The Dark Blossom is opened.
Chapter 1: The Beginning
Personal Log: Margarita Cruz.
Subject: ... Exile.
Its been a long time since I've gone home. I haven't been there in ages. I miss my family, my brother, my mother, my father. I am homesick. I want to go home...
When I left, I wasn't allowed to go back. I betrayed every one I knew and loved, and they hate me for it now. I am but an exile. And to think, I gave up everyone and everything for one man. Its hard to explain, but after the... Well, actually second time I met him, I couldn't stop thinking about him. It was something I've never felt before, probably never will about about another man. Roy Batty, a bounty hunter and part of the Shadow Stalkers. His stupidity started this, but we probably never would have been together if it wasn't because of it.
In any case, since I lost my Sabre in the escape from Malta, the Zoners have hooked me up with an Eagle. Its a lovely ship, and I'm starting to like it. Its a lot lighter than I was used to, but I know how to fly it now. I was able to salvage my Kraken guns from my wrecked Sabre, but not my DARK BLOSSOM. Its all right, though, I've found suitable replacements.
... Hmm, I became a bounty hunter after I my exile. Roy lives on Rostock base in Omega-15, and I bunk with him, there. As a matter of fact, we're planning on getting married soon. Even so, none of the other hunters really trust me. I it's probably my cardamine mask, but its all I have left of Malta, and I'm not letting it go. Mandy, on the other hand, has become quite a good friend. I've flown with her and Roy on a number of their missions. She's taught me a few tricks that I have added to what I learned back on Malta in basic training.
In any case, I recieved a message from my brother, Emilio. He says he's been promoted to Captain and now commands a destroyer. He also says he has leave and will be enjoying it, most purposefully, on Bornholm. The Junkers base that's in this very system. I've decided to meet him there.
Maybe next time I'll write more.
Log ends...
"Hey, Roy!" Margarita almost yelled before kissing him. She couldn't hold in her excitement, and before he could say anything, "Guess what!"
"... Hey, Marg. No ide-" Margarita cut him off.
"My brother, Emilio, you know him, ya?... Oh, no you don't. Well, anyway! He's going to be on Bornholm tomorrow. I want to go meet him and introduce him to you," she looked at him earnestly, "I'd love it if you would go with me."
Roy frowned, "I don't know..."
"There may be a bit of a reward in it," Margarita smiled devilishly.
My lovely Marg! Can't stop thinking of her. It must really have been hard to leave all behind and come with me after she saved my life. She burned all bridges. She was even prepared to die so I can live. Would I ever be able to do the same for her?
She's having troubles with her new identity, her new life. Whenever I walk with her through the corridors of Rostock Base I see it. Those uncertain expressions on the faces of other Bounty Hunters. They don't trust her. They do accept and respect me, but they don't trust her. The worst part: There is nothing I can do about it. I know she's suffering from this. Should I give up my Bounty Hunter career and follow her wherever she goes? Should I leave everything behind like she once did for me?
End of Log Entry
"Reward you say? You tiny devil, you know I can't resist when you use that word.", he smiled back. Then he continued: "You know Junkers don't really like my kind don't you?"
"Well yeah, but I have a plan, don't worry.", she replied.
Roy's face clouded over when he asked: "But wait, are you really sure your brother would like to see me? I mean I'm the one who's responsible for all that you had to do..."
"He's my brother and he respects my decisions. Really, my love, there is nothing you should fear...", she took his hand and they both left the hangar and went to his quarters on the 7th floor. Roy knew this would come one day, but he still wasn't prepared for it. Soon will come the day when he has to decide, he felt it in the air...
Margarita took Roy by the collar and led him to the bed, kissing him. She pulled him on top of her, then pushed him off again. Roy was stunned. She simply smiled, "We have to get ready to leave, first."
Roy frowned, he knew he couldn't sway her. This was her way of torturing him and he had nothing to do but go along with it...
-
Quote:Personal Log: Margarita Cruz.
Subject: Things are looking up?
Today's the day I get to see my brother. I can't wait. I miss him so much, he's the last part of my last life. I wish he could stay with us, but he's too much an Outcast, he'll never leave them. Not for me, not for anyone. He's risking that coming down here, but I trust his decision, I think he can get away with it. Even if he gets caught, he'll be able to explain his way out of it.
I've been thinking a lot lately, about Roy, Emilio, and I. I love them both so dearly, I can even remember the last time Emilio took my picture back home, I've attached it to this log. I found I have few memories of Roy, we are too newly together... And I keep going back to when I left home. Ah, well... I guess this is home, now. I love Roy so much, but is he worth my pain?...
Emilio had ordered the majority of his destroyer's crew on leave. He still had a skeleton crew of people who knew he could trust with his life, and he pretty much was. He ordered them to Bornholm, avoiding the Corsair homeworld. Their path would take them near one of their bases, but hopefully they will be out of range before they can mount an attack. He would meet them near Bornholm, then have them head to his Destroyer where it would be safe for the lot of them. He hadn't made up his mind about Roy yet, but hopefully there would be no reason to dislike him. His stupidity made his sis go away, that was enough for caution.
Margarita kissed Roy before pulling her goggles on and jumping into her cockpit. She didn't like wearing an environment suit; in her opinion, if her escape pod got destroyed, it wouldn't help. She fired up her engines and launched. Roy was short behind her. She led his Manta in her Eagle to Bornholm. "Hold up, here. We should get Emilio's Sabre on scanners, he'll take us to the Pandemonium, the ship he captains."
It took only a few minutes before Emilio popped up on her scanners, "Marg! How ya been?... No, wait. We'll talk about that later. Follow me."
Margarita landed on the Destroyer after Emilio. As soon as she hit deck, she jumped out of her cockpit and into his arms and kissed his cheek, "I missed you, Emilio!" She couldn't help but smile, "I never thought they would make you a captain."
Roy followed up behind and Emilio held out a hand, "Pleasure to meet you, Roy. Marg has told me a lot about you, as I'm sure she has told you about me."
Roy took his hand apprehensively, "Pleasure is mine."
I have been thinking of this a lot lately. My job, my way of life is filling my with anger for some time now. I am lucky to have Margarita on my side, because otherwise there would be nothing to live for.
Maybe I have been doing this bounty hunter business for too long now, but I feel... depleted. I mean what's the point of killing some bastards and fulfil bounty contracts paid by another bastards and their corrupted governments. Bounty Hunter's work is considered as 'lawful' but the longer I have been doing it the more I understand that both sides are the same with only one difference - the Unlawfuls at least don't lie to the others what they really do and what their ways are. They just hide themselves in a fictitious story to impress their neighborhood.
The more I think about it the more disgusted I feel and Marg really is my only light in this dark world and I feel more and more confident I'd be pretty much able to follow her wherever I had to. Even into the rescuing hands of death...
End of Entry
On the way to the briefing room Roy said: "You know, Emilio, your sister has changed me a lot. I always was a simple bounty hunter, I took a job, did it and received the money, and so on, thousands times. There is a long line of deaths behind me, but what for? Money? What do I need money for, I don't need them any more, I already have too much."
Roy made a short pause and continued: "But since I met her I started to think a lot. And when I look behind I feel both angry and empty. I hate those who claim to be the right ones and order me to kill those wrong ones. I don't want to be their puppet. Not any more..."
Margarita stopped, she was looking surprised and said: "Hey, Roy, you never told me that!?"
He replied: "Yes, I didn't want to let it out unless I was sure, which I am now."
Margarita was shocked. He had given up everything just for a chance to meet her, and now he wants to give up even more just for her? She felt embarrassed. She had questioned whether he was worth being exiled from Malta. She looked down at the deck, turning red. She had made up her mind... He was worth as much to her as she was to him.
Emilio watched awkwardly and, in an attempt to break the silence, said, "You know, if you really mean that, I might be able to get you guys cleared back in Outcast society, though--"
He was cut off by his radio, "Sir! We've received structural damage on several decks and have a hull breach on the afterdeck! But, uh... we're losing no atmosphere. We're not leaking even with the holes in our hull. Worse than that... There's nothing on scanners, we aren't under attack. We don't know what's happened!"
Emilio swore under his breath, and looked to his shaken companions, "We're going to have to get you back to your ships and home." He activated his radio, "What's the status of the docking bay?"
"Sir, its completely locked off. I can't get into contact with anyone there."
Margarita hugged Roy. She was vulnerable without her ship, and it scared her. As Roy tried to comfort her, Emilio took off towards the bridge with nothing but a, "sorry."
Of course nobody knew what hit them. Crystal Oni was busy playing merry hob with the communications of the ship by now. And, pretty much everything else as well. He didn't even need to hack it; It had, of course, all the Outcasts access codes anyway... Normally, it wasn't something people dragged up often, to use against its creators either, but...
"Cut down the traitors!" The marine commander yelled, his soldiers opening up on the crew and literally cutting them to pieces with their Flechette Cannons. Little escaped the eyes of the Phantoms intelligence network, and this meeting of Outcasts and Bounty Hunters, no matter the reasons, couldn't be allowed. Which isn't to say the Phantoms wanted everyone on board dead. Oh no... Some of the people here were too valuable for that... The Phantoms needed more pilots if they were to step up their operations... -Good- pilots...
"Squad one and two, sweep the ship! Squad three, with me to the bridge! Remember your targets; The Commander wants them alive and unharmed! You screw up, and an unshielded trip through a jumphole will be a mercy!" He growled over the external speakers, and the three small 4 man teams started off. With Crystal Oni hijacking the security systems, each team knew just where to go... And who not to kill. The rest of the crew, however, was expendable. And treated thusly.
This is the real true story of rock and roll; it was not about anything more then, how to live your life, as a gangster, in sartorial splendor, and turning the world into a place where normality would never return again...- Malcolm McLaren
Margarita woke slowly. She felt cold, alone. Slowly she can to realize she wasn't touching anything. She was... Floating?
Margarita opened her eyes slowly. It was dark wherever she was and she couldn't move. Outside the window, if it could be called that, all that could be seen was an ominous dark cloud. Bolts of lightning ripped through it.
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