"Trainee Gwen! You are a failure to the squad!" screamed Shan standing infront of Gwen.
"I am sorry ma'am! It will not happen again!" Gwen yelled back.
The group around them laughed and Shan looked at the other with a smile. "And that's not the half of it. The damn girl goes off and flies the commanders ship into the side of my gunboat as retilation."
"I felt it was nessicary." she smiled.
"Even to the point where you had to help me fix the ship on your free time?"
"I like working on ships. Gave me a chance to work on your gunboat."
"Regardless, Gwen Uzamaki, I award you with your pilots wings. Congratulations. Welcome to the squadron."
The group around them cheered as Shan pinned her wings to her collar.
"Thank you Shan." Gwen replied and bowed.
"Your father would be proud." she said with a smile. The group around them dispersed and began to talk amongst themselves. "You miss him as much as I do?"
"Yeah, but I know the reason he died...he died to save us from certain doom..." Gwen replied looking at the others. "Do they have nothing else better to do?"
"Apparently not. Commanders don't ever do anything, you will learn that eventually...even when you start flying more. Speaking of which, our patrol is in fifteen minutes, we need to prep." Shan turned to the others at the party. "We have to begin our patrol folks, sorry! Please enjoy the snacks!"
The two walked down the hall towards the room they shared and both changed out of their dress uniform and into their fighter suits.
"The Dragons are more Formal than I thought." Gwen said aloud.
"It's not every day a 11 year old girl gets her wings. And her first try no less, you're doing as good as I was at your age."
"Thanks..."
The two walked to the pad and Gwen walked to her new Raven and began working on the ship checking the systems. Shan looked around the pad and up to the hole in the asteroid to the docking door outside Kyoto and noticed someone standing on the rock formation just above that, staring down. Shan squinted and couldn't make out who it was. She grabbed her headset and zoomed in to see Leo standing there staring down at her. She gasped and dropped the helmet.
"Gwen! It's Leo!"
Gwen ran over and when Shan looked back up...no one was there.
"He was there a second ago..."
Gwen patted Shan on the back and nodded.
"The stress of talking about him is getting to you, lets do our patrol..."
Shan remembered when Leo got off the fighter that Kurt was flying two years ago. He took one last look at Shan and vanished off the ship. She tried focusing flying the ship, but her thoughts kept going back to Leo. For the past two years, she had tried figuring out what she could have done different, what she could have done to make sure Leo didn't have to die for all of them. Maybe if she wasn't so girly she could have been able to stand up and help him, protested that there had to be another way. But Gwen always told her there was nothing any of them could have done.
Gwen had been affected the most after her father sacraficed himself for the greater good. For weeks after we were cleared from the Order, she refused to talk to anyone but Shan. Day in and day out she would confess her deepest feelings about what had happened to her. After a while, Gwen managed to regain her composure and from then on lived with Shan at Kyoto. She showed great interest in learning to pilot a fighter and had great abilities with them...a "natural" everyone always said at her training flight lessons. Shan found some kind of sisterhood with Gwen from the moment she began living at Kyoto, but Gwen called it a "mothers instinct".
The ship bounced off a rock and the shields reacted to the impact, dropping them by a bar and a half.
"Pay attention. I'm the rookie and you're flying like you're piloting with your feet." Gwen said across the comms
"I know...I'm a little shaken, that's all."
"It's ok, we're still not all back to normal, you included. Any hints to how you're still able to change?"
"Nota, the Order are clueless."
After Leo sacraficed himself, all those with the Nomad implants lost their abilities, including Gwen and Takashi. However, Shan regained hers. She could still go Nomad, she could still use the implants to help her in her everyday life, and her eyes could still look just as Leo's has all those months ago.
"Ho ho ho! Hold it you two! I'm friendly." said a voice and Shan smiled. It was Kurt, Leo's brother. After Leo's death, Kurt remained distant as well, only recently had he been coming around again, Rag too.
"Hey Rag, hey Kurt." Shan said.
"Hello Shan." "Hello Shan" they both said at once and laughed.
"I trust you both had a good flight..." Shan said and trailed off. There, near Kurt's ship was a ship piloting at a very fast speed. On the side was painted something...
"You're not alone..."
"Gwen are you picking up any ships?" Shan said quickly and not taking her eyes off the ship. It faded away as it if was never there.
"No, why?"
"Just a glitch in my sensor array, I'm going to have to look at it later. So Kurt, what brings you to Kyoto un announced?"
Several hours later on Kyoto, everyone from way back when was seated at a table, even Rag who was broadcasting herself to a small communicator on the table. Shan, Gwen, Kurt, Rag, and even Takashi showed up.
"What I'm going to tell you is hard to believe...and I believe one of us has seen it. Leo's body, is dead, yes, but Allecto didn't shut down, she's still active, in everyone who has the implants. And with Allecto, is Leo...Leo's still alive, in a way."
"And it's broadcasting his image into the one's who are still active!" Shan stood up, almost shouting.
"Exactly. That means my theroy was right, you've seen him havn't you Shan?"
"Twice already, once at Kyoto, and once when you showed up, one the side of the ship was painted the words 'you are not alone'. I didn't understand what it meant at the time though. Now I do, he's with all of us."
"And he planned it so that you would be given the implants, but not the Nomad...that's how you stayed active."
Was it true? Could Leo still be alive in some way and simply be trying to instruct us to do something he had failed to do during his time in the living?
"Impossible." a voice said. Takashi sat with his eyes closed and shaking his head. "Once you are dead, you are dead. That's all there is to it. If Leo still exists with in our minds, and in whatever remains of our implants, why have I not seen him? I was his best friend."
"But your implants aren't active Takashi." Shan said. He made a sighing noise and stood up.
"If you all are going to lie to yourselves to get some of the mourning out about his death, go ahead. I've mourned his death and moved on. Now if we are done here, I have an important meeting on New Tokyo that I'm already almost late for."
"Fine, go."
He turned and left. Shan staring after him. He had changed more than she cared to tell herself. He was arrogant, rude, and even condesending.
"Then there is the fact of Allecto..." said Rag speaking up. "She never went offline when Leo died. She remained online, in Leo's mind. But she doesn't want to be contacted, I've been trying to get ahold of her, to find out what's going on and why she's not getting out of Leo and terminating her program...but no response."
"So she's alive then...and so is Leo." Gwen said for the first time.
"Leo's alive. Indeed."
Gwen squeeled and hugged Kurt.
"We have to find him!" she said.
"While I would love to, the station and cloud that he was inside vanished shortly after the incident. We went back, and the cloud and station were both missing, we don't know what or why it happened...we believe the Order has something to do with it, but there is no mention of it in their records, only theroies to how it happened. So that leads my individual conclusion to the fact that they don't know either. Leo is missing..."
The group got quiet at this point and no one spoke.
"I'm still active..." Shan spoke up. "I havn't gone active for a while, it's a strange feeling and I hate it, but if you need me to..."
"Try it." Kurt said standing up next to Shan. She focused on the memory that had been used to trigger the activation and her eyes illuminated blue and the room turned a blue haze followed by a H.U.D. on in her field of vision. Immediately, she felt a tingle in the back of her brain and there was someone else in the room...
Leo pointed his finger towards Shan and immediately she flinched in pain. The Nomad implants shut off and she fell back to the floor. The other surrounded her and helped her up.
"What happened?" they asked.
"Leo was here, he pointed his finger and me and the implants shut off, knocking me back."
"I'm recieving some kind of transmission from Allecto...
"Attention. This is Allecto. Tainted have fallen, but not the people who started the entire ball...have yet to feel Retribution. Shan, you must extract this Retribution for what has happened to you. You are no longer Human in any real sense. None of you are, you're all mixtures of metal and flesh. Cause this devistation."
Shan's eyes kicked back on and Leo was gone, but there in her mind she could feel the rage and anger of Leo, and she understood.
One Year Ago
Unknown System
Unknown Sector
"Lost" Space
"Will you shut up?!" Sarah screamed at the back working on fixing the drifting ship.
"Oh, sure I will, once you explain how the f*** we got here!" Al responded throwing a tool to the back of the ship.
"I wasn't in control of my actions, I havn't been for six f***ing years up until now! For some reason I regained my actions...which means Leo's dead."
"What?! Leo's dead? I thought you said Allecto could-"
"-she can, but she won't. This is Shan's battle now. The people who set all this into motion have to die before Leo can..."
"I see...alright, lets get this ship working, we should be ready in about two days...sorry for yelling at you..."
"It's ok...lets get ready to go..."
* * *
Present Time
Kyoto Station
Dragon Space, Chugoku System
"Remember, follow their rules Gwen." Shan said.
"I will, patrols three times a day, standard checks on your fighter every day to ensure it's still in flying condition for when you come back, got it."
"Good, Kurt will stay here with you while Rag and me seek out-"
Kurt shook his head.
"-while I take care of some things back home. Ok?"
She nodded and ran to her fighter and began prepping for launch.
"She can't know what you're going to do...going after the Government is one thing but..."
"I know, let her know I'll be back in a few days. Thanks again Kurt..."
Shan walked away towards Rag and took one last look at Kyoto.
It would be the last time she would see it for a long time.
The Office of Takashi Katacuchi
Planet New Tokyo, New Tokyo System
Business District
"Your sister just landed on New Tokyo." said Takashi's assistant. Takashi spit out the tea he was preparing to swallow.
"What?!" he exclaimed. "I thought I told her to not come back unless it was a family emergency!!"
"Apparently she doesn't listen well sir."
"Don't talk that way about my family Anna. I know she's had her troubles in the past but-"
"But nothing sir, if I may be bold, she's never been respectful towards your wishes, and continues to be immature little brat, spending time with her rebel Blood Dragon friends."
"You shut your mouth! You are my assistant! And you will not be bold! My family is my family, you insult them, you insult me. Now get out of my office!"
"Yes sir, sorry sir." the assistant left the room and allowed the door to swing shut. Takashi covered his face with his hands and shook his head.
"But you're so right..." he hit the communicator and keyed the authorities. "This is Takashi Katacuchi. I have a fugitive landing on the pad. Her name? Shan-Katacuchi."
----
Landing Pad Alpha-2
Planet New Tokyo, New Tokyo System
Business Districts
The ship touched down just as several squadrons of police arrived on the scene.
"Blood Dragon Shan-Katacuchi, you are under arrest, place your hands and any weapons you have on the ground and prepare to be searched."
No sense in causing bloodshed. Shan placed her weapons on the ground and her hands on the ground. A guard came out of the line up and searched her.
"Nice to see you again Shan. I'm surprise you didn't call me after you vanished into the Chugoku system when you abandoned us." he said while patting her down.
"Thanks Jakai for the kind words." Shan replied gritting her teeth.
"Listen, this is just a typical pat down before you go to see your brother. He knew you were coming so he had us meet you here before you got into any trouble. You know he has the Naval Forces in his pocket, even these days he does."
"Thanks." Shan said standing back up as the other police left. "Forgive me if I don't call you anytime soon." she said turning around and walking away, leaving a very saddened and hurt Jakai standing there with more than a bruised ego.
The Office of Tatkashi Katacuchi
Planet New Tokyo, New Tokyo System
Business District
Takashi paced infront of his window and continued to keep his attention on the pad below. Ever since Leo had died, Shan had become more and more difficult than any time before in her past. He under stood her pain, Leo was her love, and Leo loved her just as much. They were both perfect for each other...kindered spirits Takashi always believed.
Takashi had left the world of piracy because he believed in new beginnings. He was slapped on the wrist after giving up several key members of the NovaPG, and agreeing to train the elite squadrons of the Naval Forces with tricks of the trade and noticable flight tactics of the Blood Dragons. Takashi didn't like it, but there wasn't much else he could have done. They had him right where they wanted him.
"Sir?" the assistant said knocking on the door. "Shan is here...you want me to send her in?"
"Yes, please do. Ensure she is not notified of why I brought her here instead of where ever she was going." The assistant bowed her head and left. A few moments later Shan was led in by her hand and the door slammed shut. "I told you to never come back to New Tokyo unless it was a family emergency."
"It is!" Shan protested.
"Leo is not that emergency. We both know Leo is dead. Your simple glitch in your implants allows you to still go Nomad, a side effect of the technology. Deal with it, Leo is gone."
"I've seen him!"
"So have I. Every night in my dreams. Leo was my friend too Shan. For a long time I continued trying to figure out what I could have done different so that I would have died and not him, but I came to the same conclusion every time, there is nothing we could have done. It was planned by Leo and Autumn way before we even met either of them."
"You're blind...and you're a tratior. Do you have any idea what they would do to me if they found out I was talking to you? I'm the second now Takashi, if they catch me here with you, Dejesus will surely kill me."
Takashi smiled and took a drink of his wiskey on his desk.
"DeJesus? He's nothing but a rodent to me now, I'm more powerful than anyone on this planet Shan. I own the police here. They do as I say in this district."
"Yeah, in this district, not on this planet."
Shan turned around and as she reached the door, Takashi said only a few more words.
"I brought you here to warn you...while Leo may be dead, those who still believed in the Tainted way of life still exist, and seek what Leo would call...Retribution..."
He turned around and faced the ships flying past while Shan looked back with a hint of anger on her face.
"I'm a big girl...brother..."
With that she left, allowing the door to click shut quietly.
Six Months Ago
Unknown System
Unknown Sector
"Lost" Space
"Emergency rations finally just ran out." Al said shaking the empty bag.
"I know, I'm surprised they lasted a year and a half...they really know how to shrink food into those small packets. Still not picking up any kind of planet, system, or even any stars. Looks like where ever we jumped to...we're not in normal space anymore, and according to this, we've jumped way outside of the Sirius systems."
"Go figure. The only place I jump to hasn't even been recorded yet...any sign of that weird reading you picked up?"
"Nothing, must have been a system glitch."
"Hopefully you're right, we don't need any more surprises."
New London Street
Planet New Tokyo, New Tokyo System
Slums District
If anyone knew what was happening to Shan, it would be here. Even though this part of the planet wasnt the most ornate in the world, she knew that there were survivors of the Tainted war, and that if they still existed; they would be able to help her. It was a weird feeling when Shan walked down the street, she had been here before.
No, I have. Someone said beside her, it was Leo, Shan nearly jumped out of her skin. This is where I began my hunt to discover who I was. The first time anywayI came back here to find my mother, but came up empty handed.
What did you find instead? Shan asked.
something that I dont want you to find either.
Leo was gone, and facing Shan was three men, all smiling.
Well, well, well. said the lead man. Look who it isShan-Katacuchi.
Shan started backing up and went in to a defensive fighting position, just before going full Nomad. The men smiled.
I remember those days, those are the days I want back. the lead man said again and lunged at Shan.
Before Shan had any time to react, a man in a hood lunged inbetween her and the attackers. He stood slightly hunched with a hood covering up the entirety of his body. An eerie blue glow hung around him. The men stopped and stared at the hooded man intently for a few moments before continuing to run towards the two.
"Big mistake." the man said deeply and quickly ran between the two men, taking both of them down with a clothesline manuver. The two hit the ground with a thud, and the man on the right cracked his head on the ground, knocking him out. The hooded man slid to a stop oppisite the final man who charged him screaming. "Die." he said and threw up palm into the mans nose, effectively cracking the nose and shoving the bone into his brain. The man fell to the ground with a sickening thud.
"Who are you?" Shan asked approaching the man. He must have forgotten she was there because he looked out from underneath his hood quickly and ran away. "Wait!
"...who are you...?" she said staring after the fleeing man.
