Arono walked along the deck, waiting on the Justice to jump from Hyperspace. Ever since Dominator had been gone, he had been in charge of the security detail on the station. So far Tig had been the only incident, and he had been destroyed by Montana, so Arono had it pretty much easy.
A while ago a shuttle had arrived and Cheryl, along with Regulus and Preacher, stepped off board. It seemed they had gone on some unscheduled mission that Arono didn't know about. Wiendigo arrived shortly after in a CorSec shuttle. So, part of the team had come back from their adventures. Arono himself was a little envious of all the action everyone, but him, was receiving these part few days.
Suddenly the computers beeped and two ships jumped out of hyperspace, one dragging the Justice behind it. The computer comm. beeped and Dominator's face appeared on it. "We're back. We're going to be docking at the Tower Hanger Bay and unloading our passengers."
Arono nodded. "Right." The ship came flying in and docked with the hanger, small shuttles flying back and forth between the two, dropping off the Hunters, who quickly came back onto the station, some exhausted from all the work that they had been going through the last few days.
"Good to be on solid ground again... Sort of," Blackjack commented as the two walked through the hangar. Mirri giggled as they entered the main hallways of the station. The two knew that there was to be a party later, but for now, the two simply walked, Blackjack showing his fiance around the headquarters. Turning a corner to show Mirri where her quarters would probably be, Blackjack was slammed into by a fast moving form, sending both him and the form to the floor. Mirri helped Blackjack up, staring at the other form.
"Why don't you watch where the he..." Blackjack trailed off as he realized who the form was. The blonde haired woman threw her arms around her brother.
"Dammit, Jared! Don't you ever run off like that again!" Foxfire scolded, a tear forming in her eye.
"Easy, Charlie! You sound more like Mom than my sister!" Blackjack joked, hugging his sister tightly. The two broke the hold, and Foxfire looked at Mirri.
"So that's why you left..." Foxfire said, wiping a tear from her eye. "Well, nothing can get in the way of love, I guess."
"Nice to see you again, Charlotte," Mirri said, barely holding back tears herself from watching the reunion. The young woman offered her hand, and the two shook hands. "Jared, I'm going on to the bar, I'll meet you two there later, ok?" Mirri suggested, receiving a nod from Blackjack. With that, Mirri turned and walked back the way she came, secretly knowing that she had no idea where the bar was. She knew better, however, than to stick around, and that she needed to leave the two alone.
"So you went back to CorSec..." Foxfire started. Blackjack remained silent. "To be honest, Jared... I expected it. I mean... after you left the first time, you were all Mirri ever talked about! I thought, damn, if Jared's going through the same thing she is, he's already been through hell and back," she continued. "I knew you'd go back for her eventually. But why did you join up?"
"Charlie, I'll put it simply. I betrayed the Hunters. I'm surprised that Dominator even let me back in, now. And with the death of Cran and the new CorSec, I saw nowhere else to go." Blackjack sighed. "These past three months were hell. I had to answer to one of the very men that cost me both my eye and my best friend..." the card shark trailed off. "It was worth it, though. I got to be with Mirri, and we reinstated the marriage plans."
"That's good," Foxfire interrupted. "But why did you leave CorSec?"
"Remember that experiment with lycanthropy that we were the test subjects for?" Foxfire nodded. "Well, I... hmm, I guess a demonstration would be more in order." Foxfire looked at her brother quizzingly. The look changed to awe as Blackjack's body began to blur, and downright surprise as he changed into a half falcon, half human instead of the wolf she expected! Blackjack grinned (if you could call it that). "Well, while we were gone," he said in a slightly screeching tone, "Adam - you know, my scientist friend - advanced the process even further, to the point where the person with the process performed on them could become either a complete or a half version of any animal in existance."
"Incredible! But... that doesn't explain why you left CorSec..." Foxfire interjected.
"Let me finish," Blackjack said. "I am, and will probably forever be, the only omnithrope in existence. You see, another did exist. Adam himself underwent the process, with me actually performing it." Blackjack sighed. "His lab caught on fire. He and the computer files were burnt to a crisp." Foxfire placed her hands over her mouth in a silent gasp. "The only copy of the process is up here." Blackjack tapped his temple. "Which is why I left CorSec. They never knew about it, and they never will." With that, Blackjack's form blurred again as he returned to his human form. "Also... I owe Death Star a huge apology. I nearly shot him in a sniping mission, and I think that he, Garland, and X1 have a slight grudge against me... Where is he, anyway?"
"You don't know?" Foxfire interjected. Blackjack shrugged. "I'll explain the whole deal later. As for now, I hear there's a party going on, and that your fiancé and my future sister-in-law is waiting! Let's go!" Blackjack couldn't help but laugh at his sister's enthusiasm as they walked through the halls of Maverick Hunter Headquarters.
It's good to be home...
"Hello, Slasher."
They continued to walk down the hall together. Suddenly Wiendigo walked past them, heading the opposite way of the party. Slasher nodded at him. "Wiendigo."
Wiendigo glanced at him and greeted by saying, "Jackass." Then he proceeded down the hallway and out of sight.
"I love you too," Slasher told him. He then turned back to Cheryl. " Cheryl, what are the odds that I'll bump into you on this exact spot, at this exact time?"
Cheryl smiled. "Do you really want me to answer that?"
Slasher's brow knotted in some as he thought. "Uh, no, not really. Soooooo, what did you do while I was off?" he asked her.
She gave him a sidelong glance. "Oh, well, um, nothing much... You know, just the usual..." she answered him.
Slasher smirked, all knowingly. "So, you going to the party?"
"No, I'm just heading in that particular direction for no reason," Cheryl told him.
"You being sassy with me? Cuz I like it when someone sass's me," Slasher informed her.
Cheryl eyed Slasher questioningly. "What?"
"So...wanna get something to eat while they get the party set up for me to crash?" he asked her.
"Sure! But you're paying," Cheryl replied with a grin.
"No, Slash is paying," Slasher told her, pulling out Slash's holocard.
"Hmmm... maybe I shouldn't go then?"
"Don't worry. I'll pay him back," Slasher told her, holding his hand out inviting her to come along.
"Alright then 'hero', let's go," Cheryl said and slowly took his hand, the two handing out to get something to eat.
Dominator stepped up behind him. "Don't they know they'll never have a chance to talk before we will fire upon them?"
Shrugging, Arono raised the power on the cannons. "Thou art never find out, either," he told him as he fired, hitting the shuttle smack dab in the middle, shaking it pieces of it off. He fired again but the shuttle rolled out of the way. "Grrr. I will not miss again..." he warned, the targeting crosshairs locking onto the shuttle and beeping.
"Hey?! What the hell kind of welcome is this?!" the shuttle asked them.
Arono hit the comm. "It's a welcome to hell for coming to our base, Mavericks!"
"Mavericks?! I'm the friggin' leader of the Maverick Hunters. Arono, is that you!?" cried out the person on the shuttle, and both he and Dominator recognized it to be Death Star.
"Uh...uh...General...I'm, uh, sorry..." Arono told him, worriedly. "Please, feel free to dock your ships. How are you?"
"I'm fine, Arono," Death Star growled. "Garland was hurt pretty bad but X1 managed to doctor him up on the way over here. He'll be just fine. And you?" he asked icily.
"Gee, thanks for asking...I'm fine too. Talk to you when you get aboard," Arono said nervously, losing his old accent, and flipping off the comm. and glancing at Dominator. "Think he's going to be mad?"
Dominator rested his hand on Arono's shoulder. "You should have wished Tig killed you."
Lesser crew members ran around setting up the decorations, setting up tables with food on them and music nearby. While not as fancy as the party Death Star threw a long time ago, it was still nice. "Hm, nice looking turkey," Dakota pointed out.
Ridge looked over there. "That's a ham."
"......I kne-" Dakota began.
"Don't even go there. That's just to uncannily familiar..." Ridge told him.
"You're right," Dakota agreed. The three continued to sit there, watching some women put up a banner.
"Nice cookies," Montana piped up.
"Yeah, Slash baked them. Didn't know he had that side to him, did you?" asked Dakota.
"Uh, yeah, that's the cookies I'm talking about," Montana told him, laying there, just being a...big tank.
"Can you believe Slasher and Arono are going to get medals for being heroes? I mean, you did some pretty good flying out there. I hear you logged in second on the most kills. Darien was like the only one to get more than you," Ridge commented.
"Yeah. You did some pretty good, uh, whatever it is you were doing. I'm sure Dominator would have been lost without you," Dakota said.
Montana continued to watch the cookies. "I hear Montana will get a reward too. Damn him. I hear he did some pretty good shooting at a spy," he told them.
"Yeah, yeah, rub it in," Dakota muttered. A few minutes later Regulus and Preacher walked over there, sitting down next to them, waiting on the party too. "Hello guys. Where were you? Didn't see you on the mission with us."
"We were saving the world from hellish demons from the planet Kuat," Preacher told them.
"Yeah, sure. You're just jealous we defeated Infinity Inc." Ridge informed him.
"We were really just blowing up a place called Hell. Though we can't let that fact out," Regulus said. He then shivered and looked around. "Do you sense something, like a ghost?"
"Huh? What? No," Dakota muttered, confused. "What are you talking about."
"Just thought I sensed Phaedos. Maybe he haunts this place..." Regulus said mysteriously.
"Man, that's not even scary. Come up with some new ghost stories," muttered Montana, glancing over those cookies. "Mmmmm, cookies."
Dakota glanced at him. "Brother, you can come off with the cookie line already, we know what you mean," Dakota told him.
Preacher leaned back in his chair. "How much longer until the party begins?"
"I don't know. I think in the next thirty minutes. I don't plan on waiting that long to eat," Ridge said.
"Sounds like a plan. Think we should eat all the food before the rest get here?" asked Preacher.
"Mmmm, I like that idea," Regulus agreed.
"Wait, wouldn't Dominator kick our asses then?" asked Dakota.
"Probably," Preacher answered. The five sat in in quiet. "Hey, he's right, those cookies do look good..."
"So, what made you decide to kill her?" Garland asked rather bluntly.
Death Star blinked. "Iceheart?" He then answered his own question, knowing the answer already. "Yeah....It was when I looked into her eyes, actually. You see, there use to be bright, cheerful, loving look to them. Her eyes were alive," he told him, his eyes getting a far away look as he talked. "I loved to look at her eyes when she would talk, they would crinkle so beautifully. But she, the body in the back, didn't have it. They were...dead. That maybe he Iceheart's body back there, but the real Iceheart died months ago in my arms."
Garland nodded, sad for Death Star. Ignoring a pain shoot through his body, he asked another question. "Death Star, when my father died, were you really unable to do anything?"
Death Star blinked in surprise at the question he never expected to hear. "W-Why yes I was. I tried to help him, but your father seemed intent on stopping Crucifixtion. I myself was batted away into a pillar where I was knocked out, barely staying awake."
"I believe you," Garland told him.
"Whatever happened to you and Dark Strider?" asked Death Star as the shuttle docked in the hanger, it shaking as the shuttle's wing fell off. "Oh, jeeze, THAT was comforting."
"I killed him. It was a major battle, but in the end I prevailed," Garland informed him.
"I knew you would, kid. Just remember, nothing can stop you from achieving what you truly want out there in life. You're strong, but don't forget your weaknesses and trust others to back you up on them. Friends are important, and that's something I forgot," Death Star told him.
"I will." Death Star flipped open the ramp and Sharlena bounced out and ran to greet Dominator. X1 pulled himself together and immediately somehow knew there was a party going on and ran off to cook. Death Star and Garland walked off together towards Dominator.
"Well, well, I see you're back. Did everything go well?" Dominator asked.
"Well, Garland was beat up to bloody pulp, dragged through an emotional hell, then forced to run through an exploding station to save his daughter only to get another emotional 'bout when the hanger was supposedly destroyed, X1's coffee got bad reviews, and I myself went through an emotional avalanche of pain as I was forced to kill Iceheart," Death Star said.
Dominator looked taken back. "Well, I'm, um, sorry..." he stammered.
Death Star nodded and turned to Garland and Sharlena. "Me and Dominator are going to go for a little walk."
Dominator blinked. "We are?" Death Star smiled and nodded, leading Dominator along the hallways of the station. When they were away from hearing, Dominator glanced at him. "Okay, so what did you want to talk to me about?"
"I want my position back as the leader of the Maverick Hunters."
"What? I took you off because of your obsession over Iceheart's death, DS. And now that you had to kill her, you'll be even more emotionally degraded," Dominator told him.
"...Dominator, I've been looking back. You see, I was emotionally in a rage when Iceheart died, ripped from me. I was lost and lashed back at the world. 'Death Star' in a fact died that night. Sure, he poked up every now and then, but he was basically gone. My friends no longer mattered to me, and it was then I should have drawn nearer to them. THEY could have helped me," Death Star began, not even knowing how close his own fate parallel that of Wiendigo. "But now I kind of snapped out of it. After I bury her, I'll be ready for command again. And I won't take no for an answer."
"I see. Well, if you promise to show up for the party, then I'll give you back your status. I'm sure X1 will agree with me that you've come to an understanding," Dominator said with a smile.
"Thanks. Now, you better head off and began your plans. I'm sure everyone is ready. I just have a few more things I need to do, like transfer Iceheart's body over to the Avenger so I can head to Earth to bury her," Death Star informed him.
"No problem," Dominator said and walked towards the control room.
Baberlus had indeed survived the explosion back at the lab. His shield went up when the explosion went off, protecting him from the blast. However, it didn't stop him from passing out. Hours later he awoke, in great pain, and crawled to his ship and took off for the Maverick Station 28 to get paid for doing his part of the job. However, upon arriving there, he found the station's core had been hurt. It was just a matter time before it blew up. Landing his ship, he saw that X1 and Death Star were onboard the last shuttle there. Sneaking onboard, he locked himself up in one of the compartments were he rode with them all the way here. For revenge and for credits. It doesn't pay to be stupid.
Heading toward the computer room, Baberlus quickly began to set his plans into motion.
A cigar butt bounced across the floor, the glowing ashes slowly dying out. "As long as I damn well feel like it."
Death Star gave a slight nod and walked up the ramp into the Maverick shuttle, glancing at an open compartment he knew that he hadn't left open earlier. Dismissing it for now, but safely storing it in his memory, he walked on into the shuttle. "I heard about what you did to Hell."
Wiendigo stepped out slightly from the shadows, his arms crossed as usual. "Yeah, me and the amazing strike force you stuck me with did what we could. By the way, if you ever stick me with them again, I'll gut you."
Shaking his head. "I know why the three went along. It was their job. But that has never suited you, has it Wiendigo? So, what was your motive in this situation. Vengeance? Hatred? In a pissed off mood? I know it had nothing to do with justice. So, what was your motive?" Death Star asked.
"You damn well know what ramifications would have come about had they rebuilt it. This should have been top priority, not some second rate project you thought was barely worth your time. Besides," Wein continued, staring out of the hangar bay. "This time it was personal."
"We both know I was not in a position at the time to authorize such a mission. It was Dominator who you should have been talking to, not me. As for it being personal," Death Star began, spitting out the word personal as if it had no way of fitting to a person such a Wiendgio, "that is hard to believe. So, something they did finally got under your skin? That's a first. It seems you don't let much get under your skin."
"They built it on my home."
Death Star stopped what he was doing in the Maverick shuttle, naming preparing to move Iceheart's body over to the other ship. He turned and glanced behind him at Wiendigo, a small measure of surprise on his face, but hardly noticeable. "I see."
Wiendigo glanced over to the shuttle. "Who-"
"Iceheart," Death Star said, a little too quickly. "Lets just say we didn't see eye to eye anymore and it ended rather tragically. Worthy of Romeo and Juliet 2, I would say."
Wiendigo's eyebrows shifted in a perplexed matter, but returned to normal. Best not to ask. "You do know that CorSec has almost no resources now, don't you?"
Death Star shook his head. "No, I just came back. I haven't had the time to read into how much damage you did. While CorSec was an ally, it was a dangerous one that would have stopped nothing to see us shut down and it given our jobs. Now that you've set it back as you say, CorSec will never have the chance to take our place. However, it can no longer battle the aliens in Alien Nation. It'll be sending in us now for missions. Either that, or send in EarthGov forces. Anyway you look at it, EarthGov will be putting Alien Nation on top of our list."
Wiendigo grinned slightly and slipped a small computer disk out of his belt and tapped it. "Everything from CorSec's datafiles. Every bit of information those little pieces of shit ever collected, right down to the last period." He flipped the little black disk to Death Star.
Catching it in mid air, Death Star nodded. "You succeeded in something I failed. When I did the same thing, months before the Hunters opened up, I downloaded everything they had too. Unfortunately, the data was all coded. I never received the chance in decoding it before they found where I was and destroyed the evidence. I commend you on that," Death Star told him, turning back to the body and lifting it onto a stretcher, rolling it towards the Avenger. "Also, you four should be rewarded for what you did to Hell, but we can't let it be known the Hunters did that. Ironic."
"Left over from my original programming, computer skills were a breeze. Surprised I could even recall the ability." Walking over to the shuttle, Wiendigo looked at Iceheart's body. "Not really, my entire life's been that way, you get used to it."
"A computer programmer? You still are a mysterious one, aren't you?" Death Star commented as he stopped by the Avenger, gazing out at the stars, as if lost in thought. "Well, I'll begin to make copies of the disk when the party is over and hand them out to our computer technicians. See what dirt we can dig up on Spade's operations. Perhaps shut him down permentantly. A nice ending to a reign of terror caused by CorSec." He glanced down at Iceheart. "I guess, soon, I'll bury a part of me as you have over the decades. Ever wonder, Wiendigo, what it would have been like if you were never dealt the hand you were given?"
"Every damn day."
"Nice to know you still care enough to wonder."
"It's not that I care, it's just that I've got nothing else to dream about."
Death Star turned to Wiendigo. "They say a dream never dies as long as one believes in it. Maybe one day, you'll find your dream. Whatever that is." He then coughed and pushed the stretcher up the ramp into the ship. "Now if you'll excuse me, this is getting too damn emotional for me."
"Whatever." Wiendigo then coughed out something. "Necrophyiliac."
"Assblower."
"I just bet you will."
"Don't you have someone else to annoy?"
"Just you, Mr. Sensitivity."
"Go crash the party. I'll be sure to show up so we can continue this conversation later."
"Good, then you can fill me in on all the intimate details of your little sex filled ride back to Earth with a corpse." Death Star listened to Wiendigo walk off, glad that he was gone. Though he wasn't riled at what Wiendigo said, his voice was still annoying. He finished putting Iceheart into the shuttle and walked off, closing the ramp to it.
Death Star turned his head to the right and saw Crystal standing there. "Oh, Crystal. Hello...what are you doing here?" he asked her, puzzled by the visit.
Crystal looked at Death Star for a moment, then said, "I need to talk to someone... this has been plaguing me since... that day in REBEL..."
Death Star blinked in confusion. "You'll have to forgive me if I don't know what you're referring to. Care to explain?"
Crystal sighed and pulled Death Star off to one side. "Its about Slash. I know that the two of you have been friends since who knows when.... I know of his past in Force Works, and before that as a creation of Sigma. I know you know that too. During the days after you left REBEL, and before Slash joined CorSec..... something... happened..."
Death Star's face filled with concern and he glanced around the hanger bay to see if there was anyone else listening in. Seeing that there wasn't, he turned back to Crystal, his face filled with worry. "What happened exactly, Crystal?"
Crystal wiped a tear from her eye. "One day.... it was about a year and a bit after we found him and unthawed him.... I was on a scouting mission.. by myself. Hammer, the current boss of REBEL, sent me there. I later learnt that he was the one who had.. it done to Slash."
"Hammer. The name rings a slight bell I think. But...had what done?"
"...Before I left the base I was sent to scout out, I called Slash, to let him know I was on my way. When I returned from the mission with the cargo, He was not waiting for me at the docking bay, like he usually was. Instead I found a small piece of metal, that matched his helmet exactly. Then... someone came up behind me, asked if I was looking for Slash, and fried me with a tazer....." Crystal stopped, and tried to compose herself to continue.
Death Star's face began to narrow as his mind put together the pieces of the story she was telling him, coming out with infinity scenarios on what could have happened, but they all led to one thing. Hammer had in some way tampered with Slash. "....Go on..." he said, keeping his voice emotionless.
"When I awoke from the Tazer blast... I had no idea how much time had passed. All I could see was......" Crystal breaks off, and begins softly crying.
Death Star spoke his next words smoothly, trying to calm Crystal down. "What did you see, Crystal?"
Crystal sniffed, and wiped the tears away again. "I... I saw Slash... stretched out on a worktable.... a big dent in his helmet. Then the guy who shocked me laughed.. and told me what he was going to do to Slash.... H..He was going to implant a vile of the Medusa virus into his reactor.... and when he died it would infect a huge area of the world with it....."
"What?!"
".... The Medusa virus... is not like a typical virus... it's techno-organic.... It infects ALL matter... living or not... That.. evil piece of crap that chained me to the wall, made me watch as he opened my poor Slash and attach it to his reactor..... All the time he was working.... he told me of his 'grand' plan to rid the world of everything for the glory of Sigma...He engineered how Slash was going to die. Hammer wanted Slash dead.. I don’t know why, but he did. He sent that weasel after him, and me. And when he finished, he would turn Slash over to Hammer to kill." Crystal leaned up against a wall, as her eyes teared over again.
"I take it the plan didn't work out quite like Hammer expected then, since Slash and you are still here with us," Death Star stated.
Crystal cut him off before he could say anything more. "I WASNT with Slash the whole time.... Hammer took Slash, and they duked it out, and Hammer was winning. He knocked Slash out, and then turned to me. Hammer shot me, just as Slash woke up..... he thought I was dead......"
Crystal trailed off, then resumed her tale again. "I managed to place a crystal shard in the blasts way, deflecting most of it, but I still took a huge blast to the head area. I naturally went into a near death like state when repairing like that... Just before I blacked out Slash jumped up, and jammed one of his warp blades in Hammer's chest. After that I don't remember.... Slash still knows nothing of the Virus in him."
Death Star's mind whirled with the knowledge bestowed upon him. "If Slash is ever killed, those around him will die due to the virus?"
Crystal nodded. "Yes, that is correct."
Death Star leaned against the wall and ran his hand through his hair. "We can't tell him about it, not now at least. And neither can I place his life in a place where he can get himself killed."
"He'll suspect something if you pull him out of missions," Crystal warned, her features growing worried.
"True, so I won't do that. But that in no way means I have to send him to do the tough missions. Is there anyway to remove the virus?" asked Death Star.
"Not that I know of...God I hope there is, though," Crystal whispered.
Death Star knew that he would have to look up ways to stop the virus, but he heard sounds coming from the Control Room and areas around it, the party beginning. He reached out and patted Crystal on the shoulder. "You go on or he'll suspect something. I'll be right behind you." Crystal nodded and walked away. As for me, as soon as I can, I'm going to find a way to stop this virus... he thought, his face dark with anger.
By then, the majority of the group had entered the room and was walking around, talking. Music played in the background and people were starting to get food. Regulus munched on the cookies happily as they talked. Nearby Cheryl and Slasher sat with Slash and Crystal, the four chatting. Blackjack, Foxfire, and Mirri were on the other side of the room, talking among themselves. Arono, Dominator, Seraphna, Ace, and Darien were off to one side, eating and listening to the music. Garland and Sharlena were off to one corner, Garland goofing off as he ate, acting like a kid...worse than Sharlena even.
Preacher munched on the ham. "Mmmmm, is this turkey?"
Ridge sighed. "It's a ham. A HAM. Don't you guys KNOW little Miss. Piggy when you eat her?"
Preacher shrugged. "So sue me if I don't know all of Earth's food yet..."
Dakota glanced around at everyone. "Ya know, I don't think I've ever seen all the Hunters gathered around in one spot before."
Montana said, "Hey, it's a first time for everything."
"I don't see Wiendigo or Death Star here," pointed out Regulus.
"So, they're here. I'm sure they'll both show up, sooner or later," Dakota told him.
Death Star, like Dakota had predicted, walked in a few moments later, stopping beside Slash, Crystal, Slasher, and Cheryl. Slash nodded at him and smiled, "Hello DS. Tried some of the cookies yet? Baked them myself."
"No, haven't had the...honor yet."
Slasher nodded at him, knowing what had happened to him already. "How you feeling?"
"...Just fine. I feel like partying and dancing around. You?" Death Star asked.
Slasher shrugged and ate some of the food. Cheryl nodded at him. "Hi DS."
"Cheryl. Well, if you four'll excuse me, I'm going to walk around and grab some food. And try those cookies," Death Star told them and walked off.
Slasher sighed. "If he was pissy before, he'll be even pissier now."
Cheryl glanced at him. "Hey, lay off. He's going through a hard time."
Slash whacked Slasher. "Yeah, ever heard of tack?"
"Hey, I didn't say it to his face, now did I?" asked Slasher. The four groaned.
Garland grabbed some pie and slapped it on his plate, huming as he did so. Sharlena giggled beside him. Glancing around, he spotted Darien, grabbed some mashed potatoes and threw it against the side of his face. Darien glanced up. "Hey!"
"Hee hee," Garland chuckled. Darien looked down, grabbed a cookie off his plate and threw it at Garland, who ducked it and caused it to crash into Slasher's head. Slasher shook his head in confusion, looked over at Arono who was glancing at him, and threw some of his pie across the room and hit Arono in the head with it.
"Gah!" cried out Arono and threw a piece of his fruit at Slasher, but ended up whacking Preacher. Preacher shook his head and grabbed his ham and threw it across and whacked Dominator upside the head.
Dominator sighed and slapped the ham on his plate, watching the food fight, and he glanced over at Garland, who was sitting on the floor and eating, to avoid being hit. "Good going."
Death Star walked up, some cake in his hair. "And you say you're mature...." Garland shrugged and ate some of the pie, Sharlena poking her head up and getting whacked with some vegetables. She sat back down, shaking her head.
Blackjack nearby snickered. "Eat your veggies."
Mirri pointed at him and glanced down, see some food dripping down his shirt. He glanced up and pointed at Slasher. "YOU!"
Slasher jumped back. "Hey, it wasn't me."
Foxfire giggled and whistled innocently. Blackjack grabbed some cake and threw it at her, but she ducked and run off across the room to safety.
Suddenly X1 broke into the room, holding some cake. "Hey, anyone want some cake that I baked?" he asked. The entire room grew silent, the food fight stopping, and everyone suddenly began to make excuses for not trying the food. "See if I ever fix you guys cake again." He set it on the table and began to help himself to some.
Darien glanced up at Foxfire. "Hello doggy."
Foxfire scowled and turned to Blackjack and Mirri who were joining her over there. "He won't stop calling me that..."
Blackjack shrugged. Dominator stepped over there. "Nice party, eh?"
Darien nodded. "Hey, you know, we could all paint the room after this..." he suggested.
Dominator shook his head. "Lets skip on that one, eh?"
Blackjack looked around. "I just saw Death Star a minute ago, so where did he go? Wanted to tell him something."
Mirri shrugged. "I think he's talking to that guy called Arono."
Dominator's head shot up. "He's WHAT? I better get over there..."
Arono smiled nervously as Death Star stood next to him, eating a plateful of cookies, munching on them. "U-Uh hello, sir. What can do I for you?"
Death Star smirked evilly, swallowing a cookie. "Enjoy shooting at your commanders these days?"
Arono shook his head. "That was an accident, sir...really."
"Sureeeee, it was."
Dominator walked up. "Good cookies, eh, Death Star?"
Death Star scowled. "Excellent, Dominator. What brings you to this side of the room?"
"Just checking up on Arono. We were talking about some things earlier."
Arono nodded. "Yeah."
Death Star smiled. "We'll talk later then." He walked off, bumping into Blackjack as he did so. "Hello Jared. Guess you're really bouncing around, hm? One day you're tacking crack shots at me and next day you're back as a Hunter. So, shot at anyone lately?"
"Actually, yes."
"Somehow I expected that..." muttered Death Star, munching into a cookie. "Hey, these cookies are really good. I need to tell Slash that later."
"I'll have to remember to try some. I just wanted to apologize about shooting at you. I didn't know it was you until it was too late," Blackjack told him.
"I understand. No problem. See you around sometime then, hm?" Death Star said and continuing to walk around. He passed X1, dancing with his blowup woman. Shuddering, he quickly walked past, passing Garland and Sharlena who were dancing. He noticed Garland was acting like the class clown today.
Preacher yawned as he ate some of the ham. "How do you know this isn't turkey?"
Ridge sighed. "I just do."
"And who made you God?" asked Preacher.
Ridge stared at him. "Hey, I'm not the one who doesn't know the difference between a turkey and a ham."
"Really? How about I'm right and you don't know the difference between a ham and a turkey?"
Ridge sighed. "Just eat your turkey."
"Damn straight."
Dakota stood up and walked across the room, joining Seraphna. Ever since the battle, the two had been getting closer. "Hello, Sera."
"Dakota!" Seraphna greeted warmly. The two began to talk while the others continued to mingle in their own small crowds.
Slash felt around his armor and scowled. "Where the hell did I put my holocard?"
Slasher shrugged. "Haven't seen it. Have you, Cheryl?"
Cheryl frowned. "Yes, yo-"
"Hey, isn't that Garland doing the limbo?" Slasher pointed out. Cheryl and Slash both turned and stared.
"...I think so..." Slash said.
"I didn't know Garland limboed," Crystal thought outloud.
"There's alot we don't know about Garland," Slasher said. "You know, I bet Garland's not even his real name."
Montana wheeled around some to face the majority of the room. "So, when are they going to hand out the rewards already?"
Regulus shrugged. "Soon."
"How soon?"
"Soon enough."
"But that's not quick enough," Montana complained.
"You're right, it's 'soon enough'," Preacher said. Montana growled. "Hey, don't you growl at me, you tank! I'll rip your gears out and use them as a dress."
"....A dress...?" asked Ridge.
"Hey, a dress can be used as a term for clothing too."
"Sure it can," Ridge told him.
"See this club? It'll fit perfectly in your skull when I smash it open," Preacher snarled.
"Point taken."
Dominator, meanwhile, walked over to Death Star, who was standing there eating the rest of the cookies, seemingly haven eating them all. "Hmmm...don't recognize that technician over there."
Death Star glanced at a technician, a hat cover his face in shadows. "Hmmm...don't remember there being anything out. Wonder what he is doing."
Dominator shrugged. "Think we should check it out?"
Death Star nodded. "Yeah, something's up." The two began to walk towards the technician. The technician stood up, glanced over at them and saw they were coming. He quickly began to walk across the room when Death Star stepped out infront of him and grabbed him. "Okay, what are you doing here?"
The technician kept his face down. "Checking out some machinery malfunction. Didn't want to disturb the party."
Death Star frowned, remembering that voice from somewhere. "...Don't I know you?"
The technician glanced up, revealing himself to be Baberlus. "Yeah, DS. And now it's time to cash in on you." Death Star blinked in surprise just as the explosions Baberlus set went off, blowing a hole in the wall/floor of the computer room, the force sending people flying forward. Being close to it, Death Star stumbled backwards and fell down, about to fall to his death in the twisted metal formed in the explosion. Suddenly a hand reached out and grabbed him, holding on.
Blackjack groaned. "You're getting heavier, if that's possible."
"Must be Slash's cookies," Death Star joked as Blackjack pulled him up. Glancing around, he saw the Hunters were just realizing what had happened and began to run towards Death Star, questions being asked. "I'm fine, just get that technician! He's Baberlus!"
Garland blinked in surprise. "Baberlus? I thought I killed him!"
"Dead men tell no tales, unlike this one," Death Star muttered and ran into the halls. Preacher ran up beside him and the two began to run through the hallways, looking for Baberlus. The huge group began to split up, searching down different corridors, hoping to sniff him out. Glancing behind at Preacher, he asked, "Going to follow me?"
Preacher shrugged. "Might as well." The two worked their way through the hallways until they ran into Baberlus, or more like he ran into them, a blaster pointed at Death Star's head.
"We meet again, Death Star."
"How unfortunate."
Preacher made a move for Baberlus and he aimed at him. "Back off." Preacher nodded slowly and stepped back. He then aimed back at Death Star before the Hunter could attack him. "So far I've been losing money when it comes to you. But when I take you in for the bounty on your head, I'll get plenty of money then, to make up for all the grief of having met you."
Death Star shrugged. "CorSec's bounty is no longer on my head."
"No, but I'm not stupid. I checked the daily news and saw that Hell was destroyed. Doesn't take a genius to figure out you Hunters did it and CorSec wouldn't mind having you, under the table and quietly, so they can kill you. Now how does that sound? It doesn't pay to be stupid," Baberlus told him.
That's when Preacher attacked. He rammed into Baberlus, sending the bounty hunter stumbling back. Swinging his club, he smashed Baberlus' gun to bits and threw him into the wall. However, pulling out a bomb, he threw it at Preacher and Death Star. Preacher leaped into the way of the blast and took the full force, being blown up instantly, a charred form only being left. Death Star stumbled backwards, stunned. Shaking his head, trying to clear the stars, he saw Baberlus was gone. Growling, he kneeled down and saw that Preacher was dead. Roaring in anger, he dashed down the corridors after Baberlus, who was already getting onto a shuttle.
The ramp began to rise into it as the shuttle lifted off. Death Star flipped onto the ramp as it closed, sliding down into the shuttle. He was thrown back as the shuttle left the station, flying for Earth. Baberlus brought out another rifle and aimed at him, about to fire when Arono dived out of the ceiling, slashing the gun in half, blowing it up in Baberlus' face. Roaring in pain, the bounty hunter stumbled back, the shuttle going crazy and spinning around in space, heading for Jupiter. Death Star still remembered clearly what happened LAST time they fell into Jupiter's gravity. "Arono, get the controls!" Arono nodded and grabbed the controls, pulling back and sending the shuttle into a flip, causing Baberlus and Death Star to crash into the back.
Bringing out his saber, Death Star slashed at Baberlus, driving it deep into Baberlus' armor, delivering a fatal blow. Coughing up blood, Baberlus shot the ramp controls and opened them, sucking Death Star and him back. However, Death Star reached out and threw Baberlus out into space, watching him float towards Jupiter...to his death. Shaking his head, Death Star ran back up to Arono and took the controls from him, piloting the shuttle back to the station. A lot had just happened and it would take time to sort it all out. But one thing was for sure, the party was definitely over. And a Hunter had died.