Isn't Life Strange
By: Heidi "Lady Niko" Reckel

Chapter VII

"'Cause it's time, it's time in time
With your time, and its news is captured
For the Queen to use..."
I've Seen All Good People, Yes


  The hyperspace jump was a short one, and soon the shuttle dropped out of hyperspace at the edge of the asteroid field where the Queen of the Crown's Psychocrypt was. After docking, the guards dumped the unconscious Niko unceremoniously in a cell and locked the door behind them as they left.

  The dungeonmaster informed the Queen of the Crown that the Galaxy Ranger was in a cell, awaiting her pleasure. The Queen smiled and said that she would be there shortly to visit with her guest and told him to have a wide selection of her interrogation drugs ready for her to use upon her arrival.

  The dungeonmaster nodded and answered, "Yes, Your Majesty, everything will be ready for you when you arrive." The Queen nodded and cut the transmission.

  A few minutes later, she arrived in the dungeon, flanked by two guards instead of her usual two Slaverlords. The dungeonmaster bowed to her before moving to open the cell door for the Queen and her guards. The guards entered first and began waking Niko up, using the butts of their blaster-rifles.

  Niko awoke to a sharp pain in her ribs. Instinctively, she tried to roll away and get into a fighting crouch as the butt of a blaster rifle slammed into her back. She fell back to the floor with a grunt and tried again. She finally managed to grab a leg and pull it out from underneath her captor. She tried to get the blaster and some distance from her attacker. As soon as she made a move for the blaster, she was slammed forward by another sharp rifle butt. She stumbled and fell to the floor again. She lay there for a moment winded, her ribs on fire, and when she could breathe, she moved her head and saw a pair of black suede boots.

  Her eyes widened in surprise. This wasn't one of the guards...

  "Still a fighter, Little Niko? Good. I always admired that about you."

  She slowly looked up and saw the Queen of the Crown peering down at her. Lord and Lady, Sorceress and Scholar... "What?" asked Niko, trying to recover her bearings. "Is the Psychocrypt broken?"

  "Oh no, Niko.... I have something else planned for you..." the Queen purred.

  "Something else?" Niko asked.

  "Yes, child," the Queen answered. "I want you to serve me as my willing pupil."

  "You'll ice skate in hell before that happens," Niko said, repeating something she'd heard Doc say once.

  "I'm sure I can manage to change your mind," the Queen answered.

  Niko shivered. The Queen's persuasion usually left broken bones and bruises. Absently, she rubbed her collarbone and forearm.

  "But, that can wait until after you tell me what I wish to know..." the Queen answered.

  "I won't tell you anything, Your Majesty, and you know it. You'll have to rip my mind out first," Niko said with more defiance than she felt.

  "No... I want your mind intact, for now..." the Queen said. "I'll get the information from you another way, my dear."

  Niko hated those two words when the Queen said them. She backed up a little bit, holding back on saying anything else that might aggravate the situation.

  The Queen motioned to a third guard standing just outside the doorway. He came forward with a tray that had various hypodermic needles on it. She looked at the guard and said, "Use the interrogation drugs only. I want her intact otherwise, since I have plans for her."

  She turned her attention back to Niko, "I am also an amateur scientist, Niko. My field of study is pain. Your captain, for instance, has always made an interesting subject in mental anguish studies. You... will make an interesting subject on many more levels. Physical torment, mental duress... yes, you will prove to be a fascinating test subject."

  Niko shuddered. She only hoped that she could use her gifts to block out whatever they were going to do to her.

  "And your psychic abilities open you to even more delightful realms of experimentation. You will suffer constantly, little Niko. Not just for days or even weeks but years, decades..." The Queen said.

  How long would her psychic gifts protect her? Niko wondered.

  The Queen nodded to the two other guards in the cell who each got a good grip on Niko's arms after a brief struggle. She traced Niko's arm with a light, icy finger. She stopped at a spot on the inside of Niko's elbow. "Inject the first one here."

  The guard nodded, "Yes, Your Majesty."

  Niko tried to struggle but the hypodermic needle hit her vein precisely and discharged its contents. The stuff rushed to her head almost immediately, making her dizzy, and her head felt three feet thick. Her knees buckled and she would have fallen but for the guards holding her arms. Her head lolled on her shoulders, too heavy for her to hold up.

  "My first question," the Queen asked. "Is this - Do you come from Earth?"

  "Yes..." Niko slurred. She didn't want to answer but somehow the will was overridden. Then, a second later, "No..." she heard herself saying.

  "Where are you from, if not from earth?" the Queen questioned. "What is your homeworld?"

  Niko tried to resist and partially succeeded, "Circle... Can't... tell... you..."

  "Another five gigils."

  "Yes, Your Majesty."

  The robot guard next to the Queen injected another bit into Niko's arm.

  "Now, where are you from, Little Niko?"

  "Not on map, or by scanner..." Niko slurred out. "Nowhere."

  The Queen's eyes narrowed as she digested this piece of information. Niko heard her grumble, "It would be like them to send a mere girl against me." Then, "Who sent you?"

  "No one. Sent myself."

  The Queen thought a moment, her eyes resting on the tray of hypodermics, then turned back to Niko. "I see... Will your precious league come following you?"

  "Did this 'gainst orders. Zach... Doc... maybe..."

  The Queen said, "Ah, Captain Zachary Foxx..." She laughed low in her throat, "and perhaps Ranger Hartford as well... delightful."

  She pulled out something from her cloak. "The last questions I have to ask you," she purred, "Concern this."

  Niko managed to hold her head up long enough to look at the object in the Queen's hand. Her vision was foggy but, she saw something red that glowed faintly in the Queen's hand. The object was put in her hands and Niko could sense the Queen's presence.

  The Queen forced herself into Niko's mind, heightening her senses and her perceptions. Images, emotions, flooded into her. The distant sounds of and screams. Niko tried to retreat from the invading presence in her mind. No, anything but this....

  "You know who he is, don't you?" the Queen said. "You came to rescue him."

  Niko sobbed, "Yes." She had to answer the question; she had no choice.

  "Tell me whose life-force I have taken," the Queen said, her voice as cold and smooth as a frozen pond.

  "Shane, Shane Gooseman." Niko was crying openly now, as the images and emotions poured through the forced link with the crystal.

  "I see," the Queen said. She went in for the killing blow. "And what are your... feelings for Ranger Gooseman?"

  Niko was shaking. Grieving, terrified, drugged and fighting a losing battle. Every fiber of her tried to resist. "I...."

  "Tell me, Niko, what are your feelings for him?" the Queen repeated.

  Niko couldn't control her quaking. "I... I... No!"

  The Queen was pleased with this last bit of resistance from her. She dug her fingernails into Niko's chin and said, "Tell me, Niko."

  With tears running down her face, Niko admitted, "I love him...."

  Still keeping her chin in a deathgrip, the Queen turned to whisper in Niko's ear. "That's all I wanted to know."

  Niko's whole body went limp and the two guards holding her up let her fall to the floor in a heap. The Queen had gotten the information she wanted.

  The Queen ordered the guards to leave and she knelt next to Niko, now helpless on the floor. "There," she said. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" Gently, she brushed the hair from Niko's face before rising.

  Niko flinched and would have moved away if she'd had the strength. She whispered in one last act of defiance, "You won't always be able to force your way in my mind like that, Your Majesty."

  "I won't have to, Lady Niko," the Queen answered, looking down on her. "Soon, you'll let me in of your own free will."

  With a swish of her red cape, the Queen casually picked up Shane's crystal, then left the cell.

  Niko lay where she had collapsed, tears streaming down her face, her arms wrapped protectively around her tender ribs. "Oh, Shane.... what have I done?"

* * * *

  A short time later, Doc came back to the bridge.

  "We're traveling at about three-quarters our usual speed in hyperspace, but the horses are secure." Doc reported.

  "Good," Zach answered looking straight ahead. "Strap in."

  Doc nodded and strapped into the co-pilot's seat.

  "GeeVee, can you give me a status on that crown shuttle?" Zach asked sometime later as they approached the asteroid belt. Ranger-One cautiously negotiated the asteroid field, more out of fear of being spotted than fear of the asteroids themselves.

  "Heavy Shielding. Type Eight Imperial Blaster Cannons, crew reads thirty live guards."

  "Live guards? I didn't think that the Queen had any live guards," Doc questioned.

  "I read thirty live guards, Ranger Hartford." GeeVee answered.

  "Right, Captain." Doc said.

  "GeeVee, what else can you tell me about that ship? Is there anyway we can sneak on-board that shuttle without being caught?"

  "Shuttle is moving away from asteroid base. It would appear that they have already off-loaded."

  "Blast!" Zach said, bringing his fist down on the arm of his chair.

  Doc didn't say a word, just shook his head and looked over the base readouts.

  "Uh-oh, Captain Foxx, I am reading several crown ships moving in on our position. It appears that we have been spotted," GeeVee reported, his voice quaking.

  Zachary and Doc sprung into action, Doc activating the shields and fire controls, Zach grabbing the piloting stick.

  "I see them, Captain!" Doc said from his position at the firing controls "They're closing in fast!"

  The crown ships slid into position around the Ranger ship.

  "Hold on, Doc," Zach said before starting to jerk the ship around for evasive maneuvers. "Going for pattern Sierra."

  "Right, Captain," Doc answered.

  The crown ships opened fire as Zach maneuvered the ship. Ranger-One whipped around an asteroid and came back, only to get broadsided with a volley of shots from the Crown fighters launched from the base. The jolt hit the ship hard, rocking it out of control for a moment. If Zachary and Doc hadn't been strapped in, they would have been tossed like rag dolls.

  "Doc, how are our shields?" Zach asked, struggling to bring the ship about.

  "We've lost port shields totally!" yelled Doc, "Another hit over there and we're risking a hull breech." He tried to compensate and shift power from another secondary system to that area but was met with a scorching burn when he tried to touch his control panel. He yowled and jerked his hand away. "Controls are ionized!"

  "Can your tweaker programs do anything?" Zach questioned.

  Doc shook his head and pulled out the CDU. "I'm giving it a go!" He touched his badge, activating his implant, giving him a direct link to his -tweaker programs. The holographic diamond flashed before him, "All tweakers - this is an emergency! Give me everything you've got to keep those shields up!"

  "Right on, Doc!" one of the tweakers answered.

  "Let's go!" another one called.

  "Pathfinder, see what you can do about de-ionizing these controls," Doc specifically asked one of the tweakers. The tiny, glowing hacker-programs flew into the console and Doc was able to regain partial control.

  "Captain, I've got some control but I don't know how long it will last!" Doc called.

  "Can you shift power from somewhere to give the shields more power, Doc?" Zach asked, using all his piloting skills to avoid the Crown fighters. The Crown ships came in for another sweep. Doc was able to fire the cannons and blast a couple of them. They spun out of control and crashed into the asteroids.

  "I'm already doing everything I can to keep us breathing, Zach," he said. "All non-essential functions are down."

  "The asteroid has just launched more fighters, Captain Foxx, sir." GeeVee replied, his blue-green holographic eyeball quivering in fear.

  Zach, trying to gain some sort of control, called over to Doc, "I'm going to move deeper into the asteroid belt to see if I can lose them. That seems like our only chance!"

  Doc complained half-heartedly, "I knew I never should have signed that Ranger application!"

  "Too late for that... heading right for the asteroid field!"

  Time seemed to freeze for Zach as he looked at the fortress... No... Goose and Niko were as good as dead unless he got them out... or maybe it was too late already...He hoped it wasn't...

  Looking up at Zach's face, Doc said, "Captain we are of no use to them dead! We have to get out of here!" he called, hoping to get through to Zach.

* * * *

  In the palace, the Queen sat on her throne and watched calmly as the Ranger ship dived further into the asteroid belt. It would make this much more interesting... She summoned her guards to bring Niko to her. Now I will break her, she thought as she watched the shuttle slowly make its way through the asteroids.

  Within moments, the guards returned with Niko between them. The Queen looked her over and purred with delight as the woman shivered.

  "The Psychocrypt," Niko said dully.

  "No, dear. Not yet." The Queen gestured to the monitor. "It's your Captain Foxx making a foolhardy attempt to rescue you."

  Niko turned and looked at the monitor then took an involuntary step back when she recognized the ship on the screen. It was Ranger-One! Niko took in a deep breath. "No.... oh no..." she whispered under her breath.

  "Oh yes, indeed, Niko... You know that both he and Ranger Hartford would be willing to make any attempt to rescue you and Ranger Gooseman from my clutches... even brave death... I'm afraid they will not be successful."

  "I thought you wanted them as more trophies for the Psychocrypt?"

  The Queen stood up, her ruby eyes locked on Niko's. "Their fate, my little Niko, is entirely up to you."

  "What do you mean?" she asked, as she watched the pitiful remnant of Ranger-One move across the screen.

  "I can call off the attack," she said, moving to whisper the words in Niko's ear, "With one push of a button, I can send the fighters away."

  Niko jumped at the Queen's nearness and said, "Why should I believe you?"

  "Do you have any choice?" The Queen answered. "Because, my dear. You are valuable."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Agree to my terms and I'll let them go. Refuse me and they die."

  "What are your terms?" Niko asked.

  "Surrender and pledge your willing servitude to me."

  "Why me? You know I will never serve you willingly," she questioned, shocked.

  "Oh, you will, if you want them to live..." The shock turned to a look of understanding as she turned back to the screen. "Make your choice, Niko," the Queen pressed.

* * * *

  "We still don't have enough power!" shouted Doc as he tried again to fire the useless blasters. The fighters were coming closer, closer... almost within range. One more hit and they were done for.

  "Why aren't we finished?? They could have gotten rid of us long ago," Zach asked looking at the in-coming ships. "What are they waiting for?"

* * * *

  In the asteroid, Niko stood motionless staring at the monitor in disbelief.

  "It's time to make your choice, Niko: join me and your friends will live, or refuse me and send them to their graves. You won't be able to save him," the Queen said. "But you have a chance to save them. They don't have the strength to save themselves. If you refuse, I promise that you will die with them."

  Niko shivered... The Queen was right... what choice did she have? She asked, "If I accept... you will let them go?"

  "Yes, I will let them go," the Queen answered, then added under her breath, "For now."

  "All right then, I surrender," Niko said, looking at the Queen. She swallowed, fighting to keep her fear at bay.

  The Queen walked to a panel, pressed a button and Ranger-One was left alone in space as the Crown fighters returned to the asteroid base.

  She said, "Wise choice, Niko."

  Niko was shaking, watching the small ship limp away. She hoped, but didn't believe that Ranger-One would hold together long enough to make it back to the League. Gods... what had she done? Giving BETA a fighting chance, she reminded herself.

  The Queen smiled. Oh, did she have plans for Niko. Then her voice intruded on Niko's thoughts, "No, my dear, BETA has no chance against my armada."

  Niko's voice was shaky, "Can I be alone, Majesty?"

  "You may have a moment, my dear."

  Niko shuddered. She walked away, into a lavatory and lost the contents of her stomach into a basin. She knelt there for a time, trying to muster her defenses. She was going to need them if she was going to get through this encounter with the Queen. Niko walked out, trying to stand tall. She would not let the Queen see her frightened. She may have agreed to serve the Queen but that didn't mean she was going to allow her to make her a slave.

  Would she be able not to cross that line? Did she have the strength? Time would tell. And maybe, if she was lucky, she could find a shard of glass or a bit of poison that could release her from her oath if she couldn't find any other way out. No, she wouldn't consider that option yet. She couldn't. She had to hold out for a chance to rescue Goose and Daisy. She just hoped it would be soon... If rescuing them would do any good...there was virtually nothing stopping the Queen from invading that frontier world. She told herself, You are a Galaxy Ranger. You can and will find a way out of this mess.
  You are no Ranger. You are a traitor. You willingly agreed to serve the enemy... to study her ways and become her loyal servant. Accept that you gave your word.

  "Get out of my mind!" Niko growled, knowing that it was the Queen. Or was it? She looked skyward. I'm sorry, Ariel, she thought. I've betrayed you and I've betrayed my people.

  The Queen smiled as she heard Niko's thoughts. Niko was giving her all the ammunition she needed to crack through her shields.

  Niko walked out of the lavatory and into the hallway. She didn't get far before seeing a Slaverlord. She stopped short as she saw the face in the crystal. Oh gods.... it was Goose! The Queen had made him a Slaverlord. Was a rescue already too late, she wondered.

  "Shane!" she gasped involuntarily. You bitch, Niko thought, feeling a surge of rage override her self-disgust and fear. She knew she needed to create a retreat within her mind. Somewhere she could sort things out.

  The Queen straightened with a start at the surge of emotion from Niko. Such emotion. Ah, yes. Unexpected...but useful Much more interesting than those pitiful Gherkins. And at this rate, tormenting little Niko would be even more of a pleasure than anything she had done to that captain... She sent a signal to her Slaverlord to bring Niko to her. The lessons should begin immediately, she decided. While her new student was still off-balance. What to teach her first? Then, she decided, what to do. The perfect lesson would be to make her witness the transformation of that Daisy O'Mega creature.... She told her guards what she wanted, and they bowed in acknowledgment of her orders before going off to carry them out.

  The Slaverlord approached with Niko at its side.

  "My dear Niko, feeling better?" the Queen asked.

  Niko said nothing. She rested a hand against her waist, covering her badge. She wanted to save her implant charge until she needed it. She wasn't sure she could keep the Queen out of her mind, even with her implant at full charge if the Queen forced the issue, but she had to try.

  The Queen seemed to ignore Niko as she watched the technicians prepare the Psychochamber. Niko stood uneasily at the foot of he throne. She noticed the activity surrounding the Psychochamber and wondered what the Queen had planned. Certainly it wasn't to put her in the Psychochamber, was it? Why did the Queen say that she wanted her as a student, if she was only going to put her in the Psychochamber? She hardly dared to look at the Slaverlord next to her. She wanted so much to grab from the Slaverlord the Psychocrystal that contained Shane's life-force, but the time wasn't right. She silently prayed for the strength to hold out until Doc and Zach could arrive with back-up.

  The Queen was feeling pleased with herself. Her new student didn't know that she was broadcasting her thoughts. It was a lingering side-effect of the truth-serum she had used on Niko-- it boosted the subject's latent telepathy. Without even having to expend conscious energy, the Queen was able to listen in on her pupil's thoughts. Once she had been properly trained, her new student would make an excellent servant.

  Then, the guards returned half-carrying, half-dragging, a semi-conscious Daisy O'Mega. Her face was still bruised along the jaw-line on one side, and she appeared to be drugged.

  Niko couldn't quite surpress the gasp of surprise that escaped when she recognized her, "Daisy O'Mega?!"

  Hearing her name said, Daisy shook off the last of the cobwebs in her head. She straightened up and was just as surprised to see Niko, "Galaxy Ranger Niko-- Didn't think I'd see you here..."

  Niko didn't know what to say. There was a flood of questions she wanted to ask and not all of them had to do with the Queen's plans. She started to move forward, but the Slaverlord at her side put a restraining hand on her shoulder, preventing her from moving any closer. She threw a despairing look over her shoulder at the Slaverlord bearing Shane's Psychocrystal.

  The Queen motioned to Daisy's guards, "Place her in the Psychochamber."

  As the guards pushed Daisy past Niko, she could see Niko's expression and then the reason for it as she saw the face in the Slaverlord's crystal. It was Shane's. Daisy shook her head in denial and cursed under her breath at the Queen.

  The Queen spoke, "Come, Niko, it's time for your first lesson."

  Niko moved slowly with dread. She knew what was coming now, the Queen was going to make her witness Daisy's transformation into a Slaverlord.

  "Remember Niko, you did agree to serve me and become my student."

  Daisy looked up and could hear as the guards put her in the Psychochamber, Niko answer, "Yes, Your Majesty." But, Niko had her back to Daisy at this point, and Daisy couldn't see the rebellious expression on her face. She was too dazed to put up much of a fight when the guards shoved her into the glass chamber and attached electrodes to her chest and temples. The double shock of seeing a Slaverlord with Shane's Psychocrystal and Niko's apparent willing servitude to the Queen of the Crown depleted what little fight she had left in her and she leaned dispiritedly against the glass of the Psychochamber.

  After the guards had finished with Daisy, the Queen shifted her attention back to Niko, who still had her back turned to the Psychochamber. "Turn around my dear. Watch and learn what happens to those who cross me."

  "No," Niko said.

  "What was that you said, child?" the Queen asked.

  "I said, no," Niko answered.

  "Watch and learn, Niko," the Queen repeated.

  "No, Your Majesty," Niko said, placing a hand over her badge, ready to activate her implant, which would boost her psi-powers and hopefully give her the strength to keep the Queen out of her mind.

  "You will watch and learn, Niko," the Queen said ominously.

  Then, before Niko even had a chance to breathe, to activate her implant, the Queen sent a lance of sheer fire into her mind. With a cry of pain, Niko fell to her knees, both hands on either side of her head.

  The Queen sent the spike deeper into Niko's mind and said, "Watch, Niko and learn."

  Niko was bent forward in pain. She couldn't think, much less move to activate her implant, which might have given her the strength needed to resist the Queen's attack on her mind.

  The Queen was more than pleased with all the delicious information she was gleaning out of Niko's mind, via the pain spike. All sorts of interesting emotions were tied to that human Daisy O'Mega... She decided that that would be the tool to use in this lesson. She lessened the intensity of the pain spike and instead began to pry away on the emotional knot in Niko's mind. She picked out the thread of jealousy from the knot and said, via telepathy, "Come now, Niko my dear and watch the elimination of the rival for your fellow Ranger's attentions."

  "No," Niko answered, but this time the denial was less heated.

  The Queen leaned back in her throne, she could feel the wall of Niko's resistance starting to tremble. She was making progress here. Simultaneously, she drove the pain spike deep into Niko's mind again, at the same time, pulling heavily on the thread of jealousy. "Turn around, Niko and watch," she said.

  "No, I can't," Niko sobbed, hands clutched to either side of her head. The pain was so intense.

  The Queen could feel the cracks that were beginning to form and widen in Niko's resistance. She said, "Niko, here; here is the rival for your beloved's attentions."

  Niko no longer felt the pain of the mental spike as much as she was beginning to feel something much darker and much more sinister-- an extreme jealousy of Daisy. She didn't recognize the voice that answered the Queen, "Yes."

  The Queen again pulled on the thread of jealousy, "Turn around and watch, child."

  "N- no," Niko stammered. It was getting harder to resist. She suddenly felt a blinding, raging jealousy towards Daisy. She fought to push that dark and dangerous feeling back. She didn't feel that way towards Daisy... or did she? She couldn't tell anymore what was real.

  The Queen pulled even harder on the thread of jealousy in Niko's mind. Her resistance was crumbling. "Niko, child." She placed a hand under Niko's chin and tilted her head up so she was forced to look her in the eye. "Turn around and watch."

  "N- no... Y-yessss..." Niko was torn. She was lost in a maelstrom of emotions. She felt hands under her arms, lifting her up.

  The Queen's smile sent shivers down Niko's spine. Whether of anticipation or apprehension, she couldn't tell anymore.

  "Turn around Niko, and watch."

  "Yes..." Niko answered slowly. She thought she had said no? She felt a heady sense of anticipation that just didn't feel right. The hands on her arms kept her upright and helped her turn around so she was facing the Psychochamber.

  In the Psychochamber, Daisy O'Mega wondered what the Queen was waiting for. Why hadn't she told her guards to throw the switch to go ahead and drain her life-force into a Psychocrystal, she puzzled. Then, Daisy noticed the scene taking place between Niko and the Queen with a distant, puzzled expression on her face. She acts like the Queen's torturing her, though there's not so much as a hand lain on her...What was happening up there? She couldn't hear much of the conversation except the words jealousy and rival. She wasn't expecting help from Niko but still...Why would a Ranger be jealous? Why would the lady Ranger be so jealous as to serve that vicious Queen, albeit not entirely of her free will?

  This may be part of the process, to prolong the waiting, to stretch out the subject's torment and anguish to make a stronger Slaverlord for all she knew. Her eyes settled on the Slaverlord holding Niko back. Daisy's stomach did a flip-flop. Now, she was frightened. Her heart pounded and she struggled to get to her feet, so that she could pull off the electrodes. Then, she looked up again and saw that Niko was once again back on her feet and this time facing her. Daisy's breath caught in her throat as she saw Niko's twisted expression. Niko's face seemed frozen between jealous rage and desperate pity.

  The Queen waved to her guards to begin the transformation.

  Daisy's eyes caught on the Slaverlord and realized...Jealous. If she was sweet on Shane, that might explain... But the red light and the awful ripping pain cut off any further coherent thought. A deep, wrenching scream was torn from her throat as her life-force was forcibly drained from her.

  On the dais, the Queen's expression of extreme pleasure was eerily echoed on Niko's face. But, the difference was that Niko had tears running freely down her cheeks. Unknown to Daisy, Niko had her own battle. Instead of being jailed by a red crystal, her mind was jailed by the iron of her thoughts and emotions, twisted and fashioned into bars by her captor...her master. This prison was just as painful.

  Then, Daisy collapsed in a heap, as her life-force was pulled into a Psychocrystal.

  The red Psychocrystal floated away from the chamber and white robes folded around it, creating another Slaverlord, the Daisy-Slaverlord then floated up to the dais next to Niko.

  On the dais, Niko would have fallen back to her knees, had it not been for the Goose-Slaverlord holding her up. Lesson one was over, would lesson two be any easier?

  "You do realize, my little Niko," the Queen said. "That your love and your rival are now joined forever. Your friends will not come to help you...the only thing you have left, the only one you can trust now, is me."

  She got up from the throne and brushed away some of Niko's tears, "But you can trust me and you will trust me."

  Niko shuddered. She didn't know if she could survive another one of the Queen's lessons.

* * * *

  Outside the Psychocrypt in the asteroid belt Ranger-One was limping back out of the asteroid field, heading for League space.

  "Hyperdrive damaged... weapons out... power on backups...Shit!" Doc banged on a console, reading the damage report sent up by GeeVee, who didn't even have enough power to manifest the green eyeball interface.

  "Can we even make it back to League space?" Zach asked, worriedly.

  "I can manage to put this thing together with chewing gum and barbed wire. We can limp back to the League. Anything past that would be a joke."

  "Well, do what you can, Doc. We can't stay here, and we can't leave Niko in the Queen's hands."

  "I know," he said. "But we are dead meat on a stick if we even try to go back there without some extensive repairs. I don't know about you, Zachary but I don't want to use up my health insurance quite yet."

  He took a look at Zach's face and sighed, "I'll get right on it."

  Zach let out a deep sigh of resignation before getting up to go help Doc. While not a religious man, he offered a small prayer up for luck. They'd need all the luck available and while he prayed for luck, he also said a prayer, with all his heart, for the three humans trapped in that graveyard.

  Doc was working on a patch of whatever was left of the hyperdrive, stringing wires and circuitry together and periodically cursing and breaking out a fire extinguisher to stop the small fires cropping up.

  Zach stood by and handed him tools when he called out for them. There wasn't enough room for two people to work in the engine space and he didn't have enough technical skill to be working on them. Doc had his tweakers working with him, helping to patch the circuits and reroute. Zach noticed that it was taking a strain on him.

  "Join the Galaxy Rangers and see the Galaxy," muttered Doc under his breath.

  Zach could only nod in wry agreement.

  It was some time later that Doc emerged from the engines, his once-pristine uniform now covered in soot, grime and grease.

  His expression was doubtful and Zach asked, "How are the engines? Can we make the jump to lightspeed?"

  "That's the best I can do," he said tiredly. "I'm pulling a lot of power from my implant. All five tweakers at once takes a lot. But, we can activate the hyperdrive long enough to get to the border - provided we don't need life support afterwards. And no fancy flying, otherwise we'll lose what repairs I did."

  Zach winced, "That bad?"

  "'Fraid so and don't let me fall asleep... I need to be conscious for the tweakers to work. Pathfinder and Tripwire are the only thing keeping us breathing."

  Zach nodded, "Right." That meant no sleep for him as well.

  "Come on, let's get going. I can't hold out for forever." Doc said as he collapsed hard in the co-pilot's seat with a groan.

  "I've got the nav computers set for the shortest run to the League border."

  "Right. Let's go then." Zach said, sitting down in the pilot's seat and punching buttons to make the jump.

  They started off to League space, wondering how or if they were going to be able to get back.

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