Chapter 4

…Had you not been there, I probably would have had the other side blown off…

Her eyes sprang open, her mind not willing to slumber any longer. Instead of her eyes being greeted by light and motion, she saw nothing.

Dammit. she thought cynically.

"Ah, so you're awake now." It was a feminine voice hardened by years of trial.

She tried to rise from the palette, but she felt firm pressure on her shoulders. Not threatening like the other creature from last time she tried to escape; this was a kind of all knowing, understanding reassurance that she was in safe hands.

But she wouldn't let herself fall for this. Anyone who had done this in her life had eventually turned against her. Except Lanzer. "Let me go, bitch." She struggled to rise again.

"There's no hurry, you can't get anywhere." Again that pressure at her shoulders pushed downwards. "I be amazed if you could even get your way out of sick bay."

Realizing the woman was right, she stopped struggling, and lay back down. It felt like heaven, letting all her strained and broken muscles lay at ease. But she wouldn't let her face show it. Not with someone she didn't know.

As if reading her thoughts, the woman spoke again. "I'm Akima, pilot of the Valykrie."

Thankful for the conversation, she played along, hoping to get any information necessary to escape the ship. "Akima, it sounds Julontian."

"My parents studied Julontian society. They were fascinated with it. I'm actually human," she finished.

She must have looked skeptical, for Akima lifted her hand and pressed it to what must have been her face.

As she felt Akima's face, she began to understand how old Bob had had to live back at the drifter colony. No matter how much she willed her fingers to "see" for her, the picture created in her mind of Akima was still as much of a void as what her eyes were confronted with. She let her arm drop back down, not completely satisfied with the half picture she had created.

"Excuse me for being so forward, but what's your name?" Akima asked with a slightly acidic undertone.

"What do you want to know that for?" She tensed slightly. She didn't want to just hand out her name to someone who could turn her in.

"Well seeing as how I gave you my name, not to mention I saved your ass, I think I deserve a little information about you," Akima returned hotly.

She could have screamed in relief. Six months of running had wound her up as tight as a recoiled spring. "Kenji," she replied more calmly.

Akima gave a murmur of approval, and Kenji listened as she walked somewhere to her left. Kenji noticed that the life support machine was silent. She guessed that Akima wasn't looking, and used the chance to sit up. She groaned, pressing her good arm to her stomach; it felt as if someone had walloped her decently.

Akima's protests were interrupted by the whoosh of the mechanical door. Kenji's heart leapt when she heard a familiar cry.

"Lanzer!" she said with a smirk on her face, not ready for when he tumbled into her. She felt arms encircle her, but this time, she let them; it was Lanzer.

"Good to see you alive, Kenji," Lanzer remarked. His voice, though normally hard and steely, was tinged with emotion that no other than Kenji could detect. "But man, don't you look wasted," he stated as he stepped away from her.

Kenji smirked. "You can say I look like shit, Lanz. I feel like shit."

Lanzer chuckled throatily.

"How are you?" Kenji asked meaningfully.

"Fine, mostly cuts and bruises." He paused for a moment. "Akima fixed my ribs."

"Your ribs?" Kenji asked incredulously. "It didn't think you got crushed."

"It was after you went unconscious. I think we hit some rock, 'cause the whole ship seemed to fall on me. But I'm fine now."

Kenji nodded. "So, who are these people? I know a couple names, but nothing else."

Lanz grasped her meaning. "No worries, they're all renegades themselves. No chance of them going willingly to the UIA." He paused again. "Is it true, you really are blind?"

"I'm as fucking blind as old Bob," she snapped. She changed the subject, feeling somewhat sorry for barking so harshly at Lanz. "Tell me, is there something tying my arm in place?"

"Yah, you want it off?"

"Duh."

She felt fingers work at some bindings at her waist and shoulder before the contraption fell away. She bit her tongue as a sharp twist of pain spiraled through her shoulder and down her arm. She was thankful it didn't last long.

Kenji heard Akima's booted footsteps come closer.

"Look, the probe can fix your arm, but not your shoulder, you'd be better off with the cast until your shoulder heals properly."

"What'll happen if I don't?" asked Kenji skeptically, an eyebrow raised.

"Your arm'll hang pointing behind you, and could be stiff for the rest of your life," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Fuck the shoulder." Kenji listened for a retort, but didn't hear anything.

Then Akima said something. "Glad to see you at least aren't a weakling."

Kenji's respect for her rocketed ten-fold. "What did you say you did on this ship?"

"I'm the pilot," Akima stated. To Kenji it sounded as if she recognized that she accepted her.

"Any chance that the pilot turned physician would allow me to walk around?"

"Grab her boots," directed Akima at Lanzer.