A pneumatic hiss echoes down another black corridor as the pressure seal opens. With a mechanical groan the blast doors spread apart. A cone of white light bursts out between the opening, sharply moving across the hallway walls, as if searching for something. At the base of the cone is the end of a fully charged plasma rifle, cautiously aiming at the various positions likely to be hiding any remnants of the crew. Holding that plasma rifle are a pair of black leather gloves, firmly gripping the cold black steel out of anxiety. Dressed in her usual uniform of a crimson red jacket, buckled at her waist to mostly contain her firm breasts, still exposing the supple beige skin underneath. Along with a matching red skirt, held together by a series of buckles along her left side, revealing much of her toned legs

She continues onwards silently, her black ankle high shoes barely make a sound as she softly treads deeper into the mechanical abyss. Pursing her deep red lips, her breath short and nervous while her walnut brown eyes anxiously scan every crevice. Yet despite the small beads of sweat collecting on her body, her posture remains the same, tightly defensive, although nervous, she does not let down her guard. A true example of her advanced mental training. After a series of keys are pressed in the door keypad, and another hiss and mechanical groan, as the bridge blast doors open. In almost a microsecond, she rounds the door archway and hugs a back wall, quickly turning her rifle around every station of the void that is the bridge. Once satisfied that the room is also empty; she approaches the main computer console and attempts to access the archive.

"Kimi?" An almost mechanical female voice calls from the communicator attached to belt of her skirt. "Kimi? This is Sarah. Come in."

Setting her rifle down against the side of the panel, removing her communicator to bring to her lips, she responds.

"Yes, Sarah?" She calmly replies, with a touch of an english cosmopolitan in her voice.

"Kimi, the captain wants to speak to you." The noticeably nervous voice replies before a commanding and somewhat annoyed female voice follows. "Kimiko, we have been waiting at the rendezvous point for the past thirty minutes now. Where are you? What's the delay?"

With a sigh of apprehension, Kimiko responds. "I've discovered what appears to be an abandoned slaver ship, Captain. There are no signs of life, and ship appeared to be dead in space."

"...Then return to the ship, and we will discuss a time in which we can return to investigate the ship further. We're still on a mission, Kimiko." The growing frustration from the voice on the opposite end of the communication was obvious.

As the captain brashly explained her demands, Kimiko continued to explore the main bridge computer console, searching through the few menus she was able to access. "Capitan. There may be agents trapped on this ship." Kimiko stated in surprise after retrieving her communicator.

After a brief pause the captain asked. "How many?"

"I don't know" Kimiko responded reluctantly. "All ship's systems have been transfered to the engine room. Internal Sensors, life support, engines, shields, weapons, even lights. The only explanation I can think of, could be that they managed to escape, flee to the engine room and took control of the ship."

"Well, get back to your ship and meet us at the new co-ordinates Sarah will relay to your shuttle's computer. After that we wi-" The captian would have continued on had Kimiko not interrupted.

"Captain, I request permission to stay and rescue the girls." Kimiko confidently asked.

"No." She calmly dismissed. "This could be a trap. Something is probably waiting in the engine room and will prey on someone like you; who stay behind to mount a rescue. This is the only chance we have to retrieve you for the next four hou-"

"They could have just as easily shut down all systems to drive out the aliens and once gone, only be able to restore life support, Captain." Kimiko interrupted again.

After a long pause and an audible sigh on the opposite end of the communication, the captain responded with annoyance. "Seeing as you are often right. What's your plan?"

"I am going to move to the engine room. Find the agents, restore power, and bring the ship back to the fleet." Kimiko stated simply.

"...and if it's a trap?" The captain asked coldly.

"...If it's a trap, I won't be there when you get back to the fleet." Kimiko started with little regard to what the captain was suggesting. "You will need to assemble a strike team to take back the ship. It is a slaver ship and it's communication array could give us a significant advantage in tracking the alien activities."

"..Alright. We should complete our mission and arrive back at the fleet within four hours." The captain responds reluctantly.

""Thank you, Captain." Kimiko concludes. "I'll see you when you get back to the fleet. Kimiko out." After setting the communicator back on her waist she retrieves her plasma rifle, unlocks the safety, re-engages the flashlight, and leaves the bridge.

A while later, she stands in front of a heavy, re-enforced, flawless, black steel door. At it's side is a small keypad; the only working console she has seen since the bridge computer access. As Kimiko reaches for the keypad, the captain's suggestion and a wave of fear suddenly flood her mind. She starts to wonder if it is actually a trap, but realizing that she has never been wrong before, she decides to continue with her original plan. Moving to hug the nearby wall to obscure herself behind the door frame; she take a deep breath and with a heavy arm; unlocks the engine room doors.

These doors are much quieter than their corridor counterparts, silent and smooth as they open, allowing a pulsing soft blue light and matching sound, resembling of a heartbeat to fill the corridor. Hidden beside the door, hugging the wall, she clutches the plasma rifle close to her chest to plot her next move. Instead of charging in and searching the entire room, and exposing herself to any number of ambush points, she accepts a less subtle approach.

"Hello?!" Kimiko yells towards the door. "Can anyone hear me?! This is; Kimiko Ni Shinkou of the Alien Defense Directorate! If anyone is there? ...I'm here to rescue you! If you can hear me...please yell back!"

Her gloved fingers grip the steel of her plasma rifle, praying for a fightened girl's voice...or even just the sound of the engine.

On the other side of the solar system, two vessels float leisurely in an orbit over a gas planet. One is a tiny escape pod, barely noticeable before the towering vessel beside it... This massive gleaming ship, powerful and imposing, is RLS-90. The escape pod docks with RLS, and the inhabitant enters the docking bay in poor spirits.

"Damn it!" The ship that Kimiko is now exploring belongs to this octopus-like creature. His name is Doroseph, and he is a low ranking slaver with the Archanius Alliance. "I barely got my escape pod launched in time! Now that ADD bitch is waltzing around my ship! What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

The mind built into the massive vessel considers for a moment, but thousands of plans are created and discarded in his systems during that moment. A metallic voice comes instantly from the intercom: "Give me the ship's control passcode."

"What? Are you kidding me? I'm not just giving up my ship like that! What do you think you're gonna do-"

"I'm the one doing you a favor, bailing you out like this." RLS's tone is no-nonsense. "Give me control. I have a plan that should lead to the capture of this interfering agent. I will share credit for the success and a quarter of the sale price with you, which is far better than you'll be able to manage on your own. Are we agreed?"

Doroseph bubbles angrily, but he doesn't see he has much choice. "Fine. The passcode is-"

----------

Back in the slaver vessel, RLS is already connecting to the computer system remotely. The passcode allows him into the engine room's computers, which Doroseph locked off in a last-ditch attempt to protect himself from detection. In a matter of nanoseconds he is in total control of the ship...

Kimiko's call is suddenly met with response. "H-Hello? Is someone out there? Help me please!" A soft feminine voice calls out to her from deep within the engine room, barely audible over the engine's dull hum. What Kimiko doesn't know is that this is merely a recording, taken on RLS's ship many months ago. Moving into the engine room will lead her to find only a speaker on the wall.

Meanwhile, with his newfound control RLS is preparing the ship to carry out his plan. The boosters warm up and fire, starting to carry the ship toward RLS-90, but at this low power the sound of the whirring engine does not change and it drowns out any noise the boosters made. It will only be a few minutes before the ship is taken into RLS's docking bay...


((I'm surprised no one responded to this yet! hope you're interested in introducing Kimiko to RLS and his various devices... ))

Kimiko breathed a sigh of relief, easing her posture into a more relaxed stance. With a budding smile on her lips from the assurance that she was right to remain behind, she slowly rounded the door frame to step into the engine room.

"It's alright." Kimiko began. "I'm going to help you es-" Suddenly having stop herself as she found no signs of life. Just the pulsating engine core.

"H-Hello?" Is someone out there? Help me please!" She heard again; not coming from a terrified agent, huddled in a corner, but a metallic speaker.

"What..?" She asked in confusion, only to sharply raise her weapon upon the realization of the deception.

She abruptly dropped to a knee, franticly scanning the room with both her assault rifle and her own panic-stricken eyes. Moving from one corner of the room to the next, aiming at every console, every darkened steel plate; in preparation for the attack that was to come.

Yet it didn't, after a minute of searching, no assault came. She thought of moving to the computer and taking it's moment of hesitation to interface with the main computer and reestablish control over the ship. Then the woman's voice sounded over the speakers again, suggesting that whatever it was had control of the ship. This also suggested that since she was lured to the engine room; a secluded and easily secured area of the ship; that waiting here would certainly guarantee her capture.

So, without a moments thought, she darted from the room; keeping her assault rifle aimed ahead of her. She raced through the blackened corridors, realizing that her only way of escape was the shuttle; hopefully still docked with the ship. With her rifle pointed ahead of her, prepared to perforate any life-form that should appear in her way, Kimiko charged through the ship to the airlock. It wasn't long before she rounded the final corner, taking the last few anxious steps to the airlock door.

Deep within the vessel he called his body, RLS's image smirked. Just as he had planned. It wasn't enough just to capture the girl. He wanted to demoralize her and make her know she was helpless before him.

Just as Kimiko rounded that final corner, the airlock door began to slide shut. It closed completely just before she reached it, and through the porthole she could see the safeties discharge, forcibly disconnecting the slaver ship from her shuttle. The shuttle drifted slowly away as the ship picked up speed, rocketing across the solar system to rendesvous with the waiting RLS-90.

The intercom clicked into life again. "You successfully defeated my associate, agent, but I am afraid your luck has run out. You are now the property of RLS. Please drop your weapons. They will be worthless to you when you arrive."

RLS chuckled as he cut the feet. Of course he didn't expect her to go without a fight. In fact he would be disappointed if he didn't have to subdue her. Well, time to get ready. The ship was almost to the docking bay. He began to direct his robots toward the upcoming battle...

(I'm sorry about the delay. I've been rather busy during the past few days)

"No" Kimiko whispered as she watched her shuttle drift away from the airlock. Yet as she watched the ship accelerate away from her only escape route, a new voice, cold, almost robotic, mocking her attempt at freedom. She quickly draws her weapon, dropping to a knee again, aming directly at the nearest speaker. Afterwards, her defiance managed to subdue the fear that had surged through her body.

Clutching the rifle, she paused for a moment to think. 'Wait a moment. It has to be alone. The perfect opportunity to capture me, would have been as I ran from the engine room or when I arrived at the airlock. If he wasn't alone, I would have been captured already.' Kimiko thought, oblivious to the truth. 'Since he didn't lock me in the engine room for the journey to his base, he has to be overconfident or just not very skilled. Either way, I think my best chance is to best him on his battlefield.'

As her confidence was re-inflated, she quickly rose to her feet and charged down the corridor leading to the bridge. Once she arrived, Kimiko immediately proceeded to sweep the bridge again. Satisfied that she was alone, she turned to the bridge command console. Setting her assault rifle against the side, she interfaced with the computer and used; every back-door, every programming trick, every hack that would allow her to regain control over the ship, and find her would-be captor.

(no worries! sometimes I can be really slow myself.)

Kimiko was moving toward the bridge. RLS snorted. Did this girl really think she could out-hack him? He was so far beyond her intelligence that there weren't words for his genius. He was in total control of everything that happened on that little ship. He was...

He was already losing half the systems. "Damn it! I underestimated that girl.... no, that agent. Well it won't happen again!" RLS put his body on autopilot and focused all his attention on the slaver ship's systems. He played carefully, allowing Kimiko some victories, letting her think she'd wrestled control of life-support and sensors away from him. But the weapons and propulsion he put under as many layers of encryption as he could create. This had actually become an excellent way of keeping her busy. As long as he held control of propulsion....

Soon the ship flew into RLS's docking bay, landing with a metallic thud that echoed through the empty bay. Empty, that is, except for a squad of his Model 09 robots. They surrounded the ship, preparing to take the agent on when she emerged. And one of his sniper Model 30s lurked in a hallway, readying for an assault if the 09s failed...

Layers and layers of code flashed across the screen in front of her, bathing her body and some of the area around her in a flickering blue light. Her fingers frantically moving across the touch pad in a blur. Her eyes barely moved, focused entirely on the screen as she wrestled sub-systems and primary systems from it, only to loose each system as quickly as she stole them.

"No!" She barked, pulling a hand from the console as a cramp seized it for moment. "I had almost taken propulsion."

Re-doubling her attempts to regain the ship, not even taking a moment to use the sensors that she had stolen from her unseen adversary, until a concussive thunk challenged her balance. Lifting her head to survey the room as the ship harshly stopped, realizing that the ship must have arrived at the base she was being taken to. She hung her head in defeat for a moment, before timidly activating the external cameras.

She couldn't speak, running her eyes across the legion surrounding the ship. There was no escape.

"My rifle doesn't have enough energy to fight that many." She said, her voice quivering. "What do I do?"

She thought of calling for help, but should they intercept her call for help they would plan a defense against a rescue. If that would have happened, the rescue team the captain was to send in over three hours would probably be captured as well. She realized that her only real option was to delay her capture for as long as possible.

"If you want me..." She started, defiantly. "Then you will have to come in and get me!" She then stood at the console and, ignoring all major systems, layered encryption codes across every airlock, every blast door, every vent, effectively sealing off the ship. Once she had completed her lock down, she turned her attention to the main computer on the small ship. She wasn't trying to unlock another system, she simply assaulted the computer, attempting to overload the core itself. She wanted to force the army waiting for her to manually cut through every barrier she had laid. Determined to stay out of their reach.

RLS scowled as he surveyed the layers of code that Kimiko was laying down to protect herself. It would take even his system more time to decrypt them than he had. This girl was good. He had to admit it. He'd gotten too used to the agents who ran in guns blazing, it seemed. Kimiko was defending herself well. But she couldn't think that would stop him for long. Was she trying to stall for time? And if so, what was she stalling for?

He had to move quickly. The computers went ignored. The Model 30 took aim at the nearest airlock, blasting a hole through it. Only a few inches in diameter, but enough for one of the 09s to grab hold and begin to pry the airlock open by hand. It wasn't enough power though- but once several more 09s joined it, metal began to creak and bend. And meanwhile, RLS's personal body is walking with another robot through the ship. Far larger than the 09s, with thick armor plating and heavy weaponry strapped to its back....

"What the hell are you doing?!" Doroseph shrieked in the waiting room. "My ship!"

"Shut up," RLS replied shortly. "You should consider yourself lucky you still have a ship. One more outburst out of you and I won't allow you near that agent once she's caught."

Doroseph scowled, but obeyed. At least he'd get a shot at that girl eventually....

Watching as the droid simply blasted a hole into the ship, and another simply tearing it's way inside, her heart pounding as she watched them storm the airlock. She had hoped that this defense would be enough to secure her from the army waiting outside but, seeing how effortless it was for them to tear through the door, it was not going to be enough.

She turned to the console again, thinking of wrestling communications from the alien but, again that would only tip her hand. She turned sharply from the console to pace anxiously in front of it.

"What do I do?" The agent asked shakily to the darkness. "I can't blast my way out. Now that I've locked down the ship and sealed myself in here, I can't hide. I don't have propulsions, so I can't run..."

The idea of having no options, no foreseeable way to win against the advancing robots, left Kimiko feeling terrified and confused. She was trapped. It was almost as if she was caught already. She could almost hear them tearing the the bridge door, pouring through the hole they created, grabbing her, using her, enslaving her.

"No!" Kimiko yelled as she darted behind the bridge console. Kneeling behind it, arming her weapons, using the console itself as her true last line of defense. Waiting behind the console, she stared at the door to the bridge, waiting for the onslaught, refusing to accept that she was already theirs.

After several minutes, the 09s had pried the airlock several more inches open. But it wasn't until RLS arrived with the larger robot that any real progress was made. The Model 86 grabbed the bent hunk of metal and slowly pulled, and it bent out further like it was only wax. Soon there was a hole large enough for the 09s to flood in and head toward the bridge. RLS just stood back and watched, skull-like face sneering slightly.

It took several more minutes for the robots to reach the bridge. As Kimiko waited, there was silence at first. Then a rhythmic metallic walking noise, gradually getting louder.... and soon the door dented inward with a loud bang as the 09s began to pound it down. One hand crunched between the door and frame and began to bend it open. At this rate it wouldn't last long....