Anna Ch. 09

"A great deal, provided she is undamaged. Can you give us that proof?"

Another long pause. "I'll give you an account number. After you wire through the money, I'll let you speak to her."

"Unacceptable," Madame Ko replied. "We need proof of life before we can provide any funds to you."

"Woman, I don't know who you are, but if you think you've got room to bargain with me now, you're dead wrong."

Madame Ko frowned. "It should be a simple thing to provide proof of life. If she is unable to speak, send over a visual of her. Keep in mind that if she is unable to speak due to damages wrought by you, the money will be accordingly diminished."

"How much money are we talking here?"

"Provide me with proof of life and I'll provide you with a sum."

"I don't think you understand, bitch." The voice took on a darker tone. "We don't have to play by your rules, not when we hold all the cards. I want fifty thousand credits wired to the account I'm sending you or I set my guns to target you and take what's left of your ship to sell as scrap. Got it?"

Varan was getting tense, but suddenly he noticed something that made his breath stop. "They don't have her," he muttered. Madame Ko glanced at him.

"How do you know?"

"Look at the back of their ship." He pointed at the magnified image before them. "They have an open port. Part of their ship is exposed to vacuum right now. No one flies a ship like that. They're crippled. She did it. She's out."

"Possibly," Madame Ko said after a moment's consideration. "You think it a recent occurrence, then?"

"It has to be. They'll bleed too much power if they fly far like that, and a hulk that old couldn't handle it. She escaped." He immediately set the computer to scouring the surrounding space for an energy signature.

"What's the hold-up, bitch?" The voice sounded irritable, with perhaps a trace of nervousness beneath the bluster.

"If she's no longer there, then they have nothing to bargain with." Madame Ko stood up smoothly. "And if they have nothing to bargain with, I see no reason to offer any sort of clemency." She reached down and pulled a pair of gloves out of the box that also held the tracking monitor. They were heavy gloves, equipped with micro-thrusters at the base and sharp-tipped claws at the end of each finger. "I'll be leaving out the back. If you find a signal to pursue and need to leave the ship, please leave the outer airlock door open for my return."

Varan stared at her for a long moment. "You didn't bring a suit."

"No."

"You're...an android?"

Madame Ko smiled. "Correct. One of the few remaining that was originally created for combat, whether it is based on land, sea or space. The man who paid for my creation also paid for my continuance, and I escaped the purge that destroyed so many of my fellow creations. I don't require a suit, Mr. Varan. All I require is reasonable cause and a suitable target. It's been quite some time since I killed someone, and I find myself looking forward to it." She grinned now, and it was an expression of pure violence. Then she left.

Varan tore his eyes away from the empty door and back to his computer. Even as he searched for a flicker of energy, though, he couldn't help but watch his companion's slow drift towards the pirate ship. She moved through the vacuum with effortless grace, her skirts rippling as though caught in a breeze, a beautiful nightmare. When she reached the ship, she didn't go through the open port. Instead, she plunged one of her claw-tipped hands into the side of the hull, her immense strength driving the super-hardened metal through the surface like a shot with a laser cutter. Lights began to flicker on the ship's exterior, and Varan knew if the pirates weren't dead yet, they would be soon.

He turned the viewport opaque, not wanting to see any more. He waited with growing desperation for the computer to give him some sign, any indication that it had found her. The longer it took, the more desperate he became. What if he had been wrong, what if Elsiane—Anna—was over in that ship right now, hurt and unprotected, dying at the vengeful hands of her brutal guardian angel?

No. There. A flicker, the tiniest little flicker, but it was enough. It had to be her, it had to be. It was moving slowly, drifting away from them. Varan didn't waste any time. He bolted out of his chair and to his suit, synced its personal computer to the ship's, climbed inside and headed towards the airlock. Keeping in mind what Madame Ko had said earlier, he left the outer door open. Then, powering up the thrusters in his boots, he pushed away from the ship and out into space, following the course his computer had laid that should lead him to the signal. It had to be her. It had to be. There was nothing else here. It had to be her.

Single-minded determination had served Varan well in the past, and while his mind begged to wander the corridors of anger, despair and sheer unalloyed terror, he held it firmly in check. He was looking for her now. He could waste time with pointless emotion later. He was getting closer...closer...he should be able to see the object soon. Closer...

What he saw was a light. A faint little flicker in the distance. It bobbed slightly, back and forth. As he got closer he made out the dark form it was attached to. It was a suit, black and battered and in a tightly-curled position. It had to be her. He jetted over quickly, only barely slowing down in time not to go careening past. Reaching out, Varan pulled the still form into his arms.

Her faceplate was mostly clouded over, but through portions of it he could make out her pale skin, the brightness of her hair and the tiny sparkling crystals of ice that dotted the ends of her lashes. His grip clenched spasmodically, pulling her in tighter. He couldn't tell if she was alive or dead. Reaching down, he deactivated the cutter hanging from her belt, then used a line from his own suit to harness them together, face to face. He had to get her back, as fast as possible. Holding her close, he began to follow his path back, guided by the computer and flying as fast as he could force his suit to go. The whole time he kept his eyes on her face, searching for any sign of life, trying to slow his own breathing down and failing miserably as fear began to overwhelm him. He couldn't come all this way to lose her. He couldn't.

The other ship was a spitting, flickering wreckage by the time he returned. Madame Ko wasn't yet back, but Varan had no time to think about that. He got them inside and wrenched open his faceplate, and then her own. Anna's bruised skin was frosted over, and she seemed utterly lifeless.

"No," he muttered savagely. He ordered the ship to a hotter temperature and pulled off his own suit, discarding it in a heap to the side, then removed hers. Blood was frozen in dark rings around her wrists, her left leg was caked with it and one arm was terribly bruised. Her fingertips and most of her toes were tinged with black. "Fuck." He briskly rubbed her chest, shoulders and hips, then checked for a heartbeat. Nothing. "Fuck!" He stood up and walked quickly to his ship's medical chest, pulling out a defibrillator and a stim shot. The shot had chemicals in it that would protect her tissues from necrosis as her heartbeat restarted her blood flow and warmed her body.

Unhesitating, he plunged the needle through her chest and pumped the chemicals directly into her heart. The thin tendrils of frost were already melting away in the heat of his ship. Attaching the defibrillator to her chest, he waited impatiently for it to activate. If she was too far gone, it wouldn't work. He waited. Waited. Waited...finally the green light, and a shock coursed through her body. Her back arched up off the floor with the force of it and he held her still, so she wouldn't hurt herself as she convulsed. One shock seemed to be enough, however, and the machine switched off.

Varan lowered his ear to her chest again, listening for it. Faintly, he heard her heart beating. The terrible energy that had been driving him suddenly seemed to dissolve, and he wanted to slump down beside her and hold her in his arms and not have to worry about anything else. Responsibility drove him to his feet, however. He had to get the Madame Ko back, and then they had to return home, fast. He picked Anna up and carried her into the small bedroom, laying her down gently. Hints of color were coming back into her face, and he could see her chest rise and fall now. Varan ran his fingertips through the end of her ponytail, catching in tangles in a few places. She was alive. Now he needed to make sure that she stayed that way. They needed to get back to Ceyla City.

He left the bedroom and made his way back to the front, reactivating the comm. "Madame?"

"I'm here," she replied. "Outside the ship, rather. You forgot to leave the outer door open upon your return. Given the circumstances I understand, but would appreciate you opening it now." Varan keyed the command in, and less than a minute later Madame Ko walked back into the control room. Or something like her did. The false skin that had covered her arms was shredded, revealing the incredible bionic fibers that made up her muscles. Burns marked her neck and chest, and half of her hair was gone, destroyed in her rampage. Punching through the hull had apparently just been the beginning.

She followed his gaze. "I would appreciate you keeping this to yourself. If people knew, the reaction could be unpleasant."

That was an understatement. Varan nodded. "Done. Fly us back to Ceyla City, she needs more help than we can give her here."

"Anna's danger isn't immediate. Her brain was protected, at least." Nevertheless, she sat down in the pilot's chair and began to turn the ship, heading them back towards their patch of civilization in the middle of so much emptiness. Varan left her there and went back to the bedroom.

***

"Well," a smooth voice said. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

Anna's eyes slowly opened. The lights in the room were low, and the temperature was comfortably muggy. She was covered with a light blanket and wearing a skin-tight med-suit. Her feet and hands felt heavy, but when she tried she found she could move her fingers. Her blurry, unfocused gaze finally settled on Madame Ko, sitting beside her bed. She looked serene as usual. Her black hair was styled differently than Anna remembered it, but that was the only thing out of place. "You found me." Her voice was a little rusty, but not too bad.

"With help, yes." She leaned forward a little. "Don't strain your eyes, they'll take a while to recover."

"It was your tag they found in me."

"Yes."

Anna sighed deeply. "Thank you for doing that. I can't believe..." She took in her surroundings, the familiar hospital room where she'd stayed after her last attack. "I can't believe I'm alive. What happened to...to them?" She couldn't bring herself to be specific. Memories crowded at the edges of her conscious mind, and she staved them off as best she could, not wanting to dissolve into a puddle of tears in front of her employer.

"Your abductors' ship was disabled. Everyone aboard it died of exposure to the elements, such as they were."

"Dead? Everyone?"

"Everyone. Don't waste any pity on them, Elsiane. They died a fast, fairly painless death. Sometimes that's the best solution."

Anna had no idea what to say. Killing someone had been so far outside her comfort zone that it had nearly disabled her, and here was Madame Ko speaking very casually about the deaths of probably ten men. Admittedly, they were scumbags, but the thought of it still made her sick. Madame Ko noticed her discomfort. "A certain amount of shock is to be expected. However, I did promise you safety." Her eyes sharpened for a moment. "I never compromise a contract. You fulfilled your end of it, and I in turn fulfilled mine. Actually, we need to speak of your contract, Elsiane."

Anna shifted a little. "What about it?"

"It's nothing to be nervous about." Madame Ko gave her a small smile. "The remnants of the pirates' ship were towed back here and sold. The money was enough to pay off the rest of your debt and leave you with over nine thousand credits in your account. You could buy a first-class ticket to anywhere in this galaxy with that kind of money and still have some to spare when you arrived. You could buy a share in a merchant shipping company or invest in some other business to bring you revenue. You could live off it for months and be comfortable." She spread her hands.

"What I'm saying, Elsiane, is that you don't have to continue working as a Star. After what's happened to you, I don't think you should work, at least not for some time." She cocked her head slightly. "You're welcome to continue eventually, of course. More offers have come through for you, and several of your previous clients have inquired. The choice is yours."

"What about my contract with Varan?"

"He cancelled it. Given the circumstances, it seemed like the best thing to do."

Anna couldn't make herself reply. She was alive, against all the odds, and the only person she really wanted right now was Varan. And he cancelled. He cancelled their contract. Her heart ached for him so badly she wanted to scream, but she bit back her disappointment. Her efforts didn't fool Madame Ko.

"Varan assisted me in finding you, Elsiane. We used his ship to track you, and he was the one who went out after you and brought you back, not me. He's here now, outside the room. He's stayed here as long as you have." Madame Ko inclined her head in an intimate gesture. "Consider that when you contemplate what to do with your future." She stood up. "Contact me once you've made your decision. You'll likely be here for another few days. Your new credit strip will be given to you before you leave the hospital."

"Thank you."

Madame Ko nodded and left the room. She paused in the hall, said something softly that Anna couldn't make out, and then walked away. Varan entered moments later.

He nearly filled the doorway, framed as a looming shadow for a moment before stepping from the brightness into her dimmer room. Seeing him eased a pain inside of her that had been wearing on Anna for a long time. She mutely held out a hand to him. He hesitated, then took it lightly as he sat in the vacated seat next to her.

"How do your fingers feel?"

That was the first thing he had to say? How are your fingers? How very practical. "They feel a little stiff." She glanced down at herself. "Is that why I'm wearing the med-suit?" It was a sophisticated body suit designed to deliver medication, monitor vital signs and treat skin problems all at once. Problems like frostbite.

"Your suit's heating array was damaged. You had some tissue damage. Most of the grafts are still healing."

"At least they didn't have to amputate this time."

"True. You're lucky."

Those two words summed up exactly how Anna felt. "Yes, I am." She increased the pressure of her grip slightly. "You came after me."

His expression was impossible to make out beneath all the scars, but he wouldn't meet her eyes with his own. "I felt a certain responsibility to see that you were safe. I'd been expecting you, after all."

"I know. Why did you cancel the contract?"

Sarcasm weighed his voice down. "Perhaps because you're in no state to pleasure anyone right now? You can't even walk yet."

A month ago, a statement like that would have disconcerted Anna. Now, however, she felt much more confident. "We could have rescheduled. I want to reschedule it."

"Why bother?" He released her hand and sat back, further in the shadows. "You have means now. There are lots of options open to you. I happen to know that Matilda Snow has a position waiting for you at her company if you want it. Whoring yourself out for other people's pleasure to make a few credits isn't your only option anymore, and frankly, you can do better." He paused for a moment. "Besides, I seem to remember you promising me not to get involved with any more death-defying feats."

Anna grinned. "I know, I've been a miserable failure at that so far. Maybe I should move on, take myself on a vacation somewhere." She looked down at the cover and traced a random pattern on it with her finger. "Maybe I'll go to Griffyn." She watched him shift out of the corner of her eye. "Maybe I'll find a lovely beach somewhere close to your company, and I'll build a home there and whenever you come to visit, I'll make you teach me to swim."

"Anna..." He exhaled her name with a gravelly sigh. "You're drugged, you're sick, you're traumatized. You don't know what you're saying."

"No, I do know," she insisted. "I finally know. I've been afraid since I got to this place. I felt alone and awkward and childish. The only time I felt like myself, my old self, was when I was with you. I missed you, I dreamed about you, and when I found out you wanted me again I was so happy I could have burst. Then Stefen found me." She glanced down at the arm he'd broken, almost completely healed now. "I thought I was going to die. I thought I'd never see you again."

"Stop," he said firmly. "You don't need to be reliving this now. Get some rest."

"No, I've rested." Anna looked back over at him. "If I don't say it now you'll walk away and I might never get the chance. I love you." She watched him shake his head. "You don't have to love me back, I just don't want you to completely push me away. Please." She gave him a half-smile. "I couldn't be your Star now anyway, you know my real name. How did you find out?"

"Madame Ko mentioned it when she was negotiating for you," Varan replied. His voice sounded strained. "Anna, listen to me. You're young. You're beautiful, and intelligent. You have skills that are in demand. There are much better ways for you to spend your life than with a man like me." He raised a hand to his face. "This will never change, never go away. My immune system rejects all grafts and mechanicals. You deserve someone better, someone kinder, someone handsome."

"There is no one better," she whispered. She patted the side of her bed. "My vision is still fuzzy, I can't see you from where you're sitting. Sit next to me, please."

She knew he wanted to say something caustic about what she'd be seeing, but he swallowed his self-loathing and moved beside her. The slender hospital bed shifted heavily under his weight before mechanically adjusting.

Anna captured his dodging face with a hand, forcing him to look at her. "You are handsome to me." She stroked one scarred jaw. "You are kind. You're everything I could ever want, and I can't pretend otherwise anymore. I love you."

"Anna." She heard everything from disbelief to exasperation to cautious hope in that one word, and reaching out she pulled his face to hers and kissed him, like she had at the end of their first meeting. He flinched away, just like he had then, but she held him firmly and prolonged the kiss, relishing his closeness and the feel of his body so close to hers. Memories stirred her recovering libido, and when she pulled him back onto the bed with her he followed, never breaking the kiss. How was it possible she could want someone so badly? His hand gently caressed the length of her waist as he leaned into her, and she tasted his hunger and responded to it eagerly—

"A-hem." The loud cough by the door was designed to distract, and it worked. "The doctor would prefer that you save all vigorous physical activity for after you've recovered, miss." The nurse crossed his arms sternly. "Individual and group activities. No exceptions. We can have a separate bed brought in if you feel compelled to stay."

"Do that."

"Very well." The nurse gave them one more sidelong look before leaving.

Anna smiled broadly. "We must be doing something right, the establishment is mad at us." She stroked his cheek beneath his good eye. "I'm glad you're staying."