Outlaw Hard: Coming of Age

A notorious pair of faces filled the display screen.  Gene grimaced and Jim frowned fiercely at the duo.  Ron and Harry MacDougall, it just had to be them behind this disaster.

Ron’s face looked a few years older, strands of silver just starting to make their way into his black hair, still swept back from his face the way it had been since they first crossed paths.

Harry’s face, however, looked exactly as it had. This was because he had escaped death all those years ago during the final confrontation that led to Melfina’s freedom from the leyline.  He was no longer trapped in the Shangri La as a backup, having been exported to a new cybernetic body.

Ron spoke first, “It seems we meet again, Starwind.  Have you been enjoying the company of my employee?”  His expression was smug, though tight with focus.

Gene replied with a shrug and a sarcastic grin, “Yeah yeah, we get the idea.  So what are you bastards up to this time?  Still upset about old times?”

Ron simply shrugged, “Your exploits have cost us a lot of money.”  His eyes narrowed dangerously, “We do not forget the debts owed to us, or paying people back..”

Jim glared at Ron, “You bastards won’t get away with this..!  What about all of the people who were killed by this psycho?” he growled, jerking his thumb over at Garnet.

Ron shrugged, “I try not to micromanage those I hire for odd jobs.”  He looked over at Garnet, “We’ll be docking with you shortly to take these two aboard.”

Garnet smirked and shook her head, “We need the money transferred first, before we’ll hand them over.”

Ron looked to Harry, “Have you got the money ready to transfer?”

Harry nodded, “Yes, brother, it’s all in this case,” he said, holding a large metal suitcase up in the range of the camera.

It was clear to Jim that this was going to end badly if they couldn’t somehow break free.  His mind raced, trying to find a solution.

Gene, on the other hand, was glaring at Garnet.

“Damn, I can’t believe it..” he growled through clenched teeth, “You seemed like such a nice gal too.”

Garnet just waved Gene’s anger off and focused on the MacDougall brothers intently, “Are you suggesting that we exchange them both at the same time?  That’s a bad idea..”

Harry gave Garnet an acidic and demeaning grin, “If you want to get paid, you’re going to have to do this on our terms..right?”

Garnet glowered at Harry and sighed, “Fine.  Let’s get this over with..”

Harry glanced over at Gene and his expression grew intensely hateful, “We really should hold out for getting Melfina, too, brother..”

Jim looked sharply up at Harry and scowled, about to retort, but Gene beat him to it.

“Fat chance you fucking freak!” Gene shouted at the screen.

Harry’s face contorted with rage, “SHE’S GOING TO BE MINE SO SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU SHIT!”

“Harry calm down..” Ron started to say, but Gene cut him off.

“You want Melfina?  It’s way too late for that, you know..” Gene scoffed at Harry.

Harry stopped cold and leaned in on the vid pickup, “What do you mean??”

Gene gave Harry a sly grin, “She’s already mine. We make love every day, in fact..”

After a short moment of dead silence, Harry exploded and violently grabbed at the vid screen that was relaying their part of the conference.  He screamed and ripped the screen away from the console it was attached to and then there was just static, the connection broken. Permanently.

Garnet blinked in surprise and then turned to Gene, about to yell at him, but Jim spoke first.

“What the HELL was that Gene?!?” Jim demanded, “What do you mean you are sleeping with Melfina??  I thought…!” he seemed to subside a little, shrinking back, “I thought…” and he turned away, eyes downcast in shock and worry.

Gene tilted his head at Jim, “Huh?  That was just to get a rile out of that idiot, given his obsession with Melfina.  We’re not sleeping together, if that’s what you’re worried about..”

Jim blinked and looked back to Gene, “Really?”

Gene grinned, “She declined the offer I made years ago, we’re just good friends, like with the other gals on the crew.”

Jim just nodded quietly and replied with a soft “oh” before turning away again, hiding his expression from Gene.

However, this brought his expression face to face with Garnet, who was leaning on the console, watching their interchange with a very amused smirk.

Jim shook the relieved expression from his face and glared at Garnet, daring her to say a word.  She shook her head.

“You two are nothing but trouble, it seems..” Garnet said after a moment.  “Part of me is sad to see you go, while the other part wants to kick you out the airlock.”

Gene was about to say something when all hell broke loose.

The bulkhead door leading into the room from where they had been held captive opened with a loud clang, Aisha and Suzuka bolting through the door. Aisha was in full Ktarl Ktarl berserk mode, a whirlwind of fang and claws, while Suzuka’s blade danced through the air, felling goon after goon.

Garnet ordered her goons to open fire, but those who were able to found themselves knocked aside as Jim and Gene used the confusion to break free of their captors, punching and kicking their way to the open bulkhead door.

The airlock on the opposite side of the room shook, with a small alarm and flashing light to indicate that a ship was docking with it amid the commotion.  Garnet growled as her bounty was about to escape, but it was clear that she had two choices: flee or die at the hands of a pair of blood-thirsty brothers who showed no mercy to those who failed them.  She called out to her henchmen, “We’re bailing, let’s go!”

The Outlaw Star crew quickly escaped through the hallway, not bothering to see what happened once Harry and Ron finished docking.  Garnet also made her escape, ducking into a connecting passageway which led to where her own ship was docked to the station.  Several of her minions followed her, but it was clear that they had no intention of taking those that were wounded or unconscious with them.

When the airlock finally opened, Harry charged forth from the opening, gun in hand, ready to beat the hell out of Gene, but stopped short as he realized that everyone had fled.  Ron walked up behind him and shook his head.

“Let’s get back to the ship, Harry, so we can pursue them,” he said calmly.

Harry screamed in frustration, kicking the nearest unconscious goon before storming back through the airlock with Ron following close behind.

Back in the corridor, Gene looked to Suzuka as they ran, “Thanks for that, back there, you came at just the right time.”

Suzuka just smirked a little and replied, “I’m the only one who will decide when you will die, Gene Starwind.”

Gene just shook his head with a grin, “Lucky me..”

Suzuka stopped them at an airlock and cycled it open, motioning everyone to pass through it quickly.

After a few moments, they were finally aboard the Outlaw Star.  Melfina was already in the tank and smiled at Gene and Jim as they hurried to their stations, Gene taking the pilot’s chair automatically.  

Jim sat at his own usual station and glanced over at Gene while Aisha (who had transformed back to normal) and Suzuka took up their own stations.  “Gene, are we going to stand and fight or run?” he asked as he began automatically checking the readings from his station.

Gene checked his flight instruments and grunted, “We’re getting the hell out of here, hopefully those MacDougall bastards will chase Garnet instead of us.”

Melfina nodded and closed her eyes setting an escape course and cross-checking it with Gilliam.  Once the course was laid in, she looked to Gene and stated softly, “Course plotted, Gene.”

Gene grinned and shouted, “Alright, let’s go!”  All instruments were go for launch and Gene hit the acceleration hard.

The Outlaw Star pulled away from the station and immediately streaked away at full speed.  A smaller but very agile ship was pulling away from the station at the same time, followed soon after by the Shangri La.

“Jim, keep an eye on both of them and let me know if they start to pursue us,” Gene called out.

“Got it Gene!” Jim replied.

Gene angled the ship away from the station and followed the exit course that Melfina had plotted to get far enough out in order to light off the drive.

Jim called out, “The brothers are chasing after what I think is Garnet’s ship, Gene.  I think we’re in the clear!”

Gene grinned and nodded, focused on pushing the ship’s engines hard.

Moments later, Melfina called out, “We’re clear, Gene.”

“Here we go!” Gene called out and lit the Munchausen drive, sending the Outlaw Star streaking out of the solar system.

Jim breathed a sigh of relief and stretched in his station chair.  Now that they were out of danger, he pushed back from his console and stood.  He said to the crew, “Now that we’re in the clear, I’m gonna get some rest."  Glancing over to Gene, he added, "You should too, Gene.”

Gene blushed, but managed to hide it from everyone, or so he thought.

Gilliam stated, “Yes Gene, I can manage from here. Get some rest.”

With that, Gene exhaled slowly and nodded, unstrapping himself from the pilot’s seat.  He knew what might be coming, and his heart thumped hard in his chest...