captain. When he was about two meters away he saluted her fist to chest and stood at attention.

"Captain. You asked to see me?"

"Yes Tam I did. Meia has told me some disturbing things about you."

Tam shot Meia a quick look. The dread commander's face remained expressionless. He could not feel her through the bond. She had shut herself out. If Magno noticed this she ignored it and continued."

"She tells me that through this bond you share that she can tell that you are in great pain. She also tells me that this pain is beginning to affect your work. Your judgement and your interactions with the crew."

Tam started to protest, but Magno cut him off.

"And from what others have said she is right. Before you were starting to fit in with the crew. Well, as much as any man could. But lately you have been becoming more distant and detached. And the fight with Rabat demonstrates that you are no longer thinking of your duty to protect the crew. Or do you claim that that fight was for anything more than selfish reasons?"

Tam jerked as if he had been slapped, but then his head dipped. He made no effort to deny what Magno had said was the truth.

Magno nodded satisfied. "You acknowledge that what ever this is it is interfering in your duty. So Tamorasp Naghanashar do you have anything you wish to tell me?"

Tam's head jerked up with surprise as Magno used his full name. For a moment he stared at her and it appeared that he was about to speak. Then a spasm crossed his face and he ducked his head again.

"No captain. I apologise. I have been remiss in my duties. It will not happen again."

Magno nodded. "I'm sorry Tamorasp but that is not good enough. I am now giving you a direct order. Tell me what is troubling you. Tell me what you remembered over Christmas that is causing you to act this way!"

Tam looked up in shock. "Captain you can't order me to."

Slam. Magno banged her chair against the floor cutting Tam off.

"I can and I do. Whatever these memories are they are interfering with your duties on board this ship. That makes them my concern. Now for the second time I order you to tell me what happened. Now are you going to tell me or are you going to disobey a direct order?"

It was apparent to the two women that Tam was struggling with the order he had been given. For a moment he looked defiant and Magno was worried that she had pushed him too far. Then he slumped defeated. Magno relaxed and let loose a breath she did not realise she had been holding. She had been right, his habit at obeying orders was too strong to break.

Tam sighed deeply. "May I sit down Captain?"

Magno looked at him in surprise then nodded. It was highly unusual from Tam to ask to sit down. Usually he had to be ordered to take a seat.

She watched as he slowly eased his way into a chair. He grasped his arms before him and leaned his head on them for a moment, gathering his thoughts. Then he began to speak.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

"I have told you before of how the empire was in the middle of a civil war. Of how the majority of the imperial fleet in which I served had rebelled against the usurper Finn Durendal. I told you of my first battle in that conflict, the assault on Khrishaar Prime when I served on the BlackSword."

The women nodded. Tam sighed again and continued.

"The war was a long one. It had been dragging for 6 years (3). Although the majority of the Fleet had joined the rebellion some of it had not. In addition the Durendal's forces had occupied many planets. Including the manufacturing and production facilities. In the early stages of the War he kept us distracted trying to prevent attacks against low tech worlds and against our alien allies, like the assault on Khrishaar Prime. By the time we had dealt with these Finn's forces were firmly entrenched on several worlds. That meant that we had to retake them one at a time.

It was a long and brutal war. I saw a lot of death and destruction. I saw terrible acts committed by both sides. By the end of the sixth year of the War I was becoming heartily sick of it. My commanders knew this and so, they sent me on a diplomatic mission to my Homeworld, New Nepalla at Christmas time."

"The mission was really unnecessary. My people had never supported Finn. The Nepallan's in Imperial service had either joined the Rebellion or been killed fighting against Finn's forces during the takeover. New Nepalla provided the rebellion with troops and food but could provide little else. Most of the planet itself was still very primitive and we liked it that way. My diplomatic mission was little more than an excuse for me and a few thousand other Neppallan's to have some R&R over Christmas. The War had been going well for us and our commanders thought that they could spare use for a few weeks before we made the final push at the remaining systems Finn controlled before moving to retake the capital."

"I remember how much we were all looking forward to seeing our home. Many of us had not been back for years. I had not seen it in nearly ten years. Between my time in the fleet and the War, I had very little time to visit my family. I was looking forward to seeing them and my home. The mountains with their snow capped peaks, the valleys with their deep forests. Even to feel the bitter cold of the winter winds and the storms. All the things that reminded me of home."

The women watched the bittersweet smile on Tam's face. Then his face hardened.

"But it was not to be. Someone else had already visited New Nepalla.

Finn Durendal knew that he was losing the war and so in an effort to turn the tide. We later learned that he had sent emissaries to New Nepalla at first offering the elders of my people great riches if they ordered all of us to side with Finn and turn against the rebellion. The story is that the elders killed the emissary themselves for even suggesting such a thing. Finn's next offer was much less polite. He moved ten transmutation platforms, his last ten into orbit around New Nepalla. He used StarCruisers to destroy our ground to space defences and then he issued his ultimatum. Either the people of New Nepalla sided with him or he would see our planet destroyed utterly."

Here Tam stopped for a moment.

"There used to be a saying in the Empire that Nepallan's were as stubborn as the mountains that covered our planet. We proved it that day. A vote was taken and almost unanimously my people decided to deny Finn's demands."

Here Tam paused and for a moment a fierce pride replaced the pain in his eyes.

"Even with the spectre of death hanging over their heads they would not agree to aid Finn. To the end we stayed true to our traditions.

But Finn had not been bluffing."

"When we emerged out of hyperspace at first we thought that we had arrived at the wrong planet. All the navigational data checked out but nothing about the planet was right. Then we picked up a signal from a satellite Finn had left behind and we learned the truth."

Now Tam looked up at Magno and Meia and for the first time the full extent of the pain he had carried concealed deep inside shone naked from his eyes.

"It was gone. All of it. The mountains, the valleys. The villages, the cities, the temples. EVERYTHING! The entire world, the whole planet had been reduced to a lifeless ball of mud! In one fell swoop Finn destroyed almost everything about our people because he destroyed our home."

Here Tam broke down. He hunched over and tears started too trickled down his face and his body was wracked by sobs. The women could only look on as they tried to comprehend the full horror of what Tam had described to them.

In a voice now hoarse and chocked by tears Tam continued.

"Although it was a tradition to take service with the Empire. Almost all of us who did would return to our home. The people there would understand what we had been through. Would respect us for what we had done, rather than fear us. The peace of our home was to be our reward for our service once we returned. But now our home is gone. We can never go back.

Ever since I found myself here. I have nursed a hope. That one day I would be able to return to the Empire. But beyond that that one day I would be able to return home, to my world and to my people."

"But now." Said Tam though tear stained eyes. "Now I can never go home. Because now I have no home. I have no people. And I am all alone."

Meia could take it no more. Through the bond she felt Tam's anguish clearly and now that she knew the reason it was all the more terrible. She rushed forward to stand behind Tam's seat. She hesitated, awkward, uncertain of what to do. And then slowly, carefully she reached out and hugged Tam from behind.

He jerked in surprise for a moment, then he eased back into her embrace. One on his hands closed over her's like a drowning man clutching a lifeline.

At the same time Meia reached out with her mind. She could not share or take away his pain, even if she knew how Tam would not let her. So instead she focused on being there. Being a presence in his mind. Showing him that despite what he thought he was not alone. Just as he had once done for her.

Magno watched the two for several minutes. Then she slowly got up and made her way towards him. She waited until finally Tam raised his face to look at her. Then she reached out a hand and stroked his chin.

"Finally you are truly one of us." She said. Tam looked at her in surprise.

Magno smiled and continued

"All of us here have lost our homes. Have lost something or someone dear to us or have lost our place in the world. That is why we are all so defensive about this ship and about strangers. This is our home now and after the loss of our first we are all the more determined that no one will take this away from us to. Now I make the same offer to you I have made to the others at one time or other. Will you accept this as your home Tamorasp Naghanashar and will you defend it as such as long as you remain here?"

As she spoke she pulled back her hand, but held it in front of her in a gesture she knew the man would know.

Tam stared at the captain's hand for a moment. He looked into her eyes, but in them he only saw acceptance. So he reached out and with care shook the captain's hand.

Magno did not relinquish the hand after the shake. But instead moved closer to grip Tam by the shoulder, her other hand still gripping his.

And so in the briefing room surrounded by the care and support of two women who although once perhaps enemies, had now in a strange way become like family. Tamorasp Naghanashar, the last of his family, perhaps the last of his people.

At last sat and cried and finally confronted the grief that he had tried to avoid for so long.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

Some time later. Tam exited the briefing room and walked to the bridge railing that overlooked the park. He felt better than he had for a long time. The pain was still with him. In fact he knew the pain would never fade, not completely. But for the first time since it had awakened, or more properly reawakened, he thought that it might one day be bearable.

In his mind he could still feel Meia. She was on her way to her quarters. She had offered to stay with him but through the bond they had both felt the need for some distance after what they had shared. Besides, with the bond they were never truly apart.

As he stood watching the stars and the glow of the lights through the waters in the park he noticed a small figure sitting crosslegged on sand before the water. Turning he started to make his way down to the park.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Hibiki sat facing the waters. The bruises on his face and the injuries he had sustained had now been treated. He would fully recover form the beating he had taken within a few days. When his pride would recover is another matter.

Suddenly he noticed another figure. He looked around to see Tam take a seat next to him. The older man said nothing and did not look at him. Only sat staring at the stars.

Hibiki hunched over and looked away. But after a while he sighed. Sitting here he had had a lot of time to think and he knew what he should do.

"I'm sorry." He said finally.

"For what?" Tam replied.

Hibiki looked over, thinking he was being mocked. But the older man was still staring at the stars with a calm expression on his face. Hibiki sighed again he did not like admitting this but it was the truth.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you and didn't listen to you in training. You kept saying I needed to learn more. That I needed to learn how to fight properly. I thought you were just jealous of what I could do with my partner. But after that fight with that Rat Bastard I realise that I rely on my partner too much. Without it I really can't fight that well. I need to learn how to be strong without my partner."

"Then some good has come of this meeting with Rabat."

Hibiki turned to look at Tam in shock. The older man turned to face him and smiled.

"That was a lesson that I have been trying to teach you for a long time little brother. I was afraid that you would not learn it before your recklessness got you killed. But you are still alive, if a little bruised and the lesson is learned. So some value has come out of this."

Now Tam turned serious. "I also have something to apologise to you for little brother."

Hibiki turned to Tam questioningly.

Tam sighed. "When I started to teach you I used the techniques that had been used to teach me. But I did not ask your consent to do so. Some of those techniques are hard and painful and I should only have done some of what I did with your consent. I had no choice in my training, my Grandfather decided that for me. But I have no right to make that choice for you and so I ask your forgiveness."

Here Tam bowed his head at the younger man.

Hibiki looked away for a moment and then looked back at the older man.

"Tam?"

He looked up.

"Yes Hibiki?"

"Will you teach me to fight, the same way you were taught?"

The older man looked at him for a second then smiled and held out his hand. They both shook firmly then turned back to stare at the stars in a companionable silence.

After several minutes Tam spoke again.

"Rabat was right about one thing you know." "

Hibiki turned to stare at Tam in Shock.

"You should find your own words to fight with not parrot someones else's." Continued the older man as he turned to face the younger.

Hibiki looked at Tam. His expression confused and a little hurt

Tam turned to smile at the younger man to take the sting out of what he had just said.

"I have been glad to teach you little brother, but the words that I say may not be for you. They have been carried in my family for generations. They are in our blood and our bone. We live them from the day we are capable of understanding them. But though you may take wisdom from them they are not yours. You need to find your own words your own creed to be all you can be."

Hibiki looked more confused

"Are you saying I can never be like you?"

Tam shook his head.

"I am saying why would you want to. I have been shaped, moulded by the teachings of those that have gone before me. I am exactly what I was trained to be. A soldier and a warrior, to an extent a leader. But while I have many strengths I also have weaknesses."

Here Tam turned to look at the stars before turning back and grasping Hibiki's shoulder as he looked into his eyes.

"Do not seek to emulate me too closely little brother. Do not limit yourself to that. My training and my life has made me into what I am but you, you can take another path. You can choose to be more."

Then he stopped and turned away.

And so the two of them sat there. One of them remembering what had been. Still feeling the pain of those memories, but now also drawing strength from them.

While the other sat and considered what may yet be and as man has done since time immemorial drew inspiration from the stars.

…………………………………………………………………………………

The end. For now.

…………………………………………………………………………………

(1) I know that this episode technically occurs after the meeting with Rabat, but I fiddled with the sequence a bit to help my story flow.

(2) Least useful in the sense that most of his special abilities only apply in Hand to hand combat. This will change eventually, but not for a little while yet.

(3) This differs from the events portrayed in DeathStalker Coda. In the final book of the trilogy the Civil war is quite a brief affair, the whole affair appeared to take less than a year. In the universe I have created it went on for far longer and was much more destructive. This is the first point in which my story differs from Simon R. Green's books, it will not be the last

To my readers.

First off I would like to apologise. It has taken me an incredibly long time to update. Partly this has been due to the chapter itself. I thought it would be a little shorter, but it kept growing until at the end I think it was around 19,000 works.

The second thing is that a number of things have happened to hinder my writing. Such as the fact that as of April 11th 2005 I have been on secondment from my home in Perth Western Australia, to Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory.

So I have been distracted by flying over, attending training in other states, travelling to other states for work and flying between Canberra and my home in Perth every 3 weeks. So every three weeks I spend 9 hours in a plane (which really cuts into my writing time, I tried writing on the plane but it is almost physically impossible), plus I have been spending a lot of time sightseeing and all and have generally been too busy for writing.

Will the next chapter be out earlier. I certainly hope so. Now that I have access to the Vandread episdodes again my work is not hindered in that way. Will I be able to find the time to write, we'll see.

Once again I apologise for the delay but please understand that moving and working interstate, (well from Perth to Canberra is technically across a subcontinent) generates all kinds of problems and sorting them out used up a lot of my free time. Now that things are settled I will hopefully be able to update more frequently.

Until then.

DarkBlade the Damned.

P.S. Thank you to all those who posted reviews asking when the next chapter was coming up, but guy's next time use my email address and I'll give you a reason for the delays. Its on my writers page.

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