I wont say Goodbye

[Jeremy Hunter]

//Rated T or M for torture. Maybe mild nudity. I make it up as I go *shrug*

The Ocean of Memory entered the Sigmas soon after it had left Freeport Nine. Alex examined the locket. Her pictures were there, as well as a picture of her and Lyssa in the biodome.

"This will be an ocean of memory."

Alex turned back to flying. The nebula was dense, and she had to fly slow to avoid any accidents. She sighed, and sped up a little bit. As the end came near, she paled. On an intercept course was a Sabre accompanied by two Switchblades.

"Dammit!" Alex said. "What is this?"
"Better stop."

Alex stopped. She clutched her locket and took a breath.

"Order...tell me... Why are you here?"
"I'm not the Order."
"Then...how...intresting."
"Who are you?"
The woman paused. "Pirates. Thats all you need to know."

Alex had a bad feeling that something bad was about to happen.

----------------------
Yanagi Depot

The woman threw Alex into a room and closed the door, locking it. She hauled Alex onto the bed, dragged a chair over, and straddled it, toying with a knife.

"Let's start with who are you."
"Alexis...or Alex..."
"Hmm...surname?"
"I don't know."
The woman sighed. "Why don't I believe,you?"
"I don't! I only know I woke up on a battleship..."

The woman cut her off.

"Where are you going?"
"I don't know. I'm just...going. Hoping I could find my memories."

The woman shook her head. She stood and kicked the chair away.

"Strip."
"What?"
"Strip. Now."
"Why!?"

The woman drew her gun. Alex shut up and undid her jacket, settting it aside. She continued until she was in her underwear.

"Stop."

Alex stopped and sat there. The woman shoved her flat, straddled her waist, keeping her thighs pressed against Alex's, forcing the unsuspecting Alex's hands into handcuffs which brought her arms up and effectively kept her from trying to,fight,back. She then grabbed Alex's chin, forcing it up as she placed the knife there

"Who are you?"
"Alexis. Please, I don't know more!"

The knife was removed. Then the woman drew back and pressed the serrated edge against her stomach, digging it in,and dragging it back slowly to cause maximum pain and damage with a shallow cut. Her hand covered Alex's mouth.

"Again. Who are you."
"Alexis...I,swear, its all I know...please..."

The knife glided over the wound, and again the serrated edge making an X on her stomach.

"New question. Where did you get the Nephthys?"
"A....a...a guy from the Order...he...just gave it to me..." Alex struggled to stay concious. The woman knew exactly where to cut to cause the most pain.
"Hm...ok. How did you get the Bastet?"
"Freeport Nine...to replace the Nephthys...Mantas..."
"Lucky...where were you born?"
"I told you, I don't know..."

The woman traced Alex's scar. After a moment, she made a shallow cut on her arm. The woman paused.

"You still concious?"
"Yes."
"One last question, then we'll see about cleaning you up: Who,is this boy?"

The woman held up the locket, which played the slideshow. She paused at the boy.

Alex took a breath. "I..."
The woman,sighed. "Really amnesia?"

The woman probed Alex's skin with her hand, pausing at her side. She placed the knife and made a cut slightly deeper than the others.

"There. Now...I'll leave you here while I go talk with my merry band of misfits."
"Wait!"

The woman leaned in.

"I let my...victims...bleed out. Loosens tongues."

The woman left, leaving Alex to fight to remain concious.

Later

Alex woke up to find herself bandaged, clean sheets. The woman stood to the side.

"Had to see how long you could fight. You are one tough bitch. Three hours. You passed out two minutes after the third hour. Me and Ally bandaged you up."
"Ow...so...what now?"

The woman came over and sat down. She stroked Alex's arm.

"My little pirate band was offere twenty million to capture and,extract information. I then found out he was a fake. Its buisness."

Alex tried to sit up, but the woman pushed her down.

"Yeahno. How about staying down? You still gotta heal."
"Torturer to doctor?"
"Many hats."
"So...what now?"
"You heal, I take advantage of you, then send you off?" At Alex's stare, she cracked a smile. "I will joke around. Since I am your doctor."
"Um...."
"Before I knew that the guy I took the contract from was a sadistic bastard."

Alex gently probed her stomach. It was tender, but not too painful. She closed her eyes.

"Got a name?"
The ex-torturer paused. "You can call me Athena."

-------------------
Alex was able to get up without Athena helping her keep the bandages on in a few weeks. A few weeks later, the bandages were removed. Alex took a long shower after that. Athena had turned from cold-hearted torturer into friend. It was...crazy.

Alex sat naked on the bed as Athena piled clothing next to her.

"Here. Got more. Sent a smuggler over to Munich, grabbed some clothing."
Alex slipped on some underwear. "Why the hell are you,doing this?"
Athena shook her head. "I neve should have done that to you. My old employer...just accept it."
"Fine."

Athena smiled. She looked over, then traced Alex's scar with her finger.

"What happened?"
Alex sighed "I...I'm not-"

The green-yellow nebula
Asteroids
The Nomads ripping into the ship
Then something rammed into the window

"Alex?"
"I... I remember... I was on the bridge of a ship. A...Nomad...smashed into the,bridge..."
Athena winced. "Ouch."
Alex sighed. "I'm alived."

Athena sat down beside Alex. She gently probed her stomach.

"Hm...scars are healed...lucky."
"Yeah..." Alex paused. "Athena? Never do that again."
"Torture?"
"Yes."

Athena looked at Alex.

"Why should I?"
"It's wrong."

Athena took a moment. She then pushed Alex down and flipped on top of her.

"How about you persuade me?"
"How?"

Athena didn't answer with words. She kissed Alex.

"Athena! What are you doing?!"
"I did say I would take advantage of you."
"You said-"
"I lied."

That made Alex laugh. She slowly undid her underwear.

"Well...I don't think...I ever..."

Athena laughed. She removed her garmets too.

"First time for everything."
"Do I at least get to know your real name?"
"Maybe. Now shut up. We can talk later."

-----------------
Later... Again.

Alex woke up. It had been...a very weird night, but... Good? Nice? Pleasureable?

"You going to look over here?"

Alex looked over to Athena.

"Um...why did I just have sex with you?"
"I'm a pirate; I pillage and plunder. I pillaged your clothes and plundered your body."
"Sounded better in your head?"
"You have no idea."

Athena sat up. She motioned Alex to rise. Sitting up, Athena turned Alex around. The girl felt a heavy chain. Her locket.

"Thanks."
"Lori."
"Oh..."
"Lori Voelker."

Alex got up and dressed. Packing her bags, she turned to Lori.

"Why a pirate?"
"Ask me again in a few years. Now...Go to Kreutzberg Depot, get a CSV, and go to Planet New Berlin. Look for my sisters, Felicity and Lauren."
"Why?"
"You got a better place?"
"No..."

Loro kissed her cheek.

"Get out of my sight before I rape you."

Alex half-grinned and walked away.

"Goodbye."
"I don't say goodbye." Alex turned back. "Stay safe."

Lori nodded. Alex went to her Bastet, climbed in, stashed her new duffel, and launched.

"Luck went bad, then good......Oh, this so-o will end badly."

---------------
Back on Yanagi, almost as soon as Alexis had launched, gunfire echoed in the halls, and the Sabre that was Lori's launched, leaving the bodies of her fallen "comrades" behind.

"Next time, I'll kill you bastards sooner." Lori said.

She sped towards Rheinland space.

---

May you ever walk in the Light, Shizune.