04 - Paladin

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Ages - Age of Expansion - The Vigilante Chronicles

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Barnabas has traced the influence of the Yennai Corporation from High Tortuga to their secret base, which he has destroyed, killing both heirs to the company. Who hasn’t he killed? Koel Yennai, the patriarch and founder…who has sworn vengeance on Barnabas for killing his children and destroying his legacy. Now, Koel gathers what remains of the Yennai Corporation to hunt Barnabas across known space and kill him. And Barnabas is more than ready for the confrontation.

TVC 04/1 THE ATTACK Coyopa, the Jotun home planet, was being attacked and its inhabitants destroyed by Koel Yennai, in response to the Jotun’s activities concerning the destruction and death of the Yennai main base, and of Ilia and Uleq, his daughter and son, who were to have been his heirs. He attacked so suddenly that many of the inhabitants had no time for their tanks to be rescued. Jeltor and his family were on a ship not destroyed, and, as he was helping with command of the evacuation, he heard Koel, “ “We are aware that the Jotun Navy gave assistance to a human operative, enabling him to kill my children. This will be only the first of many attacks on the Jotuns if my demands are not met. First, the Jotun operative who helped the human must be turned over to face the justice of the Yennai Corporation. My second demand—” Jeltor would have to tell Barnabas about this attack.

TVC 04/2 Gar was teaching Tafa how to fight, and was good both as a teacher and a fighter. Tafa wanted to learn as soon as she realized it might help her with her painting. And she learned that it wasn’t so terrible to fall. She had been avoiding it all of her life! Interrupted by message from Jotun, from Jeltor, the they had been attacked. As retaliation for Jotun’s betrayal. Nothing left. He nuked the planet, attacked civilians. Jeltor might be turning himself in to Koel, to save others. Barnabas said NO, they would meet him in Jotuna for orientation and future planning. Shinigami messaged him that there was a Yennai scout ship on their scanners.

TVC 04/3 THE SCOUT SHIP Shinigami cloaked, but too late. They were to receive a budding electrical charge, to paralyze them. Shinigami indulges in avoidance maneuvers, then tries to control its systems. Small as it was, it contained a veritable trove of both information and weaponry. This scout ship possessed the ability to kill mid-sized ships. Shinigami worked her way into the messaging systems. There, in no less than three distinct places, she found embedded location tracking for any messages, as well as a subprogram that scanned and mapped any pulsars to send back. Barnabas sends Koel a message that he will be destroyed completely, and Shinigami agrees.

TVC 04/4 ZINQUED'S PLANS Zinqued in a bar, to meet with Tik’ta, a Hieto He had purchases Paun’s old ship, the Julentai ( a bucket of bolts, an old Torcellan Gav-class frigate that was held together with spit and a prayer), persuaded Chofal to ship with him, and wanted Tik’ta, because she would want revenge against Barnabas. Claimed her name was Hino. Had sold ship, couldn’t make it legally, as a ship-owner, so sold out, and went to worked in a factory. Zinqued wanted to hire her as a pilot. She had gossip about Yennai Corp. “Yeah.” Her voice dropped even lower. “They’re one of our biggest clients. Well, they’re one of everyone’s biggest clients lately. You thought they were big already? Well, in the past months, they’ve been buying everything. You name it, they’re trying to corner the market on it—including politicians. More than they used to be.” Ship thieves had a wealth of information about companies, ships, their business. A long-ignored body of information by the information brokers. Zinqued promised her Barnabas’ death, and she agreed to help him.

TVC 04/5 Koel Yennai, on the Avaris, listens to Barnabas’ message. He had little use for Barnabas’ universe.You made the rules, or you were subject to them. And Koel would never be subject to anyone else’s rules. He would never accept things the way they were. (See Characters, Koel Yennai). Koel had been wrong, Uleq had been right, and they both had paid dearly. Now he was coming out of his fog. He went to his computers and started to research. Barnabas had given him a gift; Koel only needed to find it. He pored over information about the humans and their defeat of King Yoll, the abolition of the Yollin caste system, and their battles against the Leath and the Skaines.

TVC 04/6 JELTOR’S TRIAL Barnabas asks Shinigami why humans are called humans. She tells him. (Nothing to name them after). He asks her advice about taking Gar and Tafa to the Jotun meeting (Jeltor’s trial) with him. She advises against it. All of the Jotuns there used power suits, the better to use mechanized gadgets (voting machines, etc). Room held hints of water – waterfalls, streams ringing the speaking area. Air smelled alive and slightly of salt. Barnabas listens to the accusations, rebuts them, and accuses the Senators of bribe-taking and advancing the interests of the Yennai Corp. to their own gains. If they do not cancel the trial, he will be back and they all will pay for the attacks, in their own ways. And if anyone has come to harm as a result of these accusations, upon his return, he will burn their building to the ground!

TVC 04/7 Barnabas and Shinigami try to figure out how Koel will try to get back at him. “When it comes to him, I think we may have made him more dangerous than we meant to. I wish we’d known more about him before we went to the base. His legacy was everything to him. He’s an absolute sociopath. He was willing to have one of his children murder the other just to make her stronger so that she could run the company well when she took over from him. The point is that Koel Yennai is not entirely sane, has zero compunctions about hurting people, and we just took away the one thing he cared about. He will forge himself into something harder. “ He’ll find a way to make an example of me if he can, and then he’ll be even more powerful because everyone will be even more afraid of him.” Barnabas considers strongly asking everyone to find other lives, to take Shinigami’s core to Bethany Anne, and to get Koel on his own, so that if he dies, no one else will suffer. Shinigami refuses to tell him the odds of him winning, which only make him more adamant in his request to them. But they will not leave a friend alone, so they all stay. And then the Jotun Navy offers their help), as they had all been sold down the river by the Senators. (Admiral Jeqwar of ther Juton Navy). Barnabas is happy to have the Navy aboard.

TVC 04/8 THE PLAN Barnabas has picked a place for his final showdown with Koel, a planet so out-of-the-way, and inhospitable, that it was known only as 1027.478B. The atmosphere had somehow managed to trap heat while blocking absolutely none of the deadly radiation from the system’s star, which was unstable and spat large plumes of gas at random intervals. How to lure him there was now the question. Shinigami comes up with a plan, to plant many layers of data to fool Koel, (and Barnabas) and the Jotun Navy, to increase his chances of success.

TVC 04/9 THE RESPONSE Lotar Venn had come across some information he thought Koel would be interested in. But he had to be SURE! That was the point. Just be sure, if you were going to bring information to Mr. Yennai, that your research was unassailable and you’d drawn sound conclusions. He began researching, found solid points, and finally finished his report, to find Koel watching him. He had made an assumption that humans were interested in a terra-forming a particular planet, and Koel was going to ruin that plan. Koel read the report, and ordered the Admiral of his fleet to address coordinates that he would be sending him, of a small planet around Waler’s Star, in which the humans were interested.

Zinqued was on Virtue Station to hire crew, to find the station being vacated by its population, as the rumor was that the Yennai Corp was going bankrupt, and would eb closing the station. People were leaving in droves. Zinqued ggoes to the banks, and approaches a Brakalon security guard, offering him a job. Meet in Bay 27, with anyone else interested. With people leaving the Station, there were SURE to be many things that needed “protection”.

TVC 04/10 Koel stands, looking out into space at his fleet, Lotar Venn by his side. Koel thinks that Lotar Venn may be the future of the Yennai Corp., now that it has no heirs. Koel gives him a tablet, with much information and books on it, to be returned tomorrow with comments. Barnabas and Shinigami discuss the qualities if the Jotun Navy, and Barnabas learns of the Jotun multi-tasking abilities, and of their control of their Navy’s ships (telekinetic). (See Technology, Jotun Robotic Suits)

TVC 04/11 TAFA’S PAINTING OF GAR Painting is of his essence – his soul, his mind, his body. Not a portrait. Red for fear, that he will not perform as he wants to. She thinks Gar could be, like Barnabas, a paladin, “They’re a myth,” Tafa explained. “Sort of. I think. They draw their power from a deity and wield it like magic.” She paused. “But Barnabas…I think what he draws his power from is the very concept of goodness, itself. Evil is evil because it hurts the innocent. Good is good because it saves them. That is ship with 2000 civilians on board. Barnabas bets that he’ll use it as a bargaining chip, and that it will be in the middle of the fleet, so that who he is. That is who you could be, Gar.” Jeltor calls with the information that Koel has captured a Jotun they won’t be able to shoot at his ships. So he plans on transporting to Koel’s flagship as soon as it comes into sight, with Jeltor.

TVC 04/12 Lotar had lost his fear of Koel, thought he was brilliant, and was ready to talk with him. When they came out of hyperspace, they saw that the entire Jotun fleet was there battle-ready, so they unveiled the captured Jotun ship, held by mechanical means in the middle of a hollow sphere of a ship. Barnabas looks at everything, so that Shinigami might see it through his eyes, then prepared to go to the flagship. They would be surrounded as soon as they docked, , and it will be fun! It was ! Eighteen armed, well-trained soldiers started firing at them, so they ducked behind the shuttle, and took a moment to plan. Barnabas took out two of the ceiling snipers, Jeltor took out the other two. Now the fourteen rushed them. Barnabas rolled a grenade into the middle of the group, reducing its number. Jeltor’s flamethrower took out a few more, and Barnabas’ teeth took out another one. They had counted on weapons, but not teeth! Koel came out of the control room, into the docking bay, wearing a robe, and no ornaments in his hair. He had wanted to see Barnabas fight. In mourning, Barnabas presumed, but not to be trusted. Would use appearances to their fullest. Koel gave orders to minions, doors were opened, and Barnabas and Jeltor were sucked into space, to die.

TVC 04/13 SHINIGAMI CAPTURED Shinigami works to free the captive Jotun ship, and does so, while fighting many fighters sent to stop her. As she was finishing, a thought crosses her circuits that the hollow ship was built to capture others, like herself, and was about to turn away when it did so, a new set of struts blasting from the walls, and paralyzing her TVC with a blast of energy. She sensed Barnabas being sent into space, and she couldn’t get to him, being herself a captive. She couldn’t move.

TVC 04/14 BARNABAS IN SPACE Barnabas has some oxygen reserves, but only enough to last until Shinigami would get to him, and she wasn’t answering. Gar was on Shinigami, totally depressed, because Tafa had been right. He HAD been fighting out of hatred of what he had been. He had not yet found who he really was. Then the lights went out. Gar had only one thought – to get to Tafa with a space suit. Gar realized that the ship had been captured, and as they hadn’t vented it, it was about to be boarded. They had to find a place to hide. Jeltor captured Barnabas by the coat, ad made for the Shinigami, entering through a small docking bay on the other side of her, away from the main docking tunnel. He saw that she was held captive, but he had to get Barnabas inside to atmosphere. Shinigami resists the bursts of energy, learns that Barnabas and Jeltor were still alive, and is filled with hatred. She vowed that she would kill every one of them. Koel looks at the planet below, and realize that he had been duped by lies – all lies, so that was several thousand lives Barnabas and the Jotuns owed him. In hiding, Gar and Tafa arm themselves ready to fire when the boarders get to them. For Barnabas.

TVC 04/15 DISMANTLING SHINIGAMI Two AI engineers were working on dismantling Shinigami, to get to her core. Occasional electric shocks were felt – nothing they couldn’t handle. The other engineer had recovered enough to affix a device to the edge of the AI core. This was one of the tricks they had learned over time. Most cores had devices that would self-destruct, wipe, or otherwise damage the core or the people removing it if it were removed. The AI was one of the best Tulass had ever seen. It resisted everything they threw at it so far—at least, for the most part. It was only a matter of time, though. It couldn’t withstand them forever, not with the various mechanisms chipping away at its defenses. The more they learned about it, the more chances they had to thwart its programs. Evgen and Tulass almost had it! Then the screaming stated, and officers came and pulled them away, so that they wouldn’t be captured and used for hostages. A clamp went flying to the floor, and he was not allowed to retrieve it. 04/15 Two AI techs were working on dismantling Shinigami, so they could get to her core. There were some shocks involved, but nothing they couldn’t handle. The engineer affixed a device to the edge of the AI core. This was one of the tricks they had learned over time. Most cores had devices that would self-destruct, wipe, or otherwise damage the core or the people removing it if it were removed. The AI was one of the best Tulass had ever seen. It resisted everything they threw at it so far—at least, for the most part. It was only a matter of time, though. It couldn’t withstand them He NEEDED that control device! But bullets started flying, and he ran. He and Evgen took shelter in the Bridge, and just as he was about to press the button to destroy Shinigami, …They all fell in the end. Barnabas awoke with a splitting headache and raw eyes. He was in an airlock with Jeltor, who told him the circumstances. They both decided to fight their way out, Barnabas to the bridge, Jeltor to try to find Gar and Tafa.

Barnabas took out a five-man group, heard Jeltor fighting, was hoping Gar and Tafa were OK, then went looking for Shinigami. Of all of them, she was working alone, and she had the most stacked against her. As Barnabas was taking out another group of ten, the two AI engineers were on the bridge, about to destroy Shinigami. Barnabas got there, grabbed the manual chess board, struck the Torcellan in the head with it, then shot the Yofu, grinding the device to the floor. It had not been activated, and Shinigami was alive. She warned him that the battle had still alive, and the ship MOVED.

TVC 04/ 16 THE YENNAI AND THE JOTUNS The Juton fleet engages the Yennai. The fleet is in three waves, mostly cloaked, so the enemy would not be able to see how many they were fighting. As the three waves hit the Yennai fleet, they did destroy most of the fleet, until a super-destroyer, the YCSIlia, came upon the scene. They could not even give it a scratch, so the Admiral decided to ram it. Just as they were turning, Shinigami called, told them to hold up, as she had something she wanted to try. They watched as a bank of missiles tore into the Ilia’s belly, causing it to lose control. Just as they all prepared to go fight some more Yennai ships, it was found that the Yennai were leaving the battle. They were running. Koel’s face appeared in all of the Jotun ships, telling them he was keeping count and that they all would pay. Then his ship disappeared. Literally. Not cloaked, no Gate – just – gone. The Juton Admiral again examined the space it had been in – and thought , Where had it gone? And if it could jump from one place to another, how could they stop it from killing any colony it wanted to?

TVC 04/17 After the battle, Shinigami and Barnabas talk about what could have been different, how they could have planned better. Shinigami felt badly because she had given the engineers some of her thoughts They were lies, but who knows WHAT Koel can determine from them. She may have been the weak one in this skirmish, and she was feeling terrible about it. She had been helpless, and they had started to break her very mind open. She still wasn’t sure what they had seen. Barnabas comforts her, and reaches for her as if she were human, which gave her another chance to ask for her own body. Still NO ! All else OK – Tafa in pod-doc getting re-hydrated (from vomiting), Gar OK, Jeltor OK, with his own flame-thrower. “But we can hold each other accountable,” Barnabas continued. “Right? I won’t do anything stupid that has a good chance of leaving me in space with no protective gear, and you’ll avoid doing anything that gets you captured. From now on, no heroics. No dashing off to save one another—because this time, we ended up splitting our strength and it nearly wound up with both of us being very dead. I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to die yet.” And they will FIND a way to take Koel.

TVC 04/18 Zinqued’s new Brakalon recruit was named Dretkalor, and he exceeded all expectations. Came with three other guards, all signed on. “So, here are the ship rules. I get a quarter of the take, the rest of you split equally. There’ll probably be a few more crew members. In return, I handle food, lodging, fuel—whatever we need to keep this place running. Deal?” When he told them heir target was the Shinigami, they laughed. He had gossip about humans, and was impressed that Zinqued knew about Gar. Zinqued came to Chofal to share the guard’s gossip. “Dretkalor knows a lot of Yennai ship passcodes and frequencies. He got us out of Virtue Station when they wanted to hold the ship hostage. I told him you might need his help.” They talked about Yennai scanners, and how they worked. They wouldn’t be able to foil them, but Dretkaler said, “ I do have something that will make them think we’re supposed to be there…and will make them read this piece of junk as a Yennai frigate.” Will need some parts to make it work, so, “Up for a little search and seizure?”

TVC 04/19 Barnabas and his crew speak with the Jotuns about where Koel might hit next. The Jotuns were seriously underestimating Koel. Even after they’d seen his ships in action and seen that he was willing to destroy both human and Jotun colonies. Shinigami is afraid it will be on High Tortuga, from what he might have gleaned from her lies. I’ve already told them to be ready, Barnabas told her. And you know there were plenty of people who knew of Devon. It would hardly be difficult for Koel to find High Tortuga. If he does, I’d say it’s million-to-one odds that he found it from anything you gave him. And yes, I am trying to make you feel better with terrible math. A message comes in that a carrier is about to attack a Jotun colony, Abassi. They all decide to go, Gar expressing that sentiment even before Barnabas.

TVC 04/20 ATTACK ON THE PLANET Sandar dek Tor’ven was with Yennai, and in charge of a landing force from YCS Hari, to take Abassi. They had been told to not bomb them, although that would have been easy. But no one questions what Koel wants to do. Barnabas tried, talking to Sandar, and was unsuccessful. He had brought infantry and mechs to fight, to take this town with infantry and mechs, to be able to hold the citizens as hostages to control the Jotun Navy, and used air cover only something went wrong. And air cover was coming. He was not averse to losing his own soldiers if it achieved his purpose. Above Abassi, the Admiral held off the carriers as long as possible, then, when told all out, had stopped trying, allowing them to nuke the town.

TVC 04/21 Barnabas meeting with Admiral Threton, Jotun distinguished officer, but didn’t recognize him, as all jelly-fish look alike. Gar introduced Barnabas, and “Barnabas, this is Admiral Threton.” The leftmost Jotun gestured to the one on the far right. “I am Commander Jeqwar, and this is Commander Celwar.” Were there to discuss how to defeat the Yennai Corporation. One of the Admirals responded, “We aren’t prepared to attack until we can be sure that we understand their cloaking and shield mechanisms, and we don’t know when that will be.” Shinigami offered, “I assume we all understand that any appeasement efforts will be entirely useless. What Koel Yennai wants—”

“Is to rule this sector,” the admiral interrupted. “We are aware of that, Miss Shinigami. At this point, we have to weigh his goals against his apparent desire to kill our entire populace if he does not get what he wants. Because it seems he can carry that plan out quite successfully.”

“That would be short-sighted.” Barnabas picked up the thread Shinigami had started. “Koel only wants you to believe the choices are between benevolent dictatorship and certain death. In fact, neither of those options are a true representation of the facts. He is using brutality to blind you. What do you see as an alternative?”

“A false capitulation that sets him off his guard, followed by an attack at an appropriate time. “With your politicians selling out to the Yennai Corporation, this is a uniquely difficult operation for you,” Gar observed. What I meant was that you are fighting, knowing that there is misinformation being spread, and knowing that your sacrifices are not being honored. That is…well, I cannot imagine how difficult it is. I know only the smallest part of that. You know that they’re back on Jotuna, making speeches and media statements, saying that you were supposed to be in prison, that you’ve brought the wrath of the Yennai Corporation down on the civilians…and they’re just hoping, praying, that they’ll make it out with their mansions and their bribes still intact. They’ve handed so much over, though. Like you said—the technology, the channels into the fleet. You managed to cut off their access, but that hardly excuses it. Those politicians thought they were giving all of that information up. And right now I can’t imagine what Koel is offering in bribes.”

What we need is to get one of their ships. The Admirals spoke up. What do you need to find one of their ships?” “Anything you have that narrows down their location,” Shinigami said. “We know they must have a patch of fairly empty space because we’ve never figured out where their shipyards are, and with so much cargo going from place to place…a few more shipments of steel and electronics don’t stand out.” Admiral Threton called his ship, and told them to send information to Shinigami about where the Yennai corp ships might be. We have to strike soon.

TVC 04/22 ZINQUED AGAIN Zinqued was frustrated because they hadn’t taken a ship yet. Then, in the middle of dinner, they saw an older ship approaching, with the right kind of engines. Chofal(pilot), took over the bridge, and came up under the ship. There were many subtle and highly technical ways to steal a ship. The Julentai had none of them. What it did have was a broadwave transmitter that flooded all the ship’s channels with random data, an EMP pulse that knocked out the systems and allowed the Julentai to take hold of them, and multiple clamps that held the ship in place.They boarder, told the crew they only needed parts, took the Zero point booster and the fruit bowl, and left. “You won’t be left to drift,” Zinqued said as soothingly as he could.

TVC 04/23 THE PLAN TO ATTACK DEVON IS FORMED Koel sat in his chair while his officers debated what they would take next. Lotar knew just what Koel was doing. He had, most likely, already picked what he thought was the best position. However, to keep his officers from agreeing with him out of habit and to see which of them would come up with the solution he liked best—not to mention, to see if any of them would come up with a better solution—he kept his opinions on the matter to himself. Lotar had the idea he thought Koel wanted, but didn’t want to offer it. It was an effective tactic, but a cruel one, and Lotar didn’t want to suggest it. He faced the bleak possibility of saying nothing. But the thought of disappointing Koel distressed him. There was something about the Torcellan, something almost hypnotic. You looked into his eyes, and you wanted to do anything, say anything, to please him. So he suggested that they strike at Devon, known as High Tortuga. Koel liked the idea. They will attack Devon in force. Shinigami had infiltrated the Yennai fleet to Avaris. They had tried to analyze the disappearing, and had a clue that it was really a trick. Cutting the head off the snake isn’t always the answer, but he’s always been instrumental in holding this together. If we could take him and his top level out, a lot of it would be over. It’s just difficult. The temptation is always to go in directly and—we’re going in the correct direction, right? Barnabas and Jeltor were planting a small crawler on the hull of the Avaris. It scuttled down a tiny pothole. Shinigami would tell them if and when it came across valuable information. Shinigami laughed, as the crawler had just reported that they were going to attach High Tortuga.

TVC 04/24 Jeltor, Gar and Barnabas were talking about the Yennai plans, while Barnabas and Gar sparred. Jotun do not fight. Not built for it. Jelton saw the illogic of Barnabas’ attacks. One should never expect a fight to start predictably. They would be at High Tortuga soon. Tik’ta’s alarm went off, and they had found what they wanted – the Yennai fleet going to battle with the Federation and the Jotun, so lots of dead ships to plunder, hopefully the Shinigami. They will be laying their new course as the Yennai frigate Haron’s Shield.

TVC 04/25 Lotar was in conflict over what was happening with Koel. How could he feel conflicted and right about him at the same time? But he had always found patterns where others had not seen them, giving him the feelings of rightness. He was to meet Koel in the ships magazine, the ammunitions storage area. Koel and several of his officers were clustered around a tower of some sort, maybe three stories high with thick cables lining its sides. At the top were metal spikes, easily three feet long and serrated. Lotar gulped. Koel rhapsodized about his newest weapon. “This is the latest innovation from my laboratories,” Koel said with a smile. “Isn’t it beautiful? It latches on there, you see, and these arms can tear a ship to pieces. Then they weaponize the shards of it. Each arm is attached to an explosive chamber. They rip apart, seek other ships, and use the power of the arm to bash through the hull with the shards, and explode inside them.” Lotar will be on the bridge with him when they lose this on the Jotun fleet. Shinigami has pinpointed the fleets with her scanners, hoping they’d work, as her programming was based on Yennai technology, which was different. Yennai approaching, so all belting in. Shinigami likes to do barrel rolls. Koel, on the bridge of his ship, thought of Ilia and Uleq, and almost lost it. Then, his ships officers became upset, as the planet didn’t look like it was supposed to. They had been directed to the wrong planet. Again. This time it had been Tafa’s fault, the painter, who had made the faked planet a thing of beauty.

TVC 04/26 THE MISTAKE Shinigami flew the first missile attacks, exploding a ship with multiple missiles in what might have been the weapons section. She cracked the hull, and the fourth missile went in, exploding the ship. The battle was engaged. The Jotun Navy again attacked in waves, the second wave going after a cloaked destroyer Shinigami’s programming had exposed. It was destroyed, and Koel was livid with fury. The Jotun fleet took out the last two destroyers, but lost too many of their own fleet, as the price. On the Bridge, Koel looked around him, and was disgusted. This. This was what was left of Koel’s legacy: this coward (Lotar), a broken fleet, and the cloud of rubble where Koel’s children had met their end. He gave the ultimate order. Throw everything at them, and aim the new weapon, the grappler missile, at Shinigami. Koel knew his crew wondered how they’d survive when they had fired everything they had at the Shinigami and still had the Jotun fleet to contend with. They wouldn’t. Koel had planned to destroy the Jotun fleet with the Avaris,ramming it, thereby causing them to rain down on the planet. “We fought well,” Koel told them. “We built something magnificent. This fleet was a thing of beauty. But as you know, strength and power are nothing if they are outmatched. Today, we have found ourselves outmatched.” He entered the sequence to accelerate the Avaris. “All that is left to us is to make our enemy pay for killing us.” Suddenly, Zinued’s ship appeared in the middle of everything, and the grappler missile, because of its proximity, locked onto Zinqued’s ship instead of Shinigami.

TVC 04/27 THE JULUNTAI All were surprised at the appearance of the strange ship in their midst. Lotar took the opportunity to tackle Koel, accusing him of going mad. Koel agreed, as there was nothing left for him to live for. Lotar beat him to a pulp, screaming, “And what about us?” Lotar screamed. “What about us? Didn’t it occur to you that we might want to live? We don’t want to die just because you’ve lost your damned legacy!” He saw now that Koel had never thought about that. Lotar dragged Koel to the command station, wanting him to undo the commands. It was impossible. There were no overrides available. Zinqued's ship attempted to maneuver out of the way, and the Avaris was heading for the Jotun fleet. He was advised to head toward the Jotun fleet, as that was where the firing was. Perhaps the missile could be terminated in the crossfire. Shinigami realizes that Koel has directed the Avaris at the fleet, and it would not stop until it hit the planet’s surface. Koel hails the Shinigami, for his last speech. Lotar had shot him twice, to try to get him to over-ride the commands, and there was no over-ride. His speech ended with, “I will not be used and shamed. I will not be made into propaganda, reduced to a mere civilian in one of their jails. And I will save my crews as well. I will keep them free of such petty moralizing. We will die with honor!” Koel snatched a gun and shot at the control panel, splintering it, then put the gun to his head, pulling the trigger as the officers screamed.

KOEL'S SUICIDE Those on Shinigami watched as the Avaris crashed into the planet’s surface, throwing shock waves off. “Radio back to High Tortuga,” Barnabas told Shinigami. “The real one this time, mind you.” There was the shadow of a smile at his lips. “Tell them the Yennai Corporation is gone. We’ll clean up the dregs of it at our leisure.” Barnabas promises Shinigami a present when they get to High Tortuga, and the go off for a game of chess. Zinqued fled off into the darkness, trying to think of new ways to get the Shinigami.

TVC 04/28 SHINIGAMI'S GIFT On the planet, the Jotuns were dancing in a vat of sea water,Gar watching, Tafa was painting, and Barnabas was trying to teach Shinigami how to walk. She’d been ecstatic when she saw her mechanical body. Barnabas, conversed with Bethany Anne about TOM’s progress, had commissioned an avatar in the image Shinigami most often used—a cross between Tabitha and Bethany Anne. She was in trouble, as she didn’t want to use the sub-routines provided. She wanted to do it by herself. “All right, I’m trying again.” Shinigami brushed her dark hair behind her ear—a process that involved hitting herself in the face twice and nearly tangling her fingers in her hair—and took a few shaky steps. “It’s easier when I don’t think about it too hard for some reason.” Barnabas pulled his shoes off and waded in the water. Shinigami aske him why, and he answered, “It’s warm. It feels nice. You have nerve endings, yes?” “Yes, but I hate them.” She shuddered. “Constant biofeedback. Take a step, feel some pain. Adjust your posture, feel some pain. How do humans deal with it without going mad? Actually…” She frowned. “That explains a lot. You’re all mad.” And she fell into the sand, throwing out an arm and tripping Barnabas so that he fell into the water. Jeltor talked about going back to his planet for the treason trial, Barnabas talked about maybe starting a hotel, it was nice there, and Gar was cutting lose and getting drunk. Where there were bars there was trouble. Shinigami remembered that there had been a call earlier in that day, from a farming planet, with no bats. Barnabas said there was always trouble, bars or no bars, and so they all left to go off to find out what trouble they could get into.