Boros, Companion House:

In a small client screening room, a man in a grey suit, flanked by three Alliance soldiers, sits across the table from the Companion house's head house attendant, a man named Reed.

The rest of the soldiers were out scouring the city for traces of their prey, making occasional contact only to lose them again.

The Grey suit temples his blue gloved fingers and taps them against his chin impassively eyeing the man before him.

"I told them you only wanted to talk..." Reed says nervously.

"Yes, indeed." The grey suit says patiently. "You say there were the two soldier “types”, to use your words, two women, one of which you’ve seen before, and another man."

"Yes... that’s right." Feeling more at ease and confidant in that fact he was right, Reed relaxes. "You said they were asking after a... “winged” women, again, your words."

The grey suit says checking his notes. "Yes. I overheard their conversation. She had spent some time here a while back." "Do you know where they were headed or where this “winged” woman may be?"

"I overheard Master Needy say something about a client’s private hanger."

"And the “winged” woman?"

"She’s aboard a ship called the Tree, I think they said. Are they in trouble? Is she a criminal?"

"Yes on both counts." The grey suit says with a smirk.

"I knew it!" the Reed says triumphantly "I always suspected her. What with her wings and all, it was just unnatural. But Master Needy wouldn't listen to me."

"So she in fact did have wings, interesting... thank-you for your time." The gray suit says, not looking up from his notes.

"Excuse me sir, the end of your pen is flashing..." Reed suddenly screams clutching his head, as do the Alliance soldiers. When the screaming stops, the grey suit stands and brushes an errant drop of blood from his notes, closes his clipboard and calmly exits the room, closing the door behind him.

--

--

Citizen led the way into the old Town hall.

The building was largely derelict, with holes and cracks in the walls from weapon fire – battle scars from war. The entrance hall was a fairly large expanse with sweeping staircases leading up on to an overlooking third floor balcony.

The remnants of an old reception desk which looked like it had come under considerable heavy fire took up the expanse of the front walls either side of the main entrance. In the centre stood a fairly modest statue whose features looked not just quite exactly like Citizen's.

Jack looked at it and then glanced at the Citizen before his eye's fell back on to the statue. He raised his hand and pointed. "Who the ruttin' hell is that?"

Citizen glanced over. "Oh that's my great grandfather, he founded this town."

Safe looked at him for a moment before speaking. "So when you said that this was your gorram town, you meant that this was your gorram town?"

Citizen's brow scrunched up in a puzzled expression for a second. "Of course, you didn't think I was just a small time monkey trainer with delusions of grandeur, did you?"

Jack and Safe glanced at each other, shared a look and then shrugged. “So what happened?”

“The usual, politics, that and the Alliance had bigger guns, same thing really.” Citizen shrugged. “Rolled in here right over the locals and the Independents, the rest is history.”

Jack sat down by the foot of the statue and began checking his weapons. “So what’s with the tooled-up monkeys?” He said as he began to reload the various arms laid out before him.

“After the war the Alliance didn’t much have the resources for peacekeeping here,” Citizen began to explain. “so I pulled together what was left of the local police and militia to help keep the less savory types in line.” He took a perch on the remnants of the old reception desk. “They weren’t much, the Alliance pretty much only left alive the soldiers that weren’t up to being cooks.”

“Sorry,” Jack interrupts. “Are you saying the Alliance hired actual monkeys as soldiers?”

Citizen laughed. “No... there was this crashed ship, some sort of travelling circus that had been hit, by who I don’t know. The crew was wiped out; all that was left were these monkeys.”

“So you’re saying they’re genuwine space monkeys?” Safe said half laughing.

Citizen grinned. “Yeah, hadn’t really thought about it like that. Well some of my fellas took a shine to ‘em, started teachin’ ‘em tricks, even teachin’ ‘em to play Chess.” Citizen leaned forward slightly to heighten the effect of what he was about to say. “When the Monkeys started winning I decided that it was about time I upgraded.” He jumped down from his perch and began walking toward the back of the entrance hall. “Anyway, we need to get set up. There’s two possibilities for who were meeting here way I see it, either the Alliance knew I’m with you and got to my contacts and this is a trap, or we’re about to meet the sniper from the training house.”

“You sure that this isn’t just a coincidence?” Bobbie asked.

“I don’t believe in coincidences.” Citizen replied simply. "The Alliance want us, and the sniper wants off this rock" He turned to Safe “Safe, I’m thinking elevated fire positions from the balcony, with lower crossing fire from behind the desk. What do you think?”

Safe finds himself seeing Citizen in a different light for the second time today. For a small planet politician, hell a third-generation politician, he had an eye for strategy. Safe points to the balcony on the left, "I’ll set-up up there, Jack you’re on the other side. Stay out of sight, let Citizen do the talkin’. NO shooting ‘less I say so, Dong ma?" Jack nods.

"Where do you want us, Mr. Safe?" Bobbie asks quietly. "Those... whaddyacallem... sonic mines... can’t get us in here, can they?"

"Let’s just hope they didn’t bring any more,” Safe says before giving them instructions of where to set up.

Citizen jumps in, "If the mysterious sniper shows up, don’t assume he’s an ally just cos he fired on the Alliance. Things start to go south, we’ll take ‘em down." Citizen’s com beeps. "Ok that’s my contact’s signal, shows on."

Bobbie goes to the spot that Safe suggested. She drops her pack and puts on a long brown coat to help hide her weapons.

Reluctantly, Bride7 follows her to the spot. "This is going to get us all killed. You know that, right?"

“Nope,” Bobbie says, reaching into her bag and shoving a handful of grenades into her sister’s hand.

“Thanks,” Bride7 responds sourly.

"You know what JC would say?” Bobbie says thoughtfully. “'Live or die, this here has the makin' of a mighty fine shoot-out!'"

--

Outside the old town hall, a cab pulls to a stop.

The lone passenger disembarks, and the cab pulls away. He stands briefly surveying the building before entering. The cab turns the corner at the end of the block and stops, waiting. A man steps out of the shadows and approaches the cab. The driver looks nervously around "Ok I did my side of the bargain... 500 credits, you promised..."

The stranger smirks and removes his hand from his pocket. Instead of credits, his blue gloved hand holds a pen like object.

Screams fill the evening air.

Scorpion strides into the building with a smooth measured tread and stops six paces inside the door. Standing in front of him, blocking the way was Citizen.

If Citizen had any fear of this man, he didn’t show it. Anyone else might have been terrified by the stranger’s blue gloves and their insinuation, but Citizen knew people, and this stranger was no Government lackey. Likely he was a lone wolf who was good at adapting and pickpocketing tech that might come in handy in the future.

The stranger looked Citizen up and down, for a second, sizing him up and made a similar judgment. He had nothing to fear from him. "Time is of the essence,” he said, closing the gap between them. “Things are motion at high speed. I need immediate disclosure.” The two men stood face to face, neither of them blinking.

Finally, Scorpion spoke, “If you are going to kill me, I should let you know I’m holding a dead-man switch detonator to the bomb I am wearing... and it is large enough to make the surrounding three blocks prime real estate for urban renewal. I am sincere in my interests to do business, but all business ventures require insurance. And I already know that the man who delivered me here is a traitor."

Citizen appreciated a straight-talker. In his business he’d dealt with a lot of time-wasters, had put up with a lot double-speak and his gut told him that this guy was on the level.But that didn’t mean he ought to be trusted.

There is a sudden explosion not too far away, causing Citizen to turn his attention to the street.

"He either betrayed me to you or he has betrayed us all,” the man said plainly. “He’s no longer a issue.”

"Well, aren't we the well-prepared boy scout?" Citizen said with a smile

The stranger raised the pressure sensor clasped in his hand. “Answer quickly please."

Citizen shook his head as he thought it over. His contact had been sketchy, but he’d delivered in the past. But he would have been a fool to believe he couldn’t be gotten to. Men like him had debts, and men with debts could easily be manipulated. Maybe his contact meant for this stranger and Citizen’s group to take each other out.

Citizen finally answered him, "Oh I understand you're in control here." He said slowly. "If that man sold us out maybe I should thank you.”

The stranger stared Citizen down, he couldn’t tell if he was mocking him or being genuine, but then as he looked over the man’s shoulder he caught sight of a large statue that bore a striking resemblance to him.

“It’s difficult to know who to trust,” Citizen said.

Recognition formed over the stranger’s face. Scorpion recalled the stories of the founders of this rock, and the family that oversaw much of its development. The sort of people that aren’t so readily found nowadays. Suddenly, the man standing in his way started to look less like a threat and more of an ally. "Maybe I should start with you,” Scorpion replied. “What do you think?"

Citizen nodded, “I think you want off this rock, and the way I see it is there’s only two ways that’s happening. Safely, with me and mine; or with the Alliance, in a body bag.”

Scorpion nods and returns the switch to his pocket.

“The names Citizen,” his opponent said, tipping his hat. “so maybe we should get down to business otherwise we’re just wasting each others time."

”Citizen, of course”, Scorpion thought, recalling his research on the town. And with that, came the knowledge of what such a man responded to.

Reaching into his other pocket, he retrieves the gem that he used to capture the late Wally's attention.

"If you were going to kill me I would be dead all ready.” Scorpion says before astutely commenting “But I'm certain we're not safe here. Consider this payment.”

Citizen’s eyes light up upon seeing the gem, only tearing his eyes off of the prize when a woman’s voice calls out.

“Ooooh! A diamond the size of a testicle!”

Bobbie was walking towards the two men, likely despite Safe’s instructions to stay put.

“Yep, that’s him,” Bobbie says pointing to the stranger, Safe and the others following behind her. “That’s the guy who was sneaking around and shined the light at me.It’s the same guy who was shooting at those Alliance goons who came for us.”

Bobbie approaches the two men, completely oblivious to the tension that had only just dissipated and examines the gem still in Citizen’s hand.

“Yep she’s a beauty.”

"Who do you know that has testicles the size of grapefruit?" The stranger asks, frankly astonished by the whole situation.

Bobbie smiles sheepishly. "Well... There was this one guy..."

Citizen hoisted his briefcase and dropped the gem into an inside pocket. "Okay, I know a place." He turns toward the back of the entrance hall. "Safe, Jack, seems we're moving out."

In spite of their clandestine location, the brides fail to go unnoticed by SR.

There was something familiar about the two women. Whilst he reflects on where he might have seen them before, Citizen calls out to him and the others.

"Lets get moving."

He didn’t need to be told. “I've been thinking on my feet all my life”, he thought to himself. “After I'm dead my corpse will need to be tied down for a week till the reflex action of running stops."

"You best let me know who your people are..." He says to Citizen as he checks his weaponry. “for their own safety.”

Citizen acquiesces, pointing the individuals out as he names them. Overhearing this, Safe bristles, unconvinced that the newcomer was one to be trusted with this sort of information. Scorpion however is fixed on the names of the two women, the Brides. He recalled now meeting them on the Sereni-Tree, a craft he had spent longer on than he cared to. In his eyes, war was ugly, but he found it more comfortable than living on a chaotic pleasure cruise. A part of him cringed at the thought of going back to that.

“I still didn’t catch your name,” Citizen says, distracting the man from his thoughts.

"For now you can call me Stan,” Scorpion answers. “If we get through this I'll tell you my real name. I presume all of yours are aliases as well.”

Citizen nods, understanding, whilst an eavesdropping Safe logs the interaction.

Citizen leads the group to the back of the building, to the wall under the staircase leading to the upper balconies. He twists a post on the stairways banister and a section of wall slides in revealing a staircase down.

As he turns back to usher the others down, the front windows of the hall explode inwards showering glass everywhere. The voice of the scar-man… Heinz… echoes through the room. “Just to let you know, Captain, I’ve found what I’m looking for. Before long I’ll have the bird girl so I don’t need you anymore. I’ll leave you in the capable blue hands of my associates.” There’s a moment of silence before gunfire erupts.

“We’ve got to go, Citizen shouts as he unceremoniously shoves the brides through the door. “This building suited my purposes but will not hold up to a sustained firefight.”

Once in the tunnel, Citizen turns and bars the door.

“What, no explosives?” Jack asks.

“This is my heritage,” Citizen says “Any damage here will NOT be done by my hand. Beside why waste explosives if it’s not gonna make any difference.”

The group runs down the tunnel, stopping to catch their breath when they come to a T.

The click of a gun hammer being drawn back gets everyone’s attention. They look up to see Safe, his gun not a fingers width from the stranger’s right eye. The moment that Safe draws his gun, Bobbie draws hers too. Unlike their leader, however, she is unwilling to point it at their new comrade.

Safe’s words to the stranger are quiet but biting. “Look, I don't know you from Stan... "Stan" and as such, I have no notion to trust you, not after the day we've had. But i do know the Alliance, all too well. And I’ve seen what Blue Sun operatives are capable of. Having a mole infiltrate our ranks isn’t a new trick for either of them.”

Stan didn’t seem fazed at all by the gun pointed at his face, but Safe didn’t know if that made him more trustworthy or less.

Safe continued. “Only thing I’m thinking is that a Blue Sun Mole would’ve killed us all by now... but that doesn’t mean you’re to be trusted.”

Stan stares unblinking.

“Way I see it, if you’re not connected to them already then this is your chance to split, no use getting involved in a battle not your own.” Safe takes a breath. “But you stay, and that tells me one of two things: either you really do believe in the cause... or you truly are working for them and stupid enough to think that they give a damn about you. And honestly, a man as skilled with guns like yourself, I wouldn’t have pegged as a moron.”

Stan raised a little smirk at that. Finally, he spoke. “Define moron: A man with a gun who thinks he can intimidate a man with a bomb.” Stan pulls away from the gun pointed at him and opened his jacket enough to reveal the hardware embedded in his clothes. “Safe,” he addresses him, the word dripping with disdain. “If you want your friends to survive this you are going to have to start using your brain. The bomb is not for you. I was hoping that it wouldn't be needed it all, but I will not allow anyone to kill me without killing them right back.”

“Stop it!” Bobbie jumps in. “We can't be fighting among ourselves. We're all that we've got!"

"If he's a traitor, we'll find out soon enough!" Bride7 says with a smirk, fondling her own gun.

Safe looks at the women and back at Stan. This whole situation could blow up in an instant, and for what? Maybe the Alliance didn’t need to send in a mole, just the idea of one would have them all killing each other. And Safe wasn't about to do their dirty work for them.

Safe lowered his weapon and returned it to it’s holster. “Okay, here’s how it is. Citizen leads the way. He knows this rock inside-out and backwards. If we run into the Blue Sun Ops. again, and we will, I call the shots. They are like no other enemy you may have faced. I do not need any loose cannons, superman attitudes or big damn heroes. And if any of this group dies because you’re not a team player, I’ll make what the Blue Hand Ops. do, seem like child’s play.”

Stan shakes his head. There are so many things he wants to say, so many thoughts running through his head that would bring this character back down to earth. But before he could an explosion and a rush of air interrupts them.

“There goes your heritage Mr Citizen” Bobbie says mournfully.

In the moment, all of the anger he felt towards Safe dissipated as he looked at Citizen’s saddened face. Safe might have portrayed himself as the leader, but Scorpion wasn’t about to follow anyone he didn’t respect. Citizen, however, was a man he understood and was willing to follow.

Safe put his hand on Citizen’s shoulder and showed him the map Needy had given him. He told him about the shuttles and Citizen nodded. The man clearly had a lot on his mind.

Scorpion, doing his best to ignore Safe or cause another outburst, stepped up to the two men and told Citizen, “Time’s a wastin’. Point the way and I’ll follow your lead.”

The man nodded. “You’re right, I think we should be moving on.”

The group moved as one unit down the tunnels, picking up the pace as commotion seemed to echo from behind them.

"Needy indicated that the tunnel opens in a back alley near the hanger,” Safe said from the back of the group. “Citizen, you, Jack and Bobbie lead the way. I’ll stay behind with Bride7, we’ll cover the rear.”

Safe glanced at Stan but didn’t give an order, still judging the situation.

Without encouragement, Stan loads his weapon and sidles up next to Safe and Bride7. He’d made his choice and, having witnessed the man’s skills as a shooter, Safe breathed a sigh of relief that the expert marksman was on their side.”

Turning to the rest of his group, Safe affirms “We’ll try to keep the Alliance at bay. If we go down, for any reason, you keep going.”

Just then there was another tremble as another explosion sounded off from far down the tunnel. Nonetheless, Safe, Bride7 and Stan’s faces were resolute as Jack nods at his comrades before telling the others “Let’s move.”

Safe draws his weapons, checking them over. Under his breath he mutters to Stan, “About before... I apologize now if you are an honorable man. I’ve had too many die because of me.”

Stan remains silent.

“My priorities lie in trying to get these people off this rock in one piece,” Safe confesses. “I don’t want any more blood on my hands. My own skin comes second.”

He wasn’t sure why he was telling him this now. Maybe it was because deep down in his gut he did trust him. Maybe because he’d served alongside men like Stan. Soldiers he shared angry words with but were invaluable on the battlefield. When it came down to it, all that mattered was the sides you chose. And Stan had chosen his.

--

Elsewhere on Boros:

After spending the better part of an hour ducking through back alleys and infrequently travelled roads, Needy’s followers soon become restless.

"Is it much further?" Amy asks as they walk through an abandoned yard, still upset over what had just happened.

They were getting tired, Needy could see that. They knew now he was taking them on a circuitous path, but it was the only way to avoid any more patrols. If the streets had been busier, they might have been able to blend in, but as it was the streets had become deathly quiet. Anyone out and about stuck out like a sore thumb.

The best way to not look suspicious was to act like you belonged, and the truth was Needy and his group did belong. They were legitimate citizens with their own businesses that needed to be attended to.

That was what Needy had told the group. “You act shifty and you’re inviting a world of attention. We’re just going about our business.”

But if the line worked on Flechette, Amy and Versa, it failed to work on the pair of Alliance officers they came across almost immediately.

“Down on the ground” one of the men had ordered.

Needy held his hands up high. “I have authority granted to me by the Guild to carry out my work...”

“What’s that,” the first officer had sneered. “working the streets like common whores?”

Needy bit his tongue. He could sense the women holding themselves back too, Flechette especially.

The second officer, younger and slimmer and looking to be straight out of the academy, told them again to “Get down on the ground. I won’t tell you again.”

“Alright, alright,” Needy said trying to calm the situation as he gets down on his knees and started to lay flat on the ground, the women following suit.

He heard one of them, likely Versa, ordered the officer “Don’t touch me.”

Needy looked behind and saw the younger officer, apprehensive about the woman and step back a bit. As he looked at the three women, he realised that despite appearances they weren’t going to take it laying down. And neither would he.

“If you were to look in my inside pocket, you will see I have a license,” Needy started to say but the older officer interrupted.

“I don’t care about your business. You ought to know there’s a curfew in effect and...” all of a sudden the man stopped. “What the?!!”

Flechette had blindsided the younger officer and knocked him to the ground. Needy wasn’t one to waste a minute, putting his training into effect.

Before the second officer could pull out his weapon, Needy had flipped around, swung his legs around and floored the man in an instant.

The officers would have wished they had restrained them but within seconds, Flechette and Versa had knocked out the young officer, and Needy had swiped at the other, rendering him unconscious too.

Amy had barely had any time to register what had happened before the fight was over.

Now, a good twenty minutes had passed and Amy was still in shock.

“We could have hailed a cab,” she suggested. “or took a tram.”

“Too many eyes on a tram,” Flechette had answered her.

“And there’s no way to trust a cab driver,” Needy said. “Everyone’s struggling just to put food on the table. Some people would do anything for a payout.”

Amy nodded, she knew it was right. But all this sneaking had not exactly helped her feel relaxed.

She noticed the gun in Needy’s pocket. He’d swiped it from the officer.

It should have helped her feel safer, but it just left her feeling more anxious. If they weren’t wanted before, they sure were now.