Latvia the Pirate Captain

5 chapters, complete Author: Spike

Summary

The Sink or Swim ship is caught and boarded by a crew of hyena space pirates. Their leader, a Lynx named Latvia wants Cere to speak on her behalf to the Wolf Government since they won't negotiate with pirates. The two crews start socializing when a squad of Fox break in and seize the area, with only Ash and a hyena named Roy getting away, with the intention of taking both crew of Exotica Genoworks refugees back. Ceigan attempts to negotiate for them to return willingly with no success. Ceigan's newest creation, a hyena cub named Cotter meets with the jailed Latvia and decides to defect. He lets out Latvia who then overpowers Ceigan and lets the roos out to conquer the rest of the guards. Meanwhile Ash and Roy gas the ship, knocking out the remaining fox except 5 marines in hermetically sealed suits. Roy saves Ash from an attack by the marines, then blows an EMP grenade to knock out their armor and paralyze them. Ceigan claims responsibility for Cere waking up during her operation at the hands of the military. Latvia meanwhile confiscates Ceigan's bigger better ship as her own and sets him and the fox adrift on her old one.

Chapter 1

"Rebound! Put that down!" Rico appeared just a bit worried about Rebound's playful nature as she caught him tinkering with her Taggart machine gun.
"I was just checking..."
Rico was visibly irritated by Rebound's sudden innocence. "Look, you can play with something else. Try to play with those cards instead.: She pointed at a deck of cards strewn out on a table.
"I've been playing with 'em for too long, it's not fun anymore."
Ash was resting on a bunk connected to the wall trying to read a book. Her ears swiveled back in minor annoyance at her two bickering 'siblings'. Suddenly she put her book down on the bunk. "Hey, can you keep it quiet? I'm trying to read my new book!"
"You took that book, remember? We were chased two blocks when you *accidentally* had it in you hands." Rebound twitched as he replied. Ash was silent with a big smile on her face as Rebound exclaimed: "I need to do something right now!"
"We should have bought him that Earth entertainment stuff." Cere suddenly suggested as she passed by the warrens. "What was it called? Nin-ten-do?"
"Nah, not buy it, why waste good creds when Ash could just steal it." Rebound snickered.
"Hey!"

The ship was floating in space with the purpose of delivering cargo to a Wolf relay station far away from Cyantia. Little did the crew inside the ship know that they were travelling through a hostile area. Outback was sitting at the helm, keeping them outside the nebula, unknowing that ships had been known to be caught by pirates just by hanging next to the nebula for too long. e Suddenly a large vessel appeared from the nebula and activated a tractor beam to haul in the victims. The cargo ship thumped and the engines died without warning. In the warrens, Ash was thrown from her bunk by the jar of the tractor beam. "What's happening?!" She spluttered as Rebound dashed through the door right after Cere.

"Great, like we needed more trouble." Cere glanced over the ship's controls as she took her place in the captain's chair. The monitors were out and lamps were blinking everywhere. Outback glanced outside through the view port inside the bridge. He notices the large vessel.
"Pirates." Outback muttered.
"P-p-pirates?" Rebound started to shiver.
"Yeah, keep cool. I have a plan."

The small cargo ship was forced to dock at an airlock. After a few moments the cargo door opened revealing a cloud of smoke that sprayed from a grenade. From the smoke emerged a group of Hyenas with body armor and armed to the teeth. Strange was that they had little or no tail at all.
"Go, go, go!"
They were cautious in their movements, and systematicallly scouted the cargo hold. As they moved further into the ship and into the upper level, near the warrens, suddenly the kangaroos hopped out from a near floor compartment just behind the squad, pointing at the hyenas with their guns.
"Hold it!"
Another group of hyenas appeared from the cargo hold entrance.
"Give up! Drop your weapons and put your hands where I can see them!" A hyena commanded.
"We're outnumbered!"
"Do it NOW!" Another hyena exclaims. "On the double!"

As all the kangaroos submitted the hyenas started to frisk them, then escorted them downstairs, through the cargo hold and into the cruiser through the smoke that was just now starting to dissipate. The hyena pack's rather silent behavior ceased and the group inside the kangaroos' ship started to cry out a strange noise. Shortly a burst of cries comes from all the surrounding hyenas to signal their victory.
"Ah, what is happening?" Rebound is surprised by the sudden calls.
"Follow us strangers," A deep voice from a hyena sounds. "Do not cause trouble."

One of the hyenas deviated from the escort and moved to the bridge of the larger vessel. Inside the bridge there were some hyenas at the controls and some that were repairing consoles. The room was dark, but illuminated by break lights, and lights of some panels and screens. Apparently, the lights and some of the equipment were out. A dark figure rests on a large chair in the middle of the bridge, its face obscurred by the darkness. This dark figure is the only creature among the rest of the crew endowed with a tail. This tail is long but also feline in form and was bushy at the tip. The hyena moves toward this figure and stops with his back straight.
"We've obtained the subjects."
"Excellent. Report battle outcome."
The hyena takes off his helmet and breathes for awhile. He was wearing a bandana.
The dark figure's tail was wagging.
"No casualties and no damage sustained at all as no weapon has been fired off. The cargo contains mostly medical and rations supplies."
"Get the skeleton crew back into the vats, put security back to minimum. Then bring me their leader. Put her in my quarters."
"Aye. Consider it done."

The hyenas took their catch to an empty cellblock. The female kangaroos separated from the males in their respective cells.
"Any idea what is going to happen?" Ash asks to the kangaroos in the adjacent cell.
"Well." Outback answered. "Either we'll walk a plank or they'll let us loose when our cargo is empty."
"We have to wait for something to happen," Cere suggested.
"I hate this waiting," Rebound muttered and made himself comfortable on the bench.

After awhile of silence, thae bandana-wearing hyena entered the hall.
"Who is the leader?"
"I am," Cere answered promptly. "Who are you?"
"I'm Roy. What's your name?"
"Cere. What are you planning to do?"
"First, our captain is going to talk to you. She seems anxious to meet you. Then we'll see what'll happen next."
"Cere.." The rest of the crew is dazzled.
"Stay here and do as you're told."
Cere is brought by a group to the captain's quarters and is left alone. The door behind her shut promptly.

Cere began to look around the quarters, very art deco and classical interiors. The captain apparently liked reading books, as large bookcases took up two walls. A large wooden desk was in the middle of the room with a lamp illuminating an open logbook. Behind the desk is a holographic projection of a star map over the nebulae.

Suddenly the captain, a female Lynx dressed in a large red coat and a matching hat, emerged from an open door. At a glance she looked awfully young to be a captain. Her expression is pleased for the situation.

"Well, well, well. We've got quite a catch today."
"Release us, I believe you just want our cargo."
"Your cargo isn't worth anything to us. However, you are... did you know you and your crew have a bounty on your heads?"
(The kangaroos escaped from the biomechanics lab awhile ago and they were still on the run from the Vixinte Empire.)
"Yes, are you going to take us back?"
"On the contrary, I just ordered Lieutenant Roy to release your crew and send them to our recreational facility."
Cere is annoyed. "Then why all this show?"
"We wanted to make ourselves sure you were the ones," the female captain replies. "Remember, we are pirates. No one is really that fond of us."
"This needs an explanation."

The captain motioned Cere to the chair before her desk and moved swiftly to the other side of the table, laying one hand on the logbook.
"We both share a common enemy."
"The Fox Empire," Cere noticed the language the pirates were using. "I guess it's the language you all were using."
"Yes. We too were created through their genetic experiments. We were to become lethal space marines. But as you, we escaped. We then connected to the Pirates guild and some of our members were augmented with nanomachines. Simple ones as radio transmitter and receiver, but still expensive compared to bionics."
"What about you? You seem a little too young to be a captain."
"I was only a cub when we escaped and was created for the purpose of leading the hyenas for the Vixinte. My crew was modeled after a species with a strict matriarch society. The lab personnel were going to indoctrinate me."
What do you want from us Miss..."
"Latvia is my name. Establishing allies is my game. We have problems trying to contact the Wolf government. They won't negotiate with pirates. It is a shame because we had no choice when we became pirates. We would be grateful if you could pass a message to them."
"I can't promise anything. But we'll give it a try."
"Great, Cere!" Latvia exclaimed and shows off a toothy grin. "You and the rest may stay as long as you like."
"Don't count on it. We won't be here for long."

In the rec room the kangaroos had already started to befriend the pirate crew. Ash was talking to Roy.
"When will Cere come back?"
"When the commander has talked to 'Cere'." Roy answered and grasped Ash's hand that was going straight for his pocket. "You know I can feel you hand."
"Sorry," Ash apologized. "It's my reflexes."
Roy stands back to make a magical gesture and brings out a wallet, and laughs.
"Hey, where did you get *MY* wallet?" Ash was impressed.
"You're not an expert at this pickpocket thing," Roy snickered, "Wanna learn some tricks?"
"Sure!"

The bartender at the bar was serving beverages to the roughneck hyenas while they watched a snooker match. Outback has a game going with one of the hyenas. It was Outback's turn and Rebound watched with awe as the white ball received a strike. Ricochette was resting in a chair facing a large aquarium embedded inside the central column of the recreational room, watching the strange and beautiful fishlike creatures inside. Cere entered the room.
"Okay guys," she announced. "We've got to go."
"Puhleeze let us stay Cere," Rebound begged. "Just until Outback is done with snooker."
"Yeah Cere, sit down and relax by the bar." Outback said. "You've been very tense lately and you deserve the free time."
Cere does't make any sound. She seemed agitated at the moment. But sighed and sits down on a stool by the bar.
"You're right guys. I need a break. Where's Ash?"
"Uh," Ricochete thought hard for a moment, still examining the aquarium. "She went with Roy to his quarters."
"Great," Cere sighed. "Hope she doesn't get in any serious activities."

Back at the rec room Outback won the game and Rebound cheered. Then Rico in her dreams started to watch through the aquarium. She could see the room in reflection and notices that the door opens and a strange figure appears. It was a figure with resemblance of a fox. She screehed out loud.
"Go, go, go!" From this door a squad of foxes with power armor rushed in and seized the area.
"Hands where we can see them and get down!"
"No! I can't believe it!"
"Where did they come from?"
Ricochete panicked and tried to run away from the surrounding foxes.
"Hold it!"

Gunshots were heard from the corridor outside Roy's quarters. Roy's expression changed to one of deep disturbance.
"What was that?" Ash was surprised by the sudden sound.
"I can sense my brothers in trouble." Roy answered as his ears twitched.
There was a banging on the door. In the next second a scream from the outside demanded the door to be opened. A second after that a blue flame from a welding-torch is seen on the door. The foxes were attempting to cut it out.
"What are we going to do?"
"Deep quiet and follow me. I have prepared for such things."
"What are you talking about? There isn't any escape from this room."
Outside the door the fox squad finished cutting the door and kicked it open. The squad stormed the room to find no one else inside the small space. The crew was quizzed by the empty space. The rookie squad leader scratches his head for a second, and receives an order through his intercom. He waves his men out of the room to continue the search.

In an airshaft roy and Ash are sitting and waiting for the random gunfire to stop. Ash shivered in frustration and curls up to Roy.
"I don't want to go back! I don't want to go back..."
"You won't go back, I promise." Roy tried to comfort Ash.
A big bang echoed and shook the place.
"What was that? Ash asked in despair.
"Something big docked onto our ship."
After awhile Ash fell asleep, due to sheer exhaustion. The gunfire stopped. And it all seemed so quiet.

Chapter 2

A few of the wounded hyenas and the kangaroos found themselves locked inside a Vixinte vessel cellblock. The smells from everyone, including the wounded, were overwhelming, and it wasn't any easier to breathe as the area was overcrowded with fifteen or so individuals. It was a tense atmosphere. However, some were missing in the bunch. The rest of the hyena crew was in the cryo vats sleeping. Many of them were not aware that the Vixinte Empire had claimed their ship. The pirate captain couldn't be seen either since she was put in an isolated cell so that she couldn't make any escape attempts with her crew. The kangaroos were all there but one, Ash. She was still sleeping in a secret hold with Roy, one of the hyena pirates.

Rebound was walking around in his cell, worrying. Rico was even more nervous, sitting on a bench with the two other relaxed roos. A shadowed figure is showing itself from the door talking to the guard, Rebound noticed.
"Cere, look, it's..."
Cere saw the figure in an instant and cursed.
"Ceigan!"
There he was, one of the foxes who had been watching them all their life in the laboratory they so much hated. He stood there with proportionally big armor strapped on and a funny hard helmet over his head. Cere watches as Ceigan approached right in front of her. He strolled down the corridor silently, and the chatter in the cells ceased as an aura of fear was spread among the captives. He stopped in front of the cells that accommodated the kangaroos.
"I never thought that we would be capturing you too on this ship."
"Okay Ceigan," Cere replied. "How did all of you get in the cruiser without anyone noticing?"
"Interested in knowing? Well, the pirate ship hit an EMP primed probe in the nebulae that took out its radar systems for awhile. This probe also sent out a beacon to us so we could enter with the Spearcats."
"A Spear-what?"
"The Spearcat is a special ship that can hold twenty marines, and when it docks on a ship's hull it can cut the hull open and give us access that way."
"And you went in without anyone noticing."
"Most of the ship's crew were in the cryo chambers already, sleeping, and still are. So the marines had an easy match clearing the cruiser."

There was silence. No one was pleased by the fact that they were captured. Cere cursed wildly and grabbed Ceigan with her metallic arm. Ceigan didn't hesitate to bring out a control device and turn Cere's circuits off with a few keystrokes. The interference on her systems immediatelly made her slump down and pass out helplessly on the floor.
"Good night, Cere."
"What did you do to Cere?" Outback inquired in shock, pointing at Cere's unconscious form.
"I just turned her off for a temporary time. Don't worry, she's not dead. By the way, where is the fifth kangaroo?"
Outback realized that Ash was missing and answered quickly. "We have nothing to say about her, she's gone."
"Gone? As in still hiding on Cyantzium? You know, the guards are on full alert. If they find something moving and don't see a fox, they will start shooting."
The kangaroos were silent; knowing that revealing their sister's presence will make the foxes look for her.

"What are you going to do with us?" Ricochete asked.
"Isn't it obvious? We're taking you back."
"No!" Ricochete cried and the hyena crew started to moan continuously in a quiet tone.
"Be happy that I was with the crew. Some paperwork and I'll stop the rejection plans."
"What's in it for you?" Outback suspiciously inquired.
"I'll have the freedom to train you for other uses than military."
"There is no way we will follow you!" Rico screamed.
"Look, you know you are OUR property. It was just a matter of time until a bounty hunter found and captured you. You would be brought back directly to the adjustments lab, not to mention you probablly would be killed in the process. I on the other hand, have no interest of reengineering you."
"Thanks for the pity," Rico exclaimed. "You jerk!"
Ceigan walked toward the exit. "I willl return when you are calmer. Don't make me change my mind."
Rico started to cry out curses.
"Rico," Outback shook her. "Calm down!"
"I will kill him, I will..." Rico's eyes filled with tears and she fell down to her knees, scratching Outback's legs and feet. She landed in front of Cere, embracing her.
As Ceigan walked through the exit he sighed at Rico's horrified whimpering. "Why did I become a genetic engineer?"

Latvia is sitting on the floor of a soundproofed room. She seems awfully calm in her situation as she meditated. Suddenly she spoke aloud. "Roy, can you hear me?"
In the air duct far away Roy woke up as his ear twitched.
"Yes," he answered. "Loud and clear captain."
"What's the status?"
"The awake crew are confined and the rest are sleeping in the chamber."
Latvia is disturbed by that fact.
"Where are you?"
"In hiding with one of the guests, she is sleeping."
"Ah." Latvia sighed as Roy's hiding relieved her. "Do you have any idea how to get out of this trouble?"
"Sorry," he apologized. "I am still thinking."
"This is serious stuff, Roy!" Latvia exclaimed.
"Captain, don't let go of your faith from your pack. We've been in other pressing situations."
"Do something and keep radio silence. If they found out we are nanoaugumented with radio devices, we're done for it."
"What radio?" Roy cracked up. "Trust me!"

"Ash..." Roy whispered as he shook her. "Wake up."
Ash opened her eyes and blinked once, feeling refreshed. She noticed herself in fetal position with Roy's arms comforting her. She can also feel the cool breeze from the surrounding air ducts.
"What is going on?' she whispered back.
"It has calmed down a bit. I want to explore what happened."
"Ok," Ash yawned. "How long was I asleep?"
"Thirty minutes, I guess."
Ash slowly moved back. Toy raised himself in the airshaft they were sitting in over a period of time. He opened a door they both had gone through during the ambush.
"Where do you think you are going?"
"To the storage keep. Might need some equipment, what is left of it."

Ceigan entered the isolated cell in which Latvia was sitting on a bench. They both inspected each other in minutes.
"What do you want?" She roared in irritation.
"I'll be frank with you, Latvia." Ceigan started with. "My part of this mission is to check up on all prisoners and put you on a list. I am usually a genetics doctor working for Vixinte through Genoworks."
"Cut to the chase doctor."
"Uh... What I was going to say is now that you are formally a captain; you are regarded more as a prisoner than subject of research. This means you will surely be put on trial before a fox court and for sure be death sentenced for treason."
"I regret no actions I've done."
"Please, you are so young and I'm concerned."
"Doctor, what did you have in mind." Latvia paused and continued, "And be quick about it."
"Well, I will be able to shift some paperwork and make you a servant instead."
Latvia laughed for a bit as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing and Ceigan was surprised. "Okay, let me get this straight. Basically you want me to become your servant."
"Yes."
Latvia turned her expression suddenly from a smile to a sad one. "Forget it."
Ceigan was worried and walked around looking for a way of persuasion.
"Have you ever been to Cyantzium?"
"No."
"Wouldn't you like to join your sisters and brothers?"
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"There are Lynxes on Cyantzium. In the arctic regions. If you didn't know that."
Latvia was silent, she did know very well of her species.
"Come on, let me make you a servant and I'll promise you'll meet you kind."
"You liar!" she exclaimed. 'You won't keep your word!"
"Stop your hysteria now little girl."
"Do NOT try to insult me. Bet out!" Latvia went and knocked on the door and shouted, 'Guard, the doctor is done!"

Ceigan walked out without any noise. He was convinced that Latvia would never accept his offer and walked head down through the corridor. At the crossing he met up with a very young hyena. This hyena was different from Latvia's crew since he had a tail, and was a cub.
"Cotter, what are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to stay at my quarters?"
"I was looking for you Master Ceigan. I was lonely."
"Look, it is dangerous around here."
"Sorry master."
Ceigan kneels in front of the cub and starts to strap off his body armor.
"Doesn't matter now. All the pirates have been suspended. You can go and loot the cargo for items to play with if you're lonely. Tell the guards I've sent you. I need to go and do some paperwork now, be careful boy."
"Yes, master."

A guard walked into a storage room with a number of shelves that are placed parallel between each other. He was moving through the room slowly and took his time in finally exiting. Ash and Roy were hiding in the air duct above the room and both breathed a sigh of relief as the guard closed the door behind him. Roy kicked one of the panels open and jumped out, followed by Ash. Roy caught Ash as she fell, then set her on her feet. The couple looked around.
"So what are we doing here?"
"Help me find something to use against the marines on one of these shelves."
Ash began to examine the shelves. She noticed a box of jewelry.
"What's this?"
"Well, we're pirates. And that is what we refer to as loot."
"How noble of you." Ash commented dryly.
Roy chuckled and Ash proceeded to a locker. She tried to open it, but found it locked. Unable to open it, she examined and determined the type of lock. Even after she uses the appropriate lock pick, she still cannot open the door. Roy was looking at her tireless attempts and at last walked over to bang on the locker. It opened.
"The locker was jammed." He added.
"So I noticed," she replied with a slight blush.
Roy went back to where he was and opened a weapons locker and took out a phaser gun and a bandoleer. He strapped on the bandoleer and checked the gun before holstering it.
Ash found herself a metallic cylinder with a deep groove in the middle. She looked awhile on it.
"Ah, be careful. That's an EMP grenade. Don't twist it or you'll prime it."
Ash realized what she was holding and put it on a table carefully so she would not twist it.
"Yeah, one of the engineers was hit by it without any armor. He was badly burned and it took weeks in the vat to get him back to normal."
"Dangerous stuff."
"We had more lethal weapons in storage, but the foxes must have confiscated them to their hold."
Someone suddenly opened the storage room doors. Roy acted in an instant by drawing his phaser and pointing it at the door. Ash reacted on his movement by stepping back and hiccupping. The hyena cub entered alone, he didn't see the couple until he turned against them and noticed that he had a gun pointed at him.
"What the... who are you?" Roy was stunned at the sight of the cub, and eased up on the trigger.
"He looks like you Roy." Ash remarked.
The doors closed behind the cub.

Chapter 3

After the foxes had captured the pirate crew and a small group of kangaroos, they failed to find a couple that were hiding from an ambush. Roy the hyena pirate and Ash the kangaroo. After everything settled down they left their hiding spot and moved toward the pirate hold, where a very young hyena visisted them.

Everyone and everything froze for a few seconds. Roy was pointing his phaser gun against a younger and unrecognizable hyena. The little cub was frightened by the gun and trembled. Roy released his finger on the trigger and motioned the cub away from the doors and up against a wall.
"Who are you guys?" The cub asked.
"We'll tell if you explain who you are." Roy answered, still pointing his gun at the cub.
Ash laid her hand on the startled cub's shoulder and waved away the gun. "It's ok, he won't harm you."
The cub started to talk about himself as Roy hostered his gun. "I'm a servant for a scientist."
Roy was surprised. "Why would a scientist be on this ship?"
"He was ordered to list up all the pirates, are you one of them?"
"Kid, do you have a name?"
"Cotter."
"Well, Cotter. I am what the foxes would call a pirate. We are also refugees from a Vixinte science lab."
There was a pause.
"Cotter," Ash continued. "Who is your master, this scientist?"
"His name is Ceigan."
Ash jumped abrupty and fell against the shelves.
"Something wrong Ash?" Roy asked.
"I can't believe it, *HIM*?"
"You know that guy?" Roy inquired.
"Barely, but he was a very strict and firm guy. He must be here because the facility in Cyantzium was destroyed."
"You know my master?" Cotter asked.
"Look kid," Roy interrupted again. "You will go and meet my *master*. The captain. She is held prisoner, do you know where?"
"Ceigan was just there with her. Yes, I think I know where she is."
"Don't mention anything about us or we are screwed. Just walk to her and she will explain everything."
The cub nodded.
"Now, go."
And Cotter went slowly through the doors without any noise.
""Hope he doesn't mess up." Roy thought loudly.
"How come?"
"He is a kid. We'd better find something fast."
The couple started to search through every shelf and locker.

Latvia was crying in her cell. She was thinking of her dreams. The dreams she had about Cyantzium. She had never been there, but she still felt it was close. She could almost feel the cold snow fallling on her face and imagined skating over an icecap. But most of all, she was thinking about meeting with her own kind. She realized the possibility that she would never see them.

It would be useless for her to escape. Her crew was confined and three against the numerous foxes would probably not make any difference. She thought hard to come up with a plan, but was too stressed out to think of anything useful. Her thoughts finally circled around suicide. 'A quick way to escape' she thought, considering her reason to continue with her life was diminished. In her hand she held a couple of capsules of unknown content. She had them well hidden against the guards that captured and searched her. Was she going to take them? 'Yes,' she made up her mind and waited for the right moment. If everything failed she would take them no matter what.

Cotter was walking to where he last met Ceigan for a starting point to search for the pirate captain. His path took him to the main cellblock. A single guard was posted at the door. He went over and asked the guard to enter and mentioned that Ceigan told him to do it. The young hyena entered the isolated cell and stared at the female figure as questions filled his mind. Who was this captain? And why did she have a crew that looked like him? Latvia herself was astonished and surprised to see a hyena she didn't recognize. She thought her men in the crew were the only examples. It looked as though she was wrong. The captain's firm expression was replaced with a happier one.

Cere woke up with a big headache. Ricochete was sitting right by her on the bench. Rebound and Outback were chatting by a wall.
"Hey, guys." She shouted in relief. "Cere's awake! Are you okay?"
She was still tired, but breathed out two words. "What happened?"
Rebound started to inform her what happened. "Well, after we were sent to jail by the pirates, we were sent again to the jail by foxes. And then you threatened Ceigan and you were turned off."
"Basically," Rico added. "That's all that happened."
Cere sat up on the bench. "Where is Ash?"
"We don't know." Outback ansered. "Worst case scenario would be is she was shot to death in the fire fight."
"She was with one of the hyenas you know." Rico stated.
"No," Outback said. "Ceigan asked us where Ash was. Therefore she hasn't been found. But that was awhile ago."
"Please don't say she is dead." Rico cried.
Everyone was quiet. A hyena from the next cell waved at them as he was listening.
"Don't worry stranger. Your Ash is safe with Roy." he said to the kangaroos.
"How can you tell?" Outback asked the hyena.
"With our ears!" the hyena answered and pointed at his ears.
The kangaroos looked at the hyena like he was going nuts.
"You have radio inside your ears." Crew realized quietly.
"Be careful not to say that," the hyena pointed out. "The marines don't know yet."
"Why don't you all start talking to each other and make up a plan for us." Rebound asked.
"It's because they have radio silence. They shouldn't be talking or else the foxes might find their transmissions and listen. And everyone knows Roy and Ash are still to be found so they wait." Cere explained, as she understood it.
"Exactly. And don't worry," the hyena reassured them. "The pack hasn't failed yet."

Ceigan entered the prison and walked back to their cage. Cere was still mad at the sight of him and wanted to catch him through the force field.
"Don't even think of it kangaroo. I'm not going to make the same mistake twice." Ceigan automatically responded.
"Calm down," Rico told Cere and turned her head to Ceigan. "You have to excuse Cere's behavior, she is a little bit edgy right now."
"Look at this," Ceigan continued, bringing out a piece of paper and gave it to Rico. "This is an acquisitions slip. Read it for yourselves and at least look at the possibilities. Become my servants and you live. Not and you die, simple as that. It only needs my signature."
"Interesting proposition," Rebound added.
The kangaroos started to read it.

"Who are you?" Latvia asked after they both stared at each other in amazement for a quite long time. "I don't recognize you."
"I'm..." he stutttered. "C-C-Cotter, who are you?"
"Who sent you?" She became suspicious of the entity in front of her as he still had his tail, she couldn't recognize his pattern, and he was very young. "Did Ceigan send you?"
The little hyena gathered his courage and answered with a firmer voice but was still scared.
"Roy told me to meet you. And I come here on my own."
"I'm Latvia," she said, sat on the bench, and motioned Cotter to sit by her. The both sat at the bench and started talking. Their conversation included Cotter's and the pirate's history.

"I thought I was the only one," he said and looked down on the floor. He couldn't believe it.
"You should keep quiet about meeting me. Ceigan will surely put you through hell if he found out. You should leave now."
The young hyena went towards the door but stopped in front of it and thought hard for a moment.
"Latvia..."
"Yes?"
Cotter turned to her. "Don't give a damn about my master. I want to join with my brothers and you."
"Are you sure?" she asked, as she was delighted. Cotter went back to sit.
"All the time, I'm alone. Always the foxes are scaring me, and even more now when you talked about them. Ceigan is nice to me, but he doesn't consider me as anyone."
Cotter sighed and continued. 'I never had any mom or dad."
Latvia embraced the cub.
"Cotter, I can be your mother. If you would be my son."
Cotter didn't need to say a word, he was happy. Latvia stroked his hair and left chin carefully with her right hand. Cotter felt a warm and sizzling notion that he was truly accepted. Latvia was more than happy to receive him.
"I have a plan." she said and crushed the capsules in her left hand. She wouldn't accept that dead end.

The guard enterd the cell. "Visiting hours are over, Servant. Please go back to your quarters," he ordered Cotter. Cotter went through the door. And the guard turned towards Latvia. "I have orders to take you to interrogation." Cotter heard what the guard told but hurried back inside screaming.
"What? Stay where you are kid," the guard yelled and turned his back away from Latvia pointing his weapon at the trespasser. Shortly Cotter jumped out of the room and Latvia jumped onto the guard and strangle him. Her eyes were burning with fury and hate as the fox tried to breathe with no success and in panic dropped his weapon. Latvia now laid her legs around him and had a firm grip around his stomach to prevent his breathing even more. The guard was in tears for minutes until he fell to the ground in exhaustion. In the end he fainted.

Latvia opened her grip and checked his breathing. He was still alive and out cold. She was in an urge to finish him off, but took her time to calm down and reconsider. Cotter was through the door long time ago was in shock. Latvia notices his big eyes watching the silent body and walked over to comfort. She felt he was scared as he trembled inside her hug. He started to cry silently. Latvia hushed him down.
"What's the matter," she asked Cotter. "Are you ok?"
Cotter slowly nodded.
"Latvia," he whispered. "Don't leave me."
"Don't worry. I won't."
"I mean never. Promise me that you will never leave me."
I promise if you don't leave me."
Latvia took the weapon the guard dropped and wore it as it had a strap. She moved the guard away from the door and took his keys. Both walked out of the cell holding heach others hands. Cotter closed the door and it locked by itself.

"Roy, I'm breaking radio silence. Where are you?"
"Latvia, you will not believe what we've found."

Chapter 4

Latvia had escaped from her cell with the help of her new crewmember and newly adopted son Cotter. Now remained the fact that foxes had captured her skeleton crew except for Roy who managed to hide away from the attack with Ash. Another group of hyenas were sleeping in the vats and the foxes prioritized guarding them there over moving them to the Fox ship.

"Latvia, do you know where you are?" Roy spoke on the radio.
"I'm aboard the Fox ship, near the prison quarters."
"I know where your crew is Latvia," Cotter interrupted Latvia.
"Where?"
"They are held inside the cells in those quarters," Cotter answered, pointing at a door near where they walked out.
"I'll get back to you Roy," she said on the radio.

Latvia looked at a floor plate, noticing that it was an access port. She tried to open it, but it was too heavy for her to lift alone. With Cotter's help, they managed to get it open. The compartment inside was small but just big enough for a Lynx and a small Hyena. Cotter jumped inside first, followed by Latvia who pulled the plate back into place.

They both moved with their heads down and were forced to crawl through the pipes and wires. Walking up a ladder they then found themselves in an airshaft that ran above the cells. Continuing through the shaft they saw the hyenas held as captives through the gratings. The hyenas noted Latvia's presence, but they were silent about it. She stopped at the panel near where the kangaroos and Ceigan were standing.

The kangaroos read through the slip and were talking to each other about it.
"Cere, we should consider. We will not be sent back to become androids." Outback pointed out.
"And we only need to work for him." Rico reflected.
"Don't you get it guys? We'll become drones. It's no good if we are dead or alive. We will still become their pets. That is humiliating anyway. I would prefer death."
"Easy for you to say." Rebound said. "You were dead Cere. We weren't."
"I know what it was like and I am not afraid of it anymore. You shouldn't be afraid either. We are all soldiers. And not even soldiers like death."
"And Ash?" Rico asked.
"Ash is not here, she is safe. And right now this paper is worthless for him and for us." Cere grabbed the paper and held it for everyone.
"Anyone with me?" Everyone held onto the paper.
"Now," Cere ordered and every kangaroo tugged to tear the paper to pieces. Each one took their piece and threw it at Ceigan.
"What?" Ceigan wondered loudly. "Squid! Why did you?"
"You can take your worthless piece of paper and go back," Cere interrupted him. "We would rather be dead than work for any of you guys."
"Okay, I had enough with you. I will turn you off indefinitely. Sad to say, but those were my orders from the beginning." Ceigan picked up his remote control again but Cere was not afraid of it. He pushed some buttons to no avail and started cursing, as it was impossible for him to figure what was wrong with it. The kangaroos watched each other, as they didn't understand what was happening.
"It seems to be jammed..." Ceigan was thinking.

"That's because I jammed it," something spoke out. Everyone looked around to see who said that. Ceigan also wondered who spoke. Suddenly Latvia appeared quicker than lightning from a roof panel and kicked Ceigan off his feet. Latvia fell down on all fours. She grabbed Ceigan.
"Guards," the captured fox yelled. 'Help me."
The two foxes reacted and ran to help. Cotter appeared from the shadows behind the guards and pressed all the buttons on a console one of the foxes left behind. The cell doors opened with all the hyenas inside. They charged and over-manned the guards. And the foxes screamed as they were pounded helplessly to the ground.

Ceigan begged for his life to Latvia as she grabbed his neck so it was ready to snap. And the kangaroos approached them.
"Looks like you're in big trouble," Cere said looking deeplly into Ceigan's eyes.
"What are you going to do with me?" the fox exclaimed with a high-pitched voice.
"I don't know. I haven't made up my mind if I should kill you or just spare you as is. What would you prefer?"
"Please," the doctor cried. "Please spare me."

"Just let him have it Cere," Latvia added with a toothy grin.
"With pleasure," Cere said as she raised her arm to start punching the fox. Ceigan cried and screamed for Cere to stop.
Instead of pounding, Cere grabbed Ceigan, pressing him up against a pillar and shaking him violently. He couldn't touch the ground with his feet. "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now."
"I... I am sorry!" the fox apologized in frustration. "For everything!"
"Much better," Cere answered. But her bionic eye turned red and her expression only was grimmer. "But that doesn't change a thing now, does it? Not for me. You see what your friends did to me?"
Ceigan was paralyzed at watching her red eye. He was sweating horribly as Cere screamed: "Look at me!"
Cere felt the fox's heart pounding so fast that counting them would be useless as his big eyes examined her.
"Please, I will do anything for you! Just don't hurt me!" The fox was so scared that he passed out and Cere calmed herself down. The red eye changed back to its original color as she dropped Ceigan on the floor.
"Put him in a cell. We will question him later."
Ceigan and the guards were put in a cell by the hyenas.

"Why didn't his controls work?" Outback asked looking for an explanation.
"I interfered with them with my radio," Latvia answered. She walked over to Cotter and stroked his head a couple of times as a reward for releasing the hyenas just as the guards were passing. The lynx captain then headed to the lockers and found the confiscated items all the hyenas had when they were captured.
"Sloppy of them," she thought loudly. All the hyenas fitted themselves with the armor and weapons available. Latvia gave her stolen SMG to the point man hyena.
"What about Roy and Ash?"
"Don't worry about them. Roy can handle himself. He is up to something."

Ash and Roy found themselves at the pirate ship air circulation central. The ship wasn't generating air by itself, but had to dock with space stations to resupply, which was a nuisance for the pirates. Inside the central were alot of ducts available, but there was only one inside that was particularily interesting.
"There!" Roy dropped his load on the floor, which was a gas can. "What does it say?"
"Air Distribution," Ash answered while she dusted off a metal plate with that inscription.
"Put on your rebreather," Roy commanded Ash and both put on their masks.
"Will this work?" Ash asked while breathing heavily through the mask.
"Well, this can is enough to put the foxes out of action. Some alien nuts tried it on us, but we had our rereathers already. We then stole this from them."
"How noble of you," Ash sighed.
Roy opened the valve; strange purple smoke sprayed from it and into the opening.
"Everyone, get you masks on. It's time for some action!" Roy radioed.

Latvia and her crew had the masks on and saw the smoke spewing from the gratings and panels around. They then moved out of the prison and out to secure the ship, finding foxes passed out on the floors. Roy was followed by Ash outside the air central. As they moved through the claustrophobically horrifying corridors, the fog didn't give much of clear vision. But they found the elevator and headed up for the cryogenic chambers in it.
'So far so good,' Roy thought. 'No foxes in sight.'
"Roy," Ash uttered. "I'm scared."
"The smoke will dissipate soon."

Both continued through the corridors. Roy didn't think of the smoke to be in the way as he cut through it with his body and holding Ash's hand as she was following. The smoke dissipated at last. Both were standing in a crossing.
"Is it safe to take off our masks?" Ash asked with heavy breathing and they both stopped.
"Yes," Roy answered. "It is safe now."
Both took their masks off and Ash was relieved to have it off, Roy acted on an instant when he took off his mask. He sprung off as he saw that five foxes with body armor and hermetically sealed helmets followed them.
"Hold it!" they screamed.

Ash was unfortunate to find herself paralyzed in the middle of the crossing and without any cover. Roy noticed in the nick of time and jumped, dragging her to the ground behind the corner of the other side. It all happened so quickly, but the foxes were trigger-happy. The nimble-fingered kangaroo touched the hyena's chest and felt his blood.
"You're bleeding!"
"Leave me and *RUN*!"

All five marine foxes approached the wounded hyena and checked around. Ash seemed to have run away from the place. One of the marines popped his visor and lifted the hyena. The fox pointed his weapon on Roy's temple.
"Any last requests before you die?" the fox asked in enjoyment.
"Please be gentle with me..." he mumbled reluctantly and brought up a metallic cylinder. "...When we go hand to hand out of here dead!" he coughed out loudly and spitted on the fox.
"The fox marine noticed the EMP but it took him a second to react over that it was also primed.
"A pulsar!" the fox screamed as Roy magnetically attached the grenade to his armor and was let go. The hyena started to limp over the corner as the fox dropped the grenade.
"Our circuits will fry. Switch to manual!" another one of them screamed, but it was too late. A big bright flash illuminated the area and the shockwave pushed Roy up against a wall. The light ended and the corridors and rooms seemed darker. And it was dark as the lamps were busted. The foxes were motionless lying on the ground. They couldn't mechanically move or breathe through their masks anymore since their support systems were busted with its circuits shorted. Ash ran back to find Roy severely burned. She checked him and he was still alive.
"Are you okay?" she asked, rubbing her hand on his muzzle. Roy moaned and coughed.

The kangaroos and some hyenas entered the darkened scene with flashlights. The pack gathered around the area and started salvaging the marines' full body armor. As their visors were popped open, the foxes gasped for air. Roy was indeed in a very bad shape now when the flashlights illuminated the corridors. Ash was kneeled next to him and checked his fur. Most spots of the fur was singed and his overalls and vest were also badly burned. He was still alive and moaned, "I can't see."
"The light must have blinded you," Ash answered and was concerned. "Roy, you were shot at and you burned yourself. What were you thinking?"
"Take me to my cryo vat," Roy coughed out. "It has an auto-medic installed."

The group enetered at last the cryo chambers. Inside, the new spectators saw something spectacular. The kangaroos were enchanted by the largeness and complexity of the facility. Rows upon rows of vats were stacked on levels.
There was room for at least a hundred individuals in that chamber, but there were fifty sleeping. The vats had armored glass so anyone who wanted could take a peek inside.
"This is the largest room with naked boys I've ever been in," Ash notified.
"Inside the vats," Roy chuckled and coughed. "Clothes are just in the way."
The roos carried him to the vat with the white inscription: ROYAL PAIN.
"Your name is *Royal Pain*?" Rico asked Roy as he was regaining his vision.
"I notice you've found my vat." Latvia entered and saw Roy.
"Roy!" she exclaimed. "Put him in his vat, he is in an ugly shape." The lynx walked over and kissed his forehead.
"Thanks," he replied.
The kangaroos and captain took his severely burned clothers off and placed him inside the vat. Then a hyena attached a mask from the vat on him.
"Will you be okay?" Cere asked Roy.
"The vat will take care of him now," Latvia answered. "There isn't much to do now." The vat closed itself and inside, a fluid filled the vat and his wounds coagulated immediately. Excess blood was pumped and filtered away from the vat. Surgical components started to work on him automatically, taking care of his wounds.

Chapter 5 - Epilogue

Latvia was sitting in the new ship's bridge and looked around from the captain's chair. Cotter sat on her lap, silent and still sleeping from exhaustion. Both had one big blanket wrapped around which they salvaged in someone's quarters. After she woke up, she ordered her men to convert the new ship. She used her engineers to relocate the cryo vats into the new ship as well as refitting the interiors. They were incredily busy preparing their new home. The lynx was delighted that the new one was bigger and even had a hangar with a couple of ships available.

The foxes were all held suspended inside the hyena ship and were heavily guarded by the hyenas. The kangaroos were also sitting at the bridge waiting for someone. And this someone was Ceigan. Two armed hyenas brought him to the bridge. He was very embarrassed of the situation.
"Doctor, I see that you have been accommmodating in your new ship."
"What do you want from me?" he asked and was more aggravated. "I see that my servant has defected."
"Doctor," Latvia calmed him down. "Your servant has asked to join us. And we were glad to have him onboard."
Ceigan turned his head to Cotter who just woke up. The fox turned his head back looking at Latvia wth an angry stare.
"I understand now, why you don't want to leave your pack. Considering that you are the only female in it, you're nothing but their wench!"
"Doctor," Latvia exclaimed and jumped up. "Don't you ever, *EVER*, try to heckle me! Let me remind you your awkward position." Latvia flicked her fingers at the guards and they kicked Ceigan down on the floor. He made a petty squeal from the fall. Latvia left Cotter at the chair and walked around Ceigan who was unnerved and kneeling.
"I guess you were more shrewd than I thought." Ceigan nervously replied.
"Just becuase I have a crew of men, doesn't mean I have the right to abuse them in any way. I respect them as my family and I demand an apoplgy."
"Okay," Ceigan hesitated. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you so eager to gather servants?" Cere asked Ceigan.
"Do I really have to discuss this? I don't want to talk about it."
"Please tell us Ceigan. We have all time we've got."
"I'll need a seat." He said and watched Latvia.
"Please help yourself," Latvia said and motioned Ceigan to a chair.
"I am a geneticist, it is my profession." he chuckled awhile but continued. "Do you know, what I really dislike?"
There was silence in the bridge, as no one really knew how to answer that rhetorical question. But they listened to him as he continued.
"It's the waste of life that I had to encounter too many times. From my knowledge and understanding, it is a mockery that life is expendable."
"KR-02," Ceigan mumbled loudly. Cere reacted as Cegan talked to her. "You remember the night you were transferred away from my lab?"
"Yeah," Cere answered. "We failed your expectations."
"That isn't true," he exclaimed. "The goons at bionics were out of subjects and started collecting the ones I created. It was for their perverted surgical operations and I was disgusted."
"And you want us to believe you?" Rico was suspicious.
"Listen to me..." Ceigan looked at all the kangaroos. He told his side of the escape incident. "It wasn't at all my fault. I was mad when they took you away, but when I found out about the false papers they used, I was enraged. So I took a liberty to secretly replace one of the narcosis cans to one with adrenaline boost. Hoping for a chance to get you back as they screw up their plans Fortunately, you kangaroos were next. And you Cere, got it as they were going to finish you up. Unfortunately, you escaped and took the whole facility down at the same time."

The kangaroos were shocked to hear this, but they started to quietly chat among each other.
"I guess it was wrong to even try to take you back. It was irrational of me. All this for nothing I guess." Ceigan was regretful. After awhile Cere stood up and walked to him. Lifting him up from his kneeled position. The kangaroos followed and stood around him.
"You'll get something else from us instead," Cere said calmly.
"After all I've done?" Ceigan loudly spoke as he was afraid what they were going to do to him. "What will you give me? Just please don't hurt me."
"A hug since we owe you one," Rico answered. All the kangaroos embraced him; Cere was reluctant to do it.
"Wh-What for?" Ceigan asked, as he was uncomfortable for the moment.
"As a thanks for saving us," Ash answered after hugging him.
"But you hate me and I didn't even try to save you."
"Sure, you are a jerk all the time. But for an emotionless fox, you have shown us that you still have a heart pounding somewhere."
After that Ceigan was concerned about himself again. "Captain, what will you do to me?"
"I will place you in our old ship together with your fox friends. We don't need it and you anymore when we are done redecorating your ship."
"What? You're just going to release us? I thought you were going to kill us all."
"Yeah right. Like we were going to put you on the plank and let you walk," Latvia chuckled. "We are not savages, whatever you may think of us. We pirates can be civilized."

The ship was done and the foxes were let free in the old pirate ship. The new pirate ship was drifting away in space again, heading to a space station for more maintenance. Latvia was at the hangar with her kangaroo friends.
"Thanks for all the help," Cere said to Latvia.
"There is a favor," Latvia grunted. "If you don't mind?"
"The message?"
"Other than that... Could you bring me some plants and trees from Cyantzium?"
"Plants and trees?"
"I plan to make a garden in the empty hydroponics chamber. I would be glad especially if the plants are from the arctic regions. I'll pay you with whatever I can find in the treasury. Please?"
Cere stood and watched surprised at the captain's interest in plant life. "What for?"
"It's rather personal. And besides, we can't get them ourselves."
"All right," Cere answered after a pause. "We'll do it as soon as our own mission is done."
"Thanks, I am grateful."

The kangaroos waved and entered their small ship inside the hangar. The airlock to the ship closed. Everyone inside was relieved. Outback sat on his pilot chair.
"Where to Captain Cere?" Outback asked for directions.
"To the relay station and finish our mission. Then back to Cyantzium and harvest some plants," Cere smiled for herself and Rico noticed.
"What is so funny?" Rico asked.
"It seems like we have some friends now. Never thought any of our friends would become pirates tho'. I find that ironic. Why do you ask Ricochete?"
"You're smiling."
"I am?"
"Yes," Rebound and Ash confirmed at the same time. Cere stopped smiling.
"You stopped smiling!" Rebound exclaimed.
"I didn't do anything," Cere said and started mumbling. "Strange. I thought we androids couldn't smile."
"Me thinks that you seem to have a little Cyantian emotions left," Ash notified.
"You guys are right, I need a small vacation from all of this."

Latvia walked at the empty hydroponics chamber. It was a little dull, with nothing to see, but the lynx was using her wild imagination. She spent some hours walking there and then went straight to the cryo chamber, as she felt sleepy. The new chamber was now instead divided in small cylindrical rooms with a wide walkway connecting to them all in a big circle. She went inside one of them, there was a vat marked with white letters: 'Captain' and one unmarked at the side. She took a white chalk from one of her pockets and scribbled on the empty vat: 'Son'. She then wiped off the old letters on hers and wrote 'Mother' on it. Cotter came in and saw the new letters.
"When will we go to bed?" he asked. "I'm sleepy mom."
"Don't worry hon'. We'll go in now."
"Latvia helped Cotter take off his clothes. When they both were naked the lynx was crying, as something was bothering her. Cotter noticed and asked her what was wrong.
"Do you have a dream?"
"My dream isn't important anymore, you fulfilled it."
"Do you know what my dream is?"
"No," Cutter answered honestly. "Please tell me."
"It is going back to my roots as a lynx," she revealed. "Of all the things I've heard and never been there, I want to be there myself. On Cyantzium. Walking on the snow and skating on the ice. That is my dream."
"Here, take this..." Cotter searched his clothes and handed his mother a golden watch with a chain attached to it. "I got it from Ceigan, he was very picky about time."
"It is nice of you Cotter," Latvia smiled.
"No matter what, I will try to fulfill your dream. Wear the watch so you'll remember that." Cotter explainged. Latvia put the clock around her neck and decided to wear it at all times no matter what.

Latvia put Cotter inside the vat. He looked very small compared to how the other hyenas fit in one of the vats. The lynx thought it looked cute and kissed his forehead before strapping his mask.
"Good night," Latvia silently said to him. The vat closed.
Latvia had the logbook with her, scribbled some lines to it and put it aside in a footlocker. She put her furry body inside the vat and strapped on the mask herself. The lynx was also careful of her tail so it wouldn't get stuck. The vat closed and the watch shined from inside the vat.

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