I wont say Goodbye

[Jeremy Hunter]

The Nephthys exited Omciron Minor and its asteroids to the dark black of Delta. Doing a few loop-de-loops, she saw the green and the beauty. Sighing, she set course for Freeport 11, dodging the occasional Bounty Hunter and in one case, a Sascya. All the while she toyed with the two pictures, having put them on hard-copy format.

"Who...are they?" She asked herself.

Alex sighed. She slipped them into her belt, clipped her PDA on, and looke forward as Freeport 11 filled her view.

"Freeport 11, this is Alex...um...just Alex. Requesting to dock."
"Docking bay Three Opening. You are clear."

Alex took a breath and let the autopilot take over. As she entered the bay, she checked for a weapon, finding a sidearm below her seat. Clipping it on, she got up and exited the Neph.
Hitting the ground, Alex stretched, looking around. She spotted a Manta Fighter nearbye, and, knowing the Order-BHG fighting from a mechanic who warned her before launching, she kept one hand on her sidearm and moved to the bar.Entering, she took a seat and ordered a shot of vodka.

"You new?" The bartender asked.
"Yeah..."
"Where ya from?"
"I...don't know. All I know is I woke up on...on...that battleship back in the other system, and given a Nephthys..."
"Order, giving a Nephthys to a stranger? I never trusted thier Intelligence divison. The spooks to work in the intel branches of anything always got hidden agendas."
"Well, It's a good ship. Got me here."
"Who died it in?"
"Audriana Grey."
The man looked sober. "So poor Audrey's gone?"
"I was told she died in a BHG attack. She went saving lives."
"Aye, thats the way she woulda wanted it. 'Im a nobody; On Cambridge, I would die a nobody. But here, in the Order, I will die for a reason.' The poor girl had nothing on Cambridge. Single-handiedly took down three Mantas and cleared the way for a Sekhmet wing to launch a Nova strike on the BHG Core's Mako Battleship Fist of Zeus. So...she's a hero?"
"That's what Smith told me."
"Ah god, are all Intel guys named Smith?"
"Thats what I wondered."

The man laughed. He poured another shot on the house and moved to service some Hunters that had entered the bar. Alex kept a hand on her sidearm the entire time. She finished her shot and motioned the man over.

"Is there a room I can rent for the night?"
"Yeah, head back that way, take a left. You'll find a guy at a desk. Ask him, he'll set you up."
"Thanks."

Alex left the bar and started to walk when a drunk Hunter stumbled out from the left. Taking a step backword, she prepared to step around him.

"Where ya gooooin' babe?" The guy said. "If you're lookin' fer a room...I cna oblige."

Alex looked a bit revolted. "I'm good, thanks."

The man didn't like that.

"You come with me know and be a nice right dog."
"How about...no." Alex suddenly spun and launched a back-kick to the man's solar plexus, dropping him. Dropping on his chest, she drew her gun and aimed it at his head. "Now, how about you go and take a nice loong nap and forget this happened."
The man looked at her. "No."
Alex pistol-whipped him and stood up as a few more Hunters exited the bar.

Seeing thier buddy down, they tensed.

"He's fine." She said. "Idiot was drunk, decided to hit up the wrong person."
The leader stepped forward. "Sorry then ma'am."
A woman stepped up. "She came in that Order fighter. The coward."
Alex raised the gun. "Im not Order. Im not one of them. I killed three of their guards and stole that."
The leader laughed. "A little thing like you? if so, why don't you-"
"No thanks." Alex turned and walked away.

Gaining a room, Alex entered and dropped onto the bed. "I wish I had another change of clothes..." Walking into the bathroom, she stripped naked and took a quick shower.
Drying her hair, she set them to the side.
"Wonder if they have a cleaner's." Alex mused. Picking up the comm, she found out they did. Setting her stuff by the door, she entered the bathroom when they knocked. Exiting after they left, Alex ditched the towel she had been using and crawled under the covers.

Freeport 11, Omicron Delta; The next day

Alex woke up to find her stuff neatly folded to the side. Sitting up and letting the covers fal around her hips, she got up and went into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she checked herself.
There was a scar across her chest, starting near her shoulder and ending between her breasts. She traced it softly, then stepped into the shower. Washing her hair, she watched the soap go down her body. She went rigid. Her breathing quickened. She clenched.

The quietness of the bridge.
The sudden alarm.
People shouting.
A huge teal beam erupting from mere meters away and heading to a blue object.

Alex unclenched everything, no longer rigid.
Sitting down, she her breathing slowed. Taking a deep breath, she hugged her knees and let the water run for a few minutes before lathering herself up, washing the soap away, and stepping out.

Freshened up and dressed in clean clothes, Alex moved through the Freeport to the docking bay where the Tears of a Nobody sat.
Climbing back in, noticing the Manta was missing, she powered the ship up.

"This is Alex, requesting launch clearance."
"This is Flight COntrol, Order Gamma 3-1, you are cleared to launch."

Alex coasted out then hit cruise.

Omicron Delta, Tuvalu Orbit

Alex looked at the blue planet. She had the coordinates to get to Omicron-74 and then Theta, but she was drawn to the big planet in Delta. Taking a moment, she unbuttoned her jacket, slipped off her shirt, and used a mirror to look at the scar. it was a white line about half an inch wide.
Then the alarm sounded.
Alex slipped her shirt and jacket back on and powered the Reaper cannons as three Mantas closed in.

"Order scum."

it was the woman from before. Alex hit the thruster, engine killed, thrustered to the side, and opened fire, catching the side Manta with her guns, dropping its shield. it rammed into the mine she had dropped.
The other two cut crusie.

"Alan!" The woman cried. "Order bitch, I'll make sure you live so I can show you HELL!"
Alex took the picture of the little girl from her belt and held it as she grasped her controls. "I'm the seven layers of Hell. Didn't you hear?" Alex powered forward, her Reapers trading Buckshots with the Core.
Thrusting upwards and flipping downwords to a frontflip, she hit the third Manta as it went by, catching it's left wing and leaving a gaping hole. Powering forward, she fired the mini-razor, ripping the third Manta apart.
the lead turned.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

Alex thrusted to the side as Buckshots rained on her shields, taking them down and gouging the armor plating. She gritted her teeth and yanked her ship into a barrel roll, avoiding a burst of laserfire and swinging around to chew the Core woman's right guns.
Letting loose with her left, the two fighters danced around Tuvalu's gravity well, heading closer to the small moon. Alex let loose another mine, downing the Manta's shields and a quick Reaper burst sheared off the thruster.
Screaming, the woman hit crusie.

Alex tried to dodge, but the Manta impacted with her Nephthys, sending them both spinning. Alex looked to see the Manta crusie into Tuvalu's gravity well and disintigrate.
Alex did what she could, but in the end, one of her guns exploded from the strain and she smacked her head.
All she saw was black.

The last thing she thought of was the girl.
She remembered the girl's name.

Rika

---

May you ever walk in the Light, Shizune.