MAGNOS SYSTEM-Apris-Foundation Starbase-Magnum Bar 2/4/2437

A lone figure reclined against the grimy wall of the Magnum Bar. A brown sleeveless jacket covered a lightweight, similarly sleeveless black shirt. The figure's face was obscured by long black hair that hunh around his shoulders and at the corners of his eyes and pair of reflective black wraparound glasses. On his face could be seen part of a two spiked tattoo and a long scar that ran the length of his cheek. On each shoulder was a ring of ornate tattoos that looped from under his armpits to the middle of his large shoulders and were similar to the one on his face. Another tattoo of a stylized Wolf Spirit was visible on his lower right arm. It was clearly visible that the man was huge and heavily muscled, not the sort of person to mess with. This fact was further confirmed by the hilts of two ornate swords visible over his shoulders, held on a sheath whose strap ran across the figure's chest and stomach. It was Severus Angelo Caravera, outlaw, mercenary, and warrior. The one who had watched his only love killed before his eyes.

Sev looked up as the door to the bar opened, sending a shaft of dust-filled light across the room, two well-dressed people quickly marched in. The taller one was a man with graying hair and a similar beard, he was wearing an immaculate coat with perfectly tailored waistcoat, shirt and trousers. On the outside he looked like some Earth seventeenth century upper class but Sev recognized a fellow soldier. The man carried himself with utmost confidence and Sev could see a small bulge under his coat at the hip that he would have bet the Daggermouth on was a weapon. The woman he was with was a hell of a lot younger. Flaming red hair that covered her shoulders and amber tinted reflective glasses like Sev's. She was dressed in a similar style to her companion, old dress, corset, waistcoat and overcoat. Sev picked up the shape of a handgun in her pocket. The two walked quickly so as not to get too much dust on their fine clothes, not that it really mattered, there'd be enough dust everywhere else when they looked. The pair talked quietly to the barman who pointed Sev out, Sev glowered at the barman who gave a 'Do-I-look-like-I-give-a-vrak' look. 'Bastard' Sev thought at the portly old man, he'd told the old bartender he wanted to be left alone, but he thought he saw the barman slip a credit slip into his pocket 'So that's what my prvacy is worth these days, well I'm a wanted criminal, for a crime I DIDN'T FRAGGING COMMIT!' Sev felt like screaming it out. The pair sat down at his table with drinks.

"I thought I would take the liberty of buying you a new drink Mr. Caravera," The old man said in a posh, upper crust English accent.

"Sev downed what was left in his glass in one shot, he was drinking too much these days and he had paid for it several times. Three consecutive arrests for drunk and disorderly, and the hangovers in the morning to boot 'My life has gone to hell in a hearse, frag it I've go nothing to live for anyway' Sev thought. "Cheers" he said in a growling, gravelly but strong English accent of his own. He took a gulp from the glass, whisky, and waited for Old Man to continue.

"My name is Lord Richard Ashton, this is my daughter Sandra Ashton. We would like to offer you a contract on a most dangerous and deadly adventure. Like they used to write about in the books about the Dark Continent, King Soloman's Mines, that sort of thing." Old Man explained further, Sev was to form part of a guard as the group headed out to explore an ancient, several million-year-old temple that had recently been uncovered on Sahara. Once there he would assist in protecting the researchers as they adventured into the temple and uncovered whatever wonders lay within. "So, are you in?" Ashton asked in a manner that suggested he probably wouldn't take no for an answer.

"How much?" Sev asked bluntly.

"We are willing to offer you five hundred thousand galcreds if you take this assignment" The woman spoke, removing her glasses to reveal crystal eyes. She seemed to get indignant when Sev showed no reaction "Have the decency to remove your glasses when I am talking to you!" she snapped.

'Upper crust baby, lording over her little realm' Sev chose to not to remember the fact that he himself was of noble blood and had once looked down upon the ordinary masses of the galaxy the same way his woman was looking down on him. Sev pulled his glasses down his nose, revealing the long scar that ran across his right eye and the tattoo that covered most of the left side of his face. Sandra Ashton recoiled at the sight, but was also drawn in by Sev's emerald green eyes, which bored into her soul, ferreting out any seeds of deceit. Sev slipped his glasses back on, hiding his eyes, scar and tattoo. "Alright, I'm in".

"Excellent, meet us on Sahara in twelve days, that should be enough time for a hyperspace journey if you have a relatively fast craft." Lord Ashton seemed happy and relieved that Sev had decided to come along.

"What do you know about this temple?" Sev asked. For the briefest moment Sev saw a flicker of something in Lord Ashton's eyes, fear. He knew what was in hat temple and he was afraid of it 'that's why he wants me, a mercenary and a Furion to tag along, he thinks with a Furion around he'll be okay' but the next second it was gone.

"Now, now Mr. Caravera we wouldn't want to ruin the surprise for you now would we?"

Sev took that as conversation over, that and the fact that Lord Ashton immediately stood up and left, Sandra Ashton following in his wake.

Sev stayed there for several hours, working on his flight plan. He would need one that took him around any installations that might not take kindly to the Daggermouth appearing; after all it was a one million year old gunship with a Lancaster Rating (The Lancaster Rating is a galaxy wide system used to measure a starship's firepower) equal to a battleship. It was at nine, station time that the attack came. The first blasts threw Sev off his stool along with his PDA. Then came a series of ominous thumps amidst the sounds of a battle going on between the attackers and the station's defense gun turrets. Sev knew any half decently equipped attacker would easily get past the turrets, they were simple Dryson AT-94 Gauss guns mounted in a four barrel revolving dome turret called a 'chrome dome' a reference to the shiny durasteel used to make them and their utterly obsolete nature. Another ten minutes later the bar door slid open again and a frag grenade soared through the air. Sev drew his sword and sliced the table's leg out so it fell over as a shield. The next second the grenade exploded, blasting razor sharp shrapnel across the bar, shredding half a dozen patrons who weren't fast enough and re locating their interiors from inside to outside. Sev pulled himself up to a furious firefight between the occupants of the bar and the invaders. Something strange started grinding at the back of Sev's head, music.

And I wonder

Day to day

I don't like you

Anyway

Sev launched over the table and sprinted towards his attackers along the wall, as the first one came through Sev sliced his head in half. He saw from their scruffy clothes, makeshift armour and diverse weapons that this was a gang of pirates.

I don't need your

St to take

You're pathetic

In your own way

Sev dropped off the wall and sliced the next pirate in half. Drawing his spare sword Sev leapt into the fray, he impaled two pirates, decapitated a third and with one vicious stab of his katana-like sword impaled a pair of pirates in one go. He launched himself over one pirate and stabbed the unfortunate through the spine. By now the walls were crimson and Sev's sword was slick with the blood of his enemies. He swung again, cutting a pirate in half just under the ribcage and spraying blood over another pirate who was soon cut down by a head to foot swing from Sev, he swung back up and caught the second last pirate as he tried to run. The final one made it half way down the corridor when Sev flung his sword. The razor sharp blade buried itself in the pirate's back and most of its length burst through his ribcage. Sev sprinted forwards, his destination the hangar bay, without even slowing down he yanked his sword from the pirate's corpse.

Better fkin' go away

I will be there yeah

You better fkin' go away

The whole bloody affair had been watched by two figures, sitting alone in a darkened room made of stone. The only light came from the holoprojector they were watching. It showed a long haired, well muscled and athletic figure in a brown jacket and trousers running down a bare metal corridor, killing any pirates he came across in brutal style.

"He is an interesting one isn't he?" one female voice said, the owner of the voice was draped in a black shroud that obscured all of her features except for her incredibly long brown hair.

"You know what I think of him" the other figure, again a woman but with shoulder length black hair and a ponytail that hung half way down her back replied shortly.

"Ah yes, you love him" The hooded woman turned to the other one.

"What's it to you, jealous?" the other one asked. She looked up, revealing her eyes, hidden at that point under a long fringe of jet-black hair. They were vivid green, with a strange, otherworldly inner light that glowed from behind them, like the eyes of a DomZ monster.

"No I am not jealous Shauni, or would you prefer your human name, Jade?"

"I told you to leave that alone! Jade is dead, I am the master of this body now and I need no attachment to that mortal" Shauni snapped.

"But Jade's personality has certainly become a part of you just as much as you were a part of her" The hooded woman replied calmly, deeply amused by Shauni's short temper.

"Jade was simply a carrier, one who has finished her term of service. Yes I carry her soul with me but it is trapped, silenced, Jade is no more than a tool I can use at any time I wish" Shauni tried to regain her advantage

"Quit while you're ahead" A spectral voice with a slight European lilt to it floated through Shauni's mind, Jade, her soul.

"Silence Jade, I am the master now" Shauni replied iside her mind.

"You wish, I was always the independent one"

"Not anymore"

"I'm sending you straight to hell when I'm free fragbait."

"How about I send you to hell"

"Ohh, good comeback" Jade taunted.

Shauni blocked out Jade's taunting, the human was trying to make her loose control again. One of the few times when Jade could free herself, she was beginning to be a problem. "I am I the master" Shauni growled, as much to convince her companion as to reassure herself.

The hooded woman simply laughed, Sev was an interesting one, perhaps he could be made to serve her. If he truly believed Jade was dead…

I'm doin' the best I ever did

I'm doin' the best that I can

I'm doin' the best I ever did

Sev ducked under the clumsy swing of yet another pirate and sliced him in half, spraying blood over the wall. He came up and in his motion sliced another pirate from feet to head. Coaxing another spray of blood into the tight corridor. This was too easy; Sev was slightly surprised to hear himself wanting a tougher challenge. But that was just him, maybe he wanted to face something that would bring him down. End his suffering so to speak.

I don't need to fantasize

You are my pet

For all my time

I don't mind if

You go blind

You get what you get

Until you're through with my life

As Sev kicked down the door to a storage room he found the challenge he was looking for. A Hunter Killer robot, it was a tall, spindly machine with a small head that had one huge iris and five small ones and a set of six spindly arms. On each arm was a different implement of death, ranging from a buzz saw, spikes, a small machine gun, sharp hands and blades. A pair of clawed feet completed the picture.

"Die mercenary" it said in an electronic growl

"Not in your shelf-life" Sev snarled and ran, this was to big for him. The Hunter Killer had six weapons, he had two and it wouyld have durasteel armour. He had meshsteel in his jacket and trousers so they were bulletproof but that was about it. That wouldn't stand up to the whirling blades of the Hunter Killer. As Sev ran he hit a set of stairs and glanced at a sign as it rushed past him. It told him he was approaching the maintenance catwalks, The song changed pace

Now I've tol you this once before

You can't control me

If you try to take me down your gonna fail

I feel your every nothing that you rdoing for

I'm picking you outta me

Sev skidded to a halt and summoned a D-12 charge from his S.A.C then placed it with a tripwire in a small recess in the wall. He continued running.

I stand alone

Inside

I stand alone

Inside

I stand alone

Inside

There was a deafening explosion behind Sev, he spun around and his long hair clouded his vision for half a second. Sev sprinted through the door and came out on a catwalk at least 20 metres above the hangar. A huge shipping crate hung by a steel rope above him. The Hunter Killer crashed into the wall, completely unharmed.

You're always hiding behind your so-called Goddess

So what that you don't think we can't see your face

Resurrected back before the final fallen

I'll never rest until I can make my own way

I'm not afraid of fading

"Give up Mercenary" The Hunter Killer's robotic voice grated out.

I stand alone

Feeling your sting down inside of me

I'm not dying for

I stand alone

Everything that I believe is fading

I stand alone

"Not in your lifetime" Sev snarled back, he ran and leapt up onto the crate. He clambered along it to the rope and raised his sword. With one hand on the hook Sev swung his sword and sliced through the rope. The crate fell instantly, crashing through the catwalk and gathering speed as it plummeted to the hangar floor 20 metres below...

Inside

The Crate rapidly hit terminal velocity with Sev trailing behind it I near free-fall with one hand on the severed rope. As the crate neared the floor Sev pulled himself down onto it in a low crouch, he calculated he had ten seconds.

Nine.

Eight.

Sev tensed his legs and prepared to jump

Six.

Five.

He saw a suitably soft landing spot: a pile of bags filled with something soft.

Three.

Two.

He leapt forward, soaring through the air.

One.

The crate slammed down behind him, its floor buckled instantly and the shock ripped the walls apart. The doors fell off and the roof caved in. Sev still hit the pile of bags with enormous force, enough to give him a serious headache and a dislocated shoulder. His sword went flying and Sev rolled off the pile, crashing onto the floor. He lay there in a daze for a moment then leapt up and began searching for his sword. As Sev walked he took a hold of his shoulder, gritted his teeth and wrenched it back into position. IT hurt like hell, even for a Furion but in that brief flash of pain someone called out to him.

"Sev!"

"Jade!" Sev shouted his voice echoed around the hangar lit only by red emergency lights. But no-one answered his call, telepathically or otherwise. A laugh echoed out of the shadows and an Alpha Section Elite stepped out, his enormous durasteel boots clanging loudly on the hangar floor. Sev spotted his sword and kept walking, keeping his eyes o the Alpha Elite.

"So we meet again Severus" The Elite said, his voice distorted into a supposedly deep, terrifying growl by the speakers in the helmet.

'The Elite from Atlas!' Sev realized, he had only met one elite before and this must be him. "You survived before, you won't this time" Sev said in a low, animalistic voice. He knew how to intimidate others simply through speech as well. He reached his sword, kicked it into the air and snatched the hilt out of midair.

"You really think your little stick is going to help you against my durasteel armour?" The Elite asked in an extremely amused voice.

"You better believe it, I'd give you a quick and painless death but it's just not in my nature" Sev smiled like a predator scenting its prey. He sprinted forward and used a new trick he had learned just a year ago. The Elite swung, Sev dodged and the hammer smashed into the ground putting a huge crater in the titanium-tungsten floor. Sev ran up the Elite's arm and leapt over his head, delivering a powerful slice across the unarmoured neck of the Elite. As he came down the other side he sliced the Elite's gas tank off, spewing the noxious green contents across the battlefield. The Elite stumbled around, his choking and spluttering audible through the speakers, Sev stepped into the Elite's way, reversed his sword and stabbed up under the Elite's chest plate. It worked, his sword slotted into the tiny gap between the chest and belly armour and coaxed spray of red-green blood from the Elite. Sev twisted the blade, bringing more blood from the wound. As the Alpha came down like a ton of bricks Sev did a series of back flips and made a run for his new ship. The Daggermouth was a small ship about the size of a Commonwealth gunship. It highly resembled a dragon with a dragon head like cockpit and plates of overlapping armour covering its body, long wings were mounted on either side of a luster of a dozen engine tubes. On main tube with a smaller one underneath it, three on either side above it and two below in a pentagon like configuration. Long tube mounted on the flanks between the sections of mobile scale armour as Sev called it sucked in hydrogen in space and anything else it found to use in its fuel mixture. Sev sprinted up the ramp and flung himself into the fighter style cockpit. He powered the ship up and charged the Molecular Laser hanging under the ship in its long, needle-like casing. The Daggermouth lifted off slightly, hovering just a metre above the floor as Sev retracted the landing gear and fired the Molecular Laser. The thin purple beam blew the hangar doors open and everything was sucked out into space. At the same moment the engines ignited and the Daggermouth soared into space. As Sev calculated a vector back to System 4 he was sure he saw an object that looked just like a Hunter Killer robot sucked out of the hangar and into the vacuum. He lingered at the station only long enough to fire the Molecular Laser through the pirate cruiser's engines; it would be a slow, painful death for those trapped aboard…

SYSTEM 4-Sahara-Sardis March -6/4/2437

It had taken all of eight days to fly half way across the galaxy back to a place Sev had never wanted to return to. As the Daggermouth had touched down Sev had been bombarded with memories. He looked through the doorway of a bar and remembered how, song long ago he and Jade had sat together in the Akuda Bar, just talking.

"Thanks for coming to the rescue Sev"

That was what jade had said to him, quite casually as they had lifted off in Icarus and headed to Atlas. That was what had kicked it all off, he had saved her life and she had such a casual attitude about it. Sev almost smiled at that memory, and would have had it not brought up such pain that he felt his inside being torn apart all over again. He had managed to avoid thinking about Jade for two years. Now back in her home system, memories of her tortured Sev everywhere he went.

"Severus pay attention!"

The voice craclked harshly in Sev's earpiece, bringing him sharply back to reality. He was on watch for the Ashton's convoy, a procession of three massive land crawlers. Land Crawlers were immense, wheeled vehicles shaped like half a pistol bullet split lengthways, exact dimensions as far as Sev could recall them were about 30 metres long, 12 wide and about the height of a five story building. He had memorized the land crawler's layout already and spent most of his time exploring its grimy, oily bowls. He really didn't really care if the land crawler got attacked; the armoured hull was made of starship quality neosteel and there were dozens of armed guards inside anyway. "How much further?" Sev asked.

"We're here"

Sev looked up at the massive dark green temple, it was vaguely pyramid shaped with countless spires, balconies and small structures built onto it. But one balcony interested Sev; he drew out his binoculars and zoomed in on it. There was a figure there dressed in a beautiful white gown with short black hair. He knew it was impossible but as the land crawlers shuddered to a stop Sev leapt onto a nearby pillar and began jumping his way towards the pyramid. He hit a flat, rectangular structure and began running up the slope. It was possible but difficult and he struggled to keep his footing. Sev had to rest several times one the way up it was so difficult and so tiring. He leapt onto a pillar and checked the balcony again; she was gone. He sprung across three pillars and finally reached the balcony. Inside was a sumptuously decorated room fit for a queen. Sev didn't quite follow but didn't care anyway. He crashed through the wooden door and sprinted down the hallway, following the occasional glimpses of white gown. Whoever it was ducked into a small room Sev followed but a metal door slammed shut on him, a split second later another one behind him also slammed shut, trapping him. "I don't have time for this!" Sev roared in the tiny space, lit by a sole light above the door, the far end of the room and its walls were hidden in shadow.

"So sorry to keep you waiting, we are done" A voice echoed through the room, its source unseen. The doors rumbled open and Sev burst through to find the most amazing sight of his life. Jade stood before him in a white gown, he hair still an untidy shock of black held up with a green headband. Her green eyes showed just as much shock as Sev felt.

"Who the hell are you?" Jade snapped, quick as lightning she snatched a Dai-jo staff off a table Sev assumed must be behind her.

"Don't remember me?" Sev asked.

"I remember someone who looked like you" jade ignited the ends of the staff ad hidden emitters extended scythe like energy blades from the ends of the staff.

"Do you have a gold ring with a cross shape of emeralds set into it?" Sev asked.

"What's it to you?" jade said shortly.

'That means yes' Sev knew, he slowly drew the ring off his finger, it had the same pattern it emeralds on it, the centrepiece of his family crest. He threw it to Jade, who caught it deftly and examined it. "Miss me?" Sev asked dryly as Jade began to shake. Sev was beyond words but wasn't about to give in, he showed absolutely no reaction 'Is this the price I paid, my humanity? I should be shaking as well. What have I lost that I can't show any humanity now?" Sev took a step forward as Jade sprang at him.

"Liar!" She yelled and swung the staff, its deadly blades shimmering in the dark room.

Sev drew his sword more out of instant reaction than anything else and held his blade flat against the swing. He blocked it effortlessly, Jade was an incredible fighter but Sev was better, he had been trained to fight his whole life, and he was a Furion, his DNA gave him faster reflexes than Jade. Jade sprung back and her eyes glowed green, in a lighting fast pounce she crashed the tip of her staff into Sev's chest, throwing him against the wall. Sev had a sudden idea, if objects couldn't jog her memory, maybe words could. As Jade swung back to finish him Sev spoke "Its me Jade, its Sev. If you don't believe me kill me now" with that he bowed his head. He heard the air swish as the blade came down. Expected the searing pain, but it never came. All that he felt was heat from the energy blade held just an inch from his neck. He looked up, jade stood there, staff in hand, eyes stung with tears.

"Sev" jade, said quietly, she deactivated the blades lest she decapitate Sev accidentally. It had been known to happen with bladestaffs. Sev stood up rubbing his head; he towered over Jade, twice her size. He could kill her now if he so chose, but he didn't, Sev simply put his arms around Jade the moment she fell against him. She felt Sev rest his head in her shock of messy black hair.

"I thought you were dead," He whispered, for the first time ever he allowed his voice to show some part of the fear he lived with. "No hard feelings about trying to kill me okay" Sev said in a mock reassuring voice.

"Yeah sorry about that, I thought you were some thug trying to break in" Jade replied impishly.

Sev stepped back from Jade, trying to sound insulted but the first smile he had worm since the death of Furia ruined the affect "A thug? You thought I was a thug!"

"Well you look like one" Jade said in the same impish tone.

"I'll have you know I am a…" Sev never got to finish his defense because at that moment jade leapt forward and kissed him. After about half a minute she stepped back.

"You were saying?" asked as if nothing had happened. Sev was looking somewhat surprised understandably. A loud boom interrupted the moment. "We gotta go" jade said, instantly serious "Get your stuff, here's you ring"

Sev snatched up his sword and slipped the ring back on his finger. Jade seized his hand. The boom became a constant rumble

"Follow me!" she shouted over the noise "We'll head out to the balcony we have to get to the top of the pyramid and find Etheria!" Jade ran, leading Sev by his hand.

"Friend of yours?" Sev shouted.

"You could say that" Jade replied. They rushed back the way Sev came, the rumbling all the while becoming louder and louder. As they reached the balcony Jade whistled loudly, a high-pitched note that Sev heard even over the rumbling around them.

"I don't think your pet dog heard you" Sev shouted, either because she couldn't hear him or because she wasn't listening Jade ignored him. What Sev saw next was simply amazing. An immense dragon like creature appeared from below the balcony. It had smooth scales and webbed feet with a blunt, rounded snout surrounded by hard spiky carapace. What amazed Sev most of all was that the creature landed on the railing, balancing perfectly and allowing Jade to clamber up a brown leather harness the dragon wore. Sev followed and came out on the dragon's wide, pale green back. Jade was already strapped into a seat and Sev found a seat behind and to the left. It looked like a passenger set up. Pilot's seat at the front and four behind it Sev quickly found the straps and the dragon took off at Jade's command. The flew to the very top of the pyramid and Jade ordered the dragon to land on a platform that was cut into the face of the pyramid. The two disembarked and Sev saw a woman standing before them. She had extremely long brown hair that hung in sheets down to her belly, pale skin and blue eyes. She was dressed in an ornate white gown under a brown habit.

"Etheria let's go!" Jade shouted.

"I'm coming my child!" Etheria shouted back, she struggling under the weight of a huge, lumpy bag.

Sev raced forward and took the bag "I'll carry it" he said, hefting the bag onto his shoulder with ease. The trio climbed onto Jade's dragon and the huge creature soared out into the sunlight as the rumbling stopped, giving way to an ominous, prefect silence.

Jade looked over her shoulder at the temple and the three land crawlers parked at the base, tiny black dots were swarming around them, the occupants trying desperately to get back in as the three massive vehicles started up and began to move in reverse. "They're too late, they'll never make it out in time" Jade said to herself.

Sev's highly acute hearing picked up something about 'being to late' but the wind whistling by as the dragon soared high meant that was all he heard. A trickle of warning slithered through him; Sev looked around and saw an ominous cluster of black shapes, skiffs painted in matte black of the Alpha Sections. The two-part skull and lightning bolt logo only confirmed it. The skiff was little more than a flying platform capable of rising up to thirty or so metres above the Earth's surface. The platform was about five metres long with a raised section at the back and a cluster of jets under the nose and at the tail. Railings around the side allowed the occupants to attach safety lines and a large Dryson MHK-50 Light Anti Tank Gauss weapon was mounted on the bow of each one. A secondary Morita Arm-5 LAW Gauss gun was mounted at the stern just behind the helm. "We'll never out fly them and we can't out shoot them' Sev realized instantly. "Jade bring us closer to those skiffs!" he roared over the wind.

Jade pulled the dragon to a halt "Are you crazy! They've got Gauss cannons!"

"That's why we have to fight them on the skiff, we'll never out fly those things!" Sev said he knew he had the stronger argument. At that moment two of the skiffs exploded in a pair of blinding white blasts. Through the explosion came a trio of very familiar ships, a MiG-240 Arctic Wolf, an F-490 StarHawk and a BF-4200 Thunderhead II. Sev's mind placed the pilots: Wilco, Raven, Thunderpants, so they weren't dead.

"Looks like you could use a hand or three!" Thunderpants commented on his ship speakers.

"Right you are, go to GenNet channel 0567017" Sev replied, they could use the channel to communicate, it was one of the many secure lines available for sale on the black market.

"All right, I'm here" Thunderpants' voice crackled through Sev's earpiece.

"Channel locked in" Raven added.

"Channel is confirmed" Wilco added a split second later.

"So how did you lot come back from the dead?" Sev asked into the microphone on his earpiece.

"We were never dead, the names on that list weren't half accurate, they only got about a dozen people. It was a straight attack at you Sev" Raven informed Sev.

"Jade why aren't we moving!" Sev shouted.

"While you were at your friends reunion I maneuvered in underneath the skiffs, incase you haven't noticed we're about to catch fire!" Jade shouted back she was right. Sev hadn't been paying attention to where they were going.

"Right" Sev muttered he didn't like being proven wrong. To cover up his embarrassment and to just plain show off he unbuckled himself from the harness, stood on he dragon's back and leapt up at the skiff. Sailing over the railing Sev drew his sword and cut down the first Alpha he saw with a slice across the chest. His sword cut easily through the armour of the next three spilling their green tinged blood on the skiff's deck. It didn't take the Alphas on the other skiff long to realize something was up and Sev came under a hail of gun and laser fire. HE ducked behind another Alpha and let the soldier take the barrage of bullets and laser bolts. Sev ducked behind another Alpha, who suffered the same fate as the first. The next second the skiff was rocked by a bright green explosion throwing Sev to the deck and sending him sliding over the edge, he managed to grab onto a small rail around the flank. Sev swung him self up with a powerful flip and landed on the deck again. This time he was ready and when the cannon on the other skiff fired he recognized the massive atom shaped projectile 'A Neutralizing Cannon! Frag!' The Neutralizing Cannon fired an atom shaped projectile that homed in on the taret's magnetic signatures, making it able to 'lock on' to metal and biotechnological targets like large DomZ monsters. The bolt slammed under the bow of the skiff, destroying its forward engines and causing the bow to fall sharply. Three Alphas weren't fast enough and fell off the front while the other two grabbed onto footholds on the deck Sev was pinned against the higher section, safe from the gunfire but trapped by the two Alphas crawling up the deck. As the first one drew closer Sev let go of his foothold and slid towards the Alpha, foot out. The kick knocked the Alpha back into his companion and both slid down the deck and fell. By this time the other skiff had circled Sev's and the Morita ARM-5 fired. The Gauss round blew a hole through the entire skiff just below Sev's dangling feet. The Morita fired again and punched another dozen holes through the skiff; the crippled hover platform eventually lost the will to live and its rear engines, until now just barely holding the skiff in the air shut down. The ten-ton hover platform fell like a brick taking Sev with it. Sev pushed against the skiff's now vertical deck and launched himself at the other skiff…

…And missed completely, he plummeted through the air gathering speed 'A Furion making a mistake of distance judging, well now I've seen everything. Jade, I guess the old saying is true tis better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all' As Sev fell he saw the skiff coming down to finish him off. Like this they couldn't miss, his body would hit the ground riddled with bullets. Sev gathered speed as he fell towards certain death; he put his arms out in a futile attempt to slow his fall to a survivable speed. Suddenly he felt his fall brought to a sudden and jarring halt, there was pressure on his wrist. Sev looked up, Jade was hanging from a strap on the dragon's leather harness, her feet hooked into it. Sev quickly grabbed onto the harness as Jade had obviously hurt herself catching him. Jade climbed back up with Sev and nursed her arm. "You hurt?" Sev asked.

"Just pulled a muscle or two," Jade replied. IT hurt be she had pulled plenty of muscles before, it would be fine in a couple of days. "I'm coming with you this time, just to make sure you don't screw up again," Jade said, drawing her battlestaff.

"I don't make mistakes" Sev said shortly.

"Then what was that just then?" Jade teased. "Secundo, we need your help"

'"What can I do mia bella?" Secundo asked as the holographic avatar appeared. Secudo appeared as usual with short grey hair, a gray goatee, red sleeveless shirt with blue jeans and trainers.

"Keep Elora here Secundo, I've told you how to fly her"

"No problemo senorita!" Secundo said in a confident Spanish voice. The holographic Spaniard piloted the dragon close under the other skiff, dodging gunfire as he did so.

"You ready?" Sev asked, he drew his other sword, a straight bladed medium length weapon.

"I'm fine let's go" jade said shortly, she felt like Sev was asking if she was capable of doing this. She was tougher than Sev thought 'I'm no damsel who needs protecting boy.'

"I never said that" Sev's voice floated through Jade's mind, their telepathic link was still strong. "I've got an idea" Sev took hold of Jade's arm and without warning leapt up and over the skiff's railing. They hit the deck and Sev covered jade while she drew her battlestaff and powered up the blades. He leapt forward and stabbed the first Alpha, using him as a springboard to leap over the next and slice the unfortunate soldier's gas tank off.

Behind him Jade sliced through an Alpha's armour, reversed her grip and buried the blade into a second soldier. She ducked a burst of gunfire from two SMG armed Alphas and kicked one over the edge, using her momentum Jade buried her battlestaff's blade into the other Alpha.

Sev cut down a pair of Alphas in two split seconds and found the commander, cowering behind a shaking laser pistol. Sev kicked the weapon out of his hands and hauled the unarmoured officer to his feet. He was about five six, a few inches shorter than jade with short black hair, brown eyes and a matte-black Alpha Section's uniform with numerous medals, epaulettes showing he was a Lieutenant and a badge reading Richardson. "Well Richardson, at the risk of sounding clichéd this can be painless or it can be painful, it's your choice."

"Screw you punk!" Richardson snapped. It earned him a right hook that sent him crashing against the railing.

"What did I say?" Sev asked calmly, dragging Richardson to his feet again. "Now tell me, who sent you, why are you here and were are you based?"

"I'll not tell you anything" This time Sev gave Richardson an uppercut, as Richardson was lying on the deck Sev rasied his sword. "All right I'll tell you, I'll tell you!" Richardson whimpered.

"What's he got to say?" Jade appeared on the behind Sev, having finished looking for survivors.

"You were saying?" Sev said to Richardson.

"Some DomZ rep, called itself Marshtolvan, it ordered our CO Caldwell to send us out here. We were to capture the woman, Etheria they said." Richardson blurted out quickly.

"Thank you for your co-operation" Sev said in the same flat tone those Alpha robots used. He raised his sword to finish the job.

"No!" jade yelled, she threw herself in front of Sev as he swung. The blade made contact with her shoulder but stopped instantly.

"We can't leave him alive" Sev said coldly.

"Safe and sound in its shell the precious pearl is the slave of the currents" Richardson hissed.

Sev's eyebrows disappeared into the hair hanging over his face. He brushed it away "Who is your contact at IRIS, we need to get to the nearest base."

"Die terrorist" Richardson snarled, his hand dove into a pocket and whipped out a small canister, a thermite detonator.

"Oh frag!" Sev grabbed Jade and dived off the skiff, the crashed onto the dragon's back.

"Go Secundo go!" Jade shouted. Without asking Secundo jammed his holographic fingers into the dragon's exposed nerves. Elora shot forward as Sev and Jade rapidly strapped themselves in. "How much time do we have?" jade shouted over the wind.

Sev was about to answer when Etheria cut in "none". At that moment the whole world turned bright, blinding white and the world around Sev ceased to exist but for whiteness…