The Scarman Enigma

[|Scarecrow|]

Los Angeles Spaceport

Kurt Manning looked down at the assortment of pirate ships in the hangar below. He stood in a balcony chamber that overlooked the hangar, originally designed as a spotter house for members of the Spaceport crew to keep a watchful eye of the proceedings down below. The room was kitted out with a number of consoles and computer, all with the aim of observing pressure levels, keeping tabs with fuel assignments and overlooking the engineer shifts.
Kurt had managed to track down some new arrivals and was holding them in one of the Spaceports detention centers for questioning. The ships he had rounded up were all quite old and each bore the same markings as those seen on the vessel Sayne Jadyn had escaped in the previous day. He had ordered a science team to come down from the Danaan and check the matter-types of each ship. If they matched those of the universe Fleet Admiral Merlow had just left behind, then they were definitely connected to Sayne Jadyn and his mob of renegades. Kurt had heard about a new force to be reckoned with; a force that had only appeared in Liberty round about the time the Freedom Fighters had fallen through the void. They called themselves the Black Flag Corsairs, and as far as Manning could tell, they were a roving band of pirates, quite like the pirates old. They had a history of ravaging and plundering outposts and settlements.

Kurt had managed to make several contacts, under the radar of the Freedom Fighters, and now understood that the Black Flag Corsairs were working for Sayne Jadyn and his colleague, the sinister Tyrant of the Black Flag Corsairs. Nobody knew the identity of their leader, the only information Kurt had managed to dig up on him was the simple fact that he was not a man easily crossed.
Manning had been working around the clock with Klaus Reinhardt, digging up as much information as he could. With several new contacts beneath the brow of the Freedom Fighters, he had been forced to be discreet, making up stories about how he had come across the information he had. He suspected Admiral Wilder had a keen idea of where Kurt was finding his information, but he doubted the man cared. The apprehension of Sayne Jadyn was the primary item on everybodys minds, the means to which being less important.

The prisoners are being held in detention block eight, The Spaceport Security Commander reported smartly.
Kurt looked down on the gathering of fighters. The red skull of the BFC leered back up at him.
Good, Ill deal with them personally. First Im going to go down and get a better look at those fighters. Is my science team here yet?
Their ETA is five minutes Mr. Manning, The Commander reported. Their shuttle landed a couple of minutes ago.
Excellent, tell them to meet me in the hangar bay.
Ill get right on it, The Commander turned around and began to tap away at a console. Kurt spun on his heel and exited the room, his long coat flicking in his wake. Klaus Reinhardt met him outside.
Do you think we have a good lead here? He asked as he fell in step with Manning.
If these pilots are members of the Black Flag Corsairs, they might be able to tell us something about Jadyns motives. He paused and sneered, After a little persuasion.
Klaus said nothing as they arrived at the elevator.
Ill be in the hangar bay checking out those ships, Ill meet you down in the detention area in one hour.
Ill be there, Klaus nodded as Kurt stepped into the elevator. He watched as Manning punched the control button and began to descend. Once he had disappeared entirely, Reinhardt turned around and made back for the balcony chamber.

---

Pete Connors and Lorraine Hurst entered the detention building dressed as Spaceport Security Officers and pushing a man-sized wheeled cargo container. The two Black Flag Corsairs had assumed the roles of the two Security Officers so that they could get into the installation and also play their part in getting their master and Tyrant on board the Freedom Fighter flagship. Marcus Scarman lay in suspended animation inside the long container they pushed before them. They knew that several of their comrades had been captured by the Freedom Fighters and planned to use that as a way to get their leader in. The two pirates wheeled their cargo around a corner and stopped short of the detention block.
Alright, the data I downloaded said that they were being held in Block eight, Hurst said, checking her wristwatch.
Lets get Scarecrow out now, Connors released the catch on the crate. Hurst turned to her pack and produced a syringe whilst Pete opened up the crate and exposed Marcus forearm. He lay in the padded berth, looking almost serene in his suspended state. Connors suppressed the urge to reel at the touch of Scarecrows cold skin. In suspended animation, Scarman was effectively dead until a dose of adrenaline was injected directly into his heart.

Hurst took out the long adrenaline hypodermic and prepared the needle. Once the syringe was ready, she plunged it into his chest, piercing his heart. She jammed her thumb down on the injector and a rush of pure adrenaline flooded into Scarecrows system. He spluttered and coughed, bolting upright in the casket. He tore the hypo from his chest and began flexing his fingers, trying to get the blood pumping back around his limbs.
How long was I out for, He gasped, trying to control his breathing.
Just under an hour, Lorraine said, picking up the spent hypoderm and placing it back in her carry case. The prisoners are in there; well stay back and let you work your magic. We have a couple of ships in the hangar bay, but if all goes to plan well be accompanying you up to the Freedom Fighter vessel on their transport.
Excellent work my Brawlers, Marcus gave them a deranged grin, Go get yourselves a couple of Freedom Fighter outfits, standard marines, nothing special.
Consider it done, Connors raspy voice replied.

The two Black Flag Corsairs turned away and disappeared around the other end of the corridor. Marcus knew he would be seeing them again soon. He pulled himself out of the casket, still groggy from his slumber. His limbs felt cold, almost dead. Heavy pins and needles assaulted his muscles as he began to work them. He flexed his arms as he walked down the corridor, occasionally jogging on the spot to warm up his legs.
He wore nothing but a pair of loose trousers, made of a thin material that didnt degrade in the cold temperatures of the animation sequence. Walking barefoot, he cautiously made his way down the corridor towards the detention block. Peering around the corner, he instantly spotted the FF guards placed outside. Their uniforms were unfamiliar to him, different from that of the Spaceport Security and the regular Freedom Fighter Marines he had seen at the Scarman residence.
Taking a deep breath, he darted around the corner, staying light on his toes. He made directly for the first soldier, bringing his right fist into a deadly hook. He knocked the man unconscious immediately. The armored guard slumped back against the wall, his head lolling to one side. The second guard was a woman, and as soon as her comrade was down she launched into action.

Angela Insworth, Sadukar Unit and servant of justice couldnt believe her eyes when one of the Admirals of the Freedom Fighters appeared before her, half naked and slightly crazed. She gasped in shock at the number of scars that marred his chest and arms. Deep groves ran through his rippled muscles, many of them almost too gruesome to look at. Despite Angelas physical prowess and heightened abilities, it was the precious seconds she wasted taking in the sight before her that were her undoing. Scarecrow came in hard and fast, darting lightly on the balls of his feet. Within mere seconds, he rested his hands about her neck, securing light but firm grips on her jaw and the base of her skull. With a casual flick and a spin, her neck cracked and her body crumpled to the floor. Scarecrow stood over the corpse, picking out a short blade and M9 Enforcer pistol.
Moving to the locked door, he opened the seal with a quick flick of the control knob and the armored door slid back into its berth. A number of depressed faces looked up at him. They brightened for a moment before they recognized the fiery anger beneath the seething eyes of their Tyrant.

So, you halfwit imbeciles managed to get yourselves captured, Marcus leveled the blaster at the nearest captive Black Flag Corsair. What have you told the Freedom Fighters!
Nothing boss, I swear The man stammered, trying not to avert his masters gaze. Marcus lip curled in disgust and he fired the weapon. The mans face exploded in a shower of blood and bone as the bolt smacked into the bridge of his nose. The bloodied corpse swayed slowly before toppling to the floor of the cell.
You maggots are going to do me one last favour before you die. Scarecrow snarled. You are going to run; you are going to run for your lives.
He fired the Enforcer into the ceiling to get the gathered BFC pilots riled. Run maggots! Run!
The five remaining Black Flag Corsairs jumped up to their feet and bolted for the door, Marcus let for of them go but stopped the last one. The young woman stopped dead as Marcus pressed the blaster against her neck, her bottom lip quivering uncontrollably.
Not you, you are going to do something special for me.

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| S C A R E C R O W |

"See you space cowboy..."