A Dona's Return

[Nightfall]

Kristy smiled and turned towards the source of the familiar voice. 'Bernard!' she thought. The other two accompanying her looked at eachother in silence and turned towards the man in a black leather coat. The Duke of Corsica regained his posture and was walking slowly with an angry expression on his face towards the trio not taking his eyes off the woman in the middle.

They started walking towards eachother.

'You petty worthless pirate!' Kristy said with obvious anger in her voice.
'Give me the best you got b*tch!' Bernard replied 'You can use a good spank!'

They both slowly reached for their dual side-arms. By the time the blasters got drawn, they reached point-blank range. Kristy and Bernard were nearly touching eachother's forehead with the barrels. The Silence was deafening. Only the flapping of their coats in the wind could be heard... They both burst into laughter. Four metallic thumps were silenced by the ground on which they fell as the two embraced each other.

'How long has it been? A year? Two? What cloaking device were you using, not even a single sign of life from you?'
Kristy looked up into the Malta sky 'Ummm... where to begin?'
'Nasty as usual' he laughed 'You'll submit the report over a drink. Come!'

They both went towards the Villa closely followed by the temporarily forgoten pair...

---

If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God? - from 'Nightfall' by I. Asimov
The Outcasts consider Siniestre Nube a sacred place for several reasons. Early explorers discovered a jumphole within the depths of the cloud that leads to a strange world of ringed stars and strange craft. All ships in the burrial ground are placed facing that hole to honor the Alien Spirits. - An Outcast rumor