The Lucky 13 chapter one

“Does it matter if I call you Alex? Or would you prefer Alexis?"

Breaking into another friendly smile Alexis shook his head dismissively.

“Haha, it’s all the same to me really. And I’m afraid I’d have to second Charlie there, Inali has a better ring to it than anything else.”

All this smiling was starting to hurt his face… Mild discomfort aside, the giant was up to something, for as Alexis replied to her open greeting she responded to the great behemoth’s whispered words. After the solid look he had received after sending away the Provost to find the records he sought, Alexis had little doubt of what their conversation was on. Likely her actions and seemingly flirtatious actions towards Alistair were for the benefit of the others in the room, as Alexis, or Gril, knew enough of the pair to know intimacy was hardly a part of their relationship, at least not to such a blatant extent. This meant, that to some extent or another, they wanted to keep things under wraps. He’d likely find himself in contact with at least one of the pair before the end of the day, though Alistair might not show, allowing Inali to do the talking, especially if he did not want to start an open confrontation. Just the same, Alexis would be sure to slip a weapon or two beyond the simple shanks held upon his person, once he grabbed his supplies from the conference room.

Despite the plotting and subterfuge going on just before him Alexis’s eyes still darted across the room. Years of being Gril had made suspicion, paranoia, and caution second-nature to him. Yet “Dr. Lawrence’s” fake smile and quick eyeing over of the many inmates held little immediate importance. She was considering her options, and was a bit of a weasel herself, hiding behind her crocodile smile. Yet the dirty look she shot himself and the Major upon his invitation was important. She likely didn’t like the Major, just because he seemed a natural enemy to her, and in disapproving of her science he set himself openly against her. Yet he had done nothing to set her opinion of him. Either she held a distrust of older men, or she held an immediate issue with his weasely appearance. He’d have to take care of that soon, otherwise he would lose ground based solely off of early perceptions. Yet just as soon as it had appeared, the sour look slipped away, replaced once more by her little smile. Amateur. A slip up like that could get you killed in more places than Jakau Gamma; politics, the military, anywhere where one’s true beliefs might have to be shielded.

Dismissing her and her silly ramblings with Major Rogers Alexis switched his attention to “doc” Tara Bolivar. Upon her invitation her body froze, while her eyes rapidly darted around the room. She was surprised by his offer, yet even considering it meant she had little problem with leaving this little prison of theirs. From convict to convict her gaze traveled, quickly flitting from one to another. She was considering them, considering what she knew of them. Considering whether or not it was worth it, if she would survive… Yet with a room full of killers and criminals what it came down to was coffee…people were so strange. Not bothering to suppress a smile Alexis caught movement in his peripherals and soon set his sights on Damia.

She was talking to herself…no…she was talking to a place on the wall before her. Like to a microphone…or a delusion. Breaking from her muttered conversation with herself she even turned to view those behind her, as if something had drawn her attention in the gently murmur of the infirmary. It was almost as if she was talking to someone…Schizophrenia would explain why she was “crazy”, and possibly even why she was a killer…Something worth looking into later… Two personalities would affect how well she could be controlled, and how she would do in combat situations… Yet another thing to look into before they reached training… If only he knew how much time he would have to do all this research of his, then he would be able to form a solid plan…

The looks Charlie was giving the room full of inmates was interesting as well. Behind her solid exterior she was threatened, or at very least highly aware, of all the diverse personalities and…dispositions…that she would likely be working with. Moving away from the main group she went off to disinfect her own minor wounds. Staying busy in order to self calm…

The appearance of some bumbling provost did little to alleviate the situation, as they were hardly known for their qualities, or their intelligence… His droning greeting to the Major did little to alleviate that basic stereotype.

“When trying to move the human race forward in life sacrifices must be made, no matter if they are stomach turning or not. Besides, why give up on what you’re good at. Humans are animals, no matter how sophisticated they think themselves to be, and all animals love the thrill of the kill. It’s just how nature is.”

Now that was…interesting. Some of the most dangerous people in the world were those that thought that they were doing the right thing. Yet she was smart, brilliant likely… Her morals and philosophies and philosophies were built around her goals and desires. This form of self-delusion could be powerful, and potentially an important factor in trying to influence her. A good conversation or two should suffice to deal with her basic dislike of him, and then to get a glimpse at whatever twisted logic ran her mind…

“T-ta-Take me as w-well Ma-major. I ca-can h-help.”

His head jerking in surprise Alexis gave the man a once over. He had originally assumed the looming figure had been immediately accepted into their group. Unfortunate misconception. Yet just the same his actions this far hinted that he too had expected that he would be easily accepted, no doubt based on his size and strength. Closing the distance between himself and the Major would no doubt highlight his obvious attributes, and at close range it would be unlikely that the Major would refuse him, armed or not. Yet just the same, he had been forced into a corner at the possibility of being left behind, and was squirming his way out as fast as he could. It would be interesting to see how he would do under more intense pressure…any form of plan had obviously gone out the window in the last few minutes. If he had done any real planning the giant of a man would have already attained a sure pass onto their ship…he may be intelligent, but he wasn’t a long term plotter…beautiful.

"Oh trust me Doctor, I know that last bit of the old song and dance routine very well. Its what I do for a living. However, I don't start peeling apart rebels, to find what makes them rebellious or revolutionaries, to find out what makes them try to force revolutions, after burning a dozen holes in their chest. Now what was it that you were looking for in those kids? Eternal youth was it? or was it Eternal life? I'm sure those kids understand their sacrifice or your quest. However, none of this matters to my questions. Can you patch people up and do you want to come do a little soldiering?"

Eternal youth….her goal was to not die…if her delusions, her beliefs, and her training were all centered around evading death…a pistol at her back would make her dance like a puppet…excellent…this might be easier than her had originally expected…at least in her case.

"Now then, Alexis, Charlotte, Damia, Tyler and Doctor Frankenstein, if you take my offer, please follow Staff Sergeant Geist here, he will take you down to the hanger, to board the transport. You'll meet with three more of your compatriots already strapped in and twiddling their thumbs. I will follow with the rest of the sorry lot in a few minutes. Doctor Bolivar, I will give you several minutes to collect your effects and join us in the hanger."

Three more companions? Their little group was getting larger… Wouldn’t do to dawdle then, he needed to get a look at the rest of their crew. Rising and nodding respectfully to Inari Alexis headed out the Infirmary doors, flashing the Major a brief smile as he went. Things were going to be rather interesting from here on out…

Ignoring the sounds of Damia struggling to comprehend the idea of only killing aliens Alexis passed the Provost with a slight nod.

“I have to collect my things from the conference room before I go onboard. I know the way.”

Not really caring about what the Provost thought of him going off on his own Alexis headed to the room he and Charlie had first occupied. Ignoring the chance to inspect Charlie’s belongings Alexis quickly dug through his own moderately filled pack, slipping a pair of modified pulser energy packs and a decently sized knife into his baggy clothing. Just in case things went bad, he’d be ready…

Hearing his name called by the major, Geist looked around at the group of convicts assembled around and about him. "Hah," he chuckled slightly. It was different, leading a bunch of prisoners.

"... guess you get to live today," he caught slightly. He chuckled at the remark. "Right, like you could kill me," he muttered. "Everyone who was just called by the Major!" he called out. "Follow me down to the hangar! Quickly, quickly move it, move it!" And with that, he was out, down the stairs like a flash; a blur of camouflage amidst the dark. His boots clattered noisily down the grated metal stairs, kit slapping against his body.

Reaching the hangar, Geist got on the upstep of the transport. "Move it, maggots! Let's go already!" he called out to the crowd of criminals behind him.

"So you want to come along big fella?" said the Major, "Can you play by my rules and kill only non-humans?"

“It’s no-not li-like th-that at all Ma-major.”
”I do-don’t have t-to ki-kill them. N-not anym-more.”
”You se-see, they be-beg m-me t-to do it.’

The Major’s demands were not outrageous. Alistair could comply with them simply enough for the time being. Many of the others that were present had received their orders only moments ago. Alexis,Charlotte, Damia, Tyler and Doctor Frankenstein, were to follow the Staff Sergeant to the hangar if they accepted. Apparently there we a few other recruits that already found themselves aboard the shuttle. He wondered if those individuals could be the same group that attempted the hijacking earlier that day. If it was the notorious crew he would have to pay his respects when he met them.

”As y-you wi-wish. Yo-your ru-rules Ma-major.”

With that Alistair motioned to Inali and the two made their departure. The Major had indicated that Doctor Bolivar several minutes to collect her effects before joining them the hanger. This meant that Alistair had a few moments to gather a few items before they began on the voyage themselves. First stop was to be the men’s room stall where he has stashed the weapon. Once retrieved and Inali’s hands he would make a quick stop on his own while she retrieved her personal items. The mammoth man was not much of a collector and had very few items he considered of worth. Still there was one such treasure he refused to leave behind.

” He’s be-been wat-watching us, t-the slimy o-one se-seems sus-suspicious.”

Leaving the well endowed female as a sentry Alistair wasted little time heading straight for his intended acquisition. One within the privacy of the vacant stall he tossed the reservoir lid and lowered his hand into the tank. Grasping the weighted plastic bag he removed the package from its hidey hole. His razor sharp fingers ripped through the thin plastic layers with ease revealing the contents it protected. Placing the weapon securely within the many folds of cloth that served as a barrier against the planet’s harsh cold environment he exited the decrepit facility and back to Inali.

“I w-will ca-catch up with y-you I h-have to p-pay Ma-mary a visit fir-first.”

Mary had been Alistair’s companion in his search for platinum within the abandoned mines beneath the prison over the part year. Supplied as an incentive by Commissar Baum himself she was instantly coveted by the general population of Jakau Gamma. Many tried to wrestle her from his iron grip only to find themselves bed ridden in the infirmary for the next couple of weeks while they were pieced back together Mary was his prize and he had no intentions to give her up. Not to a provost and definitely not to another inmate.

Bloody Mary was how he addressed her of late referring to the streaks of dried blood that ran down the surface of her smooth stainless steel face. In his hand she was not only a skilful tool for the task which she had been designed, but a lethal weapon. The two had taken part in the dismembering of several prisoners provided in exchange for the platinum they harvested. Together they fed. Her bite was capable of severing the thick limbs without any sign of hesitation. She had an edge to her as sharp as any knife he had ever held. They were meant for each other.

He tightly wrapped the rigid six foot length Mary possessed within a dirty blood stained sheet he tore from his own back. It was best if he was able to keep the identity of his possession under wraps until he boarded the shuttle. There were sure to be questions and the condition of the contents was bound to raise a few eyebrows. Alistair gripped the package and delicately placed it over his shoulder. It was hard to believe that he was about to leave these caverns after all this time. It was time to get back to the surface and reunite with Inali before the others boarded the shuttle.

With a smirk, Damia resorted to one of her favorite games, irritate the "wastes of life," in other words the guards and staff. "Ooh, hot stuff, eh? Is that what you think? That a waste of life like you, a slab of meat if you will, is bigger and better then us "maggots?" Ooh you really are too much." She said, laughing a laugh so cruel sounding, it could hardly count as a laugh as she followed with relative ease. Holding her sides she wheezed, grinning like a mad man, "Ooh the little boy get's to play with the big kids. Isn't he so big and bad?" She did her best to shout out the last part as she spread her arms wide as if asking the other inmates. Then she doubled over again, obviously finding her little joke very funny.

Very quickly she sobered out and said in what could be called a deadly voice, "Look Meat sack, you may be older then me and a bit bigger then me, but I'm a killer, I kill for kicks. You're not, you're just some military dog sent to this hell hole because you're not worth your waste of life. You're just an average Joe, no one important, no one special, no one lethal. You know what separates people like you from people like me? You feel guilt, you hold yourself back, you fear the consequences. You put down your gun and you're nothing more but cat hissing at loud noises." She was quite sure that the response she would get would be a strike to the face like usual, but she didn't care. She had had her fun for the moment, that was all that mattered. Molly, however, didn't think so.

"Think you may have gone too far that time. What if you can't beat him bare handed? Even if you could, you couldn't complete the task by killing him." She said, very unsure about Damia's game.
"I'll do it anyway, and for what it's worth I'll do it again." Damia hissed to Molly, her Cheshire grin back in place as well as the crazy eyes.
"That's my girl." Molly cackled as Damia followed Staff man into the hanger. Damia rushed into the transport to avoid the blow to the face she was expecting. Grinning all the same, she found a seat and strapped herself in. Maybe she had gone to far, maybe the man would come after her to get his revenge through violence. That was how most of the guards and other scum here got back at her. She had yet to piss off a guard who didn't hit back.

**Added info... in second post...**

Watching the obviously insane (although, which one of these weren't insane?) one board the transport; Damia, he thought her name was; Geist took a seat next to her... him... it. It deserved no gender qualifications. "Taunt, taunt. Is that all you ever do?" he asked, as he examined his sidearm. "Because you know, there would be little consequences were I" -with a forceful shove he slammed the barrel up against its temple, using his thumb to lever the hammer back- "could blow your brains out right here and now, showering the other occupants of this transport with your grey matter. Would you like that?" And with that all said and done, he holstered his pistol and got up, back to the lip of the shuttle. "Come on, you're as slow as molasses in January! Hup two, hup two!" he bellowed.

Ducking back inside, he began to refer to his toughbook; the Major hadn't uploaded any coordinates or intel yet. He started to converse with the other sergeants, see what they knew. "All I know is, is we gets ta' shoot us some aliens! Hooeey!" one said. The others were mainly quiet, staring daggers at the inmates-turned-soldiers.

"Ooh, how scary a gun. You're not the first one to shove a gun in my face and you won't be the last. It's like I said before, you're not so tough without your gun." Damia said, showing the Staff man she wasn't afraid of him. Unlike a normal human being, she was not afraid of death. She had survival mode, when her body started pumping adrenaline to keep her going and alive, but mentally she wasn't afraid. She watched as he left and was glad when he did, she didn't want the dirt bag sitting next to her. Then she caught sight of the other soldiers staring her down. "What are you staring at meat bag?" She snapped folding her arms.
"Give it a rest and just sit still and be quiet." Molly hissed to her.
"Why should I? I don't want to, not right now. Besides they're staring at me." Damia said indignantly.
"Honey, you're a criminally insane homicidal maniac. Of course they're going to stare."
"Well it's not like they know that."
"They're still going to stare."
"Well fine then." Damia said as she looked around the transport, not like there was much to see, but it was better then doing nothing. She didn't like the soldiers' stares, they were creepy and made her want to stab their eyes out. Ha, let them stare with that. Damia thought with a smile she tried to keep to herself, it wasn't easy.

Inali had kept Kendra in the corner of her eye. The creeping suspicion that she definitely knew the woman was beginning to irk her. Inali knew many people, more than she could count on both hands six times. While she couldn't remember half the names, only blurred images of faces and perhaps an ever so vague incident in which she'd met the person, it was highly debatable that she'd find someone within the walls of her giant ice block. The members of her "family" didn't get caught quite so easy, and if they did she would surely hear about it. Plus her little druggies weren't nearly dangerous to get sent to the cesspit of the galaxy.

”A-al in g-good t-time, Inali. All in g-good t-time.” Alistair muttered in response to her, breaking her out of her thoughts. Inali's lips up turned a bit and she huffed the slightest laugh. It was, perhaps, the way in which he worded things that made her find the sentence humorous. There were times in which she felt somewhat like a parent, providing him with food and patching him up. However, when he held all the cards it made her feel. . . Odd. Not so much uncomfortable. No, she couldn't say that Alistair made her as uncomfortable as a giant mammoth cannibal man could do to people. Rather the gentle tone of his voice, it was in essence a proverbial calm before the storm and Inali was more than happy to be the dancing streaks of lighting to his paralyzingly large claps of thunder.

The Major had made some jibes at Dr. Lawrence. Perhaps they weren't made to sound that way. However, to a person like Inali who'd spent her fair share of times at parties could smell feigned flattery from a mile away. Inali had a creeping suspicion that perhaps the Major hadn't realized this, and perhaps he was socially awkward in those types of situations. She wouldn't be surprised, he was a military stiff after all. And after what he'd said ever so tactlessly about the lab tech Inali felt sorry for whatever poor girl had asked him "Does this make me look fat." in the past.

"Alexis, Charlotte, Damia, Tyler and Doctor Frankenstein, if you take my offer, please follow Staff Sergeant Geist here, he will take you down to the hanger, to board the transport. You'll meet with three more of your compatriots already strapped in and twiddling their thumbs. I will follow with the rest of the sorry lot in a few minutes. Doctor Bolivar, I will give you several minutes to collect your effects and join us in the hanger." The Major dismissed a majority of the lot, leaving just her, Alistair, and the Doc Bolivar left. Inali would have said something right there, but Alistair spoke up.

“T-ta-Take me as w-well Ma-major I ca-can h-help.”

This was followed by what Inali could only guess was another stab at Alistair. This also made Inali conclude that Rogers was in no way trying to complement Kendra and wasn't socially awkward. No, he was just a bit of an ass. Somehow this was more comforting to her than socially awkward.

The pair had an exchange, which Inali hadn't exactly been sitting on the edge of her seat for. It was all more tame than she thought it was going to be. She was almost disappointed if she hadn't counted that the pair needed to retrieve a few things before taking off. The storm would have to wait, this Inali mentally concluded as she walked out of the ward with Alistair. Over the hum of the flourescent lights and the faint clinks and clunks of the pipes Alistair spoke.

” He’s been watching us, the slimy one seems suspicious. I will catch up with you I have to pay Mary a visit first.”

While these two sentences were spoken a degree of time apart Inali deciphered them at about the same time. For the most part the female had been off in the world the swirled about in her head, odd thoughts taking form and pushing to the forefront of her brain. Thoughts about Alistair's cannibalism and other sundry things such as if she were to swap spit with the man would she technically be eating another human second hand? More importantly would this go double if she swallowed other things? In the midst of her thoughts Inali had stop herself and question just what types of thoughts had previously just spun through her head.

"Right, well, I guess I'll be off then." Inali muttered, blinking a few times with her eyebrows raised up. Her left lifted to push her gradient like hair back, her little finger sticking out as she did so. People she'd met had assumed she'd done so to put on a facade of "fancy". Truth be told Inali didn't had much movement in the finger. Hell, there wasn't much feeling in it either. It was similar to having a limb go numb. It wasn't fully out of commission, but it wasn't of much use either. Then again, when were pinky fingers of much use to begin with anyway?

Inali already knew her destination. Storage, the place in which prisoner's items went in and rarely ever came out. She had quite a few things in storage. The most important thing being a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. She'd be damn well down right miffed if some sap had smoked all her stogies. If she was someone with a slightly less sane thought process she'd shake down the poor soul who was working in storage that day should her pack be empty. However, being angry took a lot of energy Inali could have been using for other things. She would have to settle for mildly ticked off.

Nodding decisively to her self about this conscious decision not to loose her head Inali headed to the room where she'd been taken before meeting Alistair. She needed her duffel bag if she was going to bring her belongings with her. The clothes she came in probably wouldn't be good for training, hopefully a guard or something of the like had taken her things to the room so that she didn't have to make her rounds around the jail.

"Oh trust me Doctor, I know that last bit of the old song and dance routine very well. Its what I do for a living. However, I don't start peeling apart rebels, to find what makes them rebellious or revolutionaries, to find out what makes them try to force revolutions, after burning a dozen holes in their chest. Now what was it that you were looking for in those kids? Eternal youth was it? or was it Eternal life? I'm sure those kids understand their sacrifice or your quest. However, none of this matters to my questions. Can you patch people up and do you want to come do a little soldiering?"

A sigh left the young scientists mouth. He truely didn't get it. The Major was like many of the others, thought that what Kendra had did was wrong and her research was just insane. There was just no point in explaining it to him.
She always found humans to be quite hypocritical. If it had been Tarnakians that she had been experiemtning on then the government, regular people, her colleagues would have seen it as legitimate research. The Major's comparison about not peeling apart rebels to see what made then rebelious had nothing to do with, in her opinion, what the pale woman had done. Kendra knew what made rebels rebelious. It was an opposing thought to one that was already in play. See, behavior could be easily decifered. Finding the secrets of enternal life was quite the opposite.

A paranoid thought went off in her head. Doctor Lawrence had the feeling that someone was watching her. Slowing and discreetly her eyes skimmed the room. It was as if she was giving the occupied room a quick glance when really she was examining all the remaing guests. From what Kendra could take in, none of them were openingly looking at her. The good doctor liked to study others, not be studied herself.

"Alexis, Charlotte, Damia, Tyler and Doctor Frankenstein, if you take my offer, please follow Staff Sergeant Geist here, he will take you down to the hanger, to board the transport. You'll meet with three more of your compatriots already strapped in and twiddling their thumbs. I will follow with the rest of the sorry lot in a few minutes. Doctor Bolivar, I will give you several minutes to collect your effects and join us in the hanger." Her supposed nickname made her made a small spurt of anger run through her body. That stupid name had become akin to an insult to her and her research and that The biologist did not appreciate.

She waited for all who the Major announced along with her to leave the room before she spoke. "Major," Her voice was polite as she turned towards him with a small smile on her face. "I would advise you to refrain from calling me that particular title, who knows who you'll need to patch you up on this mission. And out of being polite I'll ask you to not call me that, please." The first part could be taken anyway the Major wished to think of it as and then a polite request. Kendra had even used the word 'please'.

Moving towards the door she once again swept the room over with a look. Not even waiting for any possible answer from the older man, the last thing she heard from the room was Alistair's request before she took her time in catching up with the group of other prisoners that were slightly ahead of her.

This group and the soldier leading them made Kendra sigh. This was definitely a goup that she wouldn't be having any intellectually stimulating conversations with. The man named Alexis left the group at some point but the rest and herself were lead down to the transport. Damia's little outburst was not as impressive as she seemed to finid it. Or course the leiutenant fired back. Either way Kendra thought them both to not be worth her attention.

Rogers felt like laughing, as the last of his inmates left. The....good doctor had requested that he stop calling her by the name she earned in the media and she had said please to boot. Ah well ,maybe she had a point, he might not have a choice when it came to battlefield medicine and could require her aid. He was forced to repress a shutter at the thought of the mad Doctor Frankenstein trying to patch him up in the middle of a firefight. If any deity was watching over him or kind, she wouldn't get anywhere need his wounds, only the stolen Provost doctor would or better yet, he wouldn't get hurt. Of course, he could always get shot or stabbed in the back. Most likely because that crazy woman Damia finally lost the struggle for who was in control of her body and went stab happy.

"I will see you aboard the transport Doctor Bolivar" he said, nodding his head slighting, "And I would ask that you do not inform the Commissar of your decision to come along. At least not right away. You could leave Captain Baum a note in your office or quarters."

Left with nothing more to say, Robert turned on his heel and headed out. There was still a matter of two more inmates to acquire and he had an idea of just who would fix the bill. It was a pair of almost identical twins he had found in the list of prisoners kept at Jukua Station. Otto and Alex Van Haff, both serving six life sentence for three counts of rape and ten counts of assault with a deadly weapon. They had been professional cage fighters before their arrest and if anything, they could be thrown in front (or every one could retreat behind them), when the Tarnakians closed in for some hand-to-hand. The only draw back he could see, was their tendency to prey on the female population within the prison itself. That could cause a little conflict with the members of the....fairer sex among the thirteen.

He found the pair in the conference room, already to go. They had brought everything they could with them; few shirts and a spare pair of shoes. I wanted to being long the whimpering toys they still had in their cell but the duffel bags were a little small for human bodies. It was a short and almost pointless exchange between them and the Major. They rose and followed him like a pair of dogs, foaming at the mouth, the rabies burrowing deep into the brain tissue.

As they entered the hanger, Rogers halted for a moment, staring at the transport. Basically, it was a large cube with a pair of stubby wings attached to either side and a wedge-shaped cockpit on the front. Inside was two levels of seat, several straps attach to each one, so that the occupant wouldn't get tossed about like a rag doll in reentry, with room in the middle for stacked gear. It was an older and according the rumor, the straps in this design could break the bones (and in particular the necks) of the soldiers that rode in them, should they have a rough landing.

"Go on ahead" said the Major, "I'll wait for the last straggler."

Tyler followed without looking back. It was about damn time he got the hell out of here. The waiting was begining to kill him...quite litterally. As cautious as Tyler was, to the extent of being locked away for it, he was very close to the borderline of killing every single person he could before being gunned down. As he followed, Tyler briefly wondered about gods. It simply didn't make sense. What was so powerful but so ignorant?

'Oookay, random thoughts of atheism=nutjob. Still keeping the atheist part, though.' He suddenly thought. Quickly, he cleared his mind, and did what he was supposed to for once.

((Sry for the brief post. I been offline for a while and, well, you guys are hard to just jump into and skim over))

Leisurely descending down the barren hallways of the cursed Jakau Gamma prison Alexis soon found himself just outside the hangar, Demetrius standing nervously to one side. With a thin smile Alexis approached the man, no longer a cowardly and weasely inmate, but rather a confident recruit for Rogers’s little mission. Catching wind of his footsteps Demetrius flinched before recognizing the familiar face. He was probably supposed to be doing something else right now. Reaching into his simple, but warm, officer’s coat Demetrius pulled forth a folder filled with what Alexis soon found to be the files he had requested.

While Jakau Gamma did a terrible job of keeping in tune with the main information networks, and the provosts weren’t often known for their record keeping abilities, there was still invaluable information contained in the stack of documents. Boliver and this “Dr. Frankenstein” women were not included in the stack of records, but Alexis figured there wasn’t really any chance for Demetrius to have known about them, as he had just found out himself. Smiling at the fruits of his arduous manipulations, deal cutting, and bribery Alexis looked up from the thin set of documents, sliding the stack of papers beneath the set of assorted blueprints and guides in his duffel bag.

Reaching out Alexis grasped hands with Demetrius a small chunk of platinum traveling between them. Without a word or farewell Alexis headed to the transport that embodied his newfound freedom, the sounds of the metal ramp echoing in the chilled air. Most of the group had already been seated and seeing as he had yet to gather any information on some of them Alexis chose to sit next to this “Frankenstein” character. With a seat between them on the under filled ship it would still give her space, space she might value considerably in a ship full of convicts, yet he would still have the chance to get to know her a bit better on their flight, assuming she was at all interested in knowing those she might soon be patching up.

There wasn't a right or wrong answer to the Major's question. Whether she had agreed to accompany the berserk bunch of convicts, which she had, or not, Doctor Tara Astraea-Izar Bolivar reasoned that neither choice could be classified as the correct or incorrect response. Perhaps to others, her decision to accept the offer would appear as a blatant mistake. Practically throwing her life away to ally herself with bloodthirsty criminals on a fruitless endeavor. To others, it would've been labeled as the wrong choice; the incorrect answer. To the former prison physician of Jukau Gamma's penal institutes, whether she went or not, whether she died an exciting death or lived a boring life, both options were equal. A life-altering decision that had no right or wrong answer.

Doc Bolivar watched with passive interest as the infirmary's large crowd began to disperse at the Major's command. She would be joining them shortly. She had wasted enough time with her thoughts and, thus, quickly began scanning the infirmary for anything that she might require on her "vacation". Scanning her mental list of belongings, Tara bit her chapped lips anxiously, eager to leave this scummy pit of a planet behind and dance with death and the stars once more.

"I will see you aboard the transport Doctor Bolivar. And I would ask that you do not inform the Commissar of your decision to come along. At least not right away. You could leave Captain Baum a note in your office or quarters."

She held back a cynical chuckle at the Major's words. Even if everything in store for her turned out to be a disappointment, Tara Bolivar would live with it. She would endure anything as long as she could imagine the dear, dear Commissar's face when he found out that the prison's only medical officer had jumped ship with an entire crew of sadistic nihilists. Maybe this had been the right choice, after all. With a full grin, Tara Bolivar patted the walls of her small retreat with catharsis and began the act of jumping ship.

--

Her shoe's heels clicking contemptuously against the cold, metal floor of the prison as Doctor Bolivar entered the hanger, setting her eyes upon the lackluster transport. She nodded respectfully to the Major as her legs pulled past him and into the ship. It was no royal escort, but it looked fairly functional. A large bag slung over her shoulders, she pursed her lips into an eager smile and walked inside.

So this was it, Charlie was finally going to be free of this god forsaken ice ball. She could practically taste freedom on her lips, and the first thing she was going to do, was buy a paper. Yuwan was a fairly small, though productive and modern planet, so the murder of say a high profile, military connected, well known, business tycoon was likely to be front page news. She doubted her younger brother would have acted yet, especially as he wasn’t even old enough to buy a firearm by Yuwan’s law, but she wouldn’t be able to put her anxious nerves to rest until she knew for sure.

She entered the hanger, and gave an acknowledging glance towards the Major as she made her way inside. Their transport, she noted, left much to be desired. For starters, it was outdated, very outdated, and she also had serious reservation about the design of this particular model, as well as the seat strap-ins. If this was their transport, she shuddered to think what condition the ship itself was going to be in. At least she’d be able to keep her hands busy, one of the things she’d hated most about Jukua Gamma was all the mind numbing idle time.

Her next immediate concern was seating. The crazies were out for sure, and in her mind that included crazy Doc Kendra too, which unfortunately meant she wouldn’t be sitting with Alexis either, as his only open seat was next to her. Next she saw two men she vaguely recognized as the Van Haff brothers. She didn’t know them from personal experience, but she’d heard about their reputation, and she had no desire to become acquainted with it. She also wasn’t going to kid herself into thinking she could take them both on if they decided to start something, maybe one of those bimbos, but not both at the same time. They might have pardons riding on good behavior too, but she resolved to not be caught alone with them just incase. So instead she took the seat in the other corner across from the infamous brothers, providing as much space as possible between them.

“So, any of you lot know how I can get my hands on a news paper?” Charlie inquired as she leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs.

It was unusual for a girl such as Inali to take so long to gather her belongings. Perhaps, that snake Gril had followed her during her exploits and made a move. Alistair was more than certain if that were the case the sly girl’s ingenuity would put her on top of the situation. More likely it was one of the guards trying to extort favours out her one last time just to reacquire items that already belonged to her. Hell hath no fury…

Alistair thought it best to wait for his younger companion at the hangar. If she was running late from being detained she most likely wouldn’t look for Alistair first. First and foremost in everyone’s mind was to get of this iceberg and see just what the Major had in mind. Entering the hangar the simple giant was mesmerized by the shear size of the craft. Simple in design the large cube with wings seemed outdated. He hoped the ship they were destined to rendezvous with was of similar antiquity. It certainly would make things easier.

He couldn’t help but wonder what went through the minds of the trio of prisoners who attempted to abduct the weary craft. Sure it would get them off the planet but how much further could they possible get in such a dilapidated vessel? They definitely had the right notion but thought to small. If the thirteen were to have any chance at freedom it would be in capturing the bridge on the HSM Triumph. A risky plan but at least they would give their lives to something meaningful for all of them, Freedom.

Peering through the open door of the transport he could make out what appeared to be two levels of seating lining each wall of the container. Several of the chosen inmates were already aboard nestles in among the various straps that were to hold them in place. Alistair could make out only a few of the occupants from his vantage point. He managed to locate Gril and the one they referred to as Dr. Frankenstein but beyond that he wasn’t sure of the others. He managed to catch a glimpse of the Haff twins accompanied by the Major.

"Go on ahead" said the Major, "I'll wait for the last straggler."

The Major’s words echoed predominantly in Alistair’s mind. Was he the one they were waiting for? If that was the case it was time to get this albatross off the ground and put his plan into action. It was unlikely that all aboard would be willing or capable of pulling of such a task. Whether he liked it or not the greasy spoon, Gril may just be the glue to hold an operation such as this together. He would have to see how things played out on board. First agenda would be to determine just what type of time table they had to work with. All was for naught if they didn’t have time to pull this off. Slinging his package over his shoulder he hurried towards the ramp.

”So-Sorry I’m l-late Ma-major. I w-won’t l-let it ha-happen again.”

Rogers stood about halfway between the lowered ramp of the transport and the only door to the hanger. His breath hung in a heavy cloud around his head, like the whispy forms of long dead inmates, still seeking to escape the cold hell, even in death. His hands were shoved deep into pockets of the greatcoat, in an attempt to protect them from biting wind that blew in from the open section of wall, which allowed supply ships to land (and his own transport for that matter). How the devil did those inmates stand it here? He would have curled up and died from the temperature alone in about a week. To himself, he vowed to never step foot on a planet that ever got below eighteen point thirty-three Celsius, ever again, if he had a choice in the matter.

Those dark blue eyes stared with a plain indifference, as the last of his thirteen misfits boarded in haste (and some in not o much haste). The only one he had given any sign to acknowledgment them, was Doctor Bolivar. As she nodded to him, his hand made a brave run out into the cold, to touch the tip of his fingers to his temple. She was a doctor after all and more importantly, she was active military personal. Then appeared the giant, stuttering man, with a rather full pack. It almost looked like it was filled with a...human body. Now there was a disturbing thought. The big, dumb, special boy, was bring along a body.

"I would hope not" said Robert, making a mental count of the number of inmates and personal. There was only one missing, the little whore, who had brought the big fellow along.

The occasional jibe directed towards her was the only sound that would be considered out of place compared to the sounds of day to day jail life. There was the shuffling of cards along with the muddle mixture of conversation between cell mates. Inali hadn't walked free throughout the jail in quite a while and the freedom granted to her temporarily felt foreign. While she wasn't about to up and go running amok it was still somewhat liberating. She would have to enjoy walking to her own accord while she could. It wasn't as if she'd be going about such behaviour long.

Once at the storage facility Inali was greeted by the raised eyebrow of the same fellow who had "relieved her of her belongings" before. While not even a year had passed in the time that she'd been in the prison, the pair exchanged a glance that would suggest that they hadn't seen one another in ages. This was, perhaps, because the man at storage didn't exactly become accostum to seeing the same face twice, and in part due to the fact that seven months was a rather long time. Still, Inali was a rather hard face to forget. Not because she possessed some other worldly beauty but more or less by the outfit she had arrived in.

Inali Vercona, prison number 001002, was already known for being too rich for her own good. It shouldn't have been a surprise. So, the parka made out of the cream colored fur of some unlucky bastard of an animal shouldn't have been shocking. In fact, it hadn't shocked the man. Neither had the rather large hand bag which could quite possibly have held all her belongings. No, what got him was the skin tight black snake skin gown-like attire she'd arrived in. Topped off with gaudy jewelry and thigh high boots. It was as if Mrs. Vercona had been saying "Yes, I do happen to have enough money to fill eighteen swimming pools with and you government pigs still don't have half of it." Had this been the case, which everyone suspected it was, she had succeeded.

While Inali loved the outfit dearly, however tacky it may have been, she wasn't there to pick up clothes. No, she had her uniforms stuffed into her duffel bag along with other assorted goods. What Inali was there to get was her purse, which she would probably stuff into her bag. She didn't exactly feel that she had the time to rifle through out he damned thing in order to get everything that she needed. There weren't many questions between herself and the man, just the way she liked things to go. And in a matter of five minutes her purse was returned to her in the same condition in which she had left it. Having never been in and out of the Jakau Gamma (and knowing, nor knowing of, anyone that had) Inali couldn't quite say whether or not this came to her as a shock.

The flora scent of her perfume wafted up into her nostrils. There was a time when Inali was so used to the fragrance that she could barely smell it. But, now she could pick it up even though the bottle probably hadn't been touched in months. For a moment a small bout of nostalgia settled in, causing an ambivalent feeling to rise up from her stomach. As per usual this somewhat passionate emotion was sufficiently locked away.

Whilst walking through the halls to the direction of where she hoped the ship would be, for if it wasn't there she'd have felt quite foolish, Inali rifled through the contents of her purse. She hadn't bothered looking into the thing, because that would simply waste time. Instead she felt about for her box of cigarettes, hoping that the familiar rectangular shape would find it's way into her hands. Fortunately this did indeed happen, and Inali happily pulled the box out from the purse slung around her arm. As expected a small lighter was wedged between the white cancer sticks. The light which was reflected off of it almost seemed to make the object smile warmly at her, a greeting which she happily took in. Before starting her smoke Inali made sure to store her purse in the safety of her duffel bag.

With no real thought as to whether or not the ship allowed smoking, due in part because Inali didn't exactly spend her time pondering the needs and wants of others, the now former inmate stuck the cigarette between her lips. Even unlit the nicotine smelled amazing which caused Inali to suppress a smile. Sitting with her index and middle finger hooked over it and her thumb on the wheel the lighter was located just beneath the tip of the white stick, and with a click and a quick drag all of Inali's prior worries seemed to melt away.

Through the haze of her first drag Inali could see the Major standing at the ramp and Alistair climbing into the ship. A small chill seemed to pull at her innards, as if ice had begun to form in her organs. The reality of the situation set in, and suddenly the cigarette seemed to be too light of a drug to cure her situation. She need a stronger dose of something, and she was torn between a strong desire to return "home" or return back to her cell. However, both were out of the question. It was, however she didn't like the thought of it, time to traverse into a war zone.

"I'm late aren't?" Inali asked in a nonchalant fashion, removing the cigarette from her mouth with her free hand. "Damn shame." She added, an airy tone to her voice as she walked into the ship. This place looks like an effing death trap. Inali grumbled mentally, examining the the ship a bit. There wasn't a wide range of seats for her to choose from. There was the ever so lovely idea of sitting next to the Van Haffs. Inali wasn't exactly one to fall "victim" to their tendencies. God know, if anything she'd probably be found shouting something along the lines of "Harder!". In fact, she could bet she'd outlast both of them in the sack. However, she didn't quite feel like being bothered in such a manner. She was having the first cigarette from her brand in four months. She wanted to damn well enjoy it.

Rogers grunted as Inali strolled passed him and boarded the transport. He had half a mind to put her over his knee and spank her like some misbehaving, bratty child but the other half of his mind claimed she'd enjoy that. A sigh slipped passed his lips, as he gave the ill-maintained hanger a once over. It was here, in this nightmarish place, that the first leg of his journey was over. It was here that thirteen very lucky or damned souls willing chose to accompany him into a unknown fate. On to glory in the annals of military and indeed human history or be doomed to be forgotten, save for some clerk that needs to change over records into some new format, many years after they were dead.

"Why are you askin us bitch" sneered Otto, waving his hand over everyone in the transport.

"Does it look like any of us" added Alex, "Are keeping current with events?"

"Maybe you could ask the army stiff" said the older (by a few minutes) bother.

"After we get done with you" chuckled the younger.

"Time to get to work" he muttered, turning sharply and walking up the ramp. His combat boots made as much noise as they had in the hallways of the prison, which is to say, very little. As he passed through the hatchway, his left hand emerged from the deep pocket, balled into a fist and was tapped against the control panel. There was a grinding of metal gears, mingled with a creak and a groan, as the ramp raised up from the ground. With a slam and a hiss, the transport was sealed shut. The Major walked passed the seated inmates and Provosts and took a seat next to Doctor Bolivar. As he strapped himself in, the whole of the vessel started to shake,as the engines come to life.

With engines that would have scared any person, other then the mechanic that maintained them, with sparks and tangled wires, the fat metal bird lifted from the ground. As the coxswain patted the control panel and whispered soothing words to the machine, they flew over the surface for twenty minutes, so that they could come up under the waiting FMS Triumph. They passed over the picturesque mountains of Jukua Gamma, sights that most photographers would kill to capture and prized for their ability to inspire the masses. Clear spikes of crystalline ice stabbing up into the heavens, thrust forwards by the tectonics of the planet. Dark, jagged peaks of stone, covered in a white. Cloudless skies of light blue, allowing the cold light of the tiny yellow star.

None of that mattered however, as there were not windows in the body of the metal bird. The pilot had a good time of it though. As they passed over the last mountain top (of their short flight), the transport angled up gently. The engines roared in protest, as they pushed through the thinning atmosphere and burst out into space. A few minutes passed by, as the little space bird caught up to her mother. After landing in the hanger (and waiting for the place to repressurize (and filled with breathable air), a green light came on over the door.

"Alright children" said Rogers, unstrapping himself and walking over to the hatch, "Lets go get you settled in your new rooms."

Out in the hanger, Captain Titov waited for his new cargo, around him stood several of skeleton crew's biggest sailors. Like the rest of the naval dregs aboard, these men like to get drunk and start fights when they got shore leave (which was often for the old ship's crew). It was for this reason that the captain had chosen them to join the Provosts in guarding the section of ship around the troop compartment. Each was flexing his muscles and cracking knuckles, hoping to intimidate the boarding prisoners.

"Everybody out" said the Major, as he tapped the control panel again, "We'll present ourselves to the commanding officer of this Destroyer and then go have the briefing for the mission."

“Oh don’t worry, I wouldn’t make the mistake of thinking the two of you were capable of a pastime that involved that much brain power” Charlie said bitingly with a tight smile back at the Van Haff twins. The disgusting little creeps, she hadn’t even been in the craft for five minutes, and they were all but promising to make trouble for her later. Well if they were stupid enough to try anything, they’d find out soon enough she wasn’t one of their passive little victims that would just ‘lay down and spread ‘em’ with one intimidating glance. She should probably look into getting something to use as a weapon just in case though. So much for relaxing once she got out of prison.

The ride up wasn’t exactly what she’d call comfortable, but she made it in one piece. That was better than some of the mechanics of this thing had suggested. She stood up and exited into the hanger, a sarcastic remark on the tip of her tongue due to the Major’s comment, but she decided against it. The hanger was filled with a large bunch of sailors who appeared to be trying to intimidate them. The sight made her smile, not a bitter or fake one either. It was the first true genuine smile she’d cracked in six months. These men to here were anything but intimidating; she’d grown up around men just like these on her side of Yuwan. On the port side, you were either a sailor, mechanic, or in the part building and warehouse business. Big burly guys were everywhere there, and the sight of them brought on a sense of nostalgia.

“Well damn, you boys look like you need some whiskey with those grumpy looks you’re givin’.” Charlie said walking towards them and leaving a conversational distance between. “Say, any of you boys been portside on Yuwan anytime lately?”

Damia didn't pay much attention to the how the ship moved, it made her feel a bit motion sick, so she lost herself in her thoughts. Memories of times long since past, times that others would not enjoy but she did, and other such thoughts flitted through her head. It was good to be getting off the cold, death pit. She hoped that if she were to make it out alive, that she would be able to go back to those happier times. Molly, beside her, often whispered to her how she wasn't going to make it out alive. There was simply no way, she wasn't going to be a super soldier, they weren't going to do nasty experiments on them and train them to do impossible things. Yet they were going up against an enemy that only a super soldier would be able to kill. They were suicide soldiers, the kind of soldier that went out with a bang, literally.

Damia knew that the chances were slim, but of course, that was putting it mildly. Despite this, she was sure that the risk and price would be worth it in the end. At least she would be a hero, or so she thought, but then again, there was Molly. She whispered in her ear more truths about how she would be forgotten and if they succeeded the Major would be the hero. She would just be the dead, nothing more. In Molly's words, "Hell, might as well call yourself dead. That's what you are a corpse waiting so patiently to rot. Excited? To rot? I hope so, otherwise this would all be a waste of your life and if that isn't a contradiction I don't know what is." The sad truth was, Molly spoke the truth and it was a very sad thought indeed. A very lonely thought, considering the fact that had she been normal, she would have lived a normal life up until now, growing old and grew in a very boring manner.

She had her mother to thank for her insanity and once again, Damia thanked her silently for it. Living normally would have been much too boring for her. The moment Damia felt gravity return, however simulated it was, she quickly unbuckled herself and bolted off the craft the moment Major Major told them to get off. She wondered whether they would be getting their own room but didn't want to ask, for fear he would change things just to keep her from having what she wanted. Besides, there wasn't much she could do now, in prison she could have killed any roommate very quickly, here she couldn't kill. That meant she would have to learn to deal with people, that was a very hard thing to deal with, especially when you were antisocial by choice.