*Success Always Comes With Loss*
Jack was awake. . .again-as usual. This time there was reason, tonight she and Staff Sergeant Mandol were to ship out on their mission to retrieve Abraham Hultzer the founder of the Hultzer colinization. They would be travelling to the Marion sector, which practically a hop, skip, and a jump from Zineon 3. Easy traget, hard part. . .getting behind Moran's forces and retrieving the hostage-especially when he knew they were coming. Needless to say, Jack was on edge. Not nervous, just on edge. She always seemed to get edgy before a mission no matter how big or small. This one had some serious high risk and if it were just her she would have been fine but she was now also holding herself responsible for Mandol as well. Jack looked to the clock. . .2:15, time to go. Jack rolled from the bed but didn't make it all too far, Riddick's arm reached out and grabbed her.
"Where are you going?" His silver pools serving as eyes meeting hers.
No fumbling over words, just a phrase that was previously planned. "Night training, I wanna see how the troops operate at night."
"Jack, they don't have their shined eyes yet and you're still working on assessing them."
"Part of the assessment, Riddick." She was SO glad she'd previously went over the possible things he could say.
"Well shouldn't I go?" Riddick began to sit up.
Now that one wasn't planned for some reason or another, "No! I all ready know what you are capable of. Just rest, your training will begin after the assessment."
"So you're feeling better now about me being such a part of this?" Why was Riddick being so nice? It was odd.
"Uh, actually not really. But I guess give it sometime and it'll be okay. Maybe it wont be too bad, I've kind of missed having you around." Jack ran her hand through her hair in an attempt to untangle it.
"Come here," Jack bent down and Riddick kissed her cheek, "Go run the shit out of 'em Jackie girl!"
What was he, her fucking fatherly figure? No, that was crazy, she could never think of him like that. How did she think of him? She didn't know, she couldn't think about it right now anyways. Jack smiled and stepped away from the bed. She quickly changed into her black uniform and grabbed a pair of goggles that were identical to Riddick's and slipped them over her head and let them rest on her forehead.
"Bye, Riddick." Jack was starting to get REAL edgy now, it was always time, "I"ll, uh, see ya later."
*********
She'd just finished packing her gear as she and Mandol ran a check of the ship. Jack was feeling real guilty about not bringing Riddick and about lying to him. Damn that little voice called a conscience! She knew it should have been him who she'd asked but it would have felt weird. She wasn't sure she could function as well with him around, especially with him just returning. Now Mandol, he was dependable. Jack could trust Mandol, and they were going to kick some major ass. She looked over her shoulder at all the gear in the back and then made sure that both she and Mandol were strapped in.
"Ground control this is Black Hawk 3 we are ready to rock." Jack looked over the controls making sure everything was right.
"Roger that Black Hawk 3, you are clear to go." A voice spilled through the intercom for confirmation.
"Keep my base safe while I'm gone." She flipped a few switches and before she or Mandol knew it they were through the atmosphere and in deep space.
*********
"We have arrived. I don't think we've been detected but who knows. Their system is pretty advanced, Jack so you better get your ass in there and out real fucking fast." Mandol was REAL nervous, that wasn't helping her nerves.
"Yeah, yeah. . .I know. In, out and back to the ship." Jack pulled her gun over her head, sheethed her shiv and pulled her goggles over her eyes, "If I'm not back in 30 minutes you fucking leave Mandol! Am I understood?
"Yeah, Jack. Just make it back with the hostage." Mandol flipped the switch to lower the docking gate and out Jack walked.
Jack ran from the ship as speedily as she could finding refuge in a dark corner of the loading ground. Ducking between a gate she made her way into the holding compound. It'd been damn near luck that Hultzer had had an implanted tracker so they could pinpoint his location. Jack's enterance was fairly easy, just having to by-pass a few pad locks and slit two guard's necks. Within moments Jack stood outside of Hutlzer holding cell. With little to no trouble, she by-passed the locking code and entered his cell.
"Mr. Abraham Hultzer," Jack waited for a response from the huddled figure in the corner but recieved nothing. "Mr. Hultzer, I am here to help. I'm going to get you out of here but I need you to respond so I know you're coherent."
Jack waited once more and after a long moments the man replied, "They have surveillance in the room, they know you're here."
"Shit!" Jack forcefully grabbed the man and pulled her gun from around her shoulder, "When I say move you move and stay next to me at all time unless I say otherwise!"
Jack and her startled objective exited the room only to be met by live fire. Jack threw Mr. Hultzer back into the room as she quickly killed off the men firing. Grabbing the man once more he and Jack hustled from the holding cells area.
Inside was relatively easy, a few more people with guns but that was easily enough solved. Once outside, things got a whole hell of a lot worse. There was fire coming from every angle as well as soldiers launching themselves at her and Hultzer. Jack pulled the man under her arm and tried her best to shield him. The ship was insight as well as Mandol standing on the platform firing off rounds to help out.
"Make a run for it, run straight to that man standing at the ship!" Jack yelled to Hultzer. "I'll make sure you get there."
Hultzer did as told and Jack covered him as he ran but at the last second she saw a soldier run up and aim to hit Hultzer. Jack sped up her running and jumped before the bullet could hit him in the process knocking both of them into the ship. Mandol flipped the switch to close the ramp and came to Jack.
"Fuck Jack! You're hit, the fuckers got you in the fucking stomach! Fuck Jack!" Mandol was freaking out he had to calm down.
Finally the pain began to lance through Jack, "Is Hultzer in here?"
"Yes!"
Jack spit up some blood, "Is he hurt?"
Mandol looked over his shoulder checking, "No, he's in one piece."
"Then what the fuck are you doing? FLY THE FUCKING SHIP GOD DAMNIT!" Jack pushed Mandol away.
Mandol hauled ass to the controls, they were surrounded from every side. He hit the throttle not even thinking about strapping down himself or the other two, within seconds they were away from danger. Now the only danger left was the fact that Jack might die, she was hit directly in the center of her stomach. If she didn't die it'd be a miracle.
Jack lay breathing shallowly at the back of the ship barely noticing Abraham Hultzer hovering above her trying to administer to her wounds. Jack's last thought before the red pain took over her entire being was "Mission accomplished."
Jack was awake. . .again-as usual. This time there was reason, tonight she and Staff Sergeant Mandol were to ship out on their mission to retrieve Abraham Hultzer the founder of the Hultzer colinization. They would be travelling to the Marion sector, which practically a hop, skip, and a jump from Zineon 3. Easy traget, hard part. . .getting behind Moran's forces and retrieving the hostage-especially when he knew they were coming. Needless to say, Jack was on edge. Not nervous, just on edge. She always seemed to get edgy before a mission no matter how big or small. This one had some serious high risk and if it were just her she would have been fine but she was now also holding herself responsible for Mandol as well. Jack looked to the clock. . .2:15, time to go. Jack rolled from the bed but didn't make it all too far, Riddick's arm reached out and grabbed her.
"Where are you going?" His silver pools serving as eyes meeting hers.
No fumbling over words, just a phrase that was previously planned. "Night training, I wanna see how the troops operate at night."
"Jack, they don't have their shined eyes yet and you're still working on assessing them."
"Part of the assessment, Riddick." She was SO glad she'd previously went over the possible things he could say.
"Well shouldn't I go?" Riddick began to sit up.
Now that one wasn't planned for some reason or another, "No! I all ready know what you are capable of. Just rest, your training will begin after the assessment."
"So you're feeling better now about me being such a part of this?" Why was Riddick being so nice? It was odd.
"Uh, actually not really. But I guess give it sometime and it'll be okay. Maybe it wont be too bad, I've kind of missed having you around." Jack ran her hand through her hair in an attempt to untangle it.
"Come here," Jack bent down and Riddick kissed her cheek, "Go run the shit out of 'em Jackie girl!"
What was he, her fucking fatherly figure? No, that was crazy, she could never think of him like that. How did she think of him? She didn't know, she couldn't think about it right now anyways. Jack smiled and stepped away from the bed. She quickly changed into her black uniform and grabbed a pair of goggles that were identical to Riddick's and slipped them over her head and let them rest on her forehead.
"Bye, Riddick." Jack was starting to get REAL edgy now, it was always time, "I"ll, uh, see ya later."
*********
She'd just finished packing her gear as she and Mandol ran a check of the ship. Jack was feeling real guilty about not bringing Riddick and about lying to him. Damn that little voice called a conscience! She knew it should have been him who she'd asked but it would have felt weird. She wasn't sure she could function as well with him around, especially with him just returning. Now Mandol, he was dependable. Jack could trust Mandol, and they were going to kick some major ass. She looked over her shoulder at all the gear in the back and then made sure that both she and Mandol were strapped in.
"Ground control this is Black Hawk 3 we are ready to rock." Jack looked over the controls making sure everything was right.
"Roger that Black Hawk 3, you are clear to go." A voice spilled through the intercom for confirmation.
"Keep my base safe while I'm gone." She flipped a few switches and before she or Mandol knew it they were through the atmosphere and in deep space.
*********
"We have arrived. I don't think we've been detected but who knows. Their system is pretty advanced, Jack so you better get your ass in there and out real fucking fast." Mandol was REAL nervous, that wasn't helping her nerves.
"Yeah, yeah. . .I know. In, out and back to the ship." Jack pulled her gun over her head, sheethed her shiv and pulled her goggles over her eyes, "If I'm not back in 30 minutes you fucking leave Mandol! Am I understood?
"Yeah, Jack. Just make it back with the hostage." Mandol flipped the switch to lower the docking gate and out Jack walked.
Jack ran from the ship as speedily as she could finding refuge in a dark corner of the loading ground. Ducking between a gate she made her way into the holding compound. It'd been damn near luck that Hultzer had had an implanted tracker so they could pinpoint his location. Jack's enterance was fairly easy, just having to by-pass a few pad locks and slit two guard's necks. Within moments Jack stood outside of Hutlzer holding cell. With little to no trouble, she by-passed the locking code and entered his cell.
"Mr. Abraham Hultzer," Jack waited for a response from the huddled figure in the corner but recieved nothing. "Mr. Hultzer, I am here to help. I'm going to get you out of here but I need you to respond so I know you're coherent."
Jack waited once more and after a long moments the man replied, "They have surveillance in the room, they know you're here."
"Shit!" Jack forcefully grabbed the man and pulled her gun from around her shoulder, "When I say move you move and stay next to me at all time unless I say otherwise!"
Jack and her startled objective exited the room only to be met by live fire. Jack threw Mr. Hultzer back into the room as she quickly killed off the men firing. Grabbing the man once more he and Jack hustled from the holding cells area.
Inside was relatively easy, a few more people with guns but that was easily enough solved. Once outside, things got a whole hell of a lot worse. There was fire coming from every angle as well as soldiers launching themselves at her and Hultzer. Jack pulled the man under her arm and tried her best to shield him. The ship was insight as well as Mandol standing on the platform firing off rounds to help out.
"Make a run for it, run straight to that man standing at the ship!" Jack yelled to Hultzer. "I'll make sure you get there."
Hultzer did as told and Jack covered him as he ran but at the last second she saw a soldier run up and aim to hit Hultzer. Jack sped up her running and jumped before the bullet could hit him in the process knocking both of them into the ship. Mandol flipped the switch to close the ramp and came to Jack.
"Fuck Jack! You're hit, the fuckers got you in the fucking stomach! Fuck Jack!" Mandol was freaking out he had to calm down.
Finally the pain began to lance through Jack, "Is Hultzer in here?"
"Yes!"
Jack spit up some blood, "Is he hurt?"
Mandol looked over his shoulder checking, "No, he's in one piece."
"Then what the fuck are you doing? FLY THE FUCKING SHIP GOD DAMNIT!" Jack pushed Mandol away.
Mandol hauled ass to the controls, they were surrounded from every side. He hit the throttle not even thinking about strapping down himself or the other two, within seconds they were away from danger. Now the only danger left was the fact that Jack might die, she was hit directly in the center of her stomach. If she didn't die it'd be a miracle.
Jack lay breathing shallowly at the back of the ship barely noticing Abraham Hultzer hovering above her trying to administer to her wounds. Jack's last thought before the red pain took over her entire being was "Mission accomplished."