Eirik loomed over Sai'Lonis as she frantically connected the intercom system to send shipwide. Looking over the internal security screens, Eirik spoke up "Send them to storage bay 5. It's nice and empty."

Sai'Lonis pressed the intercom button and spoke," All crew is to gather in storage bay 5 immediately. Anyone refusing will face the wrath of a military court!" her claws hovered over the button to end the transmission. it was so tantalizing close to the shipwide alarm button, but the heavy weight of an armored Terran hand on her shoulder made her change her mind and just end the transmission.

"You know, I was not lying when I said we brought you the gift of wisdom," Eirik remarked, his hand still resting on her shoulder.

"And what wisdom is to be gained from this?!?" She hissed back at him, her anger making tears threaten to burst from her eyes. Unlike most species in the galaxy, the Kloxna shared this trait with Terrans, and just like with Terrans, it had certain social rules imposed upon it.

"The wisdom to be gained from this is clear. Never think that an unarmed Terran is less dangerous. If anything, it makes us more dangerous, as we have to rely on our ability to improvise and adapt. For example, had we not had weapons in our armors, we would most like have resorted to literally beating you to death with each other in a mad scramble to secure weapons from your guards. This, in turn, COULD have cost you your life in the melee that would have ensued. So you see, it is never wise to disarm a Terran. Despite every instinct saying otherwise."

Sai'Lonis did not reply. She was shaking with rage and helplessness, silently cursing the Terran to the worst of fates.

Eirik sighed heavily. "Look at it this way. Most of your crew survives because of this, you get to live, and you get to inform Tai'Tanu that I STILL possess her *Recreational supplies*, the contents of which, I will reveal to you before we leave."

"And why would you show me what she is smuggling?? What significance could that be of to me?" Sai'Lonis felt like the Terran was mocking her. Was he going to display that insufferable bitch Tai'Tanu's wealth in front of her just to spite her?

"So much more than you could have ever hoped for" Eirik's answer was vague at best "Now come, walk 2 steps in front of me and follow me to the shuttles." HE put his helmet back on, aimed his left arm at Sai'Lonis, and opened a channel to the pilots of the shuttle crafts for a quick status report. One of the shuttles was damaged badly enough that it would not be leaving by its own power and there were several wounded, though none of them critically. The Kloxna soldiers had been surprisingly fast and aggressive in their assault once the fighting had begun.

As they walked back down the corridors, Eirik opened the conversation again, "So, are you going to tell me what the true purpose of this ship is by yourself, or do I have to... *extract* the information from you?"

"You wouldn't dare hurt me!" Sai'Lonis said with a confidence that rubbed Eirik the wrong way, so he shoved her forcefully into the wall. Dazed and hurting all over, she regained her balance on unsteady feet, "How dare you to treat me in such a way!" She managed to get out. Despite her best efforts, an undertone of fear had crept back into her voice and her words lost some of their vitriol.

"That is nothing compared to the things I plan on doing to you if you do not start talking!!" Eirik was not in the mood for the senior commander to think she had any control over her situation. "Remember what you threatened my communications officer with?? I can do so much worse to you and make it last for literal months. By the time I am finished, you will have begged for death for weeks! I am willing to use up every scrap of medicinal supplies I can get my greedy little hands on to extend your life and suffering!

SO TELL ME WHAT I WANT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU ARE BEING FORCED TO EAT YOUR OWN COOKED TAIL TO AVOID DYING OF STARVATION IN MY PRISON!" Eirik had grasped her around the throat as he spoke and was currently forcing her against the wall, her gasped breath, bulging eyes, and useless clawing at his armor showed how near to death she was in his hands.

Letting go, she crumbled down on the floor, wheezing desperately for breath. "Re....-"' *wheeze* "Rese... Research.."

"Catch your breath before speaking. The sound of your wheezing offends my ears" Eirik sneered at her. All tyrants were like that. All high and mighty until you had them knocking on death's door. Then they became sniveling cowards, eager to please for just a few seconds more of life. But he wouldn't kill her. She had her role to play still.

After a few minutes, she had her breath under reasonable control and slowly get up, cowering in his presence.

"As long as you answer truthfully, no further harm will come to you. Lie to me, and the response will be immediate and severe!" Despite the faceless mask he was wearing, Sai'Lonis could feel him staring into her soul.

"...As you wish" She finally said and lowered her head. Life was preferable to futile resistance, and this Terran was clearly unstable. Best to appease him and report back.

"What is the purpose of this ship?" He asked again.

"Research and development of a new type of lightspeed fighter-bomber. We are adopting Terran methods of scaling down vital machines or parts to utilize them in new ways. Right now, we were about to test the prototype of years of research. It is the ship in Hangar Bay 1." Sai'Lonis explained.

"I noticed that. Quite large for the designation, wouldn't you say?" Eirik asked. It had looked like a simple transport ship from the outside, but he was certain it had hidden weapon compartments like his own. And the bomber addition. Could it be possible?? A man could live comfortably alone on such a ship for months without needing to dock. The perfect bug-out ship.

"It is designed to function independently behind enemy lines for extended periods," The answer confirmed Eirik's suspicion about the size and hidden weapons, "The lightspeed engine has been scaled down to the size of a portable generator at extensive cost. We planned for no more than 10 of such ships to be produced and manned by the best-trained operatives we could find in the Empire. They would have wreaked havoc amongst the Terrans..." Sai'Lonis sounded wistful as she spoke, and Eirik could sympathize with that notion. Any soldier would want that kind of advantage over the enemy. Now, the research ship and all of its secrets belonged to him and him alone.

Eirik was struck by a vision at the end of this thought. He saw himself standing at the front of an emerging free state. Seceding from the Terran government and creating a Brother nation for the people that were not satisfied with life in comfortable luxury, once the war had ended. And with this research, he would have the edge he needed to make it happen.

The thought had him grind to a halt, his prisoner stopping with a confused and frightful look on her face. Had he decided to kill her anyway?

"Keep moving," Eirik said, shaking his head to clear the intrusive vision. They soon arrived at the hangar with his shuttles in them and turned his prisoner over to the guards that kept the hangar bay with the ship's crew under close guard.

He summoned another few shuttles with Trasti and a portion of the Internal security force to help rotate out his assault forces during their guard duties. When Trasti came up to him he directed him to the bridge and contacted his brother on the smuggler station and organized the sending of a few ships to haul back the prisoners and a crew to navigate the warship back. It would be around a day before they would arrive, but they would all be part of the soldiers Eirik had ordered the training of back when the station had been secured.

At the end of the conversation, his brother forwarded an information package to Eirik's personal datapad, but seeing as it was back on his own ship, it had to wait until the ship from his brother arrived.

Later, after an inspection of hangar bay 1, he summoned Signe and a crew of technicians to have the prototype ship taken back to his ship, download and wipe the databanks, mark everything worth salvaging and set the soldiers, that were not on guard, to work moving all goods worth taking. Upon hearing it was a research ship, Knud insisted on coming over and salvaging the labs himself. He sounded almost giddy at the thought.

As he finally returned to his own ship, fatigue was setting in and he decided on a long nap while their little convoy was en route to the smuggler station, and he collapsed on his bed and slipped into a dreamless sleep.

________________________

The feeling of being gently shaken woke him up and he swung his head around and stared bleary-eyed at David. "What?" Eirik mumbled, his body screaming for more sleep.

"We are 12 hours out from the station Captain. Any orders regarding the warship?" David said softly.

"Strip it down before sending it to the Terran government," Eirik mumbled again, letting his head fall to the pillow. "Let me sleep, David."

David simply walked out of the room and Eirik drifted off again.

_________________________

The next time he woke up he was feeling much better rested, if a bit sore. After a shower, he walked down to the cantina to wolf down some breakfast for his stomach, which sounded like it had developed the personality of an angry bear with the way it was growling.

As he was eating he was looking over the loot they had so far taken from the Kloxna ship when he remembered the data package from his brother. He opened it up and stared at the line of text. a simple ship registry and 4 words. *She asked about you"

"Freja" The name escaped his lips before he could stop himself. Several of his crewmen turned their heads to him but he didn't notice. She asked about him...

He had no idea how long he sat there, staring at the tablet, but suddenly someone was shaking his shoulder. "CAPTAIN!!" Jesper was shouting in his ear. he hadn't noticed until now.

"FUCK, YES, I hear you! What the fuck, Jesper!" Eirik exclaimed as he pulled away from the screaming man.

"You were just sitting there with a stupid look on your face. Are you alright?" Jesper explained.

Eirik could feel his cheeks flushing red, "Yeah, I'm fine, just lost in thought!" he got up and hurried away from the cantina and the bewildered crew.

"FUCK!!! How is she still able to do that to me?" He thought to himself as he hurried through the corridors to the gym. he needed to burn off some energy on the treadmill.

__________________________

All too soon they arrived at the smuggler station and Eirik, dressed to impress and being wired from coffee and exercise. went to his brother's office for a warm greeting.

"I see you are still head over heels for that girl?" Lasse teased him after a big hug.

"I have no idea what you are talking about!" Eirik said stiffly.

"Oh for sure, no idea at all," His brother replied with thick sarcasm, "Hair newly washed and combed back like our ancestors, combat boots practically shining, pants, shirt, AND jacket look freshly cleaned and pressed. Shit, little brother, I would almost wager you are in love!" Lasse continued with barely contained laughter.

"Are you quite done?" Eirik groaned, his face beet-red from embarrassment.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop. I got good news though. got the first 132 men trained for you and they are currently working on training more. In another few months, you will have 2000 readily trained men under your command. They will not be as good as you or I, but they will wipe the floor with almost anything else." Lasse said proudly. And for good reason, it was quite an accomplishment.

"Come, let us go inspect the training facilities," Lasse suggested, and together they went around the station, watching the various training exercises.

At the end of the tour, on their way back, Lasse stopped Eirik and pointed toward a nightclub before saying. "Go get her, I don't want to be on her bad side for not directing you to her as she wanted." He then clapped him on the shoulder and left Eirik standing on the street, staring at the nightclub.

She had been so angry last time they spoke. He couldn't blame her. He had turned her over to the authorities after finding her on a smuggler ship running weapons to the Plyxii, near the end of that war. She had not been willing to understand that his hands were tied. To many people were aware that it was her, leading the smugglers. Had she finally forgiven him? Had she realized there was nothing he could do in the situation? or was this some sort of twisted revenge plot?

With heavy steps, he approached the nightclub and got in line to get in. He noticed the stares he attracted, he wasn't dressed for places such as this. He didn't care. Freja was in there. He finally got to the front, paid the entrance, and entered the club. The heavy bass, the dark room filled with flashing lights, the smell of warm bodies pressed together in a closed room, The buzzing of half-shouted conversations, It all assaulted his senses in a split second. He hated places such as this. And she knew it. It threw off his senses.

He set his eyes on the bar and moved with a purpose. He needed a stiff drink for this. After shouting his order 3 times he finally got a triple rum on the rocks. turned his back to the bar and leaned against it, letting his eyes scan the room slowly, looking for that familiar figure. There!! On the dance floor, of course. She hadn't changed much. As tall as ever, Well built with a heart-shaped face. Her long straw blonde hair flowed down to her wast like the wind in a wheatfield as she twisted and turned on the dancefloor. Her eyes, the color of an icy glacier, the same as Eirik's shone with an aura of life and enjoyment as she lost herself in the music. Her prominent bust and full-figured body attracted the attention of every single man in the room.

She radiated feminine charm and sex as she danced and laughed as she dismissed every single hopeful suitor that made their move. They didn't know this woman. She was one of the most feared bounty hunters the galaxy had ever seen. She was as dangerous as she was beautiful. The black widow. Once she had your scent, she WOULD find you. If you tried tracking her down, she disappeared into the shadows.

As she was finishing off her dancing at the end of the song, she looked casually around the room and froze as they locked eyes. Eirik nodded his head towards the exit and left the bar with his glass. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her trying to make her way off of the dancefloor, with little success. a literal ocean of idiots, all trying to impress her, was blocking the way.

When she finally made it outside, Eirik was finishing his rum and put the glass down. "Long time, no see, eh beautiful?" Eirik had a slight smile on his lips as he looked at her, taking in every detail of her face as she looked at him with a rage-filled expression.

*SLAP*

"THAT'S FOR HANDING ME OVER TO THE DAMN AUTHORITIES, YOU GOD DAMNED SON OF A BITCH!!" she yelled at him as she straightened up, her hand had left a deep red imprint on Eirik's face.

Eirik had stiffened up as the unexpected slap had struck him, his cheek stinging and burning. "Freja, I-" Was all he got out before she grabbed his shirt collar and kissed him deeply. "That's for coming back when I called for you. Thank you for giving me time" She said afterward, looking him deep into his eyes.

Eirik was stunned and out of breath as he stared helplessly into her eyes. "I love you" He stuttered.

"I know, you big oaf. But you could have at least TRIED to do something," she said with a small smile. "I needed time to remember."

"Remember what?" Eirik asked.

"Why I love you, dummy" She kissed him again and took a step back. "Now, you can take me out to eat. It's the very least of an apology you can offer."

Hand in hand, they walked towards the restaurant area. Eirik didn't care where she wanted to go. As long as he was going with her. He never noticed the cloaked figure, observing him carefully, as he walked away with Freja.

"That lovestruck fool would be lost without me to protect him," David thought to himself as he pulled his hood further over his head. When he had heard from Jesper what happened in the cantina, he knew what was up. Eirik deserved this. They were a match made in heaven. They just needed to talk this through properly. But from the reception she had given Eirik, there was nothing to worry about on that front. David got on his feet, shadowing Eirik while the loveable idiot bumbled his way through the conversation with Freja.