Kim walked back up to the Geisha House from the generators. The main power was slagged, a feedback from the explosion has overloaded the system and burnt out most of the power couplings. The backup generators had taken up the strain, but they too had run out. She walked back, a high powered torch in her hands, two guards behind her with rifles at the ready. With the power out there was no way of contacting anyone, the devices that were available were simple planetary, and orbital.
As they entered the Geisha House via one of the other entrances she pulled her hair back and tied it with a band. The party down the hall was still in full swing, the sounds of the raucus laughter and music at least giving some semblance to normality.
"Okay, we need to search this entire complex. She must be found. Use stun bolts, I want her alive and if possible we need to get her before Ithiria and the others come. They wont hesitate to kill her."
"Okay, you're the boss on this one. I've tried to contact Mizhara again, we just got no range."
"Don't worry about her, I'll handle her when I need to. If she didn't have the knee jerk reaction at the labs being an old blooder facility Ithiria wouldn't have pulled the plug. Alert the other teams and the Geisha...."
Kim looked down the corridor towards the party, it was insane to even think she was there, but when dealing with Carmilla, and especially this clone, insanity gets results.
"Come with me...."
The little geisha had run into the tattooed woman and recognised her immediately. She smiled and bowed and frowned at her nakedness in the lantern light.
"Carmilla, when did you get back? You must be cold, is your Mistress forcing you to stay naked again? Come with me, we'll get you sorted...."
She linked her arms with Carmilla and walked to her quarters, chattering all the way. The little snake looked at her, bemused and let herself be dragged along. Once they were in the room she looked around. This was her room. She looked at the pictures on the walls, the ornaments and the decoration. Each one she recognised, even though she had never been here before. The other Carmilla had been here, the weak one. The geisha came back with a long kimono and a towel and dried and dressed her, sitting her down at the table, lighting various candles.
"I dont remember seeing those tattoos before, but I do remember Victor talking about them once. And Ithiria of course, though she didnt' talk about them much....."
She wittered on as she made up Carmillla's face and smiled with girlish anticipation.
"You like?"
Little Snake looked in the mirror and nodded and pointed to the sword rack. She bounced over and returned with two swords and sheathes and kept on talking. There was a silent whisper, of silk being cut and the little geisha looked down and saw the sword protruding from her chest.
"You talk to much."
She pulled the sword out and wiped it on the geisha's kimono and fixed the swords into her belt and stalked into the corridor. As she prowled the dark corridors she heard the sounds of partying and walked in. Over a dozen amarr were sitting around a large round table, singing and drinking. Two geisha were serving them and giggling with them, while two more played musical instruments. One of the men looked up and cheers.
"At last! Our dancer is here!"
The men slammed their cups on to the table and chanted Dance, Dance, Dance! The snake ran at the stage, leapt and somersaulted through the air and landed on the table, swords out and head bowed. The music started and she began to dance, a primal instinct in her to perform and to dance to the best of her ability. Men cheered as she danced and the geisha marvelled as the music began to reach a cresendo when the snake noticed the woman walk into the doorway. Kim!
She leapt into the air with a banshee scream.
Kim walked into the room cradling the rifle in her arms, the two guards behind her and looked around, then noticed the dancer. She watched as Carmilla leapt into the air, arms outstretched with swords curved, her knees raised as she jumped, one higher than the other, her painted mask gleaming in the light. She landed, swords on either side of her whipping back, sinking into soft flesh. Their eyes locked as two sprays of blood from the cut throats of two of the guests sprayed into the air, covering her and the stage and the lanterns. Some of the light changed from a deep yellow to a crimson. A geisha screamed, the guests uttered oathes and tried to get up and the snake simply ran towards Kim.
Two swords were thrown, knocking the two guards back, their guns firing into the room and Kim was slammed back, her head ringing from a strike. Her own gun was knocked from her grasp and she found herslef flying, the snake had picked her up and thrown her at the stage. Taking her swords, the snake closed the doors and began to slaughter the amarr, leaving the geisha alive but hudding in the corner. In the crimson light she picked up Kim and slammed her into the wall, driving a sword through her shoulder, pinning her to the wall. Her scream echoed through the complex.
"Why... are you doing this...."
The snake writhed as she expertly patted the pinned doctor down.
"Because I can. Because I am not going back into stasis. And because I have work to do. Stick around, Kim. I want you to see what happens next."
Even with the best pilots a shuttle in a storm is a difficult thing to land. Especially a combat shuttle. Before the engines had died Ithiria had ripped open the doors and leapt out, flanked by a squad of her elite paladins and Kaelali. Other shuttles were dropping all over the island. Paying little attention to the howling wind and rain she walked towards the Geisha House, her flowing robes covering her armoured bodice. A second shuttle landed and Mizhara and Gherena departed, a tired looking Carmilla falling into place behind her. As they made their way to the entrance they found the first bodies.
"I know this one. Carmilla worked with him."
"Oh god, Pablo!"
Carmilla cradled the man lying on the ground, despite his wounds he was still alive, barely. He looked at her and flinched, then softened. He coughed up blood and spat and tried to smile.
"Chikita.... you have a double.... she is not as nice as you are....."
Ithiria left two guards to take him to the shuttle as Mizhara turned to Carm.
"A double? Does she mean your sister, Angelina?"
"No Mistress. It must be my clone, the original Carmilla. The one that was Gallicia's slave. She must have escaped."
Carm shuddered and suddenly looked up at the roof of the Geisha House. In the darkness it was difficult to see, but with each arcing lightning she could see the outline. Could see the figure sitting on the roof watching them. With the next strike it was gone. Carm moved closer to her Mistress and followed her into the house.
The little snake sat on the roof watching as the shuttles landed and disgorged troops and they began to fan out. Memories ran through her mind as she watched....
The slaves, four of them running through the forests of Serpentis Prime. Barking and slavering hounds chasing them, the howls of the hunters. Twigs and branches lashing at them as they ran. The first falling, screaming, begging, silenced by the hounds forever. Keep running, always keep running, escape the hunters.
She snarled and threw off the kimono and watched the group that was clustered aroudn the body. There, at the back, so weak and simpering, following her Mistress like a lapdog. That one, Ithiria, there in teh crowd, Mizhara! Aaaah, such memories I have of you and what you did. It will be fun to face off against you. The other one, a sibling... but which one.... And there, behind Ithiria... Kaelali.... For a moment her look changed, from one of evil incarnate to one of tenderness.
"Sister....."
She noticed Carm looking up at her, the flash of lightning behind her illuminating her. Time to go, the hunt has begun, she mused.
Once in the Geisha House Ithiria waited. She mused, it was Mizhara's now, not hers anymore. Pity and pain flashed through her as she looked back and saw Carmilla walking behind Mizhara. Kael, however, ever attentive to her Mistresses needs was besider her, whispering calmly and squeezing her arm. A snore had them jump slightly, swords were flung from scabbards, pistols and rifles raised. Hinare moved gently in his chair, his foot resting on the slain body of one of the Geisha, seemingly unknowing of what had taken place here.
"Miz, this is your place, how shall we proceed?"
"Roaming patrols. I want this place locked down. A search from room to room, find out what happened here. There must be survivors. If you see someone that looks like Carmilla, shoot her. And find Kim!"
Lights were brought in, powerful torches and small generators taken from the shuttles. Crews were dispatched to the house generators while others began a sweep inside, more outside.
Mizhara walked around the rooms, checking them, Carm never far behind her. Gherena had taken another group and was sweeping the upper floors.
"Tell me child, what makes this clone so dangerous?"
"She is what I was. A slave trained to survive against the odds. Taught to fight in the areanas, taught how to kill. Subject to such brutality and hatred that even my body was tainted, tattooed and programmed to obey. But they forgot one thing. The primal, animal instinct that is in all of us. Strip away the civilised outers and we're all animals deep down. They just let mine out and couldn't put it back, even though they tried. Only Gallicia managed."
"How?"
"I don't remember...."
Carm shone a torch down a darkened corridor and illumiated a body. One of the guards, his armour lying in a pool of blood. Beyond him another one, both lying by a doorway. She gestured to two guards who walked up and looked into the room, swearing and dissapearing inside. Miz cursed and was about to shout at them when gunfire errupted, spraying the walls and sending the two guards down.
All over the complex people heard the sound of the gunfire and began to head towards the location.
Mizhara stormed into the room, pistol raised while Carm and another guards shone torches around. The two guards were lying inside the door, dead. Bodies of a dozen amarri were scattered around, though there was no sign of anyone else.
"My god. Miz, the stage!"
On the stage the four geisha were bound and gagged, positioned so as to be a chair for Kim who was still impaled upon the wall. Carm rushed over and looked at the wound, holding her head up and looking in her eyes.
"Kim. Can you hear me.... Kim.... mother....."
Kim raised her head wearily and looked at her daughter.
"Get.... out..... while you..... can."
"Enough of the heroics, monster. Where is that bitch?"
"Where you will.... least expect her."
Kim's head lowered as she drifted out of consciousness and Carm went to grab the sword and pull it out, her Mistress stopped her.
"Let the medtechs do it. We dont need to hurt her any more than necessary. Go and get them, I'll wait here with her. Maybe She'll reveal herself and I can put an end to this."
"Mistress... I dont think...."
"Do it child, before you make me angry....."
Carmilla bowed and headed out, thinking about what Kim had said. She stopped, then headed for the stairs.
Gherena and a squad made their way into the generator room and swore. The team that had been sent to get the power back on must have run into her. Their bodies lay scattered around, shot where they ran.
"Miz, this is Gher. We need to get the hell out of here and blow this place from orbit. This bitch is a ghost."
"Pull the remaining troops back to the shuttles. I'll get Ithiria and we'll leave this place."
Gher looked around and sneered, good men had died here for nothing. With luck she'd run into this bitch on the way out and make her suffer.
Guards swept the corridors and Ithiria walked with Kaelali and made their way upstairs to her room. She gestured to the guards to wait outside the door and walked in with her pet. Walking over to a window she looked out over the statue Carm had built of her and sighed. A scraping sound and a bang from the door made her turn her head.
"Pet, see what's going on out there."
Kael walked to the door and opened it. The guards that were there were lying crumpled on the floor. She backed away and cried out as the snake slammed the butt of the rifle into the side of her head, knocking her flying. Ithiria turned, her hand going to her swords when she saw the woman slam the door behind her and lock it, a rifle trained on her.
"Don't make the mistake of thinking I can't shoot you, Ithiria."
She walked over trained the weapon on Kael.
"One shot and your bitch is dead. True it'll bring the hunters here and their dogs. But I can handle them. And you'll be waking up in a clone vat."
Ithiria looked at her, anger seething through her.
"You will pay for this."
"Make sure you write it down. I'll let it be known it's your epitaph."
With a swing of her arm she threw it across the room, pulling the sword from her belt.
"Just you and me now. I wonder if your screams will be enough to get what I want."
Ithiria stabbed her sword into the floor and removed her robes and picked up her sword again.
"I could forgive you many things, but harming a pet of mine... for that you will pay."
The snake moved, fast and darted in, sword licking out. Only Ithirias skill saved her, knocking the blade away and lashing out, scoring a red cut down snakes arm.
"Aaaah, first blood to you. But not the last."
She swirled and feinted, a foot lashing out to kick her back as her arm with teh scabbard on swung around. Ithiria backed away, parrying and snarled, leaping back in, sword raised.
Carmilla ran down the corridor, vaguely aware that there were sounds of people behind her and burst in to Ithiria's rooms. Kael was laying on the floor and she saw Ithiria and her clone in a desperate battle, illuminated only by the candles in the room. She flung her self down to kael and rolled her over, screaming.
"Sis! Kael, wake up!"
Ithiria heard the door open and recognised the scream, and for a moment her attention was diverted. It was all snake needed, batting aside her blade, kicking her in stomach and leaping at her as she fell, slicing her arm and knocking the sword from her grasp. She stabbed down at Ithiria's neck, but a flying object slammed into her the blade missing mostly, cutting her neck buyt not fatally. Steel bands constricted her throat as she looked up into the eyes of Carmilla. The snake grinned and the two of them rolled, smashing through the window and out, down into the garden below.
A few minutes later Mizhara stormed into the room with Gher and both of then looked around. The candles had blown out when the window had smashed. Looking through the window and down at the garden they saw Carmilla, their Carmilla standing over the naked tattooed body of the snake. She looked up the rain washing away the blood.
"It's over Mistress. It's over."
It had taken a few hours to get the generators back up and running, and the bodies moved to an appropriate place. The snake had been bound and gagged and thrown in a shuttle while Carm had looked after both Kael and Kim at a makeshift medical bay. Miz had tended to Ithiria and looked over at Carmilla.
"You know you will have a lot of questions to answer?"
"I know Mistress."
"So will the monster."
Carm just nodded and tightened the belt of her kimono around her tighter.
"I have called your shuttle Mistress, we can leave whenever you are ready."
"You take a lot upon yourself, child."
"I have a lot of atonement still to do."
One of the guards walked in, followed by Gherena.
"That thing was getting restless and screaming behind the gag so we put her out for a while. Can we leave this place? There are enough Geisha left to keep it running and clean it up, plus we can keep some guards here. But I want to be out of here."
Mizhara nodded and gestured to the guards to take Kim and Ithiria to the shuttles. She threw a small neocom at Carm.
"Child, we are leaving. Prepare my shuttle."
Carmilla headed out and down to the landing pads and entered the shuttle, powering up the systems and waiting while Kim and Ithiria were loaded then smiled at the guards
"Guard. Go and inform Mizhara that we are leaving. We will meet her at the Estate."
The guard nodded and spoke into a communit as Carmilla closed the hatch and returned to the two women. A small blade appeared in her hand as she stood over them, her eyes flickered and returned to their silver as the little snake looked down and laughed.
"Of course, it's a poor Mistress who doesn't know her own pet."
The snake spun around, Mizhara lashed out with a stun prod and jammed it open as she zapped the snake. Guards opened the shuttle door from the outside, their own stun prods jammign her as she twisted on the floor. A powerful kick from Mizhara and the snake was thrust out of the shuttle onto the floor. Guards surrounded her and looked down.
"Make her pay, but don't kill her."
Batons and stun prods rained down on her, but still she managed to get some hits in.
Gherena walked over with a shaken Carmilla and pushed her over to Miz. Miz reached over and held her chin in her hand.
"Who am I?"
"My Mistress."
"Who are you?"
"You submissive. Your servant. Just yours."
Miz nodded and smiled.
"Mistress? How did you know?"
Miz smiled and grinned.
"Shut up Carm. Get in the shuttle, you have a long day ahead of you."
Several days later Mizhara walked into the cells and over to the end. The snake was bound in a straight jacket, and chained to the wall. They both stared at each other.
"You can't keep me here forever, Miz. I will kill again."
"We'll see..... we'll see...."
Mizhara turned and walked away from the Snake, closing the doors behind her.
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