Evangeline Anastasia McDowell

[Bazza]

Entry#: 129
Date: 13 - 01 - 819 AS @ 21:53 SUT
Title: Untitled.

Nearly two weeks have passed since the last time I looked at this diary of mine.

I suppose I should start with the big events...

I somehow ended up taking my dear friend in the Navy, Commander Remus Sius, hostage aboard the Alsatia. To cut a long and dubious-at-best story short, he ran afoul of a few friends of mine in California and it was me who came to his rescue.

That little twist in the storyline brung about a rather signifcant change which I will address in due course. Putting it aside for the moment, I now find myself once again resting in my quarters on board the Alsatia, laptop in one arm and a sleeping baby in the other.

We are in dock beside the Maelstrom, which currently rests in a depressingly large number of pieces. The familiar ambience of Vieques shipyard surrounds us.

The incident mentioned earlier proceded with a number of communications to and from Hale's office and finally drew to its stunning conclusion with a high-tension hostage exchange between myself and Admiral Hale in the Kansas system yesterday.

I feel ever so slightly despondant that Remus has left us. It was without a doubt the most exciting week I've had in a long time. He was the unlucky sod that got sent to investigate the smash-and-grab operation I was heading in California.

We had just finished mowing down another stupid, unescorted mining ship when Remus showed up on the scene in his bomber. I recognised his voice immediately even over the tempermental radio system the ship has. Being full of gold we were in no position to be fighting anything, so I quickly ordered the Alsatia's escape.

My boys, however, fueled by either alcohol or blood lust (or both) hung back and promptly engaged poor Remus. He faired pretty well up until he ate a sneakily-placed antimatter cannon, instantly vapourising his bomber. Remus bailed into his escape pod and I made damn sure my lads handed him over to me.

After having retrieved him from the pod, I had Misaka treat some of his injuries. He had been knocked around pretty badly but was by no means in a life-theatening condition. He was well enough to fight back when we tied him to my chair, at least.

At that point the re-inforcements showed up in the form of a cruiser and escorts, which was my queue to leave. The Alsatia's forward cannon, as big and gaudy as it is, is no match for a purpose-built siege cruiser. We legged it outta there and into the ice field where we promptly fell off the Navy's scanners, the last thing I heard before being blinded and deafened by the frozen mist of the cloud was my lads staring down the business end of a cruisers' escort fleet, wetting themselves.

I don't think any of them managed to escape. "Such is life", as they say.

It didn't take long for a devious plan regarding Remus to emerge around my girls and me. The obvious course of action identified as a ransom. I hastily recorded a video using a camera we found in a dead ship a while ago and had it sent to Hale's desk. I wasn't sure if I would ever recieve a reply, but, eventually, one did appear.

I never had any intention of hurting Remus, and I made sure he knew that. I like the guy too much to do him any harm - and he's always been good to me even as a wanted terrorist. The first day we kept him bound to the chair by his legs, waist and arms.... gagged and blindfolded - just to be sure; but by the end of the ordeal he was only handcuffed to the console - otherwise free to speak and observe. We gave him food and water as required... even permitted him to use "the facilities". We even went so far as to give him a bed to sleep in eventually.

I really don't make a good kidnapper, I have to be honest. How many terrorists introduce their weeks-old infant to their hostage? How often does a hardcore criminal offer her captive a custard tart or some coffee? Or put his uniform through the wash because it got dirty? Or sit there swapping old war stories like best mates for hours on end?

I swear if I didn't know better Remus was almost sad to go when we booted him out the door into Hale's waiting ship. Being abducted by the McDowell Company was probably the most fun the bastard has had in his whole life. I heard from the Admiral that rumours surrounding us are abound amongst the Navy and that there are more than a few people who'd volunteer to be kidnapped for a chance to experience us.

One thing I do know he'll be missing is the lack of restraint practiced amongst all of us in regards to expressing our affections physically in his presence. Space flight, especially in the Alsatia, is mind-numblingly boring. You sit there for hours upon hours making only minor changes to course across vast expanses of open space. So of course if you're in the presence of your lover and are of such persuasion to find intimate contact appealing, the bridge the perfect place for it. The fact we had an audience, of course, held no sway over our actions. And as polite and reserved as Remus is, he's still a bloke underneath it all. I know he didn't mind it one bit. - of course he'd never admit that audibly but, well, "boys will be boys".

The exchange with Admiral Hale went rather well, as far as the situation could have demanded. A civil conversation with mutual respect - something of a rarity amongst Liberty - that ended with Remus being returned healthier than when we gained ownership of him and us earning ourselves a nice pay packet from Hale.

How nice yet remains to be seen, but I have David's word that I'll be getting something worth my time. He knows what'd happen if he stooged me out of what he surrendered to me.

Something is telling me it's time to turn in for the evening. Perhaps it's the little bundle of joy that's asleep on my chest or the fact I can barely keep my eyes open. Nothing could have prepared me for how tiresome motherhood is...

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