Eliza looked back once more up at the bay window to Section 8. There were two people she had expected to see. But they were not there. She waited, walking slowly, looking back just to make sure she was looking at the right window. It was, they hadn't come.
It wasn't that she regretted not seeing them, it was that she didn't have a chance to say goodbye to two good friends. While she'd be away for weeks... months.. even years it would have been nice to have said goodbye.
She let the custodian close the hatch on the transport that was shuttling the last of the crew over to the great carrier sitting just outside the docking bay. Before she entered she noticed that this was the last shuttle, at the doorway she turned around and looked again. Justine, Mia and Alice waved, her off, as did a few others, but they were not who she was looking for. With a heavy heart she boarded the transport.
The first indication that something was wrong was when she noticed the Thanatos activate its warp engines and vanish. Her weapon came out, instincts already counting paces to the custodian, the storage racks and the command deck. A large bore pistol pointed at the custodian as she whipped her head around.
"You! What is going on? Where did Naut go? She wouldn't leave me without a reason!"
The little man simple sat on one of the seats and pointed to the command deck.
"All the answers are in there, but you won't need your pistol."
"That," she said as she pistol whipped him into unconsciousness, "Remains to be seen."
With another pistol in hand she ran to the door to the command deck and tried the handle. Locked. She heard something from the other side. Laughter? How dare they! Kidnapping her and mocking her as well? They would pay rivers of blood!
The door to the command deck shattered as Eliza slammed into it and rolled in head over heels before coming up on one knee both her pistols pointing to the people on the deck. Both of whom who looked at her, then at each other... and roared with laughter. One of them took a camera and flashed a picture of Eliza, openmouthed and somewhat angry.
"Now that one is a keeper," Carmilla said as she showed Angelina the picture,"That's going straight on the bar wall."
There was the pop of a cork as Angelina opened an old bottle of firewater, took Eliza's gun from her hand and filled it with the bottle.
"But... what..."
Angelina just grinned. "Surprise!"
She looked at the two grinning sisters, at the bottle in her hand and laughed until all three were laughing, tears running down their faces. The custodian walked in, glaring at Eliza and sat at the controls and the transport shot into warp, heading to the Usi gate.
"I checked with your new CEO. You're not due on station for at least twenty four hours, so I told him to expect you in at least seventy two. First off, there is a crate of firewater here that we have to get through before we hit Jita."
"Jita? But we both have prices on our heads!"
"I know, and firewater is contraband.. so it has to go. Then we have a spa resort booked and I've arranged for some company there.. if you know what I mean..."She winked at them both at the same time,"plus there is a private beach and the oceans are warm. Time to spend some ill gotten gains!"
She smiled and swigged from the bottle.
"Angelina, you are just too much."
"Hey.... what are friends for?"
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