32Chapter 1
A New Life
(The Time: 1.5 months after the series' end)
Most people saw night and day as separate and opposing. But when a planet was viewed from orbit, one saw that they were actually two sides of the same coin. One such planet was Oracion IV in the lower western frontier. A colony of the Einhorn Empire, Oracion IV sat at a key nexus of jump routes throughout the frontier. This along with the system's abundant mineral resources made it a hub of interplanetary shipping and trade which attracted not only humans but a number of other races. Especially in the capital city of Altair which hosted the planet's primary spaceport.
Atop a building just east of downtown, the roof access opened and a lean figure clad only in boxers stepped out into the cool night air. Gene Starwind shook his head and his shaggy red hair ruffled in the breeze. So good to finally have it grown back out. As if having to spend a week in Locus's prison after returning to Sentinel wasn't bad enough, the haircut they had forced on him had made him look like a freakishly tall ten year old. As he walked over to the roof ledge, Gene took a swig of the beer he carried in his hand and looked out over Altair's neon and fluorescent tinted skyline. He always enjoyed coming up here when he couldn't sleep. The height of the roof and the dark of night not only guaranteed him some privacy, but he could walk out in his shorts without having to worry about anyone giving him grief.
Can't believe it's already been almost two months since the Leyline, he thought. Now that the Kei were no longer after them he and the others had decided to set up shop in Oracion's capital city. The planet's wealth made it a magnet for those seeking to make their own fortune. Unfortunately, it also made living there difficult to say the least. An unfurnished studio apartment cost up to $1000 wong a month, not including utilities.
Luckily for them, it turned out they had friends in high places. Oracion IV just happened to be home to the Links Group, an interplanetary conglomerate with its hands in real estate, mining, construction, shipping, and private security, the very same ones who had arrested them after leaving Heifong. After hearing they had set up shop in their backyard, Valeria and Duuz had offered them a job as escort back up for one of their clients and the Outlaw Star had been instrumental in repelling a pirate attack. That was the other problem with the Oracion system. All the wealth and cargo passing through attracted all manner of pirates, both affiliated and independent.
Afterwards, the Links CEO Li Meifon had offered them a position within the company and while Jim was chomping at the bit, Gene wasn't quite ready to give up being his own boss just yet. Still, Meifon had become one of their best customers. Between the jobs the Links groups hired them for and all the opportunities for bounty hunting, Starwind and Hawking were actually doing pretty good for themselves. Unfortunately they hadn't quite yet made it big. Maintenance for the Outlaw Star, payments to the debt they still owed to Fred Luo, not to mention the food bills from keeping Aisha fed tended to take up a good portion of what they earned. Things could be worse though. Meifon had even arranged a discount for the Outlaw Star's docking fees at the spaceport.
Heading back inside, Gene tossed the now empty beer bottle into the hallway bin but had one more stop to make before returning to bed. Next to his room was another which Gene had reserved for one crewmate in particular, though more for his sake than hers. While no one was pursuing her anymore, it made Gene sleep easier keeping Melfina close just in case. Cracking open the door, Gene smiled as he looked in on her sleeping form. Her black hair had grown out since the Leyline and now drifted in one length to her upper back. Once assured she was okay, Gene began to close the door when a soft whimper caught his ear. He turned around and what should he see but Melfina's head rocking back and forth on her pillow. "No," she whispered. "Stop...it."
Was Melfina actually having a nightmare?
What was this place? And how did she get here? Melfina strode through the flower laden field that stretched as far as she could see while overhead, the stars pulsed in sync with each other against the backdrop of an iridescent sky, creating a ringing symphony that was incredibly soothing. Basking in the peaceful beauty of it all, Melfina laid down and happily sighed when the atmosphere suddenly changed. The music of the stars fell out of rhythm and became increasingly chaotic and disruptive. The flowers began to wither and die under the noise and the wind buffeted her from all sides.
"No!" she cried. "Stop it!" The entire universe seemed to be in pain and Melfina covered her ears in a futile attempt to drown out the noise. The once beautiful sky turned black as the wind nearly picked up her small frame and carried her into sky when a face with three eyes materialized above her. "Gene help me!" she yelled as the face opened its mouth and plunged towards her...
...With a cry, Melfina lurched upwards. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her lungs heaved frantically. She wasn't even aware of the presence next to her until he grabbed her shoulders.
"Mel!" Melfina looked up and a worried pair of blue eyes stared at her from the shadows in front of her.
"Gene," she whispered just before she threw her arms around his neck.
"Easy," Gene assured her as he stroked her back. "It's okay. You just had a nightmare that's all."
"A nightmare?" Gene shifted position so that he now sat on the edge of her bed and Melfina leaned into the crook of his shoulder.
"A bad dream. It happens sometimes." So that was a dream? Melfina couldn't even remember the particulars. Just a feeling of helplessness and fear. It was the same way she had felt when Harry MacDougal had tried to break into the Outlaw Star.
"Are they always like that? I'd rather not go through that again."
"I'm afraid it's part of being human. Don't worry. I'm right next door so if it happens again I'll come running to wake you up." Melfina smiled and nestled against him.
"Thank you Gene. I didn't mean to wake you."
"I was already up anyway," he assured her. Well that would explain the smell of alcohol on his breath. Gene's consumption had gone down since they arrived on Oracion. A little was fine but Melfina never liked it when he got drunk.
"That's been happening a lot to you lately," Mel said. "Is everything alright Gene?"
"I'm just a little overworked. That's all," he told her. Gene didn't sound sure but Melfina didn't want to pressure him. Gene's guard had lowered around her a bit over the last few weeks but at times he still seemed a bit distant when around her. "Can I get you something to help you sleep? A beer always works for me."
"No thank you. But could you stay until I fall asleep?" Gene nodded and kissed her forehead.
"Sure." Melfina closed her eyes and relaxed into his arms. So long as Gene was with her she had nothing to fear.
As soon as Mel was sound asleep, Gene lowered her back on to her bed and covered her with the bedsheet. He had just stepped out into the hall when someone called to him.
"Is everything alright?" Gene turned around and saw Suzuka in her doorway. Dressed in a simple sleeping robe, the beautiful assassin's midnight black hair hung loose in a cascade all the way to her waist.
"Yeah fine," Gene answered. "Mel just had a nightmare."
"I see," she nodded. "And nothing else?"
"As much as I wish it was it wasn't." Gene's newfound chastity was another change in his life following the Leyline. He and Mel had been in a relationship since then but had yet to sleep with each other though the temptation was certainly there. While Melfina was resting in his arms just now, the swell of her breast had peeked through the edge of her nightgown. And despite the urge to cop a feel, Gene had managed to win out over his baser instincts. What was it that Hilda had said that night on Blue Heaven? Sometimes you just needed to feel a warm body. But Mel deserved more than that. Plus she was still in the process of finding her own identity after seperating from the Maiden and he didn't want to pressure her into something she wasn't ready for yet. For her, Gene was willing to bear the pain of abstinence. And in the meantime, he could make do with tissues and lotion.
"In any case we should get back to bed," he said. "We've got a big night tomorrow. Goodnight Suzuka."
"Goodnight Gene." Returning to his room, Gene lay back on his bed and stared at the ceiling. Why couldn't I just tell her, he wondered. Gene was determined to make his relationship with Mel work but that didn't mean he didn't have doubts about it. For all his experience with women, she was actually his first serious girlfriend. Oracion was a fresh start for Gene in more ways than one but how long would it be until he fell back into old habits? Or what if he gave in to his impulses like that one night? He couldn't bear the thought of making Melfina cry like that ever again. Rolling onto his side, Gene closed his eyes and finally drifted off. Fighting Tao masters was never this complicated.
Further down the street, the Starwind and Hawking office was being watched through the eyes of a telephoto lens. It had taken him almost two weeks to get their routine down. Usually; Starwind, the Ctarl, and Twilight Suzuka would leave during the day for one reason or another, leaving the kid and the android to mind the office. The only time they all left was when the Links Group requested them to aide an escort mission. Not much in the way of security, he thought. If they were attacked while the others were out the kid wouldn't last five seconds and the android would be taken. He didn't know why the Asura were after her or why his client was so intent on keeping her out of their grasp. Nor did he really care. With what the client was offering him, failure wasn't an option.
In any case it didn't look like they were making their move tonight so he packed up his gear. From what he heard, the Links Group was hosting a client reception tomorrow night and Starwind and his crew had all received invitations from Li Meifon. All those people around could either be a hindrance or an asset if the Asura attempted to grab her. As he headed down the street to the flat he had rented, the client's words once more played in his mind.
Whatever it takes, keep her out of the Asura's hands. Even if you have to kill her to do it.