Disclaimer: I own only my ideas...
A/N: I kinda ran out of ideas for a week. Sry all you faithful readers... here goes nothing!!
A few days later
Kagen is walking through the bureaucratic district of the Tarrakan military headquarters. He thinks, 'Hmph, I wonder what this is all about. How do I get into these situations? Jez, I'm just a ship's Mechanic! Now I'm doing spec-ops missions. Maybe I should've let the military find that downed ship and let them kill those women. Because I didn't, now I'm the "expert" on their weapons, ships, and tech. Oh well, time to face the music...'
He has reached the door he was headed for and reaches for the handle. His hand recoils and he jumps out of the way as it flies open towards him. A frustrated bureaucrat comes storming out and puts his hands on the railing. His assistant comes out and the bureaucrat asks him, "Where is that "expert" He was supposed to be here by now.
Kagen stands up, dusts himself off and says, "I believe you were talking about me."
The bureaucrat turns and looks at Kagen with a terrified look on his face. He quickly says as he regains his composure, "Oh, so you are here. I'm sorry. Let us go inside and begin."
Kagen smiles and says, "Yes, lets."
They walk into the room and sit at the table.
The Chairman stand and says, "Ok, since we are all here we can begin."
He nods to his assistant and he pushes the holoprojector activation switch.
"This asteroid was detected by our long range sensors a day ago. Our scientists have analyzed the data received and determined that it would pass safely past Tarrak, however, that is not why you are here. You are here because our scientists have determined that it is composed of previously unknown materials. You are to go investigate. Your Vanguards will be outfitted with mining equipment and you will be escorted to the asteroid. Once there your escort will leave. If they floated around this object while you were mining it would be a dead giveaway that you are present. The women are not to even notice you are there. If they send their own investigation team, you are to engage and destroy them."
One of the Vanguard pilots stands up and asks, "And how are to destroy them without weapons?"
Kagen sits him down and whispers to him, "Not now. We will speak of this at another time."
"After you retrieve the samples you are to either capture the asteroid or destroy it depending on the data. Dismissed."
The Vanguard pilots stand up and leave. Kagen remains seated and says, "So you expect me to analyze this data we receive on the spot and to teach this squad you're giving me how to improvise weapons from mining equipment?"
"Yes, do you have any other questions?"
Kagen stands up and says, "No, I just thought there would be more to it." He leaves the room.
Once the door is closed the remaining council members start to confer.
Kagen thinks, 'There must be more to this than meets the eye. They haven't told me everything.'
A day later
Kagen meets up with his tired crew after a tiring round of simulations aboard the ship Toraken. Kagen says, "Those were some good maneuvers. Good work. We'll try those moves out in space tomorrow." The crew groans. Kagen says, "Dismissed, get some rest."
Kagen turns and walks out of the simulator room. He turns toward the Hangar and starts to walk. He thinks, 'We're running out of time... I wish I had the original data... wait! I might be able to get the ship's captain to let me run a scan!'
Kagen turns quickly around and starts to run to the bridge.
A few minutes later at the bridge
The captain says, "No! You may not scan the asteroid. The scanning beam may get picked up by the women's radar. We are lucky we have gotten this far with no trouble. I don't want to alert them because we have no backup."
Kagen sighs and says, "I understand. Thanks anyway." He walks out and heads for his room. When he reaches it he plops down on his bed and falls immediately asleep.
The next morning
Kagen wakes up and grabs some food pills from his room's dispenser.
He grimaces as he swallows them. He then gets up, suits up in his flightsuit, and heads to the Hangar.
In the hangar
Kagen reaches the Hangar and looks at his Vanproto. He jumps in and checks his systems. Then he pokes his head out and looks around. He closes the cockpit and opes a compartment in the right side. He pulls out a pastry and eats it he cleans up and then closes the compartment tight. He thinks, 'Well, that is the last of that food.' He mentally sighs as he opens the cockpit and climbs out.
He then looks around and thinks, 'Where are those rookies? They should be here. I'd better go wake em up.'
He walks over to a computer panel and tries to call them up. The terminal stops him putting up a do not disturb sign. Kagen scans his ID into the terminal and he is let through. He opens a comm. window and shouts, "WAKE UP! You are late for practice!"
He ended up scaring half of them out of bed and the rest just groan and say, "Yes, sir."
Kagen climbs up to his cockpit pulls his trusty old MA5B assault rifle out. He takes the clip out and starts to take it apart. He pulls his cleaning kit out of the cockpit too. He cleans the barrel greases the action and puts it back together. He takes the clip and goes to the target range, which happens to be close to the hangar.
He fires off a few rounds, checking the range and sights of the weapon. He links it with his HUD and then fires it from the hip using the HUD for aiming purposes. He turns out to be dead on.
He takes the now empty clip out and starts to stow it in his pocket, then he realizes that he is a high enough rank he can just leave it in the reload bin and grab a new one from the armory.
He gets to the armory and leaves the clip in the reload bin. He looks for a fully loaded clip for his rifle, but can't find one. He then checks the ship inventory and finds that there is no ammo for his rifle. The reason is that they aren't carrying his type of rifle on board.
He sighs and grabs his clip out of the reload bin and orders up some ammo. He thinks, 'This sucks, now I only have two clips for this weapon.' He checks the ship's inventory and finds that his they don't have ammo for his pistols either. He frowns as he places that order too. He puts an immediate dispersal order on the two orders and then goes back to the hangar.
He walks into the hangar to see his crew lying about near their Vanguards. Kagen says, "Attention!" They leap to their feet. "You are the most disgraceful soldiers I have ever seen! You do not sit around while you wait. You are to check your weapons regularly."
One of them says, "Sir, you were not here when we arrived..."
Kagen cuts him off and says, "I was not here because while I was waiting for you dolts, I was checking my weapons at the firing range. That is what you should've been doing to a lesser extent right here. Now get into your Vanguards! We are beginning the exercise."
The soldiers all leap up to their cockpits and Kagen climbs up to the cockpit of a regular Vanguard. They all get in and launch into open space. Kagen starts off the lesson with a demonstration. He gives the signal and a box comes flying out of the hangar bay. Kagen quickly ignites his boosters, matching the speed and rotation of the box. He then gets closer until he grabs a hold of it and spins with it. He then jumps off corrects his spin and says to them, "I want you to do the same thing I just did, 20 times." He nods to the hangar crew and then begin launching other blocks. Kagen says, "Begin! I will not let you stop until you complete this task.
15 hours later...
5 out of the 8 have actually finished landing and jumping from the rotating boxes. Kagen gathers them up and orders them to go back to the ship. He watches as the last 3 attempt the maneuver. One succeeds and the other two fail and slam into the boxes, making them ricochet off. Kagen catches them and throws them after the boxes. Kagen says, "Ok you two keep at it. You come with me." The one that succeeded comes over to Kagen and Kagen opens a private comm. link. Kagen says, "You keep an eye on these two during the mission. If they get into trouble help them."
"Why me, sir? There are other better pilots."
Kagen says, "Alas, that is the problem with them. They will be too busy mining. I need you three to stand watch while we work. You lack the delicate touch needed to operate the equipment."
"Yes, sir."
Kagen watches as the last two finish the maneuvers and says, "Ok guys, back to the ship!"
Back in the Hangar
Kagen climbs out of the Vanguard and looks toward his Vanproto. He says, "Soon, we will go into battle."
A familiar voice says, "And why would that be? I thought it was just a mining mission."
Kagen says, "Ah Mark, what are you doing here?"
Mark frowns and says, "You didn't know? I'm an engineer here. And I thought you were avoiding me."
Kagen laughs and says, "I've been too busy to check the manifesto. I have to whip these pilots into commando status by the time the asteroid gets near."
Mark says, "Pretty soon I can join you in space, my friend. I almost have qualified for Vanguard service."
Kagen says, "Ah, don't worry bout it."
Suddenly the alarm goes off and Kagen rushes to his Vanproto. He says from the cockpit, "I'll have to talk to you later." He quickly refits his Vanproto with sword package one. He then seals the cockpit activates it and launches into space.
Kagen scans the area and sees two Mejerrian scouts. He quickly pulls his sword out and engages them. They dart around trying to get a bead on him. One of them breaks radio silence and screams to her wingmate, "I can't shake em!" Kagen puts on a bigger boost as he activates the proto system. Then the Vanproto glows green as it charges up with an intense energy.
Kagen cuts off the energy when it reaches what he needs. He waits a second for the power to establish itself in the boosters. He hit the switch and the Vanguard flies twice as fast as before and catches the frightened Dread pilot by surprise and he appears next to her. As she tries to steer away He sticks his sword into her engine and rips it off.
He then turns toward the other dread as it comes flying straight for him. He pulls his shield from his back and blocks the incoming shots. As she flies past Kagen places the now battered shield on his back and boosts after her at twice full speed. His eyes start to droop as the effects of the energy transfer start to take effect.
Kagen grits his teeth and boosts one last time and slices her engines clear off. He then switches off the proto system and breaths a sigh of relief. He gathers them up and drags them towards the ship.
A comm. window opens in Kagen's cockpit
"Why haven't you killed us? Answer me!"
Kagen says simply, "I was not told to kill you. Just be glad it was me. I'm not sure the others would've been so merciful."
She gulps visibly at that and Kagen closes the window.
An alarm goes off and Kagen quickly tears the long range antenna from the lead dread.
Kagen opens a comm. window to her and says, "I can't let you do that. Now behave or I will kill you." Kagen closes the window and then continues dragging her towards the ship.
Once inside the ship
Kagen and a security team are looking at he captured fighters, without the severed engines of course, Kagen walks forward and punches in a few commands. The cockpit opens and the woman jumps Kagen. Kagen intercepts her stranglehold and pins her to the ground. He whispers to her, "I'd suggest you don't try that again. Next time, you'll get shot."
She just frowns as Kagen places her in cuffs and then pushes her into a corner, putting a guard to watch her.
Kagen walks over to the next cockpit punches in the codes and backs off this time. He pulls his pistol and says, "Come out with your hands up!"
She does so and Kagen cuffs her too. They then take them to the interrogation room. The interrogator comes in and Kagen takes him aside. After their little chat the interrogator gulps and leaves the room. Kagen says, "Ok now that that is out the way. What were you doing in this sector?"
The one with purple hair speaks first, "What were you doing in this sector?"
Kagen slams his fist down on the table, breaking it in half. He says, "I'm asking the questions here. But if you really must know... I was looking at the meteor. You see, I'm a person who likes to study things. Unusual things. Things like asteroids, women, machinery, and various weapons. I like taking things apart to see how they tick, what they are made of and well I sometimes put them back together."
The blue haired one says, "We were just patrolling the area."
Kagen says, "And you didn't realize that you were patrolling within Tarrak space?"
The blue-haired one gulps and says, "No we did not."
Kagen says, "Do you have any other means of communication on your person? If you lie to me that means I get to search you."
Both of them say, "No! Neither of us have any communicators of any kind on our person."
Kagen says, "Ok, then we'll hold you until our mission is complete and release you when we are done. As long as you do not try to escape, you will not be harmed. Have a good day."
Kagen leaves the room and tells the security team, "Take them to the holding cells and make sure they don't escape, we can't afford to let them give away our position."
Sry for the cliff hanger, but it was getting a bit long... Read and Review