Cold, cold heart.

[Naefen]

Nightime. OmniTrade. The dark walls towering above the few people wandering the streets doing theyre last business for the day. Guards keeping a sharp eye out for anything su****ious and out of the ordinary.

A little clean up droid humms through the streets picking up litter where it finds it. Then humms on again. It stops for a second by a corner leading into an alley. Its sencors have picked up something small lying a few yards furhter in. It starts humming its way towards the object now classified as -paper-. Many would call it an envelope. But to the droid its simply -paper-.

As it scoopes up the -paper- it detects something else in the alley. This is,however, to big for the little droid so it humms out into the main street again and continues its ever lasting search.

In the alley, sitting on a crate, Naefen looks through tear-soaked eyes at another paper. This one, a letter. Hes through reading it but even though he cant see the writing anymore he just cant stop staring at it. Hes insides feels like theyre coming out any second and the only thing he can hear is the increasing throbs of hes heart.

Thousands upon thousands of thoughts and memories ripple through hes head. Thoughts of love, family and laughter. But also thoughts of anger, hatred and revenge.

Naefen looks up into the starlit sky,wiping the tears out of hes eyes. "It could be, but still its impossible." He thinks to himself.
"If shes still alive Ill never forgive myself....."

[Naefen]

As Naefen exited the alley he imediately headed towards where he had parked hes Yalm. He quickly entered it, shuffeled away some trash in the seat, and speeded upwards to the sky above OmniTrade. He glanced down at the streets far below him witch by now were starting to fill up with busy Traders and people looking to score the deal of theyre lives this day. Then he pulled up a laptop he had once borrowed from Xhairs and "forgot" to return.

Theres was only one option who really made sense for Naefen now and that was to get access to the Omni Med files. He knew aproximately what date and year. He knew aproximately where they were stored from hes days as a "doc" serving them. Aproximately, however, just werent enough. Someone else had to do it for him. The question were, who?

He started clicking away on hes laptop. He needed someone not afraid of bending the rules a little. He needed someone good.
After 2 hours of trial and errors he only had one name left on hes list of could be`s. Paxcorpus.........

Naefen went to Omni Ent for a burger at Bronto`s and then ,using hes CommLink, gave Paxcorpus a call. He thought she sounded stressed but atleast she agreed to meet him. So he sat down and waited, slowly eating hes burger.

As countless people came by Naefen sta and watched them all, wondering if they were the one he was waiting for. There were soldiers, civilians and executives. Funny that people from all social layers of the city came by here. Bronto`s really do have something for every flavour. After a good while a slender woman came straight towards Naefen. He looked up and calmly said. "Pax?"
"Thats right Naefen. How can I do business with ya?" She answered obviously amused by the fact that she had found out how he looked and that he hadnt done the same.
"Have a seat please. I believe I have a proposition that you will find very interesting indeed." Naefen replied, trying to sound just as calm as before allthough there was something about this woman that tinkled the core of him and made a chilling touch in hes spine.

They sat there for a while, just talking. Sometimes it kind of felt, to Naefen, that she wandered away inside. Like she were talking to someone else than him. Only not with words. Naefen found it very interesting but he didnt have time to digg much deeper into her psyche than this. So he leaned forward and cut right into why he had called her here.

The details were simple enough. He needed some OmniMed files describing the who`s and why`s of patients received from a given date to another given date. He would give her 1 million credits in advance and 1 million upon completion. She would also receive 500.000 credits if she managed to do this without beeing heard or seen. Naefen explained that he didnt care what she did in order to complete the assignment and that he didnt want to hear what she had done either. He just wanted those files, badly.

"Please understand Paxcorpus, that if you take that 1million and try to run there are no place in this Galaxy I wont go to find you. Offcourse I would never think such things of you but I just feel its safer for us both that you know." Naefen said feeling the anger whelm up inside him at the thought of her betraying him.
He quickly calmed down though, leaning casually back smiling vaguely to her and finished off hes last piece of the burger.

"If I did take this assignment, Naefen, and decided to run of with your credits I can assure you Id find a nice place to wait for ya." She answered giggling. Obviously not very frightened by hes warning.

Her giggle broke the tension more and they drifted into some more political and social discussions about recent events. Naefen liked sitting there, casual, talking about these things in a not so formal way. He kind of liked her style. He was almost sad he had to make her do hes dirty work like this....... Almost.

An hour went by and Naefen stood up. Paxcorpus rose aswell and Naefen said seriously again. "So, do we have a deal then?"
A slight smile appeared in her face but she didnt speak. To Naefen it almost appeared as she was listening for an answer herself............

[Naefen]

Naefen smiled slightly as Paxcorpus entered the grid. He had been right about her. He silently thanked Shere he had been right. He was well aware not many people on this planet had the nerves to do it. Yet, he still felt very uncomfortable relying upon someone else. Usually he werent afraid to get hes hands dirty but this time there simply werent time.

To say the least, he was very glad she had had been the one mentioning the "deny all knowledge of eachother" part of the agreement. He just hoped she would stick to it if things went bad.

Right now Naefen had other things to do. Things that needed to be done fast.

[Naefen]

Few minutes later Naefen was walking the streets of OmniTrade again. He had called one of the men he had several times used as an informant. They were to meet now. Naefen, from the start, had known this mans secrets though. And so he had named him "Defiler". This was not in any way the mans real name but to Naefen it was hes only name. If Paxcorpus found what Naefen wanted and the files had the name he were after in them he was gonna kill the Defiler. And he was gonna take hes time doing it. This man weren gonna get an easy exit to the Reclaim terminal. And when he reached the Reclaim Naefen were gonna be there waitng for him. Sweat appeared on Naefens forehead just by thinking of it.

It was mid-day but the alley they had chosen to meet in was empty. Naefen started walking slower as he turned the corner and laid hes eyes on hes informant. Anger whelmed up inside him, as it always did, when he saw him. But he managed to keep a calm and steady mask so not to alarm the other.
"Good day." Naefen said as usual. Very aware of the rifle he had in hes hand. Thinking about how easily it would be to blow this scumbag to kingdom come.
"Hello Naefen. What can I help you with?" The tall ,strong built Solitus answered. He was a well mannered man, obviously pleasant to a female eye.
"Im on my usual round of gossip-gathering. Have you got any news for me?" Naefen spoke casually but the sickening image of this mans earlier crimes were almost to much for him. Flickers of him ontop of Naefens sister with hes comrades cheering on him around them were almost to much to bare. He started imagining to himself what he would do to this man later and calmed himself with that once again.
"Not much really. The CoT holds a close lid on theyre doings. I guess they wont make any rash moves after theyre last voting, witch didnt go very well if you know what I mean." The man said.

Naefen asked some more questions about random people but he werent really interested in the answers.

[Naefen]

A few minutes later Naefen were again floating high above the ground in hes Yalm. Hes eyes were getting heavy and he remembered he hadnt slept since he found out who carried that letter some time ago. There simply werent time for sleep.
Once Naefen had been trained for this. Hunting down targets for days without sleeping was nothing new to him. Yet the way hes mind were working overtime these days the strain became harder.
Hes mind drifted to that "hired hand" ,Paxcorpus. She was, in a way, like himself. He thought about the things theyd put her through if she screwed up. It would really be a shame because she didnt seem like a bad person at all. Even though she had done some pretty messed up things. "I guess I should be glad there are some people like her around still." Naefen thought to himself. "Better her than me thats for sure." He silently added.

A muffled "bleep" interupted him and he realized he had almost fallen asleep. It was hes comm-link. A message from Pax.
Naefen started flying towards Rompa Bar. It was not hes usual scene but it was the kind of scene he had hoped for.

He parked hes Yalm a few blocks down and walked the last bit to Rompa. A quick stop in an alley and Naefen walked out as an adventurer. "Adventurers coming from the wilds to drink at Rompa thats gotta be the most stereotypical idea Ive had for ages." Naefen smiled at himself. He entered Rompa Bar and sat down by a table. It was a nice place this, but Naefen really didnt bother to adore the interior. A few guests here and there but nothing out of the ordinary.
"Thats ok. Im waiting for my wife." Naefen told the waitor as he aproached with the menu.
"Ill just have a glass of beer."

[Naefen]

Naefen sat there for some minutes. Hes fingers unwillingly tapping the table as he came to think about the short time he had left to make hes revenge perfect. He closed hes eyes and prayed the letter he had stolen werent missed already. That couldsurely complicate things.
"Pax where are you?" He thought to himself.
He sipped hes beer while cursing himself for trusting her.
"What if shes been playing me? Ill do penance for more than some months then for sure...." He winced at the very thought.

"BLEEP"
Hes comm-link had a message incoming again. He instantly though of Paxcorpus and as he suspected it was from her.
<Leaving gift under where you ate> It read.
"Damnit, the mission is compromised."Was hes first thought.
"Changes arent made unless something had changed."
Naefen finished hes beer and left hes tip on the table. Then hurriedly made hes way out and back towards hes Yalm.
Hes eyes tightened with anger as he flew towards the Bronto Burger again. He had told her she would get no bonus if she had been seen and quite frankly, what else could have gone wrong?

As he reached the tops of the buildings he just hovered there for a few seconds. Calming himself.
What was really important was to get those files. That and meet "Defiler" after. It was the only thing that mattered.
He made himself loosen the grip on the steering controls and when hes knuckles finally got back theyre original color he set speed for hes destination. A short shiver went down hes spine as he thought of how close to hes revenge he was now and how hard he had worked for it.

[Naefen]

Naefen made himself unseen as he walked away from Paxcorpus. He had payed her the 1mill credits but didnt want her running after him for the 500.000 credits she didnt get. He was sure she had lied when she said it had been "easy". He was sure she had been compromised. As he turned the corner he felt slightly bad for the way he had acted back there but there really werent any time for making it good right now.

When he came to hes Yalm witch he had parked in the nearby alley he pulled up the files she had given him. He ripped the enclosing up with a yank and started reading the various names listed there. The list was long.

After about half an hour, and several pages, he suddenly stopped. He couldnt believe hes eyes! It was her name!! But he saw her die. He knew she was dead!!!!

Tears started flooding hes eyes. He wiped them away quickly so he could see her name again. He still didnt believe it. Hes mouth shook and tears were again running freely down hes cheeks as he geared hes Yalm and set speed towards the sky. One hand holding the control-pad, the other randomly hitting things inside the cockpit. Visions from the past whelmed up inside him. Pictures of her. Laughing, crying and doing some minor task.
He stopped.

Naefen took a deep breath and when he exhaled there were not one emotion left in hes face. Hes eyes were solid again and the only thing in hes heart now, was hate.
"Defiler" Naefen whispered to himself.
The word hang in the air unwilling to let go.
"Defiler." He said again. More loud this time as to scare the word itself.
"DEEEEEFIIIILER!!!!!" The scream echoed in hes head.

[Naefen]

Naefen made himslef vanish as he walked away from Paxcorpus. He knew shed probably be upset for not getting her bonus credits but Naefen were sure she had been seen from the way she acted. He didnt have time for a discussion with her right now.
Instead, he hurried towards hes Yalm and headed for Omni Ent. The anticipation inside him were almost to much for him to bear and as soon as he entered Omni Ent he ripped open the files and started to read them. The file was long and it took several minutes before Naefen suddenly froze. It was her name!
Chills ran down Naefens spine as he finally had gotten hes hands on solid proof she was not dead. Hes sister was alive! "But how can this be?" He thought. "I saw her die!"

He mind drifted back to the "Defiler" and what he had done to her. He thought about the whole incident. Him on top of her.... Men standing around them........ Her eyes looking straight at him, pleading.... The shot.

Anger whelmed up in Naefen once again. He set course for the alley where he had arranged to meet the "Defiler". Hes eyes were tear soaked but he wiped them off and managed to pull himself back to hes normal emotionless self once again. Day went and night came.

Naefen turned on all hes nano programmes he thought he would need. He falsly ran a couple of Doctor nanos aswell just to be on the safe side. As he was done loading hes rifle he started walking determined into the alley. The suddenly stopped.
"What was that!?" He turned around as he heard a short sound from behind him. "Nothing.... a cat?"
There were no time for checking up on a cat in a alley so Naefen continued into the alley. In the distance he saw the man he had named "Defiler".

To Naefens surprise the man was armed this time. He held a SMG in hes hands. Anger bolted through and overwhelmed Naefen. He took aim and sent a bullet straight through the shoulder of the man who dropped hes SMG and held hes wound tight.
The man shrieked.
"There will be more screaming from this man before Im done..." Naefen thought to himself.

The man suddenly changed.... Instead of bleeding badly it seemed as though the wound had already healed itself. And instead of running he pulled out a couple of long knifes. Naefens eyebrows raised themselfes as he started to speak.
"Nick Noodle so you have finally decided to get your revenge..... Its been hard to make you think you have fooled me all this time knowing you would eventually find out the truth." He spoke calmly. Naefen fired another shot, and hit him in the stomach, but the wound instantly healed itself.

"Youll pay for this rapist!!" It was all Naefen could think off and he started firing wildly at the man. It looked as though he took no damage though as the nanobots surrounding him immediately healed him. He came for Naefen with knifes raised. In few seconds Naefen were on hes knees, bleeding badly. Hes own healing nano werent fast enough and he braced himself for a final blow.

Just then the mans face changed expression and he turned around with a scream. As he did Naefen saw Paxcorpus standing behind him with a blooded knife. Her expression could only be described as "raging mad". The "Defiler" lounged out at her but she dodged impossibly away from them. Naefn thought this was hes only chance and started running a powerful healing nano. The two knife-wielding combatants and the rest of the alley were bathed in a red light from it.

Naefen got up on hes feet again completely healed. He saw Paxcorpus dealing blow after blow to the man but he,in turn, healed them up straight away. Naefen took aim and sent a bullet through the mans neck and out the throat. It staggered him. Paxcorpus in front dodging and stabbing with Naefen firing bullet after bullet at the man. Soon, it was over. The man kneeled down and surrendered. "Enough!" Naefen screamed as he stepped towards him and set a stim into hes neck. He fell over, inconcious.....

"Thank you Pax...I belie.." Naefen interupted himself. Paxcorpus eyes dug into hes skull and her face was pure malevonce. She glanced down to her ,now red, knife. Then raised it while setting her furious eyes on Naefen.
Naefen took a step back. "Pax? What are you doing?"
She smiled madly and took one step towards him.

[Naefen]

In Jobe there is a luxury apartment. Inside that luxury apartment there is no luxury. Everything has been stripped away and replaced with the most up to date medical facilities known to man. It is inhabited by a Doctor. This Doctor is now guarding, amongs other test subjects, another Doctor. The latter Doctor heavily sedated and in no way able to do anything but breathe.

Outside, Naefen sits down on a bench with sweat dripping from hes forehead. The last couple of hours have been hectic, at the very least. To get the "Defiler inside were no walk in the park. To get out again unseen took its poll aswell since the importance of it all were unlike anything Naefen had ever felt. The Doctor he had delivered to were a man Naefen trusted with hes life and so, hes only option. There were no way he could escape. Naefen felt it was time to move on now. Move towards hes sister whom he had found out were still alive. Even though Naefen himself had placed a bullet in her head several years ago. She had mimed the words to him. Begged him for it. And it would never stop aching in the back of hes head.

Hes mind drifted to that climaxing moment in the alley three days ago.
Paxcorpus had saved hes ass that day but there were something seriously wrong with that woman. Behind that friendly and good looking Opifex female there were something else. Something that had almost attacked him that night. Something that made hes spine twitch. She had raised her knife and were just about to attack him before it loosened the grip on her. From what Naefen,slightly shocked as he were, could understand she then didnt even know where she was. Like she was two persons. That had to be it.
Naefen hadnt answered her questions about what was going on or where she was. He had simply handed her a disk with the bonus he had earlier denied her. She did save him. The confusion on her face had made him wanna help her. But he couldnt bring himself to it. So he had started walking. Guilt had whelmed up inside him as he was about to turn the corner out of the alley.
He had turned around and spoken one word."Friends."
The confusion on her face didnt go away. But he thought he had seen a slight nod before he continued walking away.

Naefen shook hes head back in Jobe.
"Friends." He spoke to himself.
"Well, I might have use for her again someday." He smiled to himself.

[Naefen]

Naefen stood over the corpse of yet another Eremite deep in the Shadowlands. Something green and sticky were running out of a series of small holes in its side. The green slime covered Naefens arms as he had examined the corpse for valuables.
He started loading hes rifle fast. He knew there were several more eremites in the area and he didnt want one to burst out from underneath him without a fully loaded rifle. Just as he had finished hes comm-link made a muffled sound.

JacobStroud: Naefen is that you? Finally I thought Id never get a hold of you.
Naefen: God day Mr.Stroud. Im in SL and my comm-links been acting weird these past days. Your calling on commision matters right?
JS: Yes. Is it possible for you to come see me in Trade?
N: I am already on my way Mr.Stroud..

With that, Naefen put hes comm-link down in one of hes pockets and started jogging towards the portals back to Rubi Ka again.
The commision witch Mr.Stroud were starting couldnt have come at a better time for Naefen and so he had applied the second he saw recruitment was open. He knew hes heart and priority was with The Disciples but The Diplomatic Commision of Rubi Ka could be the answer that many people were looking for. He would atleast do hes best. That, and he knew if he could use the commision correctly it could open up a whole new world of information to himself. Information he sorely needed.
He had come to several dead ends in hes search for the wherabouts of hes sister. The last thing he now knew for sure was the day she transfered from Omni Med.
Mr.Stroud was a dedicated Omni Tek employee, he knew, and though they had never met Naefen had a strong feeling he would like him. He kind of liked anyone who would risk a relation with him.

Naefen didnt stop until he was inside one of the Highrise`s where Mr.Stroud waited. It had been a long run and Naefen`s armor components, both Rubi Kan and from SL, were all covered in various bloodspills, mud and sweat. Mr.Stroud clad in a formal Omni dress. Clean and shaven Mr.Stroud was a desk clerk and made no attempt to hide the fact. Naefen thought back to the days when he disguised as a crat had worked the halls of Omni Admin. It was no walk in the park.
He pulled off hes helmet and stretched out a hand to Mr.Stroud who smilingly shook hes hand back.

JS: Good day Naefen. Im glad you had the time to come here from Shadowlands.
N: Good day Mr.Stroud. I have been awaiting your call. I was planning on a trip back here anyways so it was not much of a hassle really.

As they sat there Mr.Stroud informed him that he had been accepted as a comissioner. He received hes uniform, like the one Mr.Stroud was wearing, and hoped he would get a chance to use it soon. Naefen almost smiled when receiving it though thinking about how little good it would do for him exept as a show-off.
He was right about Mr.Stroud though. He did like the man. They talked for a short while about some of the thoughts behind this new commision. And a bit just socializing.
Then they left eachother. Hope had risen in Naefen and he felt relief. The new contact he had made would surely show benefitial in a while.

Naefen went to Rome to check up on some of hes friends in the Guard force. He had a good talk with them about some of the resent attacks on them and how Omni Tek handled the situation.
Then he went to Omni Ent for a quick snack at Bronto Burger.
Hes mind drifted once again to hes sister. He wondered what kind of life she led now. Was she a housewife? Or maybe a warrior?? He hoped for a housewife.
Deep down in hes heart a fear awoke. He pictured her in hes mind. A beautiful woman standing with a gun in her hand. Blood splattered all over her armor. Her other arm raised and in the hand a banner. It read #Freedom!!#

Naefen shook hes head in disbelief. It was to wild. She would never join them. Not after what they did to her. More likely, she was dead.