Final Negotiations

Dubois waited as the docking bay filled with combat robots. He'd seen them before, a type of front line soldier that Morlatech used. They were an unholy combination of man and machine, technically they were people, imbued with the soul of some poorer person that had taken the ultimate deal in living forever, but Dubois had never known the machines to have much of a will, they always just followed orders and were very much machine and not man. There were twenty of them when they finished coming up the way. Dubois shifted his feet and held up a hand, the lead machine came forward and a holographic display showed Director Wix.

"Stand aside shop keeper." Dubois chuckled to himself, he had been called many things in his life, never that.

"This station is under my protection Director, you were supposed to come here to negotiate, instead I see war machines, did you come to make war?" Dubois had his left hand on his pistol, the polished wood grip always felt good when he was about to do bad, his right hand had drifted to his spare ammunition as it always did right before it was time for killing.

"You have an old implant, and a simple slug throwing pistol, you couldn't even harm one of my bots, let alone all of them, stand aside I don't want to have to..." Dubois drew fast, the warbot that was displaying Wix didn't even raise its own weapon before he had holed the creature. This was the sign for the rest of the Mordere's to drop their optical camo and unleash destruction. The "combat" as it were lasted a few seconds, the bots fell to the station deck weapons unused. Dubois and his people had killed them before, they knew they'd kill them again. Wix attempted to leave, but Dubois had made sure to tell the dock supervisor to lock his craft down upon entry.

"Mr. Wix." The door locks had provided no difficulty for the old assassin, he had a program that could cut just about any electronic lock. The director attempted to grab a back up rifle in the cabin, but he was no fighter, and his reflexes were slow the bullet took his arm off at the shoulder, a side effect of the explosive rounds he was using to kill the bots.

"They'll come for me." Dubois shook his head.

"Doubtful Mr. Wix, no you'll be wrote off as a lone crazy who had gone to war for no reason, corporate policy. And Mr. Morley I know you will be listening so hear me and know I speak for my order, we have not forgotten, we have not forgiven." When Dubois finished talking he put a final bullet into Wix's head and the man was no more. Behind him the Mordere's loaded an explosive device into the shuttle and Dubois worked the controls to return the ship to the warship. Dubois exited the vehicle and waved to the dock supervisor to send the ship off. Upon it's return it exploded and destroyed the Morlatech warship. Brubaker rushed down to the docking ring as the Mordere's were picking over the remains of the warbots.

"Some negotiation."

"We are efficient General Brubaker."

"I'm a Colonel."

"Not for much longer I figure, we're done here, no cost necessary our reward will come from a higher power and no not your government." The Mordere's as fast as they had arrived left a day later, their "vacation" over, it was all good for Brubaker because in the wake of the incident at Rim shit hit the fan on a major scale.

We'll Take it From Here

Brubaker didn't want to meet this Director Wix, he didn't want to have to walk down to the docking bay with only two soldiers (the rest were still guarding Roberts from the Mordere's despite him clearly telling Roberts that they were about to be overrun). Brubaker considered briefly asking the Sergeant that showed up with Lorentino for her help, but one more gun wouldn't make much of a difference. Brubaker scanned the transport ship and it was just Wix on board, but there are ways around their scanners, especially for a modern transport versus the ancient technology aboard Rim. He took his time just strolling down the hallways of the station he assumed would be doomed soon enough. When he got to the docking ring he ran into Dubois the defacto leader of the vacationing assassins.

"Come to ship off before the fighting starts?" Dubois was armed fully, his large old style cylinder pistol was handing from just underneath his right shoulder implying he was a lefty though Brubaker suspected he was ambidextrous as most assassins tended to be.

"No transports currently here, and no I am actually here to take over for you Colonel your services are no longer required." Brubaker was taken back, he knew that this group was hiding why they were there, but this part was extremely confusing.

"You'll have to repeat that I think you just told me you don't need me."

"I don't, we don't, we can take care of things from here, its why we are here actually." It was like being in a crappy dream, Brubaker knew what this guy was saying was the same language, but he didn't understand any of it.

"You're here to negotiate with some prick from the corporate sector?"

"Oh I'm sure he's not here to negotiate, don't worry you won't lose the station Colonel, go back to your office." Brubaker wanted to fight the one eyed killer, but he knew ultimately that would be pointless, and so he did as instructed and he left, he sensed it was a bad idea to leave, but he also knew that there was nothing he could do anyway. Whatever fate had cast for Rim the players were in place and all he could do was wait it out in his office, which seemed to be what he often did. Still he felt good that ruthless killers were going to negotiate with someone from the corporate sector, at least they were on even footing.

Sounds Completely Reasonable, Means It's a Trap

"Colonel Brubaker, my name is Director Wix and I'm here to demand you hand over two terrorists." Wix was in his nicest suit trying to mug for the view screen at a very annoying looking Brubaker who was hadn't showered in two days and his uniform had very clear sweat stains around his arm pits because the station heating system had gone haywire.

"You'll have to forgive me Director Wix, but are you shitting me? You're asking me to turn over two of the imperial military to face corporate justice while you sit just outside of our defense grid range with weapons powered up?" Brubaker didn't have time for this shit, he didn't have time for any shit, he wanted to be in the medical section questioning Lorentino and Therod, but instead he was stuck here talking to a corporate suit sweating like a pig.

"We are outside your defense grid because you armed it and we armed our weapon in response, what I propose as a gesture of good faith is for me to land on the station and have this meeting in person, so I can level the charges against your personnel and you can remand them to my custody."

"Alright Director that sounds fine, you do that." Brubaker turned off the screen before Wix could respond, Wyse was there looking sheepish.

"Do you believe he's going to come by himself."

"Not at all, he's entirely too reasonable, means he's going to screw us at the first opportunity, but by law I have to let him on the station and he knows that."

"So we're screwed?"

"Yep." Brubaker didn't have the men or weapons to oppose Morlatech's armed invasion, all he could hope for was to hold them off long enough to come up with a better plan. What that better plan was, he didn't have a clue.

Who? What? WHY?!

Brubaker had made his way down to the docks. He was fuming. Two ships had gone out with around sixteen people on them, one ship had returned with four. They were all his people except one, which was just going to lead to more pissing and moaning from imperial command, he could already hear his direct supervisors nasally voice complaining about the loss of life already and finding a way to blame this on the hounds. On top of that there was a gods damned Morlatech warship sitting outside the defense grid with its own weapons charged demanding to speak with the imperial commander in charge. Thankfully Roberts had once again defaulted to him, but he didn't have a damned clue on what was going on, why Darla and Wyse had gone off on a mission he could not find in any database and are now coming back mysteriously without the prisoner they claimed to have had in the first place! It was all he could do to not explode on the spot when his people exited their ship.

"I don't even know where to begin." Was all Brubaker could say.

"Ask Lorentino." Was all Darla and Wyse said as they moved past Brubaker both deciding it best to leave it up to their superior to explain what happened.

"And you are?" Therod holding on to the young Lieutenant who was feeling better, but still not up to moving around yet.

"Sergeant Theord exploration division." Her voice was clipped.

"Right, and Rolando you have an explanation for all of this bullshit or are you going to hand wave at me and tell me you'll explain later?"

"Would you allow me to do that?"

"No you idiot, I want to know where this lady in red went, why there is a warship out there demanding they talk to me about an incident you may or may not have caused, and what you want me to do about all this shit!"

"Would deal with it be too much to ask?"

"When I kill you Rolando it will be the best thing I ever did." Brubaker did not kill Rolando though he desperately wanted to, instead he helped the man to their limited medical facility and then went up to command to see what this asshole who was asking for him really wanted. If only because someone had to be an adult on Rim station.

Lady In Red

Rolando could taste blood in his mouth. The sudden cut had thrown him toward the feet of Darla and Wyse's prisoner. She didn't seem perturbed to have him at her feet, but from the look of her in fancy silks and almost auburn looking skin nothing could perturb her. She had a regal look of sophistication even cramped into the back of a small transport with shackles on her wrists.  Other than the blood in his mouth and the uncomfortable position Rolando felt better, he didn't know if it was the injection or the shackles or even the touch from the lady, but he was himself again. Which was good because he had so many questions.

"How did you idiots find me?" It might seem strange to lead off with an insult, but that was Rolando's way.

"Gee thanks Darla, I was in trouble and you rescued my stupid ass, but no I'm an idiot, I sure am Rolando I guess we should have left you to die on that ship."

"I'm not saying I'm not thankful its just confusing."

"It's not confusing red back there was on the run, she's some kind of fortune teller and so when we caught her she told us we had to get to those coordinates or you were a dead man. We didn't believe her, but I figured it couldn't hurt and here we are."

"That's not exactly how it happened," The lady in red spoke with a voice that commanded attention, "You didn't catch me, I turned myself in, and you didn't question me at all dear girl, you took me at my word and here we are because my word is as good as gold."

"Well there is that Darla." Wyse had a bit of a snark to his voice, but Rolando could also hear a hint of fear, were they really afraid of the woman in red? He was about to ask when the ship left cut and Rim station came into view, and then all the warnings on the ship blew up because the Morlatech warship came out just behind them.

"And here I thought we left them behind." Darla knew they wouldn't, the jump ship they were in was at best fifty years older than the corper that was following.

"They won't beat us to the station, but that's not saying much, tell the station to bring up the defense grid." Lorentino had taken charge even if he didn't feel like himself. He knew the station might be able to hold the ship off, but if they sent a boarding party they were screwed as the majority of the station's compliment of soldiers were back dead on the other ship.

"And then what?" Darla didn't sound too convinced this was a great plan.

"Pray." The Red Lady chuckled, the blackness of space said nothing.

In For The Save

"I should simply allow you to shut the power off, it won't blow the ship up, you'd need explosives which you most likely do not possess. No you'd disengage the door locks which would let my creatures kill you thus saving my experiment. Alas Morley has decreed you to die and so you shall, we could overload the reactor, but where's the fun in that? I've been dying to see these new high impact warheads in action and well they should more than do the job." Wix was quite satisfied, while he felt bad his experiment was about to be wiped off the map, he at least got to do the exploding, and enamor himself to Morley at the same time, it was win win. His ship was barely a spec on the horizon, space being the vast empty place it was didn't require his ship to be anywhere near the one he was going to blow up. Despite the way that contemporary medium keep showing space "battles" most of the ones Wix was aware of ended with ships never really coming into any kind of visual range, let alone right along side each other as popularly portrayed. Lorentino and Subject 13 looked disheartened, 13 kept fidgeting with the power despite his warning, he guessed she did not want to give up. Lorentino looked like crap, most likely a result of the corruption so prevalent with shifters or so Wix had read up since they identified him as one.

"Morley?" Lorentino's breathing was ragged, his voice hoarse like he had run a mile, "So this comes from the top?"

"Of course it comes from the top, I would not blow up my own experiment for the fun of it Mr. Lorentino, but we're done here, we have a seven point lock and you're out of time, you have twenty seconds, enjoy." Wix gave the order and their warheads fired, there wasn't even a noise, space was devoid of anything except blackness.

"I guess this is..." Lorentino was resolved to being exploded. He thought for a moment to try and shift to the man's ship wherever it was, but he couldn't tell if he could even make it, or if he did if he wouldn't just be crazy and end up killing everyone, but then the screen flipped to Darla and Wyse who were shouting at him.

"SHIFT LORENTINO DO IT NOW!" He grabbed a hold of Therod with his right hand, looked at the ship Darla and Wyse were in and shifted. And then he emerged in their ship, it was small and cramped, along with Darla and Wyse was a woman in all red who was locked in shackles. His blood was on fire, his mind was cracking, he felt Darla slap on shackles and then inject him with something, most likely blood it was thought if you gave someone who was going corrupt blood it could help, it didn't, he could feel the madness blowing in his mind, but his compatriots were more concerned with the Morlatech warship.

"It's arming missiles and cannons Wyse get us out of here."

"On it, but plotting a cut ain't exactly like ordering dinner, who's the red head?"

"I'll introduce myself later, we need to get out of here, I think Lorentino is dying as well." Therod had settled into a seat, the ship was fairly small, Lorentino was lucky he hadn't shifted them through it, but it was the kind of jump ship he and the hounds used all the time for short range pick ups, so he knew vaguely where to land. He could feel his mind fading and he was about to warn his compatriots when a warm hand touched his arm.

"Be at peace Lorentino." The woman in red had touched him and his mind cleared, her hand print on his arm left a redness like a first degree burn, he was about to ask her something when the ship made it's cut and Lorentino drifted into blackness.

Power Plant Showdown

The plan as much as it could be called a plan was pretty simple. Get to the power plant of the ship, damage it in a way so as to cause catastrophic failure, wait to die. Rolando didn't exactly like the plan, he felt it lacked that certain "And then we lived" aspect that plans should have, but seeing the inevitable death at the hands of a robot creature was also not a great idea either. It was the best choice of bad choices available to him and Therod. The issue was a logistic one. The power room was locked down and had been since the incident that released the monsters. Therod had tried in vain over six months to get in, the door was impossible to cut through and the monsters swiftly found her when she attempted other methods to get in. Rolando knew he could shift through it, but he could feel the corruption surging in his veins so it would likely be one of his last ones, which seeing as he was going in there to blow up the ship, made sense.

They made good time, only a few hours of crawling down various corridors and slimey places getting to the power core. It was the standard fusion type used on most larger ships, Rolando remembered having to study its function as part of his officers exam, even though he barely passed that portion. He hoped Therod had an idea on how to disable the ship, because he sure didn't.

"Does it hurt?" He had Therod's huge hand in his own and was looking to see if he could find a way to see through to the other side of the door.

"It doesn't hurt me, I guess it could hurt you? I wouldn't be worried about it." Rolando realized telling her it might hurt her, but not to worry about it wasn't the best thing to say, but its not like he had a lot of options she had to shift with him there was no way he could blow up the ship without her. She was about to say something else when he spotted a way in and shifted.

"That didn't hurt at all!" She was happy, Rolando was in pain, he could feel the corruption coursing through his vains, his mind was starting to get wracked with murderous thoughts. Therod didn't even extend a hand down to help him, she knew she only had so much time, she didn't know a way through the door, but she didn't doubt the creatures would, and Rolando and her would be dead soon enough anyway. She had started to cut the power to one of the failsafes when the screen in the room lit up.

"Rolando Lorentino, I suspect that is you, this is Administrator Wix." Rolando stirred from his misery to look at the screen, the man in the suit with the bad hair cut looking back at him smiled.

"Wix, I hate to tell you but by the Imperial authority we're going to have to blow your ship up." Rolando's voice was ragged, Therod could see his vains through his light dark skin, they were all strained like he was flexing really hard.

"Well isn't that a coincidence, that's exactly what we were here to do as well."