"Good, dump it out an airlock," suggested Xiang.
"What is it?" Akane asked.
"Bing had to pick the lock on your door to get it, but that's the homing beacon. Or didn't you notice the three foot antennae on that dictionary?" Xiang rolled her eyes. You'd think Tenso had never seen a paper book before.
"Oh," said Akane, who really hadn't noticed.
"Kuross has his whole sentai team out here," said Nabiki, looking at a monitor. "He must really have the hots for you. Maybe I can cut him a deal."
"What?!," demanded Akane. She began noticing how old Nabiki was. Maybe pushing 40! Judging from the lines and frazzled hair, it had not been an easy life either. She looked bitter.
"Sentai - it's an old fictional thing from the old 'Space Rangers Of The Republic' series, copied by a half dozen competing programs, and done to death in reruns on worlds like Coruscant. You notice he's painted his ship a rather pretty blue? You piloting a ship named Red Streak probably triggered that obsession. You notice he doesn't have a red ship?" Spider/Nabiki pointed out.
"My name means 'Scarlet' in... another language," acknowledged Akane.
"Yes, but it means 'small warrior bird' in Corellian," said Xiang. "Bing, set course for Macho Grande as soon as we clear the asteroids."
"(Not Macho Grande!)" Bing turned pale under her fur.
"Yes, 'Macho Grande'," said Xiang. "We still have to rescue Red."
"If he's fixated on color codes, then he'll want Red and Akane once he sees that hair," mused Nabiki.
Akane winced. That was way too likely.
"Who's the poor schmuck in a TIE Fighter?" Xiang asked Spider.
"A bright yellow TIE Fighter?" Nabiki shook her head. "Must be someone that Major Kuross really doesn't like."
There was a thump resonating through the ship.
"What're you doing to my ship?!" Akane asked Xiang very calmly considering that every thump or bump reminded her that hard vaccuum was only a meter or two on the other side of that wall.
"We've found an asteroid that's going in the proper direction and is big enough to hide your ship," explained Xiang. "When we're well away from Major Klueless, we just fire attitude jets, drift away a little further, then go to full speed and get the blazes out of Dantooine."
"They're boarding my base, I hope they leave things intact," said Spider, still watching the monitor.
"(We've got power cut off except for minimal systems and this room,)" explained Bang as she entered. "(Well, that and the bathroom and the kitchen. All outer hull areas are either facing away from the ships-)"
"(-or are powered down,)" finished Bing. "(As long as Kuross didn't place a third homing beacon on board, we should be hidden.)"
"Well, in that case," said Spider, glaring at Akane, you can tell me why you brought that little present with you!"
Xiang held up a hand. "I should have realized it earlier. It's not really her fault."
Akane gaped. Had her cover been completely blown?
"Once I put the clues together, it was obvious," said Xiang. "She's-"
(Posted Sat, 28 Dec 2002 12:05)
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