Everything hinges on Shatrick at this point.

Anyway, the loss of the Reivers would not concern SecBur, that's for sure.

The fight was a near thing, nearer than it ought to be, I think. I believe that there is still room for Ashai to evolve as she has not mastered her powers yet. Considering the fight she has been in, only taking 5 minutes or so to heal is amazing and fortunate.

This is an amazing episode which was well worth waiting for!

I hope things get better for you Ashleigh :)

Kim

Wow! another great chapter.

Once Sec Bur check the Reivers and find Heti dead they might do one of two (or more) things.

They might decide, due to the extremely enhanced nature of Heti, that Ashai's Target might have been her and the Cobalts simply "pissed" in Ashai's pond thus resulting in retribution. With the Reivers pretty much out of the picture, they might figure some gang (possibly the Kraits) hired Ashai to eliminate the Reiver leader. Thus allowing her to go away on her own. That message could be passed to her via the Kraits from our "good friend" officer Gantol.

another scenerio .... Gantol and the Sec Bur combination surround Ashai but Gantol opts to go in (brave isn't he?) and discuss things with Ashai in an effort to prevent more bloodshed. He, during their discussion, requires Ashai to spend a period of time (like thirty or forty years) in the employ of the mercs, figuring that forty years with them would make it unlikely that she would return to Yasm to be a problem. No one but Ashai, Key, Hound and the Creche Paladin know that Ashai has an high number of millenia that she will live. She might return to Yasm but it would likely be long after Gantol and the others have turned to bleached bones. She could then make it a condition that Neti accompany her at least to another planet where she might be better protected if not with Ashai herself.

But.... knowing that Ashleigh is such a compelling writer, she probably has a third scenerio already worked out and coming at us like an express train.

I love this story.

Anesidora

I'm thinking, maybe be she'll be able to fake this as a rescue mission. Her being hired to rescue Neti. That would make sense and put the intellingecia at ease. Just let her go and avoid further losses.

Thank you for writing this new chapter of this awesome story,

Beyogi

Good to see this story continued. Even though there's not much of a connection between the two besides the fact both are in the sci-fi genre, I can't help but think of Ashai and Neti as Ripley and Newt. It's probably because I'm a giant ALIEN franchise fan. Well, except for Resurrection and the AvP movies; they blew chunks.

I've seen a few people comment on how Ashai might use the killing of Heti as the "reason" she'd be on Yasm. The problem with such an excuse (as with any other similar excuses) is the authorities would immediately wonder why she had been picked up in the boonies, and not simply entered through the spaceport, kill Heti, then return without bothering to go through the slums. Besides, she'd still have to answer for the slaughter of Beta Squad. IMO, killing them was a bad choice; up until then, everyone she'd killed were gangers, people she could reasonably make a self defense case against; it's a bit harder to make a self-defense argument when you've killed a cop.

Personally, I think the mercs are going to play a key role in the future. It's a bit of Chekhov's Gun; why would we keep going back to them if they weren't going to play some role in story? If Shatrtick betrays Ashai, they're probably the best option she has (besides running to the bush and hiding for a few months). It'd be a HUGE risk for them to take her on, but her skills would be something that might easily be worth that risk.

Continue--please soon. I get the willies just thinking about what is happening and can't hardly wait for the next installment. All I can say is GREAT STORY...

I just wonder if the Mercinaries will appreciate Ashai, for as much trouble she is bringing to them?