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[MiniKitty]

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Stay out of this or you're next, Kay.

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I guess leaving the planet is just a self-fulfilling prophecy at this point. Every single time we launch, it just results in some kind of catastrophe. I am just lucky that everything went well for us this time. I certainly know my limits now.

I just cannot believe that it happened. I really just wanted to visit Manhattan with the girls. Initially, that is. Something made click in my head when we dropped out of the lane and that LPI Defiant hailed us.

Freelancer, I need help here! You'll get paid!

I look out of the cockpit window and watch this gunboat trying to fend off a Barghest and a Scylla. They are circling around the trade lane we would have passed to get to New York if they had not disrupted it. It is this cursed region of Colorado. The one that lead to our planetcrash a few years ago.

Monique sits in the co-pilot seat and looks at me, her mouth open in disbelief and insecurity.

Sucks to be him. Let's get out of here, Levan!

Stay out of this or you're next, Kay.

500.000 Credits!

Not enough to risk our lives for.

Right?

Levan!?

The gunboat is holding up quite well against the destroyer, yet struggles with the constant pressure from the Barghest. Getting the bomber out of that equation would change the dynamic of the battle completely. I have seen gunboats being on par with destroyers when piloted by someone skilled. Just staying at maximum range, firing pulses and taking potshots. Dodging, dodging, dodging.

Plus... it is Liberty Rogues.

Levan!?

Strap in, Monique. Madeleine, hold onto something!

You got to be kidding-

Both her and I put on the safety belts as our seats scoot closer to the controls. Afterburn. Turrets target the Scylla. Giving it some pressure will take pressure off the Defiant.

I hate you, Levan!

We are going in!


Turrets are online!


And like that, the battle begins. From out position, flanking the Scylla is the ideal opportunity as the constant barrage of pulses from the Defiant keep the shields of the destroyer offline. I do that. The primaries hit a few times before the Scylla turns her attention to me. I immediately try to gain distance. Pulses whoosh around, almost hitting the Kay as I move away from the destroyer.

I gulp as I turn around again when the destroyer has stopped chasing me. We scratched her hull. The Defiant is also damaged. No idea about the Barghest. I open fire on the Scylla again. However, the Scylla gets more defensive now, trying to gain distance from both gunboats. I fire a cruise disruptor at it, making sure it does not get away and recover. In the meantime I try to catch up to the Defiant. It takes a few seconds that feel like an eternity. I see pulses rushing in our direction but manage to dodge them.

The Defiant and the Barghest are playing it very carefully. Whenever the Barghest gets hit, it gains distance to get the shields back online, while the Defiant uses that time to fire pulses at the Scylla. Now grouped up, we can cover each other better.

Get the bomber off me!

Following that advice, I let the LPI deal with the big one. I should be able to handle that bomber. It is in an asteroid field, so it will not use torpedos. Threat is coming from the bombs. I chase the Barghest, quickly realizing he is still going for the weakened Defiant. My job was clear: Get the Kay between the Barghest and the Defiant as much as possible.

I do that. The shields tank the dumbfire missiles. Monique screams as the Barghest unloads it all on us. Many hits, many misses. The turrets do a good job on the bomber, too, though. I just keep moving, trying to stay near the Defiant while also trying to get in the way of the bomber. Shields are holding. The Defiant fires another cruise disruptor at the Scylla. I hear something beeping but ignore it.

Barghest comes in for another bombing run. No, torpedos! He is using Novas! Is he insane? I do not have countermeasures because of the cloaking device. First one misses, second one HITS! Shields are down now, Scorchers hitting the armor plating. The Kay is shaking, rumbling loud.

Levan, I'm about to panic~

Do not worry about it, will not happen again!


Novas! Those things can rip holes into the armor and the hull! I... shield batteries! Shields are recharging! Good, just keep firing. Keep firing, Levan. Keep him at bay!

Levan, watch out!!

The light mortar of the Scylla hits us right in the front, blinding me while the shields vanish. I accidentally make the Kay turn, almost into a rock, only to blindly dive below it. Another blinding light, this time from behind us, reflecting in the rocks. It took me a few moments to get my bearings together. I hear Monique and Madeleine panicking as I still try to see something again, still flying irregularly. Scanners no longer show the Barghest.

Good job, man!

The Barghest is gone!? It is gone! I did not kill him. The Defiant was too far away, too. He must have blown himself up? Novas in an asteroid field, bad idea! Not my problem, though. With that solved, it is time to finish off the Scylla. The Defiant did a great job so far. A chase through the rock fields. The Scylla tries to get away by using the afterburner, but it cannot outrun us. The LPI keeps firing cruise disruptors at it, followed by pulses.

The Scylla turns around, using a massive rock as cover for the turn, then goes full in, targetting the Defiant. Without coordinating, the Defiant dives down to dodge the light mortar and the pulses while we keep moving right to the destroyer, opening fire. They do not even try to evade our fire at this point. The Defiant gets deshielded, keeps running as we keep hitting the Scylla.

They break off from the Defiant and turn their turrets on us. I keep firing. The Defiant turns around and fires.

They break apart.

I win.














Autopilot leads us back to Denver. We stop there. I turn away from the controls and look over to Monique, who is still heavily breathing, her eyes closed. I turn to Madeleine. She is on the bed, smoking, staring at the floor tiles.

I'm alright, thanks for asking.

I slowly turn back to Monique, whose gaze pierces mine. She unbuckles the seat belt and gets up, walks over to me and hugs me.

Was it worth it?

I firmly hold Monique while glancing over to Madeleine on the bed. She licks her lower lip, giving me a lopsided stare. Monique grabs a hold on the zipper of my flight suit and pulls it down, breathing against my neck.


Does it matter?

I guess not.

I guess Monique cracked. She does not say anything as she undresses me.




An hour later, we touch down on Denver, back to David's Hollow. Monique stays at my side the entire time. We arrive at home, go upstairs. Monique does not let go of me. I fall onto the bed, she joins me. Madeleine goes to the balcony for another smoke. I am exhausted. Monique simply does not let go of me. Her breathing is normal now, still not a single word. Her hand is firmly clasping mine. Her lips find themselves on my cheek, my neck and my lips over and over again. I have no idea what is going on in her mind. This is not normal for her.

Madeleine returns from the balcony and sits down at the edge of the bed, right next to me.

That's how much you hate Rogues, huh?

Yeah.

Do you feel better?

Yeah.

Good. No idea how many people were on that destroyer.
But you fucked them up really good.
You killed a ton of bad guys today, Levan.



Quite badass.

I am admittedly confused. But then again, Madeleine had her way with words when the situation needed it. I first thought she would be super mad at me for having gone after them, risking all our lives. But she smirks at me and caresses my cheek, joining Monique and me in bed, scooting over right next to me.


I will not do that again, I promise.

That'd be good.

This was the first time I consciously killed someone. When I protected the OSC Ladykiller, I was drunk, with no recollection of what exactly happened. This time, I was sober. Fully awake.

No, not sober. I was angry. I hate Rogues. I hate them. I saw an opportunity and did not think further than that. I wanted them dead. Now they are. Probably thanks to a massive amount of luck. I like to think I did not do that bad at the steer. But... they could have gotten reinforcements any time. This could have easily been my last day.

Thankfully, it is not. I am alive. Happy. Two girls at my sides, many credits richer. I killed bad people. An entire destroyer blew up. I feel good about that.

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