The Hunter

[Sanguine Frozen Boy]

Samantha watched the viewscreen as the prison liner tractored in several targets. Her father held her firmly in place as if to make sure she watched and listened."Of course, we would have attended to this matter ourselves but seeing the position you were in made it easier just to hire you. I'm happy to see that we were ontime." The man on the side viewport turned around and for a moment sent out a few orders she herself couldn't hear.

"Yes, it was good to meet you at manhatten. Running from them wouldn't have helped for much longer. I knew the asteriod field would be perfect to fight them in seeing as how they usually lack shields."Her father continued to hold her firm as the prison liner parked just off to the side of their ship.

"Hmmm....if you're interested in joining PK, there will be a train doing diamond runs over the next few weeks." After he finished his sentence, the prison liner began to pull off towards the nearby station."It would be great to have someone like you in Pk. Angel Eyes out." The communication dropped just as quickly as it had come up. Still confused, Samantha turned to her father whose grip had loosened.

"What was that about Father? Why were those people chasing you?" She backed up a bit from him to see his face of what little she could.

"That's none of your business." Her father turned around and began walking to the back of the deck. He ordered the crew to head to the california system and stepped through the door from the deck to a long hallway.

"Father, I live on this ship and I believe I deserve to know whats going on." She took a chance with speaking out in such a way as she tailed her father.

"You're right, you deserve to know whats going to happen to you." He turned toward her, his left hand appeared to grip the thin air tightly. She swallowed as a few seconds passed without him speaking further.

"So what was that all about?" She pushed the question.

"None of your business." He turned away from her and continued to walk down the hall.

"You just said you were going to tell me." Her ears stiffened slightly and her tail became erect. She could feel her father's blood in her veins."So tell me." There was a hint of anger in her voice. He didn't stop and she was forced to follow, her anger overpowering her fear of punishment. She didn't speak until they reached his qaurters where he stopped in front of it.

"Don't follow." He didn't even look at her as he entered and shut the door. He had left the door unlocked. She was unsure of what she should do as she could feel her anger fade to insecurity. If she opened the door it very well might lead to punishment to which she was used to, but it might also lead to something worse.

"What should I do?" She asked herself and looked at the door. She couldn't recall anything before arriving at planet Manhatten and the birthday she had spent there. She tried hard to remember her mother's face and what she would say, but she could not. Ever since she could remember she just wanted her father to be satisfied with what she could do, but nothing ever seemed to be enough. She felt her legs weaken and fail causing her to fall to her knees as she felt the tears start to come. The door in front of her opened abrutly and roused her from what few memories she had.

"Are you going to cry the whole way?" She had barely looked up when her face gripped her by her collar and lifted her into the air.

"No, father I was just going, please dont' punish me!" She gripped his left arm by the wrist and closed her eyes expecting the usual punishment, but suddenly she had a feeling of vertigo followed by the softness of the captain's bed. She opened her tear filled eyes and looked up at him. He closed the door and locked it before approaching her. His eyes were still glowing yellow but they didn't seem as fierce as before. He sat down next to her and looked directly forward.

"You need to learn more on your own, I'm not teaching you properly. I'm sending you with that PK convoy, it will help relations and who knows, you might earn enough money for your own ship."He reached back to her and dropped a data pad into her lap. "Some guys from PK will be escorting you to the New Tokyo system to sell diamonds. You will then work for them and give them 30 percent of what you make. You can keep the rest." She was afraid to speak for fear that he had something else to say to her. He stood and walked over to a desk with a computer built into it and sat in the chair that belonged to it.

"Yes father." She spoke and looked over to her father who seemed very busy.

"You will not see me again for a long time. This ship will be decomissioned and I will be dissapearing for a very long time and during this time, you will not speak of me to anyone. Is that clear?" He looked up at her and she nodded to him."When you finnally see, you will find me." Her father stood up and headed for the door."Avoid anyone who is looking specifically for you by your last name. They know something you don't." He opened the door and stepped outside."And one last thing." Her ears perked up."One day, you'll be a great captain." With that he left and the door closed behind him. Samantha felt much better after hearing her father's compliment and she smiled happily. She didn't mind that things would be getting very hectic over the next few days, instead she looked forward to it. The only thing that played on her curiousity was who would be looking for her and why? She put the thoughts aside and pressed her face into the pillow on the bed recalling her father's words over and over again.

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Property of Sirfrozenalot.