Time To Listen

"Injuries sustained will kill him in a couple hours without medical assistance." Elly was helpfully updating Xanthiana on the state of their wounded prisoner. He had coughed up some blood, but outside of that and the obvious gunshot wounds seemed stable enough.

"Screw you, you cat fucking bitch." Xanthiana sighed, she had dealt with humans ridiculous belief that her people were some kind of human cat hybrid her entire life, but she never got used to how ignorantly they held to the belief.

"You're dying, I can help you, but you'll have to help me." It seemed a reasonable request to make to someone she shot, the dying man did not see it that way and frantically tried to reach for a weapon. Xanthiana stepped on his hand.

"His ego device is attempting to connect to others, should I block the signal?" Elly was her usual helpful self and Xanthiana appreciated it.

"No let it go through."

"They don't care about me, but I'm letting them know all about you, and they'll find you you stupid.." Xanthiana stepped on his throat and then crouched down to his face.

"I hope you're receiving me loud and clear whoever you are, I killed your men here, and I'll kill you, not out of any concern for the ranchers or sense of justice. No I'll kill you because you inconvenienced me, so rally your little group of dumb assholes together, you know where you can find me." She crushed his throat as a sign off. She might have been able to get more information out of him, but she doubted it, he was a follower not a leader, and they don't tell followers anything.

"I was not able to trace the signal to other EGO devices Xan."

"Its ok Elly I'm sure they'll come looking for us."

"And what will we do in the meantime?"

"Plan Elly, we'll plan because if there is one thing my time with the Votanis Collective taught me, human's can't plan for shit."

Baited Trap

There were five of them, they looked to be paramilitary, they used military tactics had weapons that were in decent shape and were all around the same build. They didn't wear a uniform that distinguished them as either corporate or Erep, but that could be because what they were involved with wasn't a sanctioned operation. More dangerously according to Elly they all had EGO devices, which spoke to them possibly being involved with Von Bach. Xanthiana was hiding in the top of the barn, she had her rifle out and a spare magazine sitting near by. The men had arrived in a truck, it looked like they were intending on capturing whoever had arrived to help the farmers based on the non lethal weapons they had out.

"I have checked personnel records, these men were slated to come with Von Bach as a security detail, but shortly after the carrier exploded this group among several others went missing." It was as Xanthiana feared, some kind of staged coup.

"Fantastic, they can't find us with their ego devices can they?" Xanthiana fingered the trigger, the men were smart not to walk in a single line, if she opened up at best she'd get two before they could return fire.

"Negative, I have disabled our locator, it was one of the first things I did back when we landed Xan."

"Perfect, what else do we know about this group of assholes?"

"Checking with the ereps, this group also was a part of a larger group that stole materials and is suspected of killing an erep officer." Xanthiana sighed and pulled up her side arm and put it next to the extra magazine for the rifle, she had the jump on them but if things went south she wanted all opportunities to murder them as efficiently as possible.

"So they have our similar capabilities?"

"Within reason, different EGO devices have different capabilities, if you can remove one I could get a look at their capabilities and specifically adjust my own programming to allow for new ones." Xanthiana shifted, three of the men were standing near each other while the other two were searching the house, if she was going to take her shots it would have to be soon.

"Kind of morbid to rip a fellow ego out of someone isn't it?"

"Its just a tool Xan, you and I are friends, but I understand I'm a tool, I'm used to make you better, if I malfunctioned you would replace me, in a way if you did the same I would replace you."

"That makes me feel so much better." Xanthiana took aim and opened fire, she had four of them in her sights, the fifth had wandered off so she hoped he would show up again once the shooting started. Her opening burst killed two and winged the third in the shoulder, he slumped down trying to find her, she let him be as she turned her attention to the fourth man a casti who ran to help his fallen comrade. She shot him in the back of the head coating his wounded companion with what little remained of his brain.

"Well that ego device is gone, try to aim for body shot kills."

"Where's the fifth guy?" She heard a hammer hit back behind her.

"Nice shooting, throw it away." Her attacker had gotten the drop her, he was standing over her with a leg behind either shoulder and his pistol pointing down at her head. Xanthiana smiled and swung her body knocking him off his feet and slamming into a nearby hay bale. "Wait." He screamed out before she shot him through the throat and kicked his pistol aside.

"He's still alive."

"You said no head shots."

"Well it'll take him one minute and thirty seconds assuming normal functioning cardiac system, maybe shoot him through the temple? It won't damage the EGO." Xanthiana did as she was told and the young attacker stopped moving.

"How's the last guy doing?"

"The surviving member has broken shoulder, his EGO is administering endorphins to keep him moving." Xanthiana took up her rifle and saw him struggling to his feet. She shot him through the knee cap and he collapsed again.

"How about now?"

"He's still combat viable but effectively neutralized, you should kill him."

"I will in time, but first we need to figure out what he knows." Xanthiana reloaded the rifle and made her way to the wounded man, one way or another he'd tell her everything.

Stealth Bugs

"I do not understand why we had to leave the car behind." The Farm definitely looked like Hellbugs had been there, there were even some dead one nearby, but Xanthiana could not see current activity as she approached. It was dark but it wasn't that dark to obscure the normally not caring to much about being seen bugger bastards.

"I just got it running again, I don't want some hellbug shit or blood or whatever else they spew out wrecking it." The challenger was safely parked up the road well away from any wandering hellbugs, it made a bit of a walk to get to the ranch on a hill, but it was worth it for the car to stay safe.

"Someone could always steal it."

"You're just a wealth of helpful beliefs Elly." Xanthiana moved from the main parking area of the ranch to the main house which was empty of people but had more hellbug bodies. That's how it went as she moved through the entire complex, bodies of dead hellbugs, spent ammunition casings from weaponry, but no people or evidence of anyone who had called for help.

"I have no current active people on my scans Xan, I am scanning several frequencies to even identify who sent the distress call, I'm not coming up with anything locally."

"Well I'll admit this is fairly alarming, either hellbugs have advanced to being hyper intelligent and not just ravenous beasts."

"Or someone else got here before we did."

"Or something else, I'm not seeing any blood from people here am I missing it?" Xanthiana was confused, she had retreated to the main house to try and seek out a basement structure or something to indicate what had gone on, but she wasn't finding anything.

"Negative none of my scans show any blood."

"I'll admit Elly I'm going to need your help on this one, I can't even begin to guess what happened here."

"My scans are showing something interesting with the corpses Xan, they are all dead by several days."

"They are what?"

"Yes can we withdraw outside I want to confirm a hunch."

"Sure It was getting creepy in here anyway." Xanthiana walked outside, what Elly was hoping to see she couldn't make out.

"Confirmed, this was an organized grab by slavers of some kind, I can make out tire imprints obscured by the hellbug blood." Xanthiana was taken a back by the revelation. Regular slavers were stupid and brutal, who would steal a group of ranchers with a fake hellbug attack, on top of that why call in a hellbug attack and then dissappear?

"I'm really confused by this."

"Perhaps you can ask the group of armed men approaching from the south Xan."

"I just might Elly, I just might."

You Can Never Leave

Xanthiana was driving down what at one point had probably been a highway, it was mostly ruined there were large sections missing and broken down pieces of equipment everywhere, but it was nice to have the freedom back. For the first time since she'd signed up for the EGO device and the Von Bach experience she actually felt back to who she was originally, a soldier trying to find her way in the world. Well until Elly talked in her head reminding her that she was now forever brain tagged with a companion and a corporate obligation to pay off the surgery. Which she thought was completely they required the surgery and stuck her with a bill for it, all at the same time!

"Xan I've got some farmers in trouble on the radar."

"Someone else can till the fields Elly we've got to get out paradise this place sucks." It did suck, she was tired of the military, the hell bugs, and most certainly tired of Von Bach even if she hadn't really interacted with him at all.

"They are apparently being assaulted by Hellbugs Xan, if we don't help them they'll die." Xanthiana really wanted to tell Elly that was someone else's problem, someone else's concern, but that's not who she was, no matter how much she wanted to ignore something, she couldn't even when it came at personal detriment.

"How much ammo do we have?"

"A little over five magazines of rifle ammo, 4 magazines of pistol, and 3 grenades."

"Fantastic, pull the farmers up on the map." In her head Xanthiana could see the farm show up with a bright red dot highlighting it.

"Should I call the military Xan?"

"No Elly, I think we got this." Xanthiana gunned the engine and sadly thought she'll never leave Paradise, not while she was breathing it seemed.

Never Say Good Bye

"You're still here?" Cobb had come by as Xanthiana was attempting to get the engine running, she had actually found some parts after trading bullets to a passing trader, and with Elly's help was almost ready to try and start it up.

"Well the car isn't fixed yet Cobb, its not like you guys can throw me out of your camp, I'm still useful." She didn't turn around, she could tell from his tone he was in a pissy mood and she wasn't going to humor him.

"We very much can throw your votan ass out of this camp, and your usefullness is something you haven't really demonstrated Roeyka, you're like the rest of your race, claiming you can do something, but haven't show an ability at all." Xanthiana flipped him off and kept working. Cobb fed up with her walked off mumbling to himself.

"Why do people hate Votans Xan?" Elly's computer diagnostics were instrumental in fixing the Challenger, in what would have previously taken Xanthiana hours to even find what was wrong she was able to see in real time what it should look like, and what it did look like. It was one of several really nice things about the EGO unit in general.

"I thought we went over this, we are blamed for the every problem wrong with earth. And in a way we did cause the current problems, but its not like the planet was perfectly fine prior to our arrival." Xanthiana didn't know a ton of earth history, but seeing how humans had basically been perfectly fine killing their own to kill votans, it at least showed they could be merciless.

"I just don't understand why there is a conflict between your races, we both are stuck on earth, we should make the most of it."

"You think that Elly, and I think think that, but both the Votanis Collective, and the Earth Government do not think that." Xanthiana checked everything over and it seemed to be in order, she was terrified though, because she really wanted to leave the military base, and if the car didn't start this time she would probably have to leave it behind.

"Why do they not think that?"

"Because if there is one thing I've known in my limited time in dealing with either group, its that assholes always rise to power and do not share it at all." Xanthiana got in the drivers seat and waited for a moment before turning the key.

"You should be in charge."

"I've been saying that my whole life Elly." She turned the key and the engine roared to life, she smiled and pounded the dashboard.

"Where do we go now Xan?"

"Somewhere that isn't here Elly, somewhere that isn't here."

Everyone Needs Some DownTime

"So you're fired." Xanthiana had just come out of the command tent. Sagaran was waiting for her with his companion Tex.

"Well I wasn't exactly Earth republic to begin with, technically I'm working for VBI." As the AI in her head kept insisting Xanthiana thought to no one in particular.

"Well you could always work with us running messages, Tex is great and all, but you're a trained killer cutter, Tex is just a farm boy with a very large pistol."

"I keep telling you whitey I'm from Arkansas, if anything you should call me Ark." Sagaran smiled and kept rolling a cigarette. He was sitting on a beat up runner, Xanthiana was surprised he drove it very far, let alone made long trips in it.

"Sorry I'll pass, I'm not much for delivering anything."

"Suit yourself Cutter, me and Tex have to split if that's ok with the brass, we got a message for Defiance."

"I don't think they care too much about what you do Sagaran, tell me how Defiance looks, I might end up there soon if things keep going to shit here."

"They just survived an attack by the Volge last I heard."

"So better than here Sagaran?" Sagaran finished his cigarette, struck it up, and got in his runner; Tex followed shortly thereafter.

"Whatever you decide to do, stay Alive Cutter, I always liked you." He drove off leaving Xanthiana in the dust, it was getting late she figured she'd have to find someplace to bed down soon, and with the military yelling her into at least being on leave for now she knew she couldn't hang around with them.

"Would you really go to Defiance?" Elly piped up as Xanthiana walked back to her non function Challenger.

"Nah that place is a warzone, which I realize is silly saying since we are currently sitting in an active one, but they have a worse situation, politics, city life, lack of freedom, the war they are fighting is one society always fights, and I'd rather fight with rifles and bullets, than policies and taxes."

"Good because I don't want to go back east either."

"Oh you think you have a say in where we go elly?"

"I could always try to exert influence over your motor controls."

"That's not funny Elly."

"That's not what my humor matrix's claimed." Xanthiana didn't sleep very well that night.

Hostage Negotiation

"Its ok we can talk this out." The large sensoth was practically crushing the neck of the hostage he had snatched up. Xanthiana could see the fear in the smaller man's eyes.

"Gun down now I will not repeat myself."

"I believe he is serious Xan." Xanthiana liked the little moments when she was reminded that Elly was very much a child in regards to dealing with any situation.

"Do you have a suggestion?"

"Well he's only got the one hostage currently, so even assuming we lose that one the rest will be ok." Xanthiana had to appreciate the other analytical side of the computer, it decided that one hostage was an acceptable loss based entirely on numbers. Xanthiana would normally think the same, but operating under the EREP authority meant they would hold her accountable if she just shot first and asked questions later, even if since landfall that's been the general strategy of the EREP's themselves.

"So shoot the hostage?"

"Its a sound strategy and would surprise the Sensoth I bet."

"I'm not shooting the hostage Elly!" Xanthiana could have almost laughed at the argument if the Sensoth hadn't screamed in frustration at her not dropping her rifle.

"PAY ATTENTION TO ME!" It was a strange thing for a hostage taker to shout to be heard like a small child. Xanthiana shot him through the forehead and the creature slumped to the ground his terrified hostage huddled next to the creatures body too terrified to move.

"Well that also works." Xanthiana smiled that the little AI didn't want to admit there was more than one solution to a problem. The hostages were very thankful for the rescue, one in particular a Castithan with a scar around his neck and clothing that made him not look like any miner she'd ever seen caused Xanthiana to pause.

"Sagaran?" The little Casti smiled and hugged her.

"Nice to see you cutter, how are you doing?" Sagaran had an associate with him a big human with dread locks.

"Working for the Ereps, killing bandits."

"Nice of them to let bygones be bygones like that after how many of them you killed in the war." The hostages made their way out of the mine, waiting for them was a division of Ereps lead by Cobb. Elly had apparently gotten through to Cobb and he had come running. Xanthiana laughed at the situation, like most things in her life Earth was a little bit behind when it came to getting things done.