Chapter 11: Shifting Stars

For somebody that had never been in prison before, Cattia Romana Prepells was exceptionally good at escaping a tight situation. She would have normally busted through her cell the very second she was alone, yet she remained a captive for several logical reasons. One, the bars of her prison were lasers and not iron, and thus she would’ve gotten a nasty zap from touching them; two, the ship was so small that she never really had any time to be alone; and three...

Three ... Unbeknownst to everyone on the ship, “Space Cat” Prepells had no intention of breaking out. In fact, she had even been captured deliberately. Having a nickname like hers enabled her to squeeze out of even the grimmest situations, and compared to some other stunts she had pulled, escaping from Dana Withers’ gun (even at point-blank range) would have been a cinch. But no, everything was all planned out, although she never really expected to run into the older woman again.

Cattia was a master of improvisation, so she had things under control. Now all she needed to do was get the crew’s attention, and then she could...

“She safe?” asked Greg when he saw Dana come back. His partner let out a satisfied smile and eased into her seat.

“Oh yeah. There’s no way she’ll be moving anywhere. I had Jerwon keep watch over her just in case she decided to pull something fancy. The little guy may not look like much, but he’s got some bad knife-throwing skills.”

“Hm...” Greg placed his hands behind his head and leaned in his seat as he waited. Dana had given Zet and Diana instructions on how to install the tiny piece of machinery she had bought, so the crew had to wait a little while for them to install it. She would have done so herself, but figured that it was the owner’s job to repair any damage--that is of course, unless he paid her to work, which he did not.

“Curses! I should have accepted her assistance in the first place!” Zatore E. Thrindale crinkled his nose in disgust, and would have sucked on his poor smashed finger if it hadn’t been covered with grease. The instructions that Dana had given him were as simple as they could be, but Zet was just not a mechanic. Diana lamely read off the list, reclining lazily on the ground. Her tail moved independently from time to time, but other than that, she remained still. It was Zet who did most of the work.

As the poor elf bounty hunter struggled to install the piece of machinery, his pointed ears suddenly picked up the sound of footsteps. There were about three sets of them, unless he was mistaken and one had four legs, or if there was one that had six, or if there were some that floated ... In any case, Zet estimated that there were three individuals approaching the hangar, and since his ship was the only one around, his suspicions grew. There weren’t any mechanics employed there, and the hangar manager would’ve probably stayed in his office, so unless he was wrong, somebody was there to see them.

Diana’s ears picked it up after awhile, and the demi-human stood to her feet to see who was coming. Zet himself emerged from beneath his vessel, drenched in oil and grease but still looking classy and handsome, and silently alerted the passengers inside that they had visitors (Zet had a kind of two-way radio connected to the cockpit of his ship for just such an occasion). They did not have long to wait--after only a few seconds, Zet and Diana could spot those approaching, and since both were rather suspicious, they put on their observing faces.

Two figures stepped into the hangar: one was a human, dressed in a red-and-brown ensemble that looked better suited on one participating in a Medieval Festival; the other, put simply, was a ram. Zet’s suspicion was ignited when he saw the tall, dark-haired human stroll forth, but his face twisted in quirky surprise when he got a glimpse of the goat. To say that this was a surprise was ... well, it was actually quite accurate. Zet didn’t know what to say, or do.

“What business do you have here?” asked Diana, stepping into a defensive position. The look of her claws and her razor-filled snarl was more than enough to stop the oncoming visitors.

“I apologize, milady,” said the human in a thick, civilized voice, “but we are here on business. Our contractors did not mention anything about two demi-humans, so we have no quarrel with you. Perhaps, though, you may help us out?”

“What exactly are you looking for?” asked Zet, who was still suspicious enough to keep his muscles tensed.

“A thief, really--at least that’s what I’ve been told,” answered the man. “Our contractors hired us to track down a woman named ... oh, dear, what was her name?” The ram standing below him snorted out something, which the man apparently understood. “Ah yes,” he said, “some woman named Prepells.”

“Cattia Romana Prepells?” said Zet, and the man’s face beamed.

“Ah, so you do know her! At least, I think they said it was a Cattia Prepells. I remember the last name.”

“I am afraid to say that your search has been in vain,” said Zet. “You see, an acquaintance of mine has already captured her, and she is locked up in a prison on my ship even as we speak. I am terribly sorry to say this, but we have found her first.”

“That is a pity,” muttered the man to himself. He paused, and lowered his head so he was looking at the goat. “Sir Wooly? Will you entertain these two for me? I’m going to go up there and capture Miss Prepells myself.”

“Say what?!“ blurted Diana. The human smiled sadly, but only offered them a shrug.

“I’m terribly sorry, milady, but I have been instructed to capture Ms. Prepells, and I will not stop for anything. Please understand, this is only business.” And with that, he shook his head and walked towards the ship. Both Diana and Zet barred his way, and tried once again to politely persuade him away (at least Zet was polite... ). But the human wouldn’t have it, and summoned the goat to distract the two.

“You’re nuts!” barked Diana. “What good do you think your pet goat will do?”

“I assure you, madam, he can do more than you might imagine,” replied the human. He nodded his head, and the ram bleated out a cry before storming off towards Diana and Zet. Diana merely flew out of the creature’s way, leaving Zet to dodge it on foot.

“This is ridiculous!” he exclaimed. “I will not be stuck here babysitting a ram while our rightful bounty is being stolen from right under my nose! Lady Diana!” The demi-human, who was still airborne thanks to her wings, glanced down at Zet. “I would like for you to snag the goat and hold him! This little creature is by far no threat, but it shall become a distraction if we allow it!”

“He’s getting away, stupid!!!” shouted the half-human, and Zet suddenly realized that, while he was running around shouting orders, the dark-haired human had already entered the ship. Zet cursed and chased after him, but not before being nearly ran over by the goat. The creature was unbelievably fast and strong for its species, and Zet had to dedicate a lot of his energy avoiding the little monster.

Diana merely kept hovering in the air, waiting for her own chance to strike. She might have been a little apathetic concerning her self-proclaimed bodyguard, but she was not one who would turn her back on somebody in need. No matter how many bad hands she had been dealt, or how horribly she had been treated because of her disfigurement, Diana Jade was still a caring and kind individual, though of course she never showed it.

“You finished already?” said Dana, craning her head around as she heard the ship door close. Her eyes bulged out as she saw who was entering the ship, and it certainly wasn’t Zet. “ ... Hey! Aren’t you that Dustin guy?”

“I am,” replied Dustin Harper, bowing a little.

“What’re you doing on this ship?!”

“Calm down, Ms. Withers,” he said stiffly. “I am not here to start any violence, though I will if properly provoked. I’m just looking for the young lady that you have kept hostage. If you do not interfere, then I shall leave you in peace, but if you try to stop me...” Dustin theatrically drew his mighty blade, and held it in front of his body for the whole crew to see.

“Hey, I thought you were on our side!” said Gregory. The masterless wanderer shrugged.

“I only side with those whose wallets are fattest. Like I explained before, I can be your friend one day and your enemy the next, and if you do not let me take Ms. Prepells with me, then I shall be forced to fight you.”

“You dirty little--”

“Ah-ah-ah!” sneered Dustin, pointing his sword at Greg. “Believe me, boy, you don’t want to be on the wrong end of this tool. It may seem archaic, but my mastery of its use is unquestioned. Oh, and I wouldn’t call out to your friends outside, either. My partner, Sir Woolyford, is taking care of them.”

“You rotten little--”

“No tricks!“ spat Dustin, inching closer to Greg. The adventurer sighed in defeat, and placed his hands on his head. No matter how skilled a fighter he became, he could never face someone like Dustin, not when he had that weapon with him. Dana’s stun-baton was elsewhere, so the two of them were helpless to do anything except watch their prey be taken away.

“Thank you,” smiled Dustin, sheathing his sword once again. “I don’t want to hurt you, nor even Miss Prepells. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” He bowed again, and left the two partners in the cockpit while he ran off in search of the Space Cat. The two of them feared for Jerwon: the little guy was quick and agile, and he had an incredible throwing arm, but against someone with a much larger size (and blade), there was little else they could do. Cattia would’ve put up a fight, but perhaps even she would be overtaken.