CHAPTER THIRTEEN

-KOBOL-

Anya went over to the drinks cabinet and fixed them a drink, "Don't you ever loosen up? You are always on edge"

Travis took his drink from her and watched her sit on the white sofa, "someone has to on their guard, so...how did you do it, make this happen?"

Anya took a refreshing sip from her glass and was coy with her reply, "I have my contacts"

"Oh?", he took the seat opposite her, he wanted more of an explanation then that, "who are you? Your face is starting to look familiar..."

Anya chuckled, "It ought to, I've been wanted for years...I am a team courier for the Terra Nostra"

Travis narrowed his eye at her, "You work for that charlatan Largo?"

Her answer to that was flippant, "You make a living where you can Travis, just like you did"

Travis frowned, "You compare the powers of the Federation to the likes of a petty crime syndicate?"

"The Terra Nostra and the Federation are the same thing aren't they?", she insisted.

Travis shook his head not quite believing who he was mixing with, "You are right about one thing, selling a highly indictive drug to it's citizens is a crime enough, I'm accused of a massacre of thousands...", he met her eyes, "...I wonder how many deaths have you peddled in?"

"Like you? And your failures? What about that poor boy Elverston, he died under your command didn't he? And what about your wife. Lurena is it? Rumour has it, she ran away with some rebel scientist and is causing chaos on the outer worlds"

She was pushing his buttons and this got his full attention, he grabbed her arms, "How do you know all of this?", he snapped.

Anya shook his hands off her and turned, "I needed some insurance just in case you ran out on me, so while I was at the database I contacted an old friend, Telguard, he can just about tap into any Federation data-logs, including the central archives"

Travis stared at her then sighed, "So what...you have found out things about me...it's all pretty much old news and of no interest to nobody"

Anya's smile held assurance, "My sentiments exactly"

Travis turned away, Anya placed her glass down onto the low table and with some hesitance, reached out and turned his face to look at her, she scrutinized him, "the eye patch makes you look interesting...is it true you have a fetish for Mutoids?"

He laughed, "Is that what your friend Telguard told you? It's true that I'd put a Mutoid before any man or woman for that matter, but not for the reasons you are thinking of, anyway what business is it of yours?"

Anya shrugged it off, "It isn't...just call it a keen interest to see what makes you tick"

Travis sniffed and then downed his drink and poured himself another. Anya moved closer to him, "Would you put a Mutoid before Lurena?"

Travis didn't look at her, he was too silent.

"I thought not"

Travis looked at her, "Lurena has her own life"

"Yes, she does...she ran off with somebody else"

Travis jumped to his feet and geered down at her, "you really have got an interest in me, haven't you?"

Anya slowly stood to her feet and placed her hands onto the soft leather of his uniform at his chest, and smoothed them up to his shoulders, she stared into his eye, he was watching her carefully, "it sinks in at last", she whispered.

"I'm a married man"

"And?"

And she placed her soft lips onto his and before she knew it, he returned the kiss and they sunk to the sofa lost in a moment of passion.

XXX

Their days on Kobol were numbered. When Federation control announced the mysterious disappearance of the prison transporter, it was time to get the hell out.

Sneaking aboard a cargo carrier, they travelled to the planet Tigella. Anya grabbed hold of Travis as they stowed away in the hold, "I've just found out what all these crates are all about", she announced as she sat on the floor resting against one such crate.

Travis was flippant, "Never mind that, did you get the food?"

Anya tossed him over a sack of stuff, "It's only freeze dried rotana river fruit and starched eggs"

Travis peered into the sack and decided to give it a miss, he looked at her in some distain as she munched through some of the river fruit from where he sat on the floor opposite him, their feet touched. "So, you were saying...?"

Anya looked up, "what?"

"The crates!"

"Ohhh them yes...it's all apart of an archaeological expedition, the team is being sent out to Tigella", she informed between mouthfuls of fruit.

Travis gave her a questioning look, "sent? By whom?"

Anya shrugged at him, "The Federation? Who knows, actually who cares, I'm sure we can blend in, most of the people on this ship are volunteers for the dig, there must be at least 50 of them"

Travis closed his eye and leaned back, "Why not...wake me up when we get there"

XXX