Earth's Solar System

"That doesn't answer my question." There was the faintest twitch in Tiraninot's facial features as he spoke. The phantom image of an uncommon emotion appeared for only a fraction of a second. Anyone who hadn't know Tiraninot for a long point of time would have ever even noticed it. "It's a pity, I considered you one of my more trustworthy soldiers."

Lilith blinked, surprised by this statement. The serious part of her nature was out now as she looked to Yarasa again, unsure of what to do.

Yarasa grinned. "Do we really need to talk about the past or how about we come back to the present and talk about the fact I am holding your leaders hostage. Or the fact that the rebellion is actually behind my little takeover here. They promised me anything I wanted if I could get you on your knees, so why don't you indulge me." She grinned again more evilly her eyes almost maniacle in there glee. "I know you must have some plot to try to stop me but I don't think you counted on me working with the rebellion. You couldn't stop them but now that they are working with me, we have quit a big advantage."

So in other words shes a pawn. Tiraninot didn't voice this thought. Opinions had to be closely guarded less they turn on oneself, and Yarasa struck him as an egotistical individual. "I figured as much. There would have been little other reason to wade this deep into our territory with so small a fleet." He turned and walked into the communications bay, the escort motioned for the pirates to fallow. Inside the com bay were another squad of soldiers. They stayed against the walls with their rifles held loosely at their sides, ready to raise them at the slightest hint of aggression. The com bay itself was a large circular room full of terminals and monitors and staff running its systems. Some of the technicians looked up nervously at the entering group but went back to work quickly, training overriding impulse.

"Though I will say that you seem to be overestimating the amount of power the rebels have. Most of their more recent attempts were somewhat desperate moves. Their last attack may have even cost them a significant number of what armored vehicles they managed to secure." Though how they got those light mechs in the first place was a mystery. He would have payed a guess that a pirate like Yarasa had been secretly supporting them, but then they wouldn't risk themselves in the same kind of engagement they had gotten into here. There had to be someone else pulling the strings. There were only a few people Tiraninot could think of that could organize something like this, and non of them were members of the rebellion.

Who is your contact. Who betrayed us.

Though his mind continued to work, Tiraninot's face held the same cold emotionless stare it always had.

__________

The High councilors court office

Charles Villandi the second, High Councilor of Pluto, was not happy at the moment. Nor was he particularly comfortable. One minute he was being forced to listen to the outer station representatives drone on about some petty little complaint over funding to this or that project. Then the next minute a group of rather rude people burst into the court room and start making making orders and waving there guns around. He was half tempted to hit the 'emergency' switch on his desk but held back. Partially because they made him put his hands in the air before he could hit it, and partially because he didn't have his filter mask on hand. And he wasn't too keen on getting a nostril full of his own nero-toxin.

So now the young aristocratic dictator of Pluto was forced to sit back in his chair, an armed man to his right pointing a gun at him, while he waited for some harpy pirate witch to try and extort one of his admirals. And considering that Tiraninot was the particular admiral she picked to bully it stood to reason that this would ether take a while... or end with a few extra pay checks for the grave diggers.

"Really? James? You picked James of all people to fight with? I thought he would have scared you of after what happened with the last pirate captain he caught." To be fair though broadcasting a video of a man getting skinned alive to a pirate base might have been a bit harsh. But it did bring the percentage of attacks on the mining colones down by about 8% for a few months.

He let a faint smirk appear on his delicate lips as the pirate leveled a gun barrel to his temple. "Quiet you." The gruff man growled. The young dictator raised his hands again in mock surrender. "Alright, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Though the faint smile stayed on his face much to the annoyance of the pirate. "Oi, Burk, get over here and check out the jewels I found in this broads purse!" One of the other pirates called from across the room. 'Burk' gave Charles one last ire ridden glare before strolling of to where his crew mate was ransacking the hostages belongings.

Savages. The young dictator thought. Glancing at his desk mounted computer noticed a moment later that a message had entered the inbox of his email account. It was from Tiraninot. A quick glance to see if anyone was looking and Charles opened the email. He smirked again as he deleted the message. Charles stood, with the same dramatic fashion he had practiced as the high councilor, and cleared his throat to get the rooms attention.

"Excuse me, Everyone?" He called out, getting both the pirates and the representatives to look at him. "We might be here a while, it was sometime ago that our... guest arrived. Since my fellow members of the government are only visiting from the outer colones might I ask that they be released?" Charles's face was the image of sainthood as he spoke. A paragon smile brimming on his lips. "I'm really the only person you need to keep here for leverage with your demands. I would gladly stay here without a fuss if you let my companions go. I can even throw an order to the troops outside to keep from intervening until your transaction has been complete if you agree."

Burk frowned as the dictator stood and started going on about letting the others go. Yarasa had said that something like that might come up and to contact her when it did. "Well, now I will just have to contact my superior." He said and pulled out the comm. "Yarasa, Yarasa, Burk here, please come in."

Yarasa continued to watch Tiraninot as she walked and picked up her own comm. "Yarasa here, go ahead."

"The birds want to be freed, just like you said they would captain. What's our next move?"

"Pick the most useless ones and let them go but keep the rest." Yarasa said and put her comm back.

Burk grinned and put his away. "Well it looks like I can let a few go, now which ones should it be?" He rubbed his chin as he looked each of the hostages over.

The High councilors court office

"Pick the most useless ones and let them go but keep the rest." Yarasa said and put her comm back.

Burk grinned and put comm his away. "Well it looks like I can let a few go, now which ones should it be?" He rubbed his chin as he looked each of the hostages over.

Charles repressed the urge to role his eyes. Oh please, most of these morons are just here to gripe and moan over some half assed document nobody gives a care about. Most of the members in the court office were replaceable, and it was the High Councilor's opinion that they were just there to do the paper work for the important people. However it was the long hassle of replacing this many officers that made Charles flinch. Really, he didn't want to look through forty reports on plumbing problems and worker protest a day.

... though if he actually did with the latter task he might not be in this position in the first place.

The repetitive 'tap tap tap' of something scurrying across metal broke his concentration. Charles eyed a small vent where a quiet clicking noise was emanating from. It stopped after a few seconds, becoming eerily silent. Charles glanced back to the room at large and tried to not show his urgency. He kept the same smug façade as he silently counted down the seconds. Hurry up, hurry up, I don’t exactly have the patience at the moment.

On board the Ashur

"It's rude to ignore someone." Tiraninot said, eying the comm in Yarasa's hand. "Wouldn't make more since to have one of your subordinates back on your ship to handle questions from the grunts?" As He spoke he made hidden hand sign behind his back. One of the tech crew watching immediately began working on a different message broadcast system. Attempting to put a trace on the local signals.

"At any rate you still have yet to tell me what the rebels demands are."

Lilith didn't notice the hand signal, but she did notice the tech crew member start working at the radio. Her hand slipped from her laser gun, and she tightened her grip on the strap of her M-16. She was starting to have a bad feeling abut this whole situation. She found that she still held a great amount of respect for Tiraninot, and also found that she actually wanted to be on his side in this situation. She stayed silent though, looking him in the eyes seriously for the first time since coming aboard the Ashur.
What's going through your head right now sir? Your calm as ever on the outside, but I can see a fire in your eyes. That fire only comes when you know you have a ace up your sleeve.... a spark entered her eyes, one that hadn't been there in years...since she had left the military. Whatever it is, I am most interested in seeing it...and most interested in helping, though that would mean betraying Yarasa...whom has only used me as a pawn to get closer to the military.