“Gravan, It’s me, Katrice. Please, you don’t have to do this.” His eyes flash blue. “Remember, we are going to be a crew together. You, me, Whisper, and Fury.”

  His pace remains constant, till he stands within arm’s reach. Froth now pouring out of his mouth, snarling with each breath. He reaches out with his right arm, and grabs Kat’s throat, lifting her in the air.

  His grip is strong around her throat, but it isn’t enough to choke her. It’s hard to talk, but she says, “Please, Gravan.”

  Gwen lets out a laugh, flinging her head backward. “Yes, yes, devour her like all the rest. Then I will finish you off myself.”

  Gravan’s eyes soften as he gazes at Kat, and he slobbers out. “Get ready to take the shot.”

  Kat’s eyes widen, and she nods as best she can. He quickly turns and flings her toward Gwen. She takes a step out of the way. Kat has a split second to aim as she passes by, and squeezes the trigger.

  The gravity bullet hits Gwen in the waist. Her face contorts with surprise as the magi-tech bullet hits her. The black orb like bullet pulses as it starts to pull her around it. She strains her muscles as she fights against it, with no luck. Kat braces for an impact with the wall she is flying toward, but before she slams into it Gravan catches her. She looks back to see his features returning more to his normal demeanor. He looks down at her, the dull rainbow glow fading back to the soft blue eyes she remembers. He motions toward Gwen. Kat turns to watch, and can hear bones snap as Gwen’s body begins to wrap into a ball around the bullet.

  Gwen yells out, “You will regret this, worthless humans.” She lets out a wail of pain. “The Guild will know of this, and will avenge me.”

  Kat looks away as Gwen’s jaw is ripped away from her face. Gravan wraps his arms around her, and his earthy scent fills her nostrils making her feel safe.

  “Not much longer now.” Gravan says in a whisper.

  Kat sees he hasn’t turn away, and this makes her turn back to finish watching. It had been a very long time since she has watched someone die. Sure she did just kill a squad of mercenaries, but she didn’t watch each individual bleed out. It was not something that she enjoyed doing, but it seemed to her that she should witness Gwen’s last moments. The concrete, crates, and ground close by start covering what would have been Gwen’s body. The sphere created begins to shake, as it cracks apart. Gravan covers Kat with his body as the sphere explodes. Dirt, concrete, and organic matter splatter in all directions. The only thing that hits Kat is the concussion of the blast. She and Gravan stand up and look at the crater that is left, and she looks at him. His shirt is ripped to shreds, bruises line his back like leopard spots, and he turns to look back at her with a smile on his face.

  “That was a good shot.”

  She smiles, thankful that they are alive and he seems to be ok. “Thanks.” She says.

  “I wasn’t expecting that Fury would be able to make magi-tech. Gravity bullets are seriously dangerous.”

  “It wasn’t just Fury, Whisper and him combined to make Wrath.”

  Wrath says, “We are Wrath.”

  “So, how about we get those munitions now, and get the hell out of here.” He says with a smile on his face, and takes a few steps back toward the barracks.

  Kat tries to stop him, pulling at his arm. “Hey now, are you alright?”

  He turns to answer her, and collapses.

  Kat screams, “Gravan!”

  Eleven

  Kat walks into the medical bay, and looks over Gravan. During the fight he only looked badly bruised. With everything over it was much worse. Broken bones were the least of his problems, and Whisper had been operating on him over the past four hours. She didn’t want Kat in the room, because she didn’t know if she could save him. With the surgeries finished, Whisper unlocked the door.

  As Kat walks up next to the bed, she tries to stay quiet. Gravan opens his eyes, and smiles. “What’s with that look on your face Katrice, I’m not dead yet?”

  “I know but, you’re hurt really bad.”

  “I’ll heal. The last time this happened my body healed on its own after a few days. I didn’t have the fancy medical facility like this.”

  “Was that during the black raid?”

  Kat only knew about it from the stories. The black raid was a rallying point for the Earth Forces. An outpost on the moon, made as a last defense point for earth, caught undermanned and unprepared. It would have been the fall of Earth if the rebels got control of it.

  He looks away, “Yea it was. I didn’t want you to learn about it that way.” He pauses for a second, “I’m not that thing.”

  “You don’t have to defend yourself. I just want to know how that happened.”

  “It first happened at the raid. The mages had us surrounded, and tossed in a volley of fireballs. I threw Jack, Hanna, and Zane underneath me. I didn’t know I would absorb the spells, I just wanted my friends to survive. From there it was a bit of a haze. Blood, bodies, and some of my own unit were all around me. I had ripped out the hearts of a few of mages, and Hanna later told me I ate them.”

  He pauses for moment, looking away from her face. Kat waits silently for him to continue.

  “I know the way it sounds, but I go berserk with that magic inside me. A little magic absorbed and I am fast, strong, heal quickly, and I’m near indestructible. A prolonged fight though. Well you saw it.”

  Images of his dull rainbow eyes come to mind. She had never seen or heard of anyone or thing absorbing magic before. It would make sense that if there was such a thing, the Guild would want it secret. They always were the type to show superiority over everything else.

  Kat says, “I did, but you controlled it.”

  “Not really, I snapped back to my senses looking at you. Anyway, I went back to my parents for recovery after the raid. I told them what happened, and they told me I was adopted, through a private adoption. My birth parents were members of the Guild, and I wasn’t a planned child with Guild authorization. When the Guild found out I was conceived, they ran a test on me while I was still in the womb. They showed I was going to have no magical abilities. This didn’t stop my parents, they still tried to show that I would have the aptitude for magic, but I failed. The Guild then forced my birth parents to give me up, in secret, or they would be banished from Guild space.”

  “But your background says that you don’t have a family anymore. So your birth parents are still alive?”

  “No they aren’t. Shortly after my parents told me about my birth parents, we scheduled a meeting in Corporate controlled space. Away from any Earth or Guild territory. A group rebels mixed with banished Guild members bombed the area they were staying at. I hadn’t gotten there yet, I was running late grabbing flowers for both sets of parents.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

  Gravan cuts her off, “It’s ok. I found out who they were and I have been hunting down the men who issued the orders.”

  …

  Two weeks had passed since they left Tarus. The Guild didn’t even place an obituary for Gwen, and even went so far as to talk about her exploits on a recent wedding announcement to Mallory. It was odd, and something that Kat didn’t like at all. There maybe some fall out to it all, but she will have to deal with it as it comes.

  Gravan and her had been talking about heading to Raspiel, and finding his friends. She didn’t have anyone else in the universe other than Knox and Gale, so living on a planet with some friendly people would be a nice change of pace. Gravan had finally moved out of the medical bay, and into his own room. They had made a few short fuel stops and he had picked up a few things at each to put in his room.

  Kat was waiting for Gravan to get to the bridge so they could talk about where they wanted to go next. Their plan for Raspiel was put on hold for at least six months. They wanted to file all the appropriate paperwork to get a piece of land. If they just went out there and squatted they could, but if the Guild were to find out it would cost them. With everything they had that the Guild wanted, the less conspicuous the better.

  Gravan walks onto the bridge humming. “Hey Katrice, how about you and I go on a date?”

  Kat turns her head sharply, “What!?”

  “You know that thing that a man and a woman does, typically when the man is interested in the woman.”

  She stands up and shifts her weight to one hip. “I know what a date is Gravan, we are hardly in the best situation to do that right now for starters. The second thing is, what makes you think I would want to go on a date with you?”

  “Oh, I don’t know, maybe the fact that I saved your ass and you saved mine. That or all the time you spent next to my bed watching me recover.”

  “How do you know about that?”

  “Whisper told me.”

  Kat’s rubs her palm into her forehead, “Of course she did.”

  “I coerced it out of her a little.”

  “Oh yea, how’s that?”

  “I have a stash of money set aside I kept in case of emergencies, and I gave her some so she could download those romance novels she keeps talking about.”

  “No wonder she’s been quiet over the last few days.”

  Whisper says, “I heard that, and I will choose to talk when I choose to talk.”

  “Whatever Whisper, you traitor.”

  “I am no such thing. I just think the monkey that is talking to you has a point.”

  Gravan raises his hands up, “I didn’t put her up to that.”

  Kat glares at Gravan, “What do you mean Whisper, what point is he making.”

  “That you need to blow a little steam off, get a little crazy. Let your hair down.”

  “This isn’t one of your romance novels, and we are kind of trying to keep a low profile here.”

  Gravan says, “Well that won’t be too hard, I promise to keep it low key.”

  Kat sighs, “Alright fine, but afterward, we talk about this emergency fund you have. It’s raining like a Venus typhoon around here.”

  …

  “Do all your dates end up like this?” Kat says hiding behind a corner as bullets and blaster fire ring out all around her. Memories of the two of them behind cover, getting shot at come to mind. Something she was sure she didn’t want to repeat, but here they were.

  Gravan says, “Not all of them. Just the special ones.”

  “Great, I’m special.”

  “Hey I didn’t know that Ryker was visiting this planet, of all places for him to visit.”

  “Centel is his home planet. Gravan says. I figured there wasn’t going to be any chance to see him here, since we were so far out from the city.”

  “Well that’s a relief. After hearing that I thought you were going to accuse me of setting you up.”

  “That would be one long game to play. First have you convince me that your decent, then kill his newly betrothed bride to be, and lure me to his home planet to capture me. Seems like a great plan.”

  “Now that you say it out loud, it does seem a little farfetched to think that.”

  “So Mr. Man, you got a plan for us to get out of here. Since you asked me out on the date, I figured you knew what the next activities are.”

  “I knew a fearless lady like you would want a little action on her date.” Gravan jokes. “So I just so happened to bring two blaster pistols with me.”

  “Isn’t that nice of you.”

  “You never know what you might run into.”

  Kat could always tell rookies when she looked at them. Each of the bodyguards that were firing at them weren’t aiming in unison, or very good shots.

  She jokes, “We do now actually, six wannabes and their boss.”

  …

  “Ryker Mallory, you’re someone that I never wanted to see again.” It was the first time that she used his name in a long time. And it was almost like she was saying something taboo. It was good to finally say it to his face, with him on the ground in front of her.

  Ryker has a smug smile on his face as he sits against a broken brick wall. “I see you can finally use my first name. I guess Gravan told you about the Compel?”

  “He did. He also told me about the explosives that you had implanted inside my new libs, after you took my old ones from me.”

  “I really did start to like you, that’s why I eased up on the dose I was giving you. Then you had to go and search around. I knew then I had to deal with you.”

  “Then why rebuild me, why not just kill me?”

  “Because I wanted to keep you, I’m used to getting things my way. You had a way in bed that no woman could duplicate, what was it you called it again. That’s right…”

  Kat interrupts, “Something that you will never know again.” She pulls out a mobile cutting torch, twisting the handle to light it. A stream of flame shoots out of the tip, and Mallory’s eyes focus on the blade of flame.

  “What are you going to do with that?” Mallory asks, his voice drained of all the smug attitude that was once there.

  “I’m going to make you like me.” She quickly makes an L shaped swipe, cutting of his right arm and both his legs. The heat of the torch instantly cauterizes the wounds. Mallory screams. His clothes are slowing burning inward across his body, searing his flesh.

  “I will pay you back for this tenfold, do you hear me Katrice. I will hunt you to the end of the universe and make you pay for this.”

  “I have one more present for you.” Spinning the torch in her hand to face the flame downward. Bringing the blade down into his crotch. He screams.

  “You bitch, I swear I’m gonna kill you, ahh!”

  Gravan whispers into Kat’s ear, “Aren’t you going to kill him?”

  She turns to him and says aloud over his screams, “No I’m not going to kill him, he isn’t good enough to soil my hands on. I just left him a few reminders of who he’s dealing with.”

  Gravan snarls, “Then I’m going to kill him.”

  Kat puts an arm on his shoulder, and shakes her head, “No. That isn’t going to bring them back, and it taints their memory. This is enough, his limbs and manhood are enough.”

  The fire in Gravan’s eyes die down a little as he looks at the burning lump on the ground. “You’re right.” He says letting out a deep breath.

  “Whisper is on her way with the ship, should be just a couple of minutes. Let’s get somewhere out of the way to get picked up.”

  “Sounds like a good idea.” Gravan says, as Katrice and him turn away.

  Ryker breathing heavily says, “Don’t think this is over Katrice. I will hunt down everything you love and crush it with the might of my company and the Conglomerate.”

  Without looking back she stops and says, “The only things I care about are what I have with me, and my life. Find me again, and it will be your death not mine, remember that. Let’s go Gravan.” He nods gazing one more time at Ryker on the ground, and starts to walk away.

  Kat hears a small shattering of glass, she turns and to see Ryker’s forearm breaking apart, revealing cybernetics beneath the skin. His skin flips, and metal replaces it, forming into a large cannon. He points it at her.

  The barrel starts to glow yellow, and Kat can see Ryker’s smile warping in the light. She hears a shot ring out. Mallory’s body flops to the ground, blood pouring out from the newly made hole.

  Graven steps up next Kat, placing his hand on her shoulder. “This was his choice, not ours. He knew what would happen if he attacked us, and I obliged him.”

  Twelve

  “Honey, we’re getting close to Bexar Omega. Do you want to park at the usual place?” Gravan says while at the controls of Felicity.

  Whisper says, “I am not your honey, ape.”

  Gravan says, “Sorry Whisper, I was talking to Kat, not you.”

  Kat walks into the bridge, “Sure that sounds good, Whisper contact Knox and tell him we’re almost there.”

  “What about me Kat, can I rest now?” Fury asks.

  “Yes Fury, you can rest now. We shouldn’t need the weapon systems online while we’re this close to Bexar Omega.”

  He yawns, “That’s good. Night night.”

  Gravan says, “I still can’t believe that AI’s need rest.”

  Kat smiles, “These two are more like us than other AI’s we have run into. They sleep so they can process all the data they go through in the day just like we do. It keeps them from becoming cold and robotic.”

  “I take offense to that.” Whisper snaps, “I am just as cold and robotic as the first day I was turned on.”

  Kat laughs, “I would say your more sarcastic, than cold.”

  “Yes, because a meat bag would be more than capable of understanding AI sarcasm and humor than I would.”

  “I know you like us Whisper, even if you don’t want to admit it.”

  Gravan adds, “I feel the same way. If you weren’t sarcastic, I would have to run a diagnostic on you Whisper.”

  Whisper huffs, “I… I know what you fleshy things are trying to do. Trying to give me emotions, it won’t work.”

  Kat and Gravan look at each other, and laugh.

  …

  Kat smiles as Knox comes into view. He is waiting right at the end of the dock, like he always does when they come back to Bexar Omega for a pit stop. She heads down to the airlock and breaks the seal the first chance that she can get.

  She waves toward her father, “Hey Knox, thanks for taking us in again.”

  “Anytime Kitty Kat, now that you’ve been cleared of everything by the Earth Empire, it makes things easier for me to supply you.”

  “We still have the Guild, Conglomerate, and Mars after us, but yes it’s nice to be cleared from at least one place.”

  Gravan says, “It’s a clear port we can land in, without having any problems.”