Just another part of the crowd, blend in, just another tired worker just off his shift, trudging home...
It's not hard to slump my shoulders and mimic the defeated crowd, but it is hard to keep pace with them. The shuffle is infuriatingly slow, and the security officers are visible. It's very easy to pick them out, they're the only ones moving with diligence, with purpose. The rest of the crowd on Freidstadt parts way for the officers as they prowl for someone suspicious. I can feel the sweat tumble down my neck.
My destination, the docking bay, is up ahead to the left. Most of the crowd is turning right at the end of this promenade, towards the dormitories on the station. At the large doors to the docking bay, maybe half a dozen security officers stand guard, checking the faces of anyone who goes through. The corridor, called the central promenade, is lined with stores that sell food and other supplies to the miners. I duck into the last store on the left side before the docking bay. It sells clothes, mainly for manual laborers. At the very back is a register with a sales clerk, who looks bored. He's probably a miner's son, must be in his teens. I look behind me to make sure it's clear, then jog to him.
"Greetings mein Herr, does this store connect to the docking bay?"
He gives me a suspicious look, but I pull a credit chip out of my pocket and hold it in front of his face.
"If it does, I would be most grateful if I could use it."
He eyes the chip -- marked for 10,000 credits -- hungrily.
"Yes sir, right through the back. Can't miss it." He blurts it out and snatches the chip from my hand. I thank him and move quickly through the back of the store and into the docking bay through a door labeled "Loading Dock."
There are rows of ships here, some in the back are being attended to by mechanics. Most of them are mining craft, with a few escort ships. The security officers are all watching the door: confident, they must have already swept the docking bay and figured that if I came this way it would be easy to catch me at the doors. I do my best to keep a nonchalant pace to my ship, but it's difficult. Once I have my Eagle in sight, I can't help but check to see if it's clear before jumping in the cockpit and powering it up.
Almost immediately the dock authorities are aware that a ship flagged to be grounded is taking off.
"Power down your ship at once. We have a warrant for your arrest."
I ignore it and punch the thruster, then the weapons which rips a hole in the docking bay. The shielding is designed mainly to keep ships out, not in. The bulkheads immediately slam shut back where the guards are, sealing the docking bay off, but the people inside are sucked out into the vacuum. More blood on my hands, though I don't give them a second thought as I fly off into the orange cloud that is Omega 7.
It's a quick flight to Vogtland, the old base that I remember clearly. The patrols around Freidstadt tried to intercept, but were too slow. South to Omega 11, then over to Dresden and up to Vogtland, the heart of the Red Hessian movement.
They're expecting me. I called ahead to a few old friends and had them flag my ship to docking rights. It's still running IMG colors and weapons right now, but I'll change that, plus scrub the idents clean. Probably even get a new ship if I can, that would be the most effective solution, though the more expensive one.
Once I set down, I'm met by Johann. He's a full foot shorter than my average height, and quite a bit wider too. His hair is starting to gray, something I hadn't noticed the last time I saw him a few years ago. I don't get much chance to get a good look at him before he snatches me up in a bear hug.
"Wesley! We all thought you died when you disappeared without a trace!"
"Quiet Johann, all of you were right. Wesley is dead, I'm Zane right now. If you'll please, let go and we can get a drink."
He looks a little confused, but still obeys and lets me down, then takes me to the nearest bar. Johann is, or was, the local liaison between visiting LWB pilots and the Hessians. He told the newbies how the base was run, where everything was and what they had to do. I remembered him from the first time I came here, back when I was just starting out after defecting from the Military.
When we have our drinks and are seated, he asks me for details of my disappearance.
"I got tired of all the fighting. Never letting go. It was me against all of Rheinland, plus the Wilde to boot. I remember one time, one time I swore that I would not rest until my hand was clasped around the Kanzler's throat."
I pause.
"The Military pilots, they believed it. My brothers and sisters believed it. Hell, I believed it for a time. But I'm only one man."
"No Wesley," he interjects, even over my dirty glare. "No, you are more than a man, you are still a legend among the LWB. When they learn of your return..."
"I'm not returning. I just.. had no where else to run. Again."
"Damn, what happened?"
"Well, when I left the LWB I set my old Wrath to drift in one of the Omegas and joined up with the IMG. New name, new identity, just another face in the crowd. Then Daumann started f***ing everyone over, it was a mess. I fought back. I don't even know, I managed to organize some of the miners into a decent force, we were raking in money as we were defending IMG space in Omega 7, but things went to hell real fast. I got labeled a terrorist for a few incidents in the beginning, and when things between the IMG and Daumann died down Daumann demanded my head on a silver platter. I just barely escaped them."
"What now?" he asks after I pause and stare into my beer. That's a damn good question.
"Zane. You have many friends here in the LWB, and you know any of the revolutionary groups in Rheinland would support you as well, you know that. The IMG here turned its back on you like the Military turned its back on your before." He takes a swig from his mug to punctuate the point.
"What are you going to do, go trader? I heard your sister died running a Daumann convoy."
"WHAT?" My sister was working for Daumann the entire time I was attacking them? Why hadn't.. what had... how? I had no idea that she was anywhere but on Planet Stuttgart with our mom.
"Aye, Wilde in the Omegas. Nasty business."
"How do you know?" All the old hatred for them is resurfacing, I can't afford to let that consume me. Not again.
"It was on the news. Huge attack, hers was the biggest ship to go, a Daumann Heavy Tanker. They made a special note of it since she was sibling to the infamous Wesley Richter." I feel some odd sense of satisfaction coming from him, as if he thinks he's pulling me closer to his agenda. I can respect what he's trying to do and the LWB are trying to accomplish, but that's not me anymore.
"No. No, this doesn't... change anything." It takes some effort to bite the words off. He frowns, but I cut him off as he tries to say something else.
"Thank you for your kindness Johann. I think I'll get a room here on Vogtland and think about my next move. I'll call you before I leave."
I down the rest of my drink and stalk off to the nearest hotel/barracks type building.
![[Image: u8rHEaq.png]](http://i.imgur.com/u8rHEaq.png)