Complications

[Admiral Hart]

As they landed in the Cove once again, Hart, Morgan, T.K., Dane, and Jane disembarked. They were on a mission, plain and simply--talk to arms dealer Eight-Finger Willy and get something they could use against a UE warship and its convoy.

Dane and Jane were, of course, coming to do some shipping. Dane had a frequent buyers card with Willy. Jane liked to ogle the "rugged" pirates that tended to shop there, as well as Willy's gorgeous eighteen-year old son Rocky. "Barely legal is still legal," is how she had put it on more than one occasion.

Willy was one of the more respected people in the Cove. He brought stable business to the station and supplied some of the best second hand weapons money or favors could buy. Plus, he was completely freaking insane and took great joy in adding certain, dangerous modifications to his weapons. Which is how he lost his three fingers--his knickname did not sound so bad until it was realized that he had started with eleven rather than ten.

"Hart, Dane! My best customers, come in, come in. Rocky's in the back, Jane, unless you wanted to look around a bit first." The mostly toothless, hobbled old man said, grinning shamelessly.

"We need something hard core, Willy." Hart said. "I got a warship and a heavy convoy needs taken out without serious damage to the warship."

"Hmmmm..." Willy said, pondering before a lightbulb went off in his head. "Y'know, I have just the thing. Hold on, I'll get it."

The Pirate glanced around while Dane was going from shelf to shelf like a kid in a candy store. Hart smirked a little. As bad as things had gotten, it looked as though "he" would, finally, have Anton in her grasp.

[Dane]

Dane browsed the shelfs, looking for parts for Elsa or a random part that he might find useful. He sighed. So far zilch...but knowing Willy he always has 'something' he would like.

Elsa was on his shoulder, examining each part she came across with interest herself looking like she was shopping for a new dress....

"Daaaaannnnnee~." he sighed. That could only mean one thing.

"What?" he grumbled. Elsa's sprite pointed to a large laser cannon, looked like it belonged on the bridge of a starship....

"You think that'd make me look fat?" she said with a pout, Dane had to blink for a moment before rolling his eyes. Elsa just smirked, jumping off his shoulder and floating around him, staring at random parts and mumbling to herself.

They continued this for awhile, waiting for Willy to show back up. And knowing Willy whenever he went into the back, usually there was something VERY illegal and VERy expensive. He smirked.

And thats the way he likes it.

[T.K.]

T.K. left the Captain about his business, while he grabbed a shopping cart, and headed out back for the 'Junk Pile'. An assortment of broken or damaged goods, that Willy hadn't gotten around to 'fixing' yet.

He started whistling a slightly off-key tune, while he began browsing through the pile, sorting out what was actually broken, and what could actually be used on the ship.

“Need one of these.”

He grabbed a a cluster of wires and circuitry that looked to have seen better days.

“A half dozen of these would be nice. Hope there's more in here.”

He tossed in a collection of fist sized metal disks.

“Oh, wonder where he got one of these?”

He grabbed a large pipe assembly, carefully placing it in the cart.

He continued sorting through the pile for a little while longer, digging out miscellaneous parts. Most needed some heavy maintenance before he could use them on the ship, but it was something to do during the shifts. Other than playing Blood Maul VI that was.

“Wow! I'm been looking for one of these for months!”

[Dr. Andromeda Reyes]

Andromeda sighed slightly as she and Cassi made their way down through the market area of the Cove. It was a bustling hive of activity, everything from guns to jewelry to mostly-fresh produce being hawked and sold by screaming vendors lining either side of the passageway.

The reason for their outing would be that Cassiopeia had apparently started another growth spurt. Mostly evidenced by the fact of her putting on one of her favorite white-lace tops and her breasts nearly spilling out of the neckline. Andromeda had chuckled good-naturedly while Cassi had stared down at herself with a faint look of shocked dismay on her face.

"Did it shrink or something?" The older of the two had shaken her head.

"No sweetie, you're just getting bigger." She sighed then. "I think you might end up being as curvy as Grandmother Hortencia, after another year or two of developing." Cassi's eyes had widened considerably at that suggestion, looking somewhat stunned.

Their Grandmother Hortencia had been rather infamous in the social circles of Mars. It was rumored the intoxicatingly beautiful blonde had had more men in her pocket--married or no--than there were stars in the sky. And except for her current, prepubescent build and Magi features, Cassiopeia was a dead-ringer for her. Once her sister finally finished getting the curves to go with her features, she was going to be an absolute heart-breaker.

If she wasn't there already.

For now, the two of them browsed around various clothing booths, with Andromeda being forced to turn down more than one hopeful suggestion from her teenaged sister. Apparently the shorter it was, the better. They picked out several items and paid for them with the money Andromeda had managed to stash for just such an occasion. When they passed by a pet booth, Cassi stared avidly at the different animals on display. Then she turned to her sister, eyes wide and imploring.

"You know, it's gonna be my birthday in a couple of months."

Andromeda lifted an eyebrow. "And?"

"And," Cassi droned sarcastically, "I think I know what I want for it." Deciding to play a long, Andromeda took the bait.

"And that would be . . . ?"

"A puppy." The older sister scoffed.

"Cassiopeia, what on Mars would you do with a puppy?" Cassi glared at her, affronted.

"Uh, love it. Duh." Ah, teenage sarcasm. The deadliest of blades. Andromeda matched it with simple, adult logic.

"A pirate ship is no place for a puppy, Cass."

"Who says!" Cassi shot back. "As the mascot of the Plunder, the Captain says it's my job to see to the morale on the ship. And everybody knows that puppies are great for morale." Andromeda rolled her eyes, and Cassi turned more pleading. "But I have the perfect name picked out and everything! We could call him Jolly Roger!"

Andromeda just sighed at that, promising her that she'd look into it. She doubted very seriously that Hart would allow Cassi to have an animal on board the ship, though, no matter how much the man seemed intent on spoiling her rotton as of late. Still, it couldn't hurt to ask. Despite being surrounded by people who doted on her, Cassi seemed to be a little sad and lonely as of late. Maybe a puppy would be just the thing to cheer her up.

An hour or so later they two were heading back the way they'd come, when all of a sudden the hair stood up on the back of her neck. She glanced this way and that, eyes darting around through the press. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, yet the wide-open market suddenly seemed menacing and dangerous, and she couldn't shake the feeling. Her brow knit with determination.

"Come on, Cass," she murmured, and Cassi immediately straigthened at her sister's edgy tone. "We need to get back to the ship. Now."

No sooner had the words left her mouth than twenty armed UE soldiers suddenly burst out of the side ally. And made a beeline straight for them. A tall, slim woman dressed primly in an officer's uniform strolled out behind them more slowly, her arms clasped behind their back.

The bystanders all cleared a wide berth, many scattering like rats at the sight of the military.

Andromeda's hand reached into her coat, her fingers curling around the scalpal she kept hidden there. So that when the first soldier advanced on her, he was caught largely by surprise when she lashed out, cutting deep into one of the primary arteries in his shoulder near a vulnerable spot in his armor. The man hit the ground, screaming, blood spurting up in a wild spray. Andromeda whirled to her sister, who was being grabbed by another man.

Captain Hart had taught her well, should any "unsavory character" happen to try and manhandle her. The slender girl reared back and kicked the soldier so hard in the crotch, he'd probably be rendered sterile afterward. As it was he toppled to the ground with a loud, screaming yelp. The sixteen year old stumbled back out of his grasp, looking somewhat stunned that the tactic had worked so well. And for the moment, she was free.

"Cassi, run!" Andromeda screamed. Her sister jerked and stared at her for about a half a second before turning on her heel and doing as she was told. Pelting hell for leather in the direction of the ship.

Someone suddenly leapt at her, and Andromeda slashed out again with her scalpal. But this time the weapon was knocked from her hands, and then she saw stars when an unforgiving fist cracked her across the face. She immediately went to the ground with a yelp, too dazed to do more than whimper in pain and shock, blood filling her mouth from her lacerated inside of her cheek. She cold feel the same oozing out of one of her nostrils as well.

"Andi, no!"

Andromeda felt her eyes flood with tears, her heart sinking. No, don't come back for me, she whimpered in her mind. You have to run.

Her heart sank further at the sound of Cassi's loud, enraged screaming. Andromeda managed to lift her face off the ground enough to see her sister being brought back by one the soldiers--a rather large, blonde man with cold black eyes--with an arm around her waist, half-carrying, half-dragging her with the other hand clamping over her face to somewhat muffle her shrieking protests.

Andromeda groaned when someone grabbed her arms from behind and none-too-gently wrenched her back to her feet. Her wrists were quickly bound behind her back, and then she was standing face-to-face with Captain Anabelle LeValle. The woman's dull blue eyes were steely and cold.

"Bring them."

[Admiral Hart]

"You'll be sorry when Captain Hart finds out about this!" The young blonde yelled out. "You'll see!"

"Finds out?" Captain LeValle said with a smirk. "I'm going to be leaving a note."

The two girls looked at her, uncomprehending, before Andromeda's eyes widened. "You mean..." The streets ahead of them were all clear, according to the powers the be in the Cove. For the entirety of Cassiopeia and Andromeda Reyes' bounty, they were allowed free reign in the outlaw haven.

"This is a distraction, Doctor Reyes. Hart will be so wrapped up in rescuing the two of you," She continued calmly, "That my brother will slip through your dear Captain's fingers. Think about it. I could have kidnapped you any time you were alone in the Cove. I've been waiting for an opportune moment."

"Please. Please, just leave my sister behind. Take me, do whatever you want, but please." Andromeda pleaded.

"...I think not." Captain LeValle repeated. "Even if he were not my brother, keeping Anton safe is a gold-priority mission. You're both coming with me."

"What did Captain Hart do to you?" Cassiopeia asked as they reached the Heart Breaker.

Annabelle turned slowly to the younger Reyes and said, quietly, "Hart and everything he stands for is a black mark on my family's history. I will erase that mark and protect my brother from him. Regardless of cost."

She turned to the black-eyed man. "Mr. Douglas, take them to the brig. Seperate rooms. And make sure that Dr. Reyes is completely unarmed."

Let's see you find Anton now, you strumpet. Captain LeValle thought to herself, inwardly smirking, but outwardly as calm and dispassionate as ever,

*******

Mr. Cook, the ship's junior sensor officer, rushed into Willy's. "Captain Hart! We got very big trouble."

Hart was just finishing up the purchase of his new toy, as well as Dane and T.K. 's finds. "What's wrong?"

"The Heart Breaker, sir. Captain LeValle just left here and....and she took Cassi and Dr. Reyes, sir." Cook said, pale. "She left you a note." He weakly handed Hart an envelope, which Hart tore open and read quietly, his face first angry, then a look of horror, and then, finally, grim determination.

"Get this stuff back to the ship and round up everyone who's taken shore leave. Dane, go pry Jane from Rocky. We leave in half an hour. We have a lot of planning to do on our way to Mars." Hart said, determination in his voice.

"Jonah, let's just charge out of here and blast them." Dane said. "We can take the Breaker."

"No. No, if we make a move, they'll kill Andi and Cassi. Plus, half the convoy is with them. We can't chance it." Hart replied. "Now hurry, because I don't want them in captivity any longer than we have to let them suffer. Move it, people."

The Pirate Captain, before any more questions could be asked, rushed to the ship, at full tilt, all the time praying, hoping, that there would be something, anything he could do, and hoping his infamous luck would come in handy.

Saving Cassi was going to be the easy part. Probably some heavily guarded government facility, probably on Mars, the richest, best guarded planet in the Solar System beyond Madame A's station.

Where Andi was headed, however, Hart was less sure. Because there was only one prison she would be sent to.

And no one had, ever, escaped from Io.

[Dane]

Dane stepped into the back room, following the path he knew all to well, he stepped around the corner and stopped, shaking his head he sighed. There was Jane, in the arms of Rocky, her shirt thrown to the side, actually on the lamp post near him, she had her back to him while she was kissing Rocky straddling the man.

Dane coughed twice to get there attention, nothing. Figures.

"Jane, Rocky. Hate to do this too you both but we need to go girl. Captain's orders." they barely respond to it, Jane murmured through there kissing.

"It can wait...just five more--"

"Cassi and Andi have been kidnapped." Jane dismounted Rocky in a flash and ran past him heading for the door, he just grinned as he picked up her shirt.

"Uh, Jane, forgetting something?" she stopped in her tracks and turned back to him blinking, he held her shirt in his fingers, dangling it while staring at the ceiling. She dashed back over to him and nabbed up her shirt before throwing it back on.

Jane stuck her tongue out at him before waving goodbye to Rocky, Dane just gave her a shameless grin before they exited the back room, heading to catch up with the rest of the crew.