A story that Disco made...

[dexben]

Episode 4 : Trouble follows like a shadow

When jack had left anna last night .. after the door had closed .. she sank to the floor back against the door staring at nothing ... * how could this be .. the officers had done wrong yet she would be made to pay even further while they escaped free from any justice* " This is not the end " she vowed to herself.. It was the first time she had told anybody about her time at newgate and even though the memories of the place cut as deeply as any razor she could hold right now .. the pain seemed duller. Her hand with a will of its own moved instinctivly to the barcode on her neck and she cried.... until she slept.

Jack had a rough night after the talk with Anna and the lawyer. He was dreaming of standing behind the darkened, bulletproof glass of a interrogation cell, watching her being mistreated by interrogators. Her description of them strapping her on the interrogration stretcher made him whince in his dream. The dream was intertwined with another story, because Anna sometimes was another person, her screams replaced by Melfina's... another person he tried to save but failed. In his dream, he also failed to save Anna. In the morning he is wet from perspiration, and he feels like not having slept for a minute. He takes a cold shower to wake up, but the mood would not go away. Too clear were the pictures... he exits his room, hesitating shortly in front of her door, then pushes the buzzer.

The buzzer rang shrill and sharp n annas head and woke her from her exhausted sleep... " oh **** " she realized she had slept on the floor all night and was still dressed in her civilian clothes.. " jack give me 10 minutes will you ...."

Jack is standing in front of the door, waiting for a second, then he hears her voice. "Sure... are you allright, Anna?" he asks through the door, thus drawing a strange look from a security staff who was routine checking the quarters... in his dream, the last scene before he had woken up was, that Anna was found hanging from a towel in her cell. He was pretty sure that she would not hurt herself now, that there was light on the horizon, but the dream had been brutally realistic. Melfina had died too. From the hands of an execution squad...

Anna gathered herself shaking away the thoughts of yesterday .. she had a job to do and people where relying on her to do it well. Slipping herself back under the mask she wears to hide the world from her pain her swallow like voice lilted out "Of course im sure suga .. just got out of the bath is all" she rushes to the bathroom and quickly washes sticks her hair in a pony tail and looks at herself in the mirror.. *hmm passable* she grabs her key card and opens the door her usuall dazzling smile playing on her face....

Jack looks at her and even though she looks fine, there is that note of caution that tells him that something is not. His dream was a warning, warning enough to look closer. And there are the signs, small pieces of evidence of a night that hasn't been spent well... he also sees what could only be the white, salty rest of dried tears where the fast splash of water hadn't done the intended effect. He doesn't clear the door, just looks at her and his features express worry: "No, it's not alright, Anna.... I can see it." he says in a calm voice.

She pushes past not in a violent way it is clear she does not want to dwell on the subject "now is not the time jack we got work to do... last thing i need is your judgment being clouded with my problems.... peoples lives are in our hands .."

Jack smiles to himself .. she will be ok he knows she is strong but makes a mental note to keep an eye on her today her words ring true but it is not himself he is worried about.

The pair make there way down the elevator and to there ships. "Control anna here am i good to go guys" you can tell she is getting used to the crew now, her professionalism being replaced by familiarity and comfort.. "All clear for launch anna.. good luck out there." The launch mechanism swings into action holding annas ship over the dropbay the huge doors open beneath the hood and with a shriek of delight from anna the sabre is dropped into the void below...

Jack soon follows and as the pair complete flight checks he keys up the fleet channel "Anna different day today than usuall our outpost in Orkney has been having trouble with some outcast gangs .. we are to go and help theta wing in its defence." "Never been there jack .. maybe get some sight seeing in along the way huh.." she smiles glad for the change of pace.

The journey to orkney is uneventfull anna taking in each new system as she goes marvelling at the sights this universe had to offer. "Dounby base 14 clicks anna.. check transponder signal we don't want them firing at -your- sabre... sadly the outcasts fly those as well." "Copy that jack signal clean and green" ... she switches from fleet comms to local "Dounby base this is Security wing alpha one .. are we clear for landing over." an womans voice is heard back from the station "Roger that alpha one .. please proceed to docking bays 1 and 2 .. glad to have you on board."

When docking is complete anna and jack meet up in the briefing room along with the members of theta wing.
A large man some would say fat but not to his face stands on the plinth. "Good day pilots as you are no doubt aware a large force of outcast ships has been making life difficult for us recently... Trade runs have been intercepted and patrols ambushed with no warning ... However yesterday the crew of the trade ship Stanley spotted a large installation over in sector E6.. We believe this is where they striking from..."

He punches up the holovid and an image appears of the grid sectors zooming in on that sector he outlines the plan for the mission. "Theta wing are to split into 3 squads and station themselves here, here and here" He tags 3 sectors nearby the station "Aplha one i want you to be the bait.. think you can handle that jack ?" jack cool as ever replies "Should't be a problem sir .. i'll just stick anna out front she's always saying nothing hits her..." the last part is met with smiles from anna and jack himself.. "Excellent we roll in 30.. dismissed"

Anna is excited a proper mission and with her in a vital role... knowing this is going to be a tough fight she goes over the modifications she has made to the sabre. "anna.." jack is walking over ... she closes the access hatch and locks it up tight not wanting even jack to get a peek at her work.. "sup jack.." "Are you ok with spearheading this .. i was just joking.." anna smiles that dazzling smile "Wouldn't have it any other way suga.. now lets get out there i'm itching to get on with it.

The medium sized fleet of ships are launched and theta wing heads off for its designated ambush spots.. "Coordinates locked in all is green aplha one on route to station.. oh jack .." before jack can reply "Race ya !!" anna hits thrust and charges cruise engines in one motion sending her sabre rocketting into the void. Smiling at her exuberance jack just activates autopilot and forms on annas wing.

"Jack contact 14 clicks multiple signals fast count 13.." "Roger that anna forward shields to max go in hot and hard" anna lines up the lead ship "10, 7, 4 jack watch this..." she kills he engines and slews the ship round 90 degrees " ANNA! what are you doing ??" anna cuts comms she needs to concentrate and jacks worry is not what she needs right now.

Hitting the underside thruster her ship slowly moves off vector from the oncoming ships... the ships open fire shots flying by annas ship as she continues to scream through space sideways engines off thrusters down "Cant hit meeee~~" she sings to herself and unleashes 4 salvos at the lead ship ... The pilot didnt know what hit him shields were down in the first salvo and the other 3 tore his ship to pieces. as she passes the small fleet of outcasts she engages engines and hits thrust to come up behind them. What she sees next nearly makes her heart stop she flips the comms back on "JACK!!! dont take them head on !!!" jacks nyx is looking bad his shield is down and his hull is loosing integrity fast .. he pulls up sharply and thrusts over the top of the ships. "Damnit jack i can see your better at talking than you are fighting... Thats it from now on regular training sessions for you... and stop spraying jack lead your target and take careful aim keep your capacitors up. She makes a mental note of jacks flying style and carries on with the fight.

"Theta wing coming in hot.. clear the road" anna smiles as she see the faint flicker of cruise engines coming from 3 directions. Anna quickly finishes the ship in front of her and checks for jack.

Jack is having a hard time the nyx class img ship just hasn't got the manouverability of the nimble sabres and he is sweating hard as he struggles to keep the outcasts ships in his firing line. "Theta wing take that station out before any more can launch..." anna is in her element she knows exactly what must be done she dispatches 2 hapless ships in the time it takes theta wing to close on the station.

The trap is sprung the three squads of theta wing converge on the station "Weapons free .. take that station out theta" 72 guns fire in unison anna watches in awe as the laser fire trails across the sky lighting up the station in flashes of yellow.. it does not take long the station cannot withstand the onslaught of the img ships and soon explosions send out shockwaves that buffet anna's ship " Its gonna blow get out of there!.. jack finish that fighter and return to Dounby" anna hits cruise engines and sets course for the IMG base.. with that set she flips to rear cam and watches the station tear itself apart in a nova like explosion that rocks the sabre as the shockwave hits. "Yeeeeha mission acomplished good job pilots they wont be building that again in a hurry."

"Anna we have a small problem ... i am getting reports of smugglers in tau 23 a CR ship needs backup fast.." "Copy that jack." she scans her console all is well full bots full bats "jack how is your ship holding up you took a beating back there ??" "not good anna repair systems are down and im loosing power to the engines." anna thinks for a moment "Jack scrap that nyx see if dounby has anything you can use." "Roger anna good thinking dounby ahead 4 clicks." Jack docks and heads straight to launch control ... "I need a ship and fast !!" "Sir all we have spare is a civilian eagle fighter will that be sufficiant ? jack not caring just wanting a ship right now agrees and runs to the hanger..

As the pair head off to the jumphole anna relaxes and toys with jack some "So civilian hows the new ship.." "funny anna very funny .. actually i think it handles better than the nyx im looking forward to seeing what this can do..." anna giggles and hits play on her compod music fills the airwaves and the pair jump into tau23.

"Anna cut the music please game face on." anna hears the tone in jacks voice and knows this is not the time for play "Form on my wing anna situation is as follows .. A CR ship is trailing a smuggler and his escort we are to provide backup and fire support .. he reports a gunship and a fighter .. gunship is primary ..ok." ... "Copy that jack gunship is target." .... the pair cruise across the system and rendevous with a lone nyx fighter callsign CR-****** "Follow me you two" the three ships set off for the jumpgate "Contact 14k and closing.." the CR pilot is a rough man used to fighting in these harsh conditions "No mercy take that gunship down fast"

The small group close on the ships "Oh no" exclaims jack as the realisation hits of what is ahead "maximus!"
Anna cant believe it of all the ships in all the systems and her orders are to destroy max she stops her ship dead. "No No No i will not fire on that gunship." jack closes his eyes and sighs this can not be happening he is stuck between a rock and a hard place and the gap is getting smaller. "Open fire now lady that is an ORDER!" screams the CR pilot "No! i will not fire on maximus" she keys up local comms "Max i will not shoot you ship .. i am not here." max is surprised to see the three img ships and even more surprised to see anna. "Anna seniorita what are you doing here and what you mean you are not here..?" "max my orders are to destroy you .. i will not do it NO!" the CR pilot is angry and dives to attack "Coward i shall see you hang for this girl"

Jack mind racing evaluates the situation .. it's bad real bad "Anna engage the fighter NOW" he kicks his thruster in and sets off after the CR pilot.

Putting her ship into a steady loop anna pulls up behind the outcast fighter Del who is busy trying to get a bead on the CR pilot she squeezes of shots slowly draining the crafts shields with each hit she cannot know it but the CR pilot and jack are in full argument about the situation " She will not fire on maximus ***** they have a history." "Damn her jack i gave an order he is an outcast!" .. the fight was not going well for the CR pilot he was being slowly hammered by the combined fire of the two outcast ships and the fighter anna was trying to hit was not going down fast enough. They circled a BMM construction site which was sending out waves of fighters to repel the 5 ships who were all hostile to them it was a bad situation ... the CR pilot tried on last plea to anna "Girl if you do not engage that gunship i am going down." anna stood fast to her decision "Then i suggest you break pilot i will not fire on that ship." snarling and swearing the pilot made a break for the jumpgate nearby ... he didnt make it ...

"Del power down weapons and break from combat." max wanted this to end now he knew both of the remaining pilots from his dublin encounters and knew in a different situation this fight would not be happening.. after some time del finally broke and powered down.. "Jack take your protector and leave this is over.."

Anna was a mess .. destroy a friend or loose an ally this was not her fight it never had been she boosted to the jumpgate and jumped. "Jack PLEASE lets go !" she waited for what seemed an eternity before jack finally appeared through the gate. Not saying a word she set off for home.

"Jack im in trouble arent i .. im sorry it follows me wherever i go" jack was still stuck in that gap he knew the reasons why she hadn't open up on max and also the duty he was bound to perform against the outcast. "i .. will deal with it anna lets just get home."

The pair reached the safety of the Hood and silence filled annas cockpit she didn't know of the conversations going on with jack and his superiors. She felt sick she had caused the destruction of a CR officer it was her fault and noone else and now she had got jack into her mess as well.

"Contact 14k" came the call from the Hood ........ it was max "We have unfinished buisness henderson" Anna had had enough she couldn't take any more the last two days had been too much she punched the comms button and killed it flat .. tears rolling down her face she rammed the thruster to max and sped off destination unknown she didn't care she just wanted to get away from it all ...............

---

I have many enemies in the dark. So i stand in the light so i can see them..

Anna's ongoing 95%(ish) true ingame story.