The Afterparty

[Damian]

Damian pretended to look concerned.
"Oh, poor you. Did the big bad nova blast blind you. Awwww you poor little soul.
Oh please Mephis if you are going to give us a load of crap as an excuse at least make the crap believable. My pet goldfish could come up with a better excuse and i dont even have one."

Damian chuckled at Mephistopheles and soon the others in the room followed.

"And for god sake Mephis give it a damn rest, he is in the care of an angel, no amount of tampering is going to make a difference. You want rid of him then we are going to have to do it face to face."

Damian shook his head.

"Sometimes i think you have lost the plot old friend."

---

D'Evil..Damian (son of chaos)

[Mephistopheles]

I'm gonna pretend that I didn't hear that! Or I'll turn YOU into a gold fish! Make yourself usefull and don't play the comedian on me! See that soul over there! Go!

---

D`Evil..Mephistopheles (Soul Harvester) -- D`Evil..Belial (D`Evil.. doer)

[Fellow Hoodlum]

Click. Browning's brain switched on. What was that ? Low laughter echoed in the room.
He was sure someone was there but he wasn't awake ... Was he ?
What the f... Angels, goldfish!... Now he was going mad. Something moved past him,
just a soft shadow. "God what are they giving me now, side effects are a bit weird even
in my experience." His mind wandered again."Who's a bl**dy comedian ?"
Click.

---

Some say he is a proud member of: "The most paranoid group of people in the Community."

[Charlie]

Communication to: Mariella

Identity: Charlie

Well my dear, what have you gone and got yourself involved with this time? Some of the rather more unsavoury of my colleagues have just been in contact with me, not something I relish on the more open methods of commmunication used by them. Our business is always conducted with the utmost diligence, and away from prying eyes.
Anyway enough of this polite conversation, it would appear that some rather, how should I put this, disagreeable gentlemen from MiD have been enquiring after the whereabouts of your current host. I only hope this will not reflect on you or our very important work.

Communication ends:

---

[Mariella]

Communication to: Charlie

Identity: Mariella

Charlie.. it was going to be an afterparty.. dancing, maybe romancing..
It became worse and we still got a little to do, here..
I'll be back on duty - asap -
Thanks for your warning.. MiD.. tell them, an Angel is neutral - except it is thing for the heart..

No time left..
cya asap

[The_Angels]_Mariella

Message ends..


She turned and left the comm-terminal..
Her thoughts were with Browning: I will have some prays for you.. there's a dark power waiting for you..

She moved to the little chappel in the back of the Ampoliros..
After she had lighted some candles - she felt in trance..
A light golden light appeared before her eyes..

"You heard about the D'Evils, daughter.. you will meet them, soon.. I'll take care of Browning"

When she opened her eyes again, she was full of sorrows...

"Night.. return from Buffalo... we will need each other..!!", she sended him a thought..

---

[Nightfall]

The black Sabre went to a halt inside the hangar...

"Night.. return from Buffalo... we will need each other.." - that did not come from the comms...
"Mariella?" Bernard jumped out of his Sabre and ran straight to the med-bay where he left her to watch over Browning.

He hasn't found her there. There was only the battered old pirate with the name of an arms manufacturer from Terra. He looked at the man's face, the tubes coming in and out of him in a ballet of medical technology. Then he gazed at the monitors... as far as Bernard knew about it... the life signs were all stable.

"Man you look as if you could really use a good glass!"

Browning was like a father to him... he was his flight instructor... Most of the tricks Bernard knew were learned from Browning...

"Night.. return from Buffalo... we will need each other.." he felt the thought...

Bernard started feeling an aching emptyness in his heart that only she could replace and make it stop hurt. He ran out...

".. we will need each other.."...
"The Chappel" he thought and ran...

He stood a second in front of the door to regain his breath then entered the chappel. Mariella was kneeling in front of lit candles... She was a vision of beauty, a perfect figure, long hair falling down her shoulders... the lit candles were giving her the perfect lights...

"Mariella..." he whispered...

Bernard reached and touched her shoulder...

---

If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God? - from 'Nightfall' by I. Asimov
The Outcasts consider Siniestre Nube a sacred place for several reasons. Early explorers discovered a jumphole within the depths of the cloud that leads to a strange world of ringed stars and strange craft. All ships in the burrial ground are placed facing that hole to honor the Alien Spirits. - An Outcast rumor

[Mariella]

"You are back.. just in time.."

Looking into his eyes gave her a good feeling.
Without saying a word, she took his hand, pulling him to his quarter.

"Ahm, you are sure, you wanted to go here?", Bernard was kind of confused.
She never wanted to go here, and was ist the right situation ? Okay - everytime is
a goob time but..

The doors opened and they went into the room.

"Listen, honey, I'm not sure, if.." Darkness surrounded him..
His thoughts faded away - there was only a phantasy left..
Mariella lost her human look and changed into a grey, sometimes white gleaming cloud.
She surrounded him and made him feel like drowning in a sea..
Then he felt an aching hit between his omoplates..
That was the point, he lost everything..

She left the room and moved to the medic-bay..
"Browning my dear", she moved towards him..
He was sleeping, the medics were working well..
Mariella layed her head on his chest and the lights went out..
Browning deamed about a night in a casino.. successful working loaded dice....
Then his brain felt shot away...

The next morning, Night and Mariella met in the medic-bay..
"Did we..." "No.." "I thought that.." "No, Bernard.."

Browning turned his head and said: "Bernard.. - you never got kissed by an Angel, did you ?
We seem to have a damn hard job, waiting for us.."
She smiled at both and said.. "Well..we will fight some DEvils.."

Night looked at her disbelieving..
Browning murmered that a drink would be welcome..
And yes, Mariella agreed..

---

[Nightfall]

The trio went into Bernards personal quarters which had a special bar that mr. Browning knew the contents of very well. Mr. Browning nearly dived into it and grabbed a bottle of tequila, he opened it and took a huge swig...

"Ah! Good to be alive! Sorry for that old boy, but I believe you promissed that once, not long ago, in my dreams! Now, I'll give my attention to this beauty.. I believe the two of you have things to talk about..." he took another swig and played some old song by a now forgoten artist from the planet known as Terra... again... Terra... the link with his name... He startded drowning in the liquor.

She gives me love that I could never hope to have,
She tells me that she needs me,she tells me that shes glad,
And if she goes away, Im like someone whos left out in the rain,
I need, I need her, I need her love.

The singer finished the first verse...

At that time Mariella and Bernard were holding their glasses of blood-red wine in their hands, looking into each other's eyes... Bernard whispered...

"
May I send a soft breath in your direction? Close your eyes and forget the
Agitation... please, have a drink with me... relax... have a word about
Reflections... Out of my dreamy abstractions I make a question:
If I look into your eyes under the pale moonlight, would I see
Enlightment? Or is it just a small death on the streets in the city of
Lust and Longing? We shall summon the Tempest and the Thunderstorm by taking a
Leap of Faith into the unknown. I'll watch your eyes and lips move breezily as you make
Acquaintance between me and magic stories of twilight until the night falls.
"

There was a small silence. A moment of fear. Music began again. And the words of another song...

And the love that I feel is so far away:
I'm a bad dream that I just had today -- and you
shake your head and
say it's a shame.

...

---

If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God? - from 'Nightfall' by I. Asimov
The Outcasts consider Siniestre Nube a sacred place for several reasons. Early explorers discovered a jumphole within the depths of the cloud that leads to a strange world of ringed stars and strange craft. All ships in the burrial ground are placed facing that hole to honor the Alien Spirits. - An Outcast rumor

[Mariella]

"You know what it means, Bernard..", she whispered with a hidden look to Browning..

Browning was looking at the bottles, trying to find the right one, to open..
"Loving you means, she looses all the angelic powers..", he continued her sentence, without looking up
from the bottles..

Night stood there, angry with himself about his words..
Mariella was fighting with her tears and seemed to be close to surrender..

Browning took her aside and murmered: "Take it easy, my dear.. everything will be okay - when you choose the right time.."

"The right time.."
She drank her Tequila, smashed her glass and went out..

Nightfall followed her with his eyes..
Browning took his arm on his shoulder and said:
"She needs time, my friend.. Woman and Angel.. Hell..!!!" he watched his drink, " that's what I call difficult.."

---

[Usha]

"Muahahahaha...

You noticed the nonsense, they are doing, Mephistopheles ?

The damn Angel wanted to make them strong.. and now ?
She gave them an Angels-kiss.. the best weapon against us..

And in return, the bloody Outcast makes her as weak as can be, talking about love..
She's full of doubt..

Meph,.. where is that guy? Mephistopheles, you have an easy target to destroy..
I will take that Outcast.. having his soul for lunch.."

---

Demon-Princes, daughter of heaven and sister of the night. Her name means "dawn".