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Ryan was tired. Finally, those KSP ships were for at least in three systems away from him, so he could relax for a while. He took a cigarette and lit it. There wasn't too much time to think, so he just sat on the floor and closed his eyes.

Gateway... How long ago it was! Ryan remembers all what happened. A conflict with Bowex, when BAF ships, going in the wake of Bowex, were lured into Omega-7 and Rheinland Military drove them away... Bruno Gehard's happy face when Ryan was expelled from Gateway. At that time, Ryan was going to break his nose... And his favorite transport, Red Light...
Ryan looked at hot, steaming motors of his fighter. Solus Ultima is not ready to fly now, even if it will start its engines once again...
Then he looked at hull. Blackened all over the engine compartment, stabilizers are covered with holes, a big crack all over the cockpit... A half of all electronics burned out, all extant weapons are malfunctioning... How has all it come to this?

Once, when Winter was travelling from system to system in an attempt to contact with someone of former friends and allies, he met one of his Gateway friends, who became a pirate in Bretonian space. "Friend" asked Ryan for help, and Ryan was going to agree, but their meeting was interrupted by BPA ships. "Friend" escaped, Winter was left behind and hastily ran to Tau-31 with Police on his tail. The chase ended when Winter ran to Tau-29, but there he met some obsessive KSP ships. Ryan feared them, so he just raced past officers that were just interested why's he in such a hurry. Officers followed him for at least a half-day, and only then turned away.
Ryan's haste resulted in impacts with small asteroids and total failure of engines. A GMG transport towed him to Aomori, where he's sitting now.

Someone called Winter, and he jumped up in fright.
He looked at a grim figure of a man in in a raincoat with a hood. Figure beckoned him to follow and vanished round tha corner.

"Hey, wait!" shouted Ryan and ran after figure.
He found that man in a small room with a table and two chairs. Man gestured to sit down, Ryan sat, nervously looking around.

"Mr. Winter, I have finally found you here. You may remember me, we have worked together once."

The voice seemed familiar. Ryan lit another cigarette, and answered.

"I remember... your voice, but can't recall your name. Perhaps you will remind me it?"

"My name is no matter for you." Man scratched his arm, slightly raising his coat sleeve, and Winter noticed a tattoo.

"You're from Shades, right?" Winter fearfully tried to look into his interlocutor's eyes, but strongly stretched hood made it impossible.

"Yes."

"What are you doing here? Lord Kael wants to see me? Or he needs my services?"

"To be honest, I've came not to discuss Lord Kael's dealings with you. I've got some answers and you will answer."

Ryan stubbed out his cigarette.

"I'm listening."

"First question. Where you were when 4th Battle of Leeds began?"

"I've been on my fighter, commanding acolytes that Yuuko sent to help me."

"Do you know that they all dead?"

"Really? It's the first time I hear it."

"Second question. Why V.A.N.G.A. system was shut down for a day after that and why?"

"Ask technicians. Lord Kael forbade me to access the server."

"Third question. Do you know why HQ was destroyed?"

"Of course, no!" Winter felt his back covered with cold sweat.

Man straightened up.

"I suppose that you've lied to me. Well, Mr. Winter, I have to tell you that Lord Kael wishes your head."

"If he really wanted to, he could came here and take it by his own."

Man took out a silenced pistol. Ryan cried "HEEELP, MURDERERS!" and knocked the table on man, then ran away from room. Man was following him. He was ready to run as long as required to catch Winter and kill him.

Ryan came to himself on technical floor, where nobody of personnel could save him. He understood that he's stymied. Winter took out a small revolver and peered around the corner. He did it in wain - shot almost hit him in the hand.
Ryan fired blinbdly, and soon heard a loud scream and the sound of a falling body.
Man was hit directly in the heart. Man croaked "He will find you..." and stopped breathing.

"Never. He will never reach me unless he will come for me."
Ryan removed the hood from corpse and looked at kind, familiar face with eyes full of sadness. He couldn't recall the name, but he remembers his man well.
"Rest in peace, my friend. Once we well meet somewhere else, far away from this galaxy, and you will tell me why you've tried to do this. I'll buy a bottle of ale for you, and we will talk about distant universes again."

After that, Winter went to hangar and grabbed first met mechanic's arm.
"I will pay you one million SCs if you will force this rusty thing to fly." Winter pointed at Solus Ultima.
Three hours passed, full of lip biring, and Ryan was sitting in his chair, bringing ship out of hangar.

"I have a long road ahead. What will happen in the future? Only gods knows. If they exist."

Madotsuki