The obsidian shuttle craft descends from the roof top and kicks up the dust from the vacant street. Tulia cradles the head of her reptilian friend as he coughs for breath and she continues to wave for Rune to hurry down. Tulia's other companion with the enlarged cranium limps out from where he was laid and kneels down at her side. His eyes droop with the high likelihood of a concussion and rests the tip of his head sympathetically on her shoulder. Tulia in turn rests her cheek on his head.
The last gust of wind passes and Ellan sits unmoved with her legs to one side. She stares vacantly down at Kanon who now sleeps. Aaron watches as the bounty hunters scramble to get their friend aboard. They have no stretcher, but must carry him together. Once he sees them heading up the loading ramp Aaron writes them off as leaving and starts walking up behind Ellan.
Unfortunately, once Tulia has her bounty hunters aboard she turns back and marches in Aaron's direction. Rune ducks his head out to ask where she is going, but soon sees and reaches for his rifle to sit by the door with. Aaron hears her footfalls as her approach leaves the cover of the low whine of the engines. He turns and disliking her unfriendly demeanor he draws one pistol and holds it with both hands.
AARON: I thought you were leaving.
Your friend doesn't have much time.
TULIA: That means bills.
The means we need a bounty.
AARON: You're not taking her.
TULIA: Because of her and her friend
I lost a lot of good hires and
a couple of good friends of my own.
AARON: That's not her fault.
TULIA: Like you said, I don't
have much time. I'm not discussing
this and I don't care whose fault
it is. But those two are
at the center of it.
AARON: I won't step aside.
You can still just walk away.
TULIA: Not without what I
came for. I always finish a job.
ELLAN: I'll go with you.
AARON: Ellan?
ELAN: But you take him with you
(indicating Kanon). And he doesn't
get turned in for a bounty.
TULIA: Deal.
Tulia turns and marches back to the shuttle. She waves for someone to come out who will help with the body. Rune rushes out and receives his instructions over the roar of the engines. Ellan gives Aaron an expectant glance at him and then Kanon. Without discussion, they each hoist the body over a shoulder and soon Rune is at hand to take Ellan's load. She steps in line behind them and is the last to board the shuttle. As the loading ramp closes everyone takes their seats along the length of the shuttle craft and Rune rushes up to the cockpit to take the controls.
Aaron and Ellan look across the way at the big headed alien and the one other surviving grunt of the bounty hunters. All parties are overly spent to sit in spite of one another. The alien rubs his head with one hand and the grunt proceeds to unwrap a rations bar. He notices Ellan staring at him and breaks off half for her. She takes it and eats without a word ands stares off at a blank wall. The occupants bob gently in silence while leaving the atmosphere and soon the stars come into view through the cockpit. The shuttle proceeds toward a developed crevice of the moon.
Samael observes the nondescript shuttle lay down a smoke trail as it leaves the atmosphere. His eyes are concealed behind the shadow of the visor and so he appears to stand dispassionately. However, look closer within that same slit of his helmet and briefly the shadows fade or rather are burned away by the intensity of his vision, which reveals the faint glow of blue eyes beneath.
Abbess walks up slowly behind him along the sole path to the chamber. Sensing her presence, the shadows re-converge to cloud any secrets that might be revealed by his own vision. She stops short of the circle he stands in and as is also their custom he does not turn to face her.
ABBESS: The Shadow's Heart is lost.
And it appears to have been out
of the interlopers' possession
for some time. I fear it may
never be recovered.
SAMAEL: Yes. The incident with the
drones was unfortunate. But it weeded
out the fodder of the bounty hunters.
Perhaps, something can still be
salvaged from this failure.
ABBESS: What do you require?
SAMAEL: Hire the bounty hunters.
The ones who survived and
are now leaving Janriel
for its moon.
ABBESS: To what end?
They can hardly be expected
to survive any real challenge.
SAMAEL: If I cannot have
the Shadow's Heart then there
is something else they might
recover for me.
ABBESS: You cannot be serious,
Samael. She is nothing of
value to us.
SAMAEL: She is the key to
recovering what I have in mind.
And I suspect a rival in the
disappearance of the
Shadow's Heart.
ABBESS: Perhaps she will feel
compelled to also hunt down
your enemies for you and
restore the Shadow's Heart to you.
SAMAEL: One can only hope.
ABBESS: If she finds the
Shadow's Heart first it will
never be returned to you.
SAMAEL: You are mistaken.
It shall be returned upon the
day that she comes for me.
ABBESS: You seem certain that
she will be unable to slay you if
she comes.
SAMAEL: I am only certain of
what I have said. And that is
that she will come. Now go,
Abbess. And put what I
have said into motion.
She bows and slowly leaves.
Aboard the bounty hunters' shuttle the big headed alien begins to drift into unconsciousness while sitting up. Aaron leaps to his feet, which prompts a shout from the other bounty hunter and Tulia looks back with an annoyed shout.
TULIA: What!?!
Aaron steadies the concussed alien and
lets the bounty hunter who shouted take
hold of him before rushing up to the cockpit.
TULIA: What are you doing up here?
Aaron removes a plug-in card from a sleeve pocket.
AARON: Divert course here.
I know someone who can help.
She takes it and holds it back up at him.
TULIA: Why?
AARON: You got two back there
who aren't going to make it unless
I do something to help.
What's the matter?
I thought you didn't want
to talk about this.
And with a smile Aaron returns to his seat.
Tulia mulls the device around in her hand
and then reaches over to pass it off to Rune.
TULIA: Here. Follow this.
Rune promptly plugs it in without another word or glance back.
And Tulia is left to stare blankly out the window to think
over the possible consequences of the decision she just made.
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