Part 5: To deceive the deceiver

The hanger of the ship consisted of a large open area with two multi-layered
sections to either side. The back of the hanger connected with the rest of
the ship and the front was where the hanger door was located. Each
multi-layered section consisted of six levels. Each level ran the length of
the hanger and the space between them was about 6 meters. Jessie situated
herself on the uppermost level in the corner closest to the hanger door.
Lying flat on the ground, she readied her rifle. With the distance scope up
and adjusted, she need only to wait for the target to fall into her sights.
Jessie wore a short range comm unit. It rested on the back of her ear with
the receiver nestled within. An antenna like structure with a tiny microphone
at its tip made its way down to her mouth. "Tedronai?"

"In position."

"Standby, they'll be here shortly."

The ploy with O'Connor and Hask was merely a decoy. Something to get
Hephaistos into the open. Jessie had read Tedronai's account of the Neo. She
understood his method of thought and knew of his abilities. Tedronai and Hask
were let in on the plan, though Jessie excluded O'Connor. She would crack,
Jessie was sure of it. The only way Hephaistos would believe it is if
O'Connor believed it herself. "Here they come." reported Tedronai. He was
situated somewhere on the lower deck. Six Neo guards and two human prisoners
entered the hanger. A moment later the Neo Jessie recognized as Thanatos
entered. They waited about for a few minutes. "Powers?"

"Hold position."

Someone called to Thanatos and he left the hanger. In his place came the
Neomega that had to be Hephaistos. The lack of brood mark confirmed it.
Jessie settled her cross hairs on him as she flicked the safety off her
rifle. Suddenly, Hephaistos pulled O'Connor between himself and Jessie's line
of sight. He grabbed Hask and moved her into position as well. Safely
concealed behind them both, his voice boomed over the hanger intercom. "I
know you are there, Elan. Come out now and these ladies won't have to die."

"Stay put, Elan."

"You can't be serious." answered Tedronai.

"I am. Move when I tell you, not before."

"I congratulate you, Elan. I did not think you were capable of such a thing.
To deliberately track down and kill someone in cold blood. How delicious, did
I drive you to it? Am I the catalyst that caused this loss of conscience? I'd
answer quickly, my trigger finger is starting to itch." Hephaistos pointed a
blaster to Hask's head.

"I'm going out." said Tedronai.

"Stay put dammit! You're playing into his hands. He won't kill her because
that will take away half his cover!" hissed Powers.

"Are you positive of that?" asked Tedronai.

"No. Not 100 percent, but there's a good chance..."

"Not good enough." interjected Elan.

Jessie saw him stand and walk from his position into the open hanger.
'Perfect. This is fitting together so nicely.' thought Jessie. She allowed
herself a smile as Hephaistos started to emerge from cover.

"The weapon, on the ground with it." ordered Hephaistos. The rifle landed a
couple of inches from Hask's left foot. She seemed pleased by it, but only
for a moment. One of the guards approached Elan, a pair of binders in hand.
"You were the only terran I never managed to break. How fortuitous that I
again have the opportunity." The guard was nearly upon Elan when his body
went slack and fell forward, a hole burnt into his back.

"Sniper!" yelled one of the guards, a moment before he too was silenced.

Hask quickly elbowed Hephaistos and scooped up Elan's rifle. Hephaistos gave
O'Connor a hard shove and the pair went sprawling as he ran for the exit.
Elan drew his blaster and started firing. He and Hask can handle the guards.
thought Jessie. She zeroed Hephaistos as he zig-zagged to the door. "Good
night, you little bastard."

KA-CHAK

"I would appreciate it if you would not do that." Jessie eased her hands off
her rifle. "That's it, put it on the ground and slowly get up." She did as
instructed. "Turn around."

Jessie recognized the Neo as Thanatos. "So that's where you went."

"The commander suspected a trap. It is not as easy to deceive him as you'd
thought, eh?"

"Have a look down below, Elan and the others are right behind him. Now who's
clever?"

Thanatos smiled, conceding the point. "Either way, you will not live to see.
The blasters, remove them with your finger tips and drop them in front of
you." Two loud bangs later and Thanatos continued. "The mask. Let me see who
the terrans sent."

Jessie began to remove it, her hands working behind her head. She noted one
of her blasters near her right foot. With one swift movement, she brought her
foot under it and kicked it upward. It collided with Thanatos' weapon,
knocking it to the side. In a lightening fast movement, Jessie brought her
right hand behind her back to retrieve the hold-out blaster concealed there.
Just as Thanatos was bringing his weapon back to bear, she opened fire. Two
shots buried themselves in his chest. He stood there, looking down, as if
astonished that such a thing could happen. Jessie fired one last shot which
found its mark between his eyes. She glanced down at him, thoroughly
unimpressed. "Death my ass."

* * *

"He's getting away!" yelled Hask.

Hephaistos rounded the corner with Elan right behind him. "Get back to the
ship!" ordered Elan.

"But..." started Kristin.

"That's an order!" replied Elan.

Hask grabbed hold of her and stopped. "What are you doing!?" demanded
Kristin.

"He's right, we need a secure way out of here and that's the freighter. You
and I are gonna sit on it until Tedronai and Powers get back, got it?"

"But..." protested Kristin.

"No buts, move!"

The next room Elan entered was dark. Hephaistos had turned out the lights,
relying on his superior sight to give him the advantage. From what Elan
could tell, he was in some sort of lab. Different machines littered the area
giving what little he could see a maze-like appearance. "Amazing how quickly
the tables can turn, isn't it?" The voice was indistinct in a manner that
Elan could not tell where it was coming from. "I see you. Can you see me?" A
laser bolt struck near Elan's head, he rolled forward and behind what seemed
to be a lab bench. "Good reflexes, for a human anyway." Elan tried to
pinpoint him, but could not. He was either moving when he spoke or projecting
his voice somehow. The fact that he moved without sound wasn't helping
matters either. "I'm coming for you Elan, better get ready." A maniacal laugh
filled the lab. Elan remained still, his grip tightening around his weapon.

* * *

"Access granted." stated the computer.

"About time." muttered a disgruntled Sgt. Powers. She had vacated the hanger
to execute a backup plan should Tedronai fail. The schematics of the ship
appeared before her. She located the main reactor and traced the main coolant
line to an area not far from her position. If she could take that out, the
reactor would meltdown. That would be the end of it, regardless of where
Hephaistos was hiding. That's when she noticed something odd. The main
reactor apparently had a thermal shunt which ended in a room somewhere near
the port side of the ship. It too was along the main coolant line, probably
because whatever was in there needed to vent excess heat. Jessie's instincts
told her that she should investigate. It was a little out of her way, but it
was also just as good a place as any to puncture the main coolant line. She
had the computer determine the most expedient route, committed it to memory,
and set off in search of the location.