Disclaimer: If I owned the characters to Outlaw Star I wouldn't be writing this piece of shit that I have the audacity to call a story, but I don't…sad huh? Also The Ronin owns Mazren and Slag, but I own Jex, including that murderous rampage he had on the planet Krikkit. I'M SORRY!

Hey Everyone! Sorry it took so long to write a new chapter, but those damn Xbox Ninja just kept coming back, the bastards!

Xbox Ninja: I heard that!

Jex: SHADDUP!

We eventually worked out some treaty, but that's even more frustrating because they pull out crap like "Well…according to Article 2, Sentence 12, Word 7 of our treaty, 'The' so tough luck!" It really pisses me off. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this steaming pile of…well…you don't want to know what that pile is…

Chapter 3: Meeting For The First Time…Again

Location: Outlaw Star

Heifong City Spaceport

Slag was restless. Mazren had left him on the ship to watch out for Gene, but all possible intruders were supposed to be stopped by Gilliam. But he still thought something was wrong.

Despite that no alarms had been triggered, and the fact that his senses were telling him nothing was there, Slag's hair was standing on end.

Slag was rather intelligent and could think quite logically. Mix a intelligent mind with general wolf instincts, shake well, and you get what he had, quite a mind in a wolf's skull, with the teeth to match.

"Well, my instincts are usually right about these things, and right now my instincts are to tackle and bite the jugular of a person that isn't there." It was bugging the hell out of him.

So what did he do? He went with his instincts and tackled the strange thing that was bugging him.

Slag would have followed through with the rest of his plan to kill the intruder, but somehow this guy was strong enough to keep Slag's teeth a mere millimeter from puncturing the skin by grabbing the wolf's jaws and holding them open.

Now if you knew Slag's biology, you would be absolutely amazed. Slag had changed in the last few years. His bite was now cyberneticly enhanced to where if he bit your hand, there would be a Slag's mouth sized chunk of your hand and some of your arm cleanly severed off.

So now you're writhing in pain on the floor and screaming. After that you think "Wow…that's a big chunk" then you resume the task at hand, being all that screaming like a blonde in a horror flick.

"You god damn wolf! Get off me!" Of course Slag didn't comply. But once a sound was uttered, the air under Slag shimmered and be came a man in full view to all senses and Gilliam's scanners.

And of course Gilliam, being Gilliam said "Oh my, you do not have the captain's permission to be on board!" Slag looked as pleased with himself as a wolf could with his jaws being held open, and then resumed trying to acquire a second lunch.

The stranger sighed, he felt it was too early to reveal himself, but he didn't have a choice anymore with thanks to the wolf. Who was still trying to acquire the aforementioned meal.

Frustrated, he called out to Gilliam. "Whatever your name is computer, call Starwind, we have some things to discuss."

Gene awoke to feel three of Gilliam's maintenance robots bouncing on his chest with an urgent "Gene! Gene! Wake up! We have an intruder!" coming from three sources, at different times.

It was crazy when one started, another was on "Wake up!' and the third was half-way through the word "intruder". It would make any lesser being trip out, or maybe not. Well, if they were on the latest shit from your local dealer…Gene didn't like where this train of thought was leading him.

The reason that Gene was uncomfortable with this line his mind was pursuing was that Fred Lou had expanded his market from weapons to many less admirable trades.

If Gene had any thoughts to get into that kind of thing, well Fred would make Gene his personal sex slave if Gene had a need for a fix. And the shit they peddled today would have you bending over in an instant for just a single pill.

Gene shut down that particular train and mumbled sleepily "What time is it Gilliam? It feels early."

After he asked, the part about an intruder sunk in. Gene jumped out of bed and headed for the door. Gilliam told him anyways "the sun is just rising and it is…"

Gene realized he'd forgot a few things, and cut Gilliam off in mid sentence "Shut up about the time, where is the intruder?" as he spoke, he ran toward room to grab his gun belt.

After rushing out the door he felt a flash of searing pain rush though his new scars that bastard in the bar had given him two days ago. "I still have to find him and kick his ass" he fumed.

While he had no idea how to find the guy, he still thought about it. "I'll find him and rip his arm's off, but how did he give me the scars? I didn't see a weapon, so how did he leave four gashes in my chest?" These thoughts faded as he met Jim's pink Gilliam in the hall.

Gilliam told Gene "the intruder is in the cockpit." And Gene ran up the hall to the elevator.

"Take me there, NOW!" He shouted Gene didn't like intruders, not after all the shit the Kei Pirates and The McDougal Brothers had pulled. It gave him bad memories.

One of the most sore memories is what was revealed to him in his battle against Mako. What Mako showed him was what had happened when Harry McDougal tried to take Mel and the Outlaw Star.

Gilliam's voice snapped Gene back to reality.

Gilliam was analyzing the situation in that maddeningly calm and calculated way that machines always seem to. "Calm down Gene. while he is an intruder, he is rather well behaved."

Gene couldn't believe his ears. "Well behaved? How"

"Well, maybe not exactly 'well behaved' but he did ask me to bring you. Maybe the fact that he and Slag are in a struggle, and he wants you to call slag off is why he wants to speak with you."

Gilliam just kept on talking "As to how he got onboard, I do not know. He must have a sensor dampening device, or have an ability similar to the Leiline…"

"Gilliam"

"Yes Gene?"

Gene narrowed his eyes into a look that said 'shut up' and just asked "Are we there yet?" All this noise was giving him a headache

The stranger was getting impatient "Where is Starwind? I can't just lie here with this fucking wolf for…"

Gene burst in with his shotgun yelling "Freeze bastard!" He would've used his caster-blade, but that would damaged the ship.

"…ever" the stranger finished his thought and then addressed Gene "Took you long enough, what's the matter, Those wounds from the bar slowing you down? Now call of this damn wolf!"

Gene looked skeptically at the man under Slag "Why should I call off Slag? He seems happy right where he is."

"Because if you don't, I'll tear his jaw off." As he said this, he began to pull Slag's jaws apart until the point that instead of growling, Slag was whining in pain.

"Let him go, I don't need Mazren after me because I didn't help his mutt." Gene also didn't want all that blood all over the cockpit. Gene gave a whistle.

Slag relaxed in the guys hands, and the man let go. He stood up, but was still in the shadows.

Gene looked at the shadowy figure never letting his shotgun stray from the guy's chest. He seemed familiar. "Do I know you? Maybe it's the fact that you're a 'man in black' style mysterious guy, and how do you know about what happened at the bar?"

"I'm the one who gave you those new scars. That's how I know about the bar." The stranger stepped out of the shadows smiling and the pieces fell into place.

Gene had his pistol join his shotgun and aimed for that tattooed face. "I owe you for those, I think we should continue that fight right now." Gene started to pull both triggers, but never finished.

Gene didn't finish pulling the triggers because the man from the shadows no longer in front of him, The man was behind him with something sharp in the back of his neck.

A light whisper was heard in Gene's ear. "You're so naïve. If I had wanted to, I could have killed you three time by now" He was no longer whispering " And tell that wolf to relax, NOW!"

Gene gave Slag a stay motion with his hand that basically said "Back off"

"Like I said, I could have killed you three time by now and that's not counting the past 36 hours I've been on your ship."

Gene turned to face his opponent, but he was gone, but he still felt that sharpness, like four parallel blades with the points jabbing into the base of his skull. He realized that he was in deep shit with this guy.

"So why didn't you?" Gene was trying to stall to come up with a plan.

The stranger chuckled and answered "Simply because I don't want to."

"Alright, who are you and why are you on my ship? Also, could you please take your weapon off of my neck?"

"Only if…oh what the hell, sure." The four blades left Gene's neck and Gene whirled to face his tattooed opponent. This time he stayed where he was.

Gene Gave him the "tell me everything" look an the stranger obliged without any hesitation.

"Listen Starwind, My name is Jex. Most people like to add The Shadow Psychic to the end of my name to sound impressive in the back alleys of the universe. But my name doesn't really matter.

"You and your crew have being hunted again. And this time, You probably won't get so lucky this time."

Gene sighed, "Isn't that what everyone says every time that some major pirate guild is after us? Look, they don't call me Boss-Killer Starwind for nothing. Besides, their leader couldn't be as tough as Shidowkun was"

Jex gave him a deadly stare. "This time you're being pursued by the Baator Guild. A hi-tech guild intent on bring about the Ragnarok. Basically the Ragnarok is the universe's big reset button"

Gene was unimpressed. "And what about their leader? He's probably some badass who has never been beaten, right?"

Jex gave Gene his "will you shut up" stare and responded "All I know is his name is Erythnul and that his power is supposed to be limitless."

Gene sighed. "Well I better tell the rest of the crew. I'm really stating to get sick of all this shit. Gilliam!"

"Yes Gene?"

"Lock up, I'm heading to the shop."

"Very well, but what about Jex?"

Gene looked at Jex for a long time. "…what about him?"

Gilliam asked it simply "Does he have permission to be on the ship?"

Gene glanced back at Jex, In the same outfit he had on in the bar. "Jex has…temporary permission,"

Gene spoke to Jex in his most threatening voice he could muster "But if you try anything, I'll gut you with my caster-blade."

Jex let out a chuckle "If I tried anything, you wouldn't be able to retaliate."

Gene gave Jex the coldest stare he could, but he had a feeling that Jex was right.

On the way off the bridge Gene got that cold feeling in his gut. The one that he got every time he had just stared death in the face. "Damn, those were the coldest eyes I've ever seen. Mazren would love this guy."

Gene stepped out of the ship as dawn's light smacked him in the face. He knew this would be a shitty day to be him.

Christ! That took way too long. To the non existent fans I have, I apologize. To the people who hate my work and want all my fingers to break, tough shit. FYI X-Box 360 BLOWS! Just my opinion. Maddox is your god. And I will destroy you all, BOW TO ME OR…(smack) Sorry Illpalatzzo took over my head for a minute. I'm an asshole and I apologize. READ MY SHIT OR I WILL CAST AN EMINEM CURSE ON YOU!

Don't get mad…Get Chibi

-Chewy