{"data":{"id":16827,"title":"Phantom Bounty: Part Two","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/serialized-fiction\/16827-Phantom-Bounty-Part-Two","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/16827","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/16827","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"Phantom Bounty","images":[{"id":22589,"name":"PhantomBounty-PartTwo.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/ypv1l5r66548or\/source\/PhantomBounty-PartTwo.jpg","alt":"","size":460798,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2018-11-02T22:48:26+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/22589","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/22589\/similar"}],"images_count":1,"translations":{"en_EN":"Writer\u2019s Note: Phantom Bounty: Part Two was published originally in Jump Point 3.2. Read Part One here.\nDevana lifted through the sky, and the gleaming towers of Tevistal faded away beneath the cloudline. Exhilaration raced through Mila at the feel of the Freelancer moving through the air, her back pressed against the well-worn pilot\u2019s seat, all of the heady power of the ship under her command.\n\nThis was the one place she always felt free and in control, as if she could be anyone and do anything. But open space was a double-edged knife, filled with the promise of both endless possibility and danger. And today it was danger she and Rhys were headed toward: their last chance to catch the Phantom. To catch the terrorist who called herself Elaine.\n\n\u201cDid I ever tell you I love watching your face when you fly?\u201d Rhys smirked at her from the co-pilot\u2019s seat.\n\nMila warmed at the look in his eyes and lifted a brow. \u201cI think you love watching my face when I\u2019m doing . . . lots of things.\u201d\n\nRhys grinned at her, and Mila knew they were both recalling the quick fun they\u2019d just had in the bunk while waiting for clearance. She wasn\u2019t going to try to label this relationship as anything other than business . . . for now. But being business partners with benefits sure was nice for the built-in stress relief.\n\nWhen they finished their ascent and hit the emptiness of space, Rhys brought up the system map on the HUD and set a course for Mila to follow. She altered their path to follow a trajectory that would take them to the orbital platform at the edge of the system.\n\n\u201cIf that dock snitch told the truth,\u201d Mila said, \u201cthe Phantom\u2019s headed to the orbital platform to meet her contact. But what do we know about this Septa platform?\u201d\n\nRhys brought up the system map and searched for available data. \u201cSepta\u2019s owned by a company called McGloclin, but it looks like they haven\u2019t been active out there for a while. Not sure what we\u2019ll find on the platform. Maybe company workers, probably vagrants. No Advocacy agents there or any law officers at all since the corporation is supposed to be in charge. There\u2019s a pretty large debris field drifting a few klicks from the platform.\u201d\n\n\u201cGreat.\u201d\n\n\u201cHere, give me that tag number so we can scan.\u201d\n\nMila pushed up her sleeve, and Rhys held his mobiGlas up to hers to grab the tag data the WiDoW addict had given them. It transferred over, and he ported it into Devana\u2019s system. \u201cActivating the long-range scanner.\u201d\n\nThey both tensed as the scanner completed its initial search.\n\nNo hits.\n\nA twinge of disappointment hit Mila, but it didn\u2019t do much to dampen her excitement. \u201cWell, we\u2019re still too far from the platform, if that\u2019s where she is. I\u2019m sure the scanner will pick up something . . . soon.\u201d\n\nShe and Rhys rode in comfortable silence born of months of flying together, but as they approached the platform, Mila recalled how Rhys had acted back on Tevistal. How she had acted.\n\nHe\u2019d been controlling and had tried to keep her out of harm\u2019s way when he\u2019d needed back-up. And she\u2019d acted hotheaded, violating their agreement about her handling tech and him dealing with contacts.\n\nAnd now, this was probably it \u2014 the end of this mission, whether they caught the Phantom or not. If Elaine escaped, they\u2019d have to find a new bounty, and that would take time and more creds they didn\u2019t have. They needed to keep clear heads if they had any chance of succeeding today.\n\n\u201cHey,\u201d she said softly. \u201cWe\u2019ll play this by the book this time, yeah? I take care of tech. You haggle and get info. We work together once we get close.\u201d\n\n\u201cAgreed.\u201d\n\n\u201cJust one thing.\u201d Mila swallowed and met his eyes from across the small space. \u201cYou have to allow me to do my job. If there\u2019s danger, we handle things the way we always have. This . . . this thing we have can\u2019t get in the way of that.\u201d\n\nRhys\u2019s jaw tensed, and he didn\u2019t answer right away. \u201cI just want to keep you safe.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe keep each other safe.\u201d\n\nRhys shifted in his seat and looked out at the nothingness ahead of them. \u201cI\u2019ve lost people . . . people I cared about before.\u201d\n\nSo have I. But Mila didn\u2019t say it. \u201cWe can\u2019t let anything get in the way of our judgment. The mission comes first.\u201d\n\nHe gave her a stiff nod.\n\n\u201cMission comes first.\u201d Mila bit her lip. His agreement was the outcome she wanted in this conversation, wasn\u2019t it? So why the hell did she feel so disappointed?\n\nBecause you\u2019ve fallen hard for him, idiot. Her cheeks heated at the thought. Now was not the time to be thinking about this.\n\nShe kept her eyes straight ahead, afraid the look in them might give her real feelings away. \u201cI\u2019m glad we agree then.\u201d\n\nThe scanner beeped, and Mila\u2019s heart rate picked up as she looked over at what it had found.\n\nThey\u2019d located the Phantom\u2019s ship. Tentative ID: a Cutlass.\n\n\u201cShe\u2019s heading away from the platform,\u201d Rhys said urgently. \u201cWe might lose her on the scanner with all the debris.\u201d\n\n\u201cMap a new trajectory. Maybe we can cut her off before she reaches it.\u201d Mila throttled up, her breath coming more quickly as she followed the new course.\n\nIn minutes, they came up on the tangle of floating junk. It loomed before them, hunks of twisted metal and dead ships in the distance, sprawled out in a mess that would be tough to navigate.\n\nJust as they reached the edge of it, the Phantom\u2019s ship winked out of existence on their scanner.\n\n\u201cKak.\u201d Rhys fiddled with the scanner, trying to manually find the ship. \u201cWe\u2019re gonna have to go in there. That debris won\u2019t be easy to fly through \u2014\u201d\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ll be fine.\u201d\n\nMila searched ahead, seeking any sign of a ship where the Phantom had disappeared from their scanner.\n\n\u201cThere. The only one moving!\u201d Mila pointed to a glint of metal in the distance, weaving through the debris. \u201cI\u2019m taking us in.\u201d\n\n\u201cLet me check where she might be headed.\u201d Rhys zoomed in on his map.\n\nMila gritted her teeth and directed the Freelancer into the debris field, cutting around a half-destroyed freighter. \u201cDo you think she knows we\u2019re here?\u201d\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t think so. She hasn\u2019t changed her speed.\u201d\n\nMila edged Devana around a hunk of twisted metal, trying to keep the distant glimmer in view.\n\n\u201cWe should get above this mess. It\u2019s safer.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d Mila responded. \u201cWe risk being detected, and then we\u2019ll lose her if she goes deeper into this floating pile of kak. We need to go in and flank her. Catch her by surprise.\u201d\n\nMila sped up, darting around small pieces of junk. Sweat popped up on her forehead as she tried to watch the debris and keep an eye on the glint of the Phantom\u2019s ship ahead of them.\n\nThey were flying straight for the center of the junk pile.\n\n\u201cShutting down unnecessary systems to increase shielding,\u201d Rhys said. \u201cElaine\u2019s not gonna let us catch her without a fight.\u201d\n\n\u201cI know.\u201d Mila killed the main engines, relying on maneuvering thrusters. \u201cHold on.\u201d\n\nAs Devana slipped through the detritus, it swayed from side to side, avoiding most of the scrap metal and decommissioned ships.\n\nRhys grunted and shook his head as small pipes and bolts bounced off their hull.\n\nMila\u2019s pulse pounded, buzzing in her ears with the thrill of the chase. Then the distant ship suddenly made a hard right and disappeared between two massive cargo hulks.\n\n\u201cDid she make us?\u201d Mila pushed Devana to the limit to catch up.\n\n\u201cMaybe. She could be waiting for us on the other side of that ship.\u201d\n\nJust before they reached the Hull-C where the Phantom had disappeared, Mila rotated the Freelancer to starboard and slowed.\n\nThe massive skeleton of the Hull-C blocked their line of sight. She couldn\u2019t see the Phantom\u2019s ship, but it could be hidden just on the other side.\n\nShe tapped the thrusters and coasted beneath the cargo ship.\n\nMila barely breathed as they reached the far side of the dead ship\u2019s hull.\n\n\u201cI got her on the scanner. Hanging right above us,\u201d Rhys said. \u201cA Cutlass, all right. Weapons ready. She knows we\u2019re here.\u201d\n\nAs they emerged, Mila\u2019s heart thumped wildly. She rotated the ship in a deft motion to face the Cutlass. Devana was momentarily bracketed between the Hull-C and another freighter \u2014 a terrible place to be in a gunfight.\n\nThe Cutlass took a shot but missed, instead damaging the Hull-C above them. It was a straight shot; had the Phantom just missed on purpose?\n\n\u201cI gotta get us out of here.\u201d Mila dropped the ship lower, trying to escape the narrow choke point they\u2019d found themselves in.\n\n\u201cUse the freighter for cover!\u201d\n\nThe Phantom fired again, this time a steady fusillade that still missed Devana, striking the hulk they were slipping toward.\n\n\u201cMila, wait!\u201d Rhys yelled, just as the Cutlass\u2019s barrage triggered an explosion in the Hull-C. It burst in a wave of shrapnel, generating a force that sent Devana flying sideways.\n\nMila gripped the controls tighter as the Freelancer slammed into the other cargo ship with a hard shudder. The shielding held, but barely. Alarms sounded in response to the shield loss, and Mila felt the balance of the ship shift beneath her.\n\n\u201cManeuvering thruster?\u201d Mila asked, struggling to regain balance.\n\n\u201cDammit. Yes. We lost one.\u201d\n\nFrom above them, the Cutlass rained shots down on their weakened shield.\n\n\u201cShields at quarter power,\u201d Rhys reported.\n\nAnother explosion sparked near the second cargo ship, and a new wave of debris headed toward them. Mila watched in horror as a jagged metal panel flew straight at the nose of Devana.\n\nRhys squeezed the trigger. Half the panel shot off in the opposite direction, but the rest of it stayed on course.\n\nIt slammed straight into them, and Mila\u2019s head snapped back against her seat. Alarms blared as the ship rotated wildly, and she gripped the stick firmly, trying to steady them. A thin crack spread across the cockpit, slowly widening, and the temperature instantly dropped.\n\n\u201cKak.\u201d She and Rhys both said it at the same time.\n\n\u201cGotta patch the screen. Now.\u201d Rhys moved, grabbing their helmets from the storage compartment, and took the controls as Mila latched hers on.\n\nShe took the controls back as he got his helmet on. Rhys stumbled out of his seat.\n\n\u201cGetting the repair foam.\u201d He said, his voice crackling over the helmet comms. He hurried toward the cargo hold as Devana banked through a fractured Starfarer. When Mila came out of the turn, she spotted the Cutlass as it ducked behind a blackened hull that was too far gone to identify. Angling the thrusters, she turned tightly to follow.\n\nRhys stumbled back into the cockpit and applied the foam to the crack, temp-sealing it.\n\n\u201cThis\u2019ll hold until we get to a repair dock,\u201d Rhys panted. \u201cBut not if we take another direct hit.\u201d\n\nMila keyed up the guns, her breath coming quickly now and frosting up on the interior glass of her helmet, as the Phantom danced in and out of sight ahead.\n\n\u201cIt could have been far worse.\u201d\n\nRhys smirked at her tone and strapped back into his seat. \u201cFine. I\u2019ll say it. You were right about that extra armor.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat always does have a nice ring to it.\u201d With Rhys back on weapons, Mila narrowed the distance to the Cutlass.\n\n\u201cTake her out, Rhys.\u201d Mila focused on keeping the Freelancer steady as Rhys targeted the Cutlass\u2019s engines.\n\nDevana\u2019s twin Kronegs opened fire.\n\nThe Cutlass jerked sideways, off course, and a small, bright flash told them they\u2019d gotten a hit. Mila darted a glance at the scan. It updated, showing the Cutlass\u2019s left engine had been damaged.\n\n\u201cTargeting her jumpdrive,\u201d Rhys said. As the Phantom regained control of her ship, Rhys fired off a series of rapid shots, targeting the armored drive.\n\nThe Cutlass lurched and then took off again, swinging from side to side, this time heading for a half-scrapped Orion nearby. It disappeared on the far side of the ship, and Mila adjusted course to go after it.\n\n\u201cNot giving her a chance to drop another mine,\u201d Mila said.\n\n\u201cI think we got her,\u201d Rhys replied quietly. \u201cShe\u2019s not getting out of here.\u201d\n\nMila suppressed a smile and tried to ignore the giddy feeling in her stomach. \u201cGood shot. But we still have to catch her.\u201d\n\nThe Freelancer\u2019s lights illuminated the torn-apart ship the Phantom had disappeared behind. Tangles of pipes and dozens of storage levels were partially visible where armor had been ripped out. The ship was a veritable warren of half-enclosed corridors.\n\nMila slowed as their lights found the Cutlass. It was stopped dead near the front of the ship, hugging close to the hull. Mila searched along the hull as Rhys activated the comm and hailed the Cutlass.\n\nNo response.\n\nHe checked the scan again. \u201cI think her systems are failing. Maybe life support. We got some good hits in.\u201d\n\nA white spacesuit floated out between the Cutlass\u2019s far hatch and the freighter\u2019s hull. The Phantom flailed as she hurtled into the freighter and disappeared.\n\nMila pulled the Freelancer closer to the Cutlass and looked at Rhys. \u201cWe have to go in after her.\u201d\n\n\u201cShe\u2019s setting a trap.\u201d\n\n\u201cShe\u2019s running. She has nowhere to go. We have her.\u201d\n\n\u201cShe could have called for help. What if reinforcements show up? What if she met someone back at the platform and commed them? This freighter\u2019s a death trap.\u201d\n\nMila edged the ship closer to where the Phantom had disappeared and unstrapped her harness. \u201cI\u2019m going in.\u201d\n\nRhys grabbed her arm. \u201cDon\u2019t. She can\u2019t stay in there forever. We can wait her out. This is what she wants.\u201d\n\nDesperation surged through Mila, mingling with her adrenaline high. She pulled her arm away and headed back to suit up.\n\nRhys followed her and watched as she pulled on her armored suit and strapped her pistol to her hip.\n\n\u201cShe always manages to slip away,\u201d Mila said. She slammed a fist against the locker, frustrated. Knowing the Phantom was so close. . . right next to them in that ship. It was making it hard to think straight. But Mila was sure of one thing. She was going in after her.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re so close this time,\u201d Mila continued, trying to keep her voice steady. \u201cToo close to risk losing her, and you know this could be our only chance. I\u2019m going in. You can come if you want to.\u201d\n\nRhys wrapped a hand around Mila\u2019s arm and turned her to face him. She reluctantly looked up at him.\n\n\u201cI should be the one to go in there after her,\u201d he said gruffly. \u201cYou watch the ship. If she comes back out or anyone shows up, you can comm me.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo.\u201d\n\nRhys narrowed his green eyes at her, clearly worried.\n\nMila took a labored breath. \u201cWe should go in together.\u201d\n\n\u201cMila, someone needs to stay with Devana, and you\u2019re the better pilot. Let me try to chase her back out here. The mission comes first.\u201d\n\nMila\u2019s stomach clenched at the thought of Rhys going in alone, but he was right. Someone needed to stay. And the mission had to come first.\n\nRhys took her silence as agreement, quickly suiting up and holstering his Arclight.\n\nShe kept her spacesuit on \u2014 just in case she needed to go in after him. Her throat tightened as she returned to her seat and pulled the Freelancer closer to where the Phantom had disappeared.\n\nRhys came back up to the cockpit and squeezed her arm lightly. \u201cKeep the commlink open. Stay on guard.\u201d\n\nMila nodded and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. This could go sideways so easily.\n\nShe depressurized the cargo hold and lowered the ramp for Rhys. He pushed off and drifted into the dark body of the freighter.\n\nShe very nearly commed him to tell him to come back, that they could wait until the Phantom gave up, but she hesitated. Her feelings for Rhys battled with her need to capture this terrorist. Her need won out. This was their last chance to capture the Phantom. Rhys would be fine. He was a great shot.\n\nSeveral moments passed, and Mila forced herself to check the scanners again. No sign of any other moving ships.\n\nA dull thud sounded from somewhere on the hull, and Mila\u2019s heart rate sped up as she pulled her gun from her holster.\n\nShe glanced back at the cargo hold door in time to see the light flash. The alarm sounded \u2014 a warning that the door was being opened from the other side while the hold was still depressurized. Mila turned back to the console and scrambled to lock the door, but she failed. It was too late to raise the ramp, too late to repressurize the hold.\n\nMila got to her feet, her pistol tight in her grip, and trained it on the door to the cargo hold.\n\nAt that moment, Rhys\u2019s voice came over the comm. \u201cThere are too many places to hide.\u201d His voice rose. \u201cMila, close the ramp! I just found an empty spacesuit. It wasn\u2019t her.\u201d\n\n\u201cI know. She\u2019s here, Rhys. I repeat, she\u2019s on the ship.\u201d\n\nThe door slid open, and Mila\u2019s body lifted off the floor as the artificial gravity systems were deactivated. She reached out to grab her seatback with one hand, and her pistol arm swung wide.\n\nThe Phantom floated through the door, weightless, and took a shot. It tore through Mila\u2019s suit, and she cried out.\n\nA terrible burning pain ripped through Mila\u2019s shoulder, and her oxygen began to vent. She shot back desperately, but the Phantom pushed off the ceiling toward the floor in a well-practiced zero-G evasive movement, and Mila\u2019s shot missed, taking a hunk of wall panel out instead.\n\nAdrenaline flooded her. They\u2019d cornered the Phantom and now she\u2019d fight to the death to take Devana. Mila wouldn\u2019t let that happen.\n\nShe took another shot, but missed again as the Phantom pushed off the floor. She hurtled forward and slammed into Mila\u2019s injured arm.\n\nMila gasped and caught a glimpse of herself in the dark reflective glass of Elaine\u2019s helmet, at the bloodied torn shoulder of her suit.\n\nElaine slammed her pistol directly into Mila\u2019s helmet, then knocked her gun from her grip.\n\nMila recovered, grappling with the Phantom, and managed to slam a fist into her arm, making her lose her grip on her own gun. Both pistols drifted away, floating toward the far wall.\n\nMila tried to push off the wall toward the pistols, but Elaine grabbed her in a tight chokehold.\n\n\u201cAlmost there.\u201d Rhys sounded panicked, and Mila didn\u2019t have the breath to respond. \u201cHang on.\u201d\n\nShe fought against Elaine, trying to throw her off, but the two of them just spun in weightless rotation, bouncing off the walls. Mila finally got her feet planted on one of them and pushed hard, slamming herself and Elaine back against a cockpit seatback.\n\nSweat dripped into Mila\u2019s eyes as they struggled, and blackness crowded around the edges of her vision as the oxygen escaped her suit. The cargo hold was wide open, all their oxygen gone. Soon Mila\u2019s suit would be just as empty.\n\nElaine kicked off the seat, propelling them both down the aisle, sending them flying toward the floating pistols.\n\nMila was still in a tight chokehold as she reached for the nearest pistol, but the gun spun out of reach. The Phantom punched Mila in the ribs, hard, and squeezed the bloody wound on her shoulder.\n\nMila nearly blacked out.\n\nWithout warning, the gravity came back on, slamming Mila and Elaine to the floor. The pistols clattered to the floor with them. Mila scrambled away from Elaine and closed her gloved fist around the nearest one. She flipped over on her back, pointing the gun up at the Phantom just as she was about to attack.\n\nThe Phantom froze and slowly lifted her hands, palms out, in a gesture of surrender. Mila\u2019s pale, stricken countenance reflected back at her from Elaine\u2019s dark glass visor.\n\nRhys ran through the door, pistol out.\n\n\u201cCuff her. Throw her in the pod. I need oxygen,\u201d Mila gasped. The pistol wavered in her grip as she fought to stay focused. She was suffocating.\n\nRhys slammed the Phantom into the wall, then dragged her into a restraint pod.\n\nIn moments, he was back, reestablishing oxygen levels from the cockpit. Then he lifted Mila\u2019s helmet from her head, and the dark spots clouding her vision faded. She could breathe again.\n\nShe tried to smile up at Rhys, but the stabbing pain in her shoulder made it come out in a grimace. \u201cWe got her.\u201d\n\nRhys took off his helmet and lightly touched her cheek, his brow furrowed with worry. \u201cYeah, we got her. But it looks like she got you.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, you\u2019re not.\u201d Rhys grabbed a medpen and plunged it into her arm. The healing agent took over, easing Mila\u2019s pain.\n\nThen Rhys leaned down and gently pressed his warm lips to hers. As they kissed, relief flooded her. She hadn\u2019t allowed herself to admit how worried she\u2019d been for him when he went into the freighter.\n\nShe lifted a hand to the rough stubble of his cheek, and Rhys laid his hand over hers. \u201cYou were right,\u201d he said. \u201cI think my professional judgment\u2019s been compromised . . . by this. By us. I never should have agreed to that plan. We should\u2019ve waited. But I saw that stubborn look on your face, and . . .\u201d\n\nMila shook her head. \u201cIf you\u2019re compromised, so am I.\u201d She gave him another kiss. \u201cWe\u2019ll figure this out. The important thing is that we both made it out okay. We completed the mission.\u201d\n\nRhys finally cracked a smile and helped Mila to her feet. \u201cWe did it. Are you ready to unmask our Phantom?\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve never been more ready in my life.\u201d\n\nRhys typed in the pod\u2019s code, and the door slid open, revealing the Phantom cuffed to the interior bar.\n\nThis was the woman they\u2019d hunted for months, the woman who had nearly killed them on more than one occasion. And they\u2019d never even known what she really looked like.\n\nRhys raised a brow at Mila. \u201cYou want to do the honors, or should I?\u201d\n\nMila lifted a brow in return, and he stepped out of her way. She winced as she used both hands to unlatch the Phantom\u2019s helmet. She pulled it off with one swift movement and took a step back.\n\nShe and the Phantom met eye-to-eye for the first time.\n\nAnd Mila\u2019s heart nearly stopped. She lifted a shaking hand to her mouth, covering it.\n\nRhys gave her a confused look.\n\n\u201cEvony Salinas,\u201d the Phantom said. \u201cWho knew a Salinas would ever go into bounty hunting?\u201d\n\nRhys\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cWho? What\u2019s going on, Mila?\u201d\n\nThe Phantom stared at Mila intently. \u201cGoing by your middle name now?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou know the Phantom?\u201d Rhys\u2019s voice was low, incredulous.\n\nMila dropped her hand from her mouth and finally found her voice. She backed up another step. \u201cHer name is Casey Phan.\u201d\n\n\u201cPhan? As in Phan Pharmaceuticals?\u201d\n\nMila nodded. \u201cThe same. But . . . Casey Phan was murdered ten years ago.\u201d\n\nTO BE CONTINUED\u2026","de_DE":"Anmerkung des Autors: Phantom-Bounty: Teil Zwei wurde urspr\u00fcnglich in Jump Point 3.2 ver\u00f6ffentlicht. Lesen Sie Teil Eins hier.\nDevana hob sich durch den Himmel, und die schimmernden T\u00fcrme von Tevistal verblassten unter der Wolkenlinie. Die Begeisterung raste durch Mila, als sich der Freelancer durch die Luft bewegte, ihr R\u00fccken gegen den abgenutzten Pilotensitz gedr\u00fcckt wurde, die ganze Kraft des Schiffes unter ihrem Kommando.\n\nDies war der einzige Ort, an dem sie sich immer frei und unter Kontrolle f\u00fchlte, als ob sie jemand sein und etwas tun k\u00f6nnte. Aber der offene Raum war ein zweischneidiges Messer, gef\u00fcllt mit dem Versprechen von endloser M\u00f6glichkeit und Gefahr. Und heute war es eine Gefahr, auf die sie und Rhys zugegangen waren: ihre letzte Chance, das Phantom zu fangen. Um den Terroristen zu fangen, der sich Elaine nannte.\n\n\"Habe ich dir jemals gesagt, dass ich es liebe, dein Gesicht zu sehen, wenn du fliegst?\" Rhys grinste sie vom Beifahrersitz aus an.\n\nMila erw\u00e4rmte sich beim Blick in seinen Augen und hob eine Stirn. \"Ich denke, du liebst es, mein Gesicht zu beobachten, wenn ich es mache.... viele Dinge.\"\n\nRhys grinste sie an, und Mila wusste, dass sie sich beide an den schnellen Spa\u00df erinnerten, den sie gerade in der Koje hatten, w\u00e4hrend sie auf die Freigabe warteten. Sie wollte nicht versuchen, diese Beziehung als etwas anderes als Gesch\u00e4ft zu bezeichnen..... im Moment. Aber Gesch\u00e4ftspartner mit Vorteilen zu sein, war sicherlich sch\u00f6n f\u00fcr den eingebauten Spannungsabbau.\n\nAls sie ihren Aufstieg beendet hatten und die Leere des Weltraums erreichten, brachte Rhys die Systemkarte auf dem HUD hoch und setzte den Kurs, dem Mila folgen sollte. Sie \u00e4nderte ihren Weg, um einer Trajektorie zu folgen, die sie zur Orbitalplattform am Rande des Systems f\u00fchren w\u00fcrde.\n\n\"Wenn dieser Dockspitzel die Wahrheit sagte\", sagte Mila, \"ging das Phantom auf die Orbitalplattform zu, um ihren Kontakt zu treffen. Aber was wissen wir \u00fcber diese Septa-Plattform?\"\n\nRhys erw\u00e4hnte die Systemkarte und suchte nach verf\u00fcgbaren Daten. \"Septa geh\u00f6rt einer Firma namens McGloclin, aber es sieht so aus, als w\u00e4ren sie schon eine Weile nicht mehr aktiv gewesen. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, was wir auf der Plattform finden werden. Vielleicht Firmenmitarbeiter, wahrscheinlich Landstreicher. Keine Advocacy-Agenten dort oder irgendwelche Gesetzesh\u00fcter \u00fcberhaupt, da das Unternehmen das Sagen haben soll. Da ist ein ziemlich gro\u00dfes Tr\u00fcmmerfeld, das nur ein paar Kilometer von der Plattform entfernt ist.\"\n\n\" Gro\u00dfartig.\"\n\n\"Hier, gib mir die Kennzeichennummer, damit wir scannen k\u00f6nnen.\"\n\nMila schob ihren \u00c4rmel hoch, und Rhys hielt sein mobiGlas an ihr hoch, um die Tag-Daten zu holen, die der WiDoW-S\u00fcchtige ihnen gegeben hatte. Es wurde \u00fcbertragen und er portierte es in Devanas System. \"Aktiviere den Langstreckenscanner.\"\n\nBeide spannten sich an, als der Scanner seine erste Suche beendete.\n\nKeine Treffer.\n\nEin Anflug von Entt\u00e4uschung traf Mila, aber es tat nicht viel, um ihre Aufregung zu d\u00e4mpfen. \"Nun, wir sind immer noch zu weit von der Plattform entfernt, wenn sie dort ist. Ich bin sicher, dass der Scanner etwas aufnimmt.... bald.\"\n\nSie und Rhys fuhren in angenehmer Stille, geboren aus monatelangen gemeinsamen Fl\u00fcgen, aber als sie sich der Plattform n\u00e4herten, erinnerte sich Mila daran, wie Rhys auf Tevistal reagiert hatte. Wie sie sich verhalten hatte.\n\nEr hatte die Kontrolle und hatte versucht, sie vor Schaden zu bewahren, als er Verst\u00e4rkung brauchte. Und sie hatte sich hitzk\u00f6pfig verhalten und ihre Vereinbarung \u00fcber ihre Handhabungstechnik und den Umgang mit Kontakten verletzt.\n\nUnd jetzt war es wahrscheinlich das Ende dieser Mission, ob sie das Phantom gefangen haben oder nicht. Wenn Elaine entkommen w\u00fcrde, m\u00fcssten sie ein neues Kopfgeld finden, und das w\u00fcrde Zeit und mehr Kreuze brauchen, die sie nicht hatten. Sie mussten einen klaren Kopf bewahren, wenn sie heute eine Chance auf Erfolg haben sollten.\n\n\"Hey\", sagte sie leise. \"Wir werden das diesmal nach Vorschrift spielen, ja? Ich k\u00fcmmere mich um die Technik. Du feilschst und bekommst Informationen. Wir arbeiten zusammen, wenn wir nah dran sind.\"\n\n\" Einverstanden.\"\n\n\"Nur eine Sache.\" Mila schluckte und traf seine Augen von \u00fcberall auf dem kleinen Raum. \"Du musst mir erlauben, meinen Job zu machen. Wenn es Gefahr gibt, gehen wir so vor, wie wir es immer getan haben. Das... dieses Ding, das wir haben, kann dem nicht im Weg stehen.\"\n\nRhys' Kiefer verspannte sich, und er antwortete nicht sofort. \"Ich will nur, dass du sicher bist.\"\n\n\"Wir besch\u00fctzen uns gegenseitig.\"\n\nRhys bewegte sich auf seinem Sitz und blickte auf das Nichts vor ihnen hinaus. \"Ich habe Menschen verloren.... Menschen, die mir vorher wichtig waren.\"\n\nIch auch. Aber Mila hat es nicht gesagt. \"Wir d\u00fcrfen nicht zulassen, dass unserem Urteilsverm\u00f6gen etwas im Wege steht. Die Mission steht an erster Stelle.\"\n\nEr nickte ihr steif zu.\n\n\"Mission steht an erster Stelle.\" Mila biss sich auf die Lippe. Seine Vereinbarung war das Ergebnis, das sie in diesem Gespr\u00e4ch wollte, nicht wahr? Also warum zum Teufel war sie so entt\u00e4uscht?\n\nWeil du hart in ihn verliebt bist, Idiot. Ihre Wangen erhitzten sich bei dem Gedanken. Jetzt war nicht die Zeit, dar\u00fcber nachzudenken.\n\nSie hielt ihre Augen gerade, aus Angst, dass der Blick in ihnen ihre wahren Gef\u00fchle verraten k\u00f6nnte. \"Ich bin froh, dass wir uns dann einigen.\"\n\nDer Scanner piepste, und Milas Herzfrequenz nahm zu, als sie hin\u00fcberblickte, was er gefunden hatte.\n\nSie hatten das Schiff des Phantoms lokalisiert. Vorl\u00e4ufiger Ausweis: ein Entermesser.\n\n\"Sie geht von der Plattform weg\", sagte Rhys dringend. \"Wir k\u00f6nnten sie mit all den Tr\u00fcmmern auf dem Scanner verlieren.\"\n\n\"Mappe eine neue Trajektorie. Vielleicht k\u00f6nnen wir sie abschneiden, bevor sie es erreicht.\" Mila drosselte, ihr Atem kam schneller, als sie den neuen Kurs einschlug.\n\nIn wenigen Minuten kamen sie auf das Gewirr von schwimmendem M\u00fcll. Es tauchte vor ihnen auf, Brocken aus verdrehtem Metall und tote Schiffe in der Ferne, die sich in einem Chaos ausbreiteten, das schwer zu navigieren sein w\u00fcrde.\n\nGerade als sie den Rand erreichten, blinzelte das Schiff der Phantom auf ihrem Scanner aus der Existenz.\n\n\" Kak.\" Rhys fummelte am Scanner herum und versuchte, das Schiff manuell zu finden. \"Wir m\u00fcssen da reingehen. Dieser Schutt wird nicht leicht zu durchfliegen sein -\"\n\n\"Uns wird es gut gehen.\"\n\nMila suchte nach einem Schiff, auf dem die Phantom von ihrem Scanner verschwunden war.\n\n\"Da. Der Einzige, der sich bewegt!\" Mila zeigte auf einen metallischen Schimmer in der Ferne und wand sich durch die Tr\u00fcmmer. \"Ich bringe uns rein.\"\n\n\"Lass mich \u00fcberpr\u00fcfen, wohin sie unterwegs sein k\u00f6nnte.\" Rhys zoomte auf seine Karte.\n\nMila knirschte mit den Z\u00e4hnen und f\u00fchrte den Freelancer in das Tr\u00fcmmerfeld und schnitt rund um einen halb zerst\u00f6rten Frachter. \"Glaubst du, sie wei\u00df, dass wir hier sind?\"\n\n\"Ich glaube nicht. Sie hat ihre Geschwindigkeit nicht ge\u00e4ndert.\"\n\nMila schob Devana um ein St\u00fcck verdrehten Metalls und versuchte, den fernen Schimmer im Auge zu behalten.\n\n\"Wir sollten \u00fcber dieses Durcheinander hinwegkommen. Es ist sicherer.\"\n\n\"Nein\", antwortete Mila. \"Wir riskieren, entdeckt zu werden, und dann verlieren wir sie, wenn sie tiefer in diesen schwimmenden Haufen Kak eindringt. Wir m\u00fcssen reingehen und sie flankieren. Fang sie \u00fcberraschend.\"\n\nMila beschleunigte und huschte um kleine St\u00fccke von Schrott herum. Schwei\u00df tauchte auf ihrer Stirn auf, als sie versuchte, die Tr\u00fcmmer zu beobachten und ein Auge auf den Glanz des Schiffes der Phantom vor ihnen zu werfen.\n\nSie flogen direkt in die Mitte des M\u00fcllhaufens.\n\n\"Das Abschalten unn\u00f6tiger Systeme, um die Abschirmung zu erh\u00f6hen\", sagte Rhys. \"Elaine wird nicht zulassen, dass wir sie ohne Kampf erwischen.\"\n\n\" Ich wei\u00df.\" Mila t\u00f6tete die Hauptmaschinen und verlie\u00df sich auf Man\u00f6vertriebwerke. \"Warte mal.\"\n\nAls Devana durch den Schutt schl\u00fcpfte, schwankte er von einer Seite zur anderen und vermeidet die meisten Schrotte und stillgelegten Schiffe.\n\nRhys grunzte und sch\u00fcttelte den Kopf, als kleine Rohre und Bolzen von ihrem Rumpf prallten.\n\nMilas Puls h\u00e4mmerte und brummte in ihren Ohren vor dem Nervenkitzel der Jagd. Dann machte das entfernte Schiff pl\u00f6tzlich eine harte Rechte und verschwand zwischen zwei massiven Lader\u00e4umen.\n\n\"Hat sie uns dazu gebracht?\" Mila brachte Devana an die Grenze, um aufzuholen.\n\n\"Vielleicht. Sie k\u00f6nnte auf der anderen Seite des Schiffes auf uns warten.\"\n\nKurz bevor sie den Hull-C erreichten, wo das Phantom verschwunden war, drehte Mila den Freelancer nach Steuerbord und wurde langsamer.\n\nDas massive Skelett der Hull-C blockierte ihre Sichtlinie. Sie konnte das Schiff der Phantom nicht sehen, aber es konnte auf der anderen Seite versteckt werden.\n\nSie klopfte an die Triebwerke und lief unter dem Frachtschiff aus.\n\nMila atmete kaum, als sie die andere Seite des toten Schiffsrumpfes erreichten.\n\n\"Ich habe sie auf dem Scanner. Er h\u00e4ngt direkt \u00fcber uns\", sagte Rhys. \" Ein Entermesser, in Ordnung. Waffen bereit. Sie wei\u00df, dass wir hier sind.\"\n\nAls sie auftauchten, schlug Milas Herz wild. Sie drehte das Schiff in einer geschickten Bewegung, um dem Entermesser gegen\u00fcber zu stehen. Devana war vor\u00fcbergehend zwischen der Hull-C und einem anderen Frachter eingeklemmt - ein schrecklicher Ort, um in einer Schie\u00dferei zu sein.\n\nDer Entermesser schoss, verfehlte aber und besch\u00e4digte stattdessen den Rumpf-C \u00fcber ihnen. Es war ein direkter Schuss; hatte das Phantom absichtlich knapp verfehlt?\n\n\"Ich muss uns hier rausholen.\" Mila lie\u00df das Schiff tiefer fallen und versuchte, dem engen W\u00fcrgegriff zu entkommen, in dem sie sich befunden hatten.\n\n\"Benutzen Sie den Frachter zur Deckung!\"\n\nDas Phantom feuerte wieder ab, diesmal eine stetige Fusillade, die Devana noch verfehlte und den Rumpf traf, auf den sie zuschlugen.\n\n\"Mila, warte!\" schrie Rhys, gerade als das Sperrfeuer des Entermessers eine Explosion im Rumpf-C ausl\u00f6ste. Es platzt in einer Welle von Schrapnell und erzeugt eine Kraft, die Devana seitw\u00e4rts fliegen lie\u00df.\n\nMila packte die Kontrollen fester, als der Freelancer mit einem heftigen Schaudern in das andere Frachtschiff st\u00fcrzte. Die Abschirmung hielt, aber kaum. Alarme ert\u00f6nte als Reaktion auf den Schildverlust, und Mila sp\u00fcrte, wie sich die Balance des Schiffes unter ihr verlagerte.\n\n\" Man\u00f6vriertriebwerk?\" fragte Mila und k\u00e4mpfte darum, das Gleichgewicht wiederherzustellen.\n\n\"Verdammt. Ja. Wir haben einen verloren.\"\n\nVon oben herab schie\u00dft der Entermesser auf seinen geschw\u00e4chten Schild.\n\n\"Schilde mit Viertelenergie\", berichtete Rhys.\n\nEine weitere Explosion l\u00f6ste in der N\u00e4he des zweiten Frachtschiffes aus, und eine neue Welle von Tr\u00fcmmern ging auf sie zu. Mila sah entsetzt zu, wie eine zerkl\u00fcftete Metallplatte direkt auf die Nase von Devana flog.\n\nRhys dr\u00fcckte den Abzug. Die H\u00e4lfte der Platte schoss in die andere Richtung, aber der Rest blieb auf Kurs.\n\nEs knallte direkt in sie hinein, und Milas Kopf schlug gegen ihren Sitz zur\u00fcck. Alarme loderten, als sich das Schiff wild drehte, und sie packte den Stock fest und versuchte, sie zu beruhigen. Ein d\u00fcnner Riss breitete sich \u00fcber das Cockpit aus, verbreiterte sich langsam und die Temperatur sank sofort.\n\n\" Kak.\" Sie und Rhys sagten es beide zur gleichen Zeit.\n\n\"Ich muss den Bildschirm patchen. Jetzt.\" Rhys bewegte sich, packte ihre Helme aus dem Staufach und \u00fcbernahm die Steuerung, als Mila ihre verriegelte.\n\nSie nahm die Steuerung zur\u00fcck, als er seinen Helm aufsetzte. Rhys stolperte von seinem Sitz.\n\n\"Ich hole den Reparaturschaum.\" sagte er, seine Stimme knisterte \u00fcber die Helmkommunikation. Er eilte zum Frachtraum, als Devana sich durch einen gebrochenen Sternenh\u00fcter bankte. Als Mila aus der Kurve kam, entdeckte sie das Entermesser, als es sich hinter einem geschw\u00e4rzten Rumpf duckte, der zu weit gegangen war, um ihn zu identifizieren. Sie winkte die Triebwerke und drehte sich fest um, um ihr zu folgen.\n\nRhys stolperte zur\u00fcck ins Cockpit und trug den Schaumstoff auf den Riss auf, wobei er ihn versiegelte.\n\n\"Das wird so bleiben, bis wir zu einem Reparaturdock kommen\", keuchte Rhys. \"Aber nicht, wenn wir noch einen direkten Treffer landen.\"\n\nMila verschloss die Waffen, ihr Atem kam jetzt schnell und frostete auf dem Innenglas ihres Helmes, als das Phantom vor ihr in und aus den Augen tanzte.\n\n\"Es h\u00e4tte viel schlimmer kommen k\u00f6nnen.\"\n\nRhys grinste \u00fcber ihren Ton und schnallte sich wieder auf seinen Sitz. \"Gut. Ich werde es sagen. Du hattest Recht mit der zus\u00e4tzlichen R\u00fcstung.\"\n\n\"Das klingt immer gut.\" Mit Rhys zur\u00fcck auf Waffen, Mila verengte den Abstand zum Entermesser.\n\n\"Bring sie raus, Rhys.\" Mila konzentrierte sich darauf, den Freelancer stabil zu halten, da Rhys auf die Motoren des Entermessers zielte.\n\nDevanas Zwillingskrone er\u00f6ffnete das Feuer.\n\nDer Entermesser ruckte seitw\u00e4rts, vom Kurs abgekommen, und ein kleiner, heller Blitz sagte ihnen, dass sie einen Treffer erlitten hatten. Mila warf einen Blick auf den Scan. Es wurde aktualisiert und zeigt, dass der linke Motor des Entermessers besch\u00e4digt war.\n\n\"Sie zielt auf ihren Sprungantrieb\", sagte Rhys. Als die Phantom die Kontrolle \u00fcber ihr Schiff wiedererlangte, feuerte Rhys eine Reihe von Schnellsch\u00fcssen ab und zielte auf den gepanzerten Antrieb.\n\nDer Entermesser taumelte und startete dann wieder und schwang von einer Seite zur anderen, diesmal in Richtung eines halb verschrotteten Orion in der N\u00e4he. Es verschwand auf der anderen Seite des Schiffes, und Mila passte den Kurs an, um es zu verfolgen.\n\n\"Ich gebe ihr nicht die Chance, eine weitere Mine fallen zu lassen\", sagte Mila.\n\n\"Ich glaube, wir haben sie\", antwortete Rhys leise. \"Sie wird hier nicht rauskommen.\"\n\nMila unterdr\u00fcckte ein L\u00e4cheln und versuchte, das schwindelerregende Gef\u00fchl in ihrem Magen zu ignorieren. \"Guter Schuss. Aber wir m\u00fcssen sie trotzdem fangen.\"\n\nDie Lichter des Freelancers erhellten das zerrissene Schiff, hinter dem die Phantom verschwunden war. Rohrschlangen und Dutzende von Lagerebenen waren teilweise sichtbar, wo R\u00fcstungen herausgerissen worden waren. Das Schiff war ein wahres Labyrinth von halbgeschlossenen G\u00e4ngen.\n\nMila wurde langsamer, als ihre Lichter den Entermesser fanden. Es wurde tot in der N\u00e4he der Vorderseite des Schiffes gestoppt und umarmte sich in der N\u00e4he des Rumpfes. Mila suchte entlang des Rumpfes, als Rhys den Comm aktivierte und den Cutlass begr\u00fc\u00dfte.\n\nKeine Antwort.\n\nEr \u00fcberpr\u00fcfte den Scan noch einmal. \"Ich glaube, ihre Systeme versagen. Vielleicht Lebenserhaltung. Wir hatten ein paar gute Treffer.\"\n\nEin wei\u00dfer Raumanzug schwebte zwischen der hinteren Luke des Entermessers und dem Rumpf des Frachtschiffes heraus. Die Phantom schlug zu, als sie in den Frachter raste und verschwand.\n\nMila zog den Freelancer n\u00e4her an den Entermesser heran und sah Rhys an. \"Wir m\u00fcssen ihr nachgehen.\"\n\n\"Sie stellt eine Falle.\"\n\n\"Sie l\u00e4uft weg. Sie kann nirgendwo hingehen. Wir haben sie.\"\n\n\"Sie h\u00e4tte um Hilfe rufen k\u00f6nnen. Was ist, wenn Verst\u00e4rkung auftaucht? Was w\u00e4re, wenn sie jemanden auf dem Bahnsteig treffen und mit ihm zusammenkommen w\u00fcrde? Dieser Frachter ist eine Todesfalle.\"\n\nMila schob das Schiff n\u00e4her an den Ort, an dem die Phantom verschwunden war, und l\u00f6ste ihr Gurtzeug. \"Ich gehe rein.\"\n\nRhys packte ihren Arm. \"Nicht. Sie kann nicht ewig da drin bleiben. Wir k\u00f6nnen sie aushalten. Das ist es, was sie will.\"\n\nVerzweiflung str\u00f6mte durch Mila und vermischte sich mit ihrem Adrenalinspiegel. Sie zog ihren Arm weg und ging zur\u00fcck, um sich anzuziehen.\n\nRhys folgte ihr und beobachtete, wie sie ihren gepanzerten Anzug anzog und ihre Pistole an ihre H\u00fcfte schnallte.\n\n\"Sie schafft es immer, sich zu befreien\", sagte Mila. Sie schlug mit der Faust gegen den Spind, frustriert. Zu wissen, dass das Phantom so nah dran war. ... direkt neben ihnen in diesem Schiff. Es machte es schwer, klar zu denken. Aber Mila war sich eines sicher. Sie war hinter ihr her.\n\n\"Wir sind diesmal so nah dran\", fuhr Mila fort und versuchte, ihre Stimme ruhig zu halten. \"Zu kurz, um zu riskieren, sie zu verlieren, und du wei\u00dft, das k\u00f6nnte unsere einzige Chance sein. Ich gehe rein. Du kannst kommen, wenn du willst.\"\n\nRhys legte eine Hand um Milas Arm und drehte sie zu ihm. Sie sah widerstrebend zu ihm auf.\n\n\"Ich sollte derjenige sein, der ihr nachgeht\", sagte er schroff. \"Du passt auf das Schiff auf. Wenn sie wieder rauskommt oder jemand auftaucht, kannst du mich befehlen.\"\n\n\" Nein.\"\n\nRhys verengte seine gr\u00fcnen Augen auf sie, eindeutig besorgt.\n\nMila holte einen m\u00fchsamen Atemzug. \"Wir sollten zusammen reingehen.\"\n\n\"Mila, jemand muss bei Devana bleiben, und du bist der bessere Pilot. Lass mich versuchen, sie hier drau\u00dfen zu verfolgen. Die Mission steht an erster Stelle.\"\n\nMilas Magen krampfte bei dem Gedanken, dass Rhys allein reingeht, aber er hatte Recht. Jemand musste bleiben. Und die Mission musste an erster Stelle stehen.\n\nRhys nahm ihr Schweigen als Zustimmung, zog sich schnell an und h\u00e4ngte seine Arclight auf.\n\nSie behielt ihren Raumanzug an - nur f\u00fcr den Fall, dass sie ihm nachgehen musste. Ihre Kehle spannte sich, als sie zu ihrem Sitz zur\u00fcckkehrte und den Freelancer n\u00e4her an den Ort zog, an dem das Phantom verschwunden war.\n\nRhys kam zur\u00fcck ins Cockpit und dr\u00fcckte ihren Arm leicht. \"Halten Sie die Kommunikationsverbindung offen. Bleib auf der Hut.\"\n\nMila nickte und atmete tief durch und versuchte, sich zu beruhigen. Das k\u00f6nnte so leicht zur Seite gehen.\n\nSie entlastete den Laderaum und senkte die Rampe f\u00fcr Rhys. Er stie\u00df ab und trieb in den dunklen K\u00f6rper des Frachters.\n\nSie kam ihm sehr nahe, ihm zu sagen, er solle zur\u00fcckkommen, dass sie warten k\u00f6nnten, bis das Phantom aufgab, aber sie z\u00f6gerte. Ihre Gef\u00fchle f\u00fcr Rhys k\u00e4mpften mit ihrem Bed\u00fcrfnis, diesen Terroristen zu fangen. Ihr Bed\u00fcrfnis hat sich durchgesetzt. Dies war ihre letzte Chance, das Phantom zu fangen. Rhys w\u00e4re in Ordnung. Er war ein gro\u00dfartiger Sch\u00fctze.\n\nEinige Augenblicke vergingen, und Mila zwang sich, die Scanner noch einmal zu \u00fcberpr\u00fcfen. Keine Anzeichen von anderen beweglichen Schiffen.\n\nEin stumpfer Schlag ert\u00f6nte von irgendwo auf dem Rumpf, und Milas Herzfrequenz beschleunigte sich, als sie ihre Waffe aus ihrem Halfter zog.\n\nSie blickte rechtzeitig auf die Laderaumt\u00fcr zur\u00fcck, um zu sehen, wie das Licht blinkte. Der Alarm ert\u00f6nte - eine Warnung, dass die T\u00fcr von der anderen Seite ge\u00f6ffnet wurde, w\u00e4hrend der Laderaum noch drucklos war. Mila drehte sich zur\u00fcck zur Konsole und kletterte, um die T\u00fcr abzuschlie\u00dfen, aber sie scheiterte. Es war zu sp\u00e4t, um die Rampe anzuheben, zu sp\u00e4t, um den Halt zu unterdr\u00fccken.\n\nMila kam auf die Beine, die Pistole fest in der Hand und trainierte sie an der T\u00fcr zum Laderaum.\n\nIn diesem Moment kam Rhys' Stimme \u00fcber den Funk. \"Es gibt zu viele Orte zum Verstecken.\" Seine Stimme erhob sich. \"Mila, schlie\u00df die Rampe! Ich habe gerade einen leeren Raumanzug gefunden. Sie war es nicht.\"\n\n\"Ich wei\u00df. Sie ist hier, Rhys. Ich wiederhole, sie ist auf dem Schiff.\"\n\nDie T\u00fcr schob sich auf, und Milas K\u00f6rper hob sich vom Boden ab, als die k\u00fcnstlichen Schwerkraftsysteme deaktiviert wurden. Sie streckte die Hand aus, um ihre R\u00fcckenlehne mit einer Hand zu greifen, und ihr Pistolenarm schwang weit.\n\nDas Phantom schwebte schwerelos durch die T\u00fcr und schoss. Es riss sich durch Milas Anzug, und sie schrie auf.\n\nEin schrecklicher brennender Schmerz riss Milas Schulter durch, und ihr Sauerstoff begann sich zu entl\u00fcften. Sie schoss verzweifelt zur\u00fcck, aber das Phantom dr\u00fcckte die Decke in einer gut trainierten Null-G Ausweichbewegung in Richtung Boden, und Milas Schuss verfehlte und nahm stattdessen ein St\u00fcck Wandpaneel heraus.\n\nAdrenalin \u00fcberflutete sie. Sie hatten das Phantom in die Enge getrieben und jetzt w\u00fcrde sie bis zum Tod k\u00e4mpfen, um Devana einzunehmen. Mila w\u00fcrde das nicht zulassen.\n\nSie machte einen weiteren Schuss, verfehlte aber erneut, als die Phantom vom Boden stie\u00df. Sie raste nach vorne und knallte in Milas verletzten Arm.\n\nMila keuchte und sah sich selbst im dunklen, reflektierenden Glas von Elaines Helm an der blutig zerrissenen Schulter ihres Anzugs an.\n\nElaine schlug ihre Pistole direkt in Milas Helm und schlug dann ihre Waffe aus ihrem Griff.\n\nMila erholte sich, rang sich mit dem Phantom und schaffte es, eine Faust in ihren Arm zu schlagen, so dass sie ihren Griff auf ihre eigene Waffe verlor. Beide Pistolen drifteten weg und schwebten zur gegen\u00fcberliegenden Wand.\n\nMila versuchte, die Wand gegen die Pistolen zu dr\u00fccken, aber Elaine packte sie in einem engen W\u00fcrgegriff.\n\n\"Fast geschafft.\" Rhys klang panisch, und Mila hatte nicht den Atem, um zu antworten. \"Warte mal.\"\n\nSie k\u00e4mpfte gegen Elaine und versuchte, sie abzusch\u00fctteln, aber die beiden drehten sich einfach in schwereloser Rotation und h\u00fcpften von den W\u00e4nden ab. Mila bekam schlie\u00dflich ihre F\u00fc\u00dfe auf einen von ihnen gesetzt und dr\u00fcckte hart, schlug sich selbst und Elaine gegen eine Cockpitsitzlehne.\n\nSchwei\u00df tropfte in Milas Augen, w\u00e4hrend sie k\u00e4mpften, und Schw\u00e4rze dr\u00e4ngte sich um die R\u00e4nder ihres Sehverm\u00f6gens, als der Sauerstoff aus ihrem Anzug entwich. Der Frachtraum war weit ge\u00f6ffnet, ihr ganzer Sauerstoff war weg. Bald w\u00e4re Milas Anzug genauso leer.\n\nElaine trat vom Sitz, trieb sie beide den Gang hinunter und schickte sie auf die schwimmenden Pistolen zu.\n\nMila war immer noch in einem engen W\u00fcrgegriff, als sie nach der n\u00e4chsten Pistole griff, aber die Waffe drehte sich au\u00dfer Reichweite. Das Phantom schlug Mila hart in die Rippen und dr\u00fcckte die blutige Wunde auf ihre Schulter.\n\nMila hatte fast einen Blackout.\n\nOhne Vorwarnung kam die Schwerkraft wieder zum Vorschein und schlug Mila und Elaine auf den Boden. Die Pistolen klapperten mit ihnen auf den Boden. Mila kletterte von Elaine weg und schloss ihre behandschuhte Faust um die n\u00e4chste. Sie drehte sich auf dem R\u00fccken um und richtete die Waffe auf das Phantom, als sie gerade angreifen wollte.\n\nDas Phantom erstarrte und hob langsam ihre H\u00e4nde, Handfl\u00e4chen heraus, in einer Geste der Hingabe. Milas blasses, angeschlagenes Gesicht spiegelte sich von Elaines dunklem Glasvisier auf sie zur\u00fcck.\n\nRhys rannte durch die T\u00fcr, die Pistole raus.\n\n\"Leg ihr Handschellen an. Wirf sie in die Kapsel. Ich brauche Sauerstoff\", keuchte Mila. Die Pistole schwankte in ihrem Griff, als sie k\u00e4mpfte, um konzentriert zu bleiben. Sie erstickte.\n\nRhys schlug das Phantom in die Wand und zog sie dann in eine Fesselungsgondel.\n\nIn wenigen Augenblicken war er zur\u00fcck und stellte den Sauerstoffgehalt aus dem Cockpit wieder her. Dann hob er Milas Helm von ihrem Kopf, und die dunklen Flecken, die ihre Sicht tr\u00fcbten, verblassten. Sie konnte wieder atmen.\n\nSie versuchte, Rhys anzul\u00e4cheln, aber der stechende Schmerz in ihrer Schulter lie\u00df sie in einer Grimasse herauskommen. \"Wir haben sie.\"\n\nRhys nahm seinen Helm ab und ber\u00fchrte leicht ihre Wange, seine Stirn war voller Sorge. \"Ja, wir haben sie. Aber es sieht so aus, als h\u00e4tte sie dich erwischt.\"\n\n\"Es geht mir gut.\"\n\n\"Nein, bist du nicht.\" Rhys packte einen Medpen und tauchte ihn in ihren Arm. Das Heilmittel \u00fcbernahm die Leitung und linderte Milas Schmerzen.\n\nDann lehnte sich Rhys nach unten und dr\u00fcckte seine warmen Lippen sanft auf ihre. Als sie sich k\u00fcssten, \u00fcberflutete sie die Erleichterung. Sie hatte sich nicht erlauben lassen, zuzugeben, wie besorgt sie um ihn war, als er in den Frachter stieg.\n\nSie hob eine Hand an die raue Stoppeln seiner Wange, und Rhys legte seine Hand \u00fcber ihre. \"Du hattest Recht\", sagte er. \"Ich glaube, mein professionelles Urteilsverm\u00f6gen wurde dadurch beeintr\u00e4chtigt.... Von uns. Ich h\u00e4tte diesem Plan nie zustimmen sollen. Wir h\u00e4tten warten sollen. Aber ich sah diesen hartn\u00e4ckigen Blick in deinem Gesicht, und....\"\n\nMila sch\u00fcttelte den Kopf. \"Wenn du kompromittiert bist, bin ich es auch.\" Sie gab ihm noch einen Kuss. \"Wir werden das schon hinbekommen. Das Wichtigste ist, dass wir es beide gut gemacht haben. Wir haben die Mission erf\u00fcllt.\"\n\nRhys knackte schlie\u00dflich ein L\u00e4cheln und half Mila auf die Beine. \"Wir haben es geschafft. Bist du bereit, unser Phantom zu enth\u00fcllen?\"\n\n\"Ich war noch nie in meinem Leben so bereit.\"\n\nRhys tippte den Code des Pod ein, und die T\u00fcr schob sich auf und enth\u00fcllte das Phantom, das an die innere Stange gefesselt war.\n\nDas war die Frau, die sie monatelang gejagt hatten, die Frau, die sie bei mehr als einer Gelegenheit fast get\u00f6tet h\u00e4tte. Und sie wussten nicht einmal, wie sie wirklich aussah.\n\nRhys hob eine Stirn bei Mila. \"Du willst die Ehre haben, oder soll ich?\"\n\nMila hob im Gegenzug eine Stirn an, und er trat ihr aus dem Weg. Sie zuckte zu, als sie beide H\u00e4nde benutzte, um den Helm des Phantoms zu \u00f6ffnen. Sie zog es mit einer schnellen Bewegung ab und machte einen Schritt zur\u00fcck.\n\nSie und das Phantom trafen sich zum ersten Mal auf Augenh\u00f6he.\n\nUnd Milas Herz blieb fast stehen. Sie hob eine zitternde Hand an ihren Mund und bedeckte ihn.\n\nRhys gab ihr einen verwirrten Blick.\n\n\"Evony Salinas\", sagte das Phantom. \"Wer h\u00e4tte gedacht, dass ein Salinas jemals zur Kopfgeldjagd gehen w\u00fcrde?\"\n\nRhys' Augen wurden gr\u00f6\u00dfer. \"Wer? Was ist los, Mila?\"\n\nDer Phantom starrte Mila aufmerksam an. \"Gehst du jetzt bei deinem Vornamen?\"\n\n\"Kennst du das Phantom?\" Rhys' Stimme war leise, ungl\u00e4ubig.\n\nMila lie\u00df ihre Hand aus dem Mund fallen und fand schlie\u00dflich ihre Stimme. Sie hat einen weiteren Schritt zur\u00fcckgelegt. \"Ihr Name ist Casey Phan.\"\n\n\"Phan? Wie in Phan Pharmaceuticals?\"\n\nMila nickte. \"Das Gleiche. Aber..... Casey Phan wurde vor zehn Jahren ermordet.\"\n\nWIRD FORTGESETZT......","zh_CN":"Writer\u2019s Note: Phantom Bounty: Part Two was published originally in Jump Point 3.2. Read Part One here.\nDevana lifted through the sky, and the gleaming towers of Tevistal faded away beneath the cloudline. Exhilaration raced through Mila at the feel of the Freelancer moving through the air, her back pressed against the well-worn pilot\u2019s seat, all of the heady power of the ship under her command.\n\nThis was the one place she always felt free and in control, as if she could be anyone and do anything. But open space was a double-edged knife, filled with the promise of both endless possibility and danger. And today it was danger she and Rhys were headed toward: their last chance to catch the Phantom. To catch the terrorist who called herself Elaine.\n\n\u201cDid I ever tell you I love watching your face when you fly?\u201d Rhys smirked at her from the co-pilot\u2019s seat.\n\nMila warmed at the look in his eyes and lifted a brow. \u201cI think you love watching my face when I\u2019m doing . . . lots of things.\u201d\n\nRhys grinned at her, and Mila knew they were both recalling the quick fun they\u2019d just had in the bunk while waiting for clearance. She wasn\u2019t going to try to label this relationship as anything other than business . . . for now. But being business partners with benefits sure was nice for the built-in stress relief.\n\nWhen they finished their ascent and hit the emptiness of space, Rhys brought up the system map on the HUD and set a course for Mila to follow. She altered their path to follow a trajectory that would take them to the orbital platform at the edge of the system.\n\n\u201cIf that dock snitch told the truth,\u201d Mila said, \u201cthe Phantom\u2019s headed to the orbital platform to meet her contact. But what do we know about this Septa platform?\u201d\n\nRhys brought up the system map and searched for available data. \u201cSepta\u2019s owned by a company called McGloclin, but it looks like they haven\u2019t been active out there for a while. Not sure what we\u2019ll find on the platform. Maybe company workers, probably vagrants. No Advocacy agents there or any law officers at all since the corporation is supposed to be in charge. There\u2019s a pretty large debris field drifting a few klicks from the platform.\u201d\n\n\u201cGreat.\u201d\n\n\u201cHere, give me that tag number so we can scan.\u201d\n\nMila pushed up her sleeve, and Rhys held his mobiGlas up to hers to grab the tag data the WiDoW addict had given them. It transferred over, and he ported it into Devana\u2019s system. \u201cActivating the long-range scanner.\u201d\n\nThey both tensed as the scanner completed its initial search.\n\nNo hits.\n\nA twinge of disappointment hit Mila, but it didn\u2019t do much to dampen her excitement. \u201cWell, we\u2019re still too far from the platform, if that\u2019s where she is. I\u2019m sure the scanner will pick up something . . . soon.\u201d\n\nShe and Rhys rode in comfortable silence born of months of flying together, but as they approached the platform, Mila recalled how Rhys had acted back on Tevistal. How she had acted.\n\nHe\u2019d been controlling and had tried to keep her out of harm\u2019s way when he\u2019d needed back-up. And she\u2019d acted hotheaded, violating their agreement about her handling tech and him dealing with contacts.\n\nAnd now, this was probably it \u2014 the end of this mission, whether they caught the Phantom or not. If Elaine escaped, they\u2019d have to find a new bounty, and that would take time and more creds they didn\u2019t have. They needed to keep clear heads if they had any chance of succeeding today.\n\n\u201cHey,\u201d she said softly. \u201cWe\u2019ll play this by the book this time, yeah? I take care of tech. You haggle and get info. We work together once we get close.\u201d\n\n\u201cAgreed.\u201d\n\n\u201cJust one thing.\u201d Mila swallowed and met his eyes from across the small space. \u201cYou have to allow me to do my job. If there\u2019s danger, we handle things the way we always have. This . . . this thing we have can\u2019t get in the way of that.\u201d\n\nRhys\u2019s jaw tensed, and he didn\u2019t answer right away. \u201cI just want to keep you safe.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe keep each other safe.\u201d\n\nRhys shifted in his seat and looked out at the nothingness ahead of them. \u201cI\u2019ve lost people . . . people I cared about before.\u201d\n\nSo have I. But Mila didn\u2019t say it. \u201cWe can\u2019t let anything get in the way of our judgment. The mission comes first.\u201d\n\nHe gave her a stiff nod.\n\n\u201cMission comes first.\u201d Mila bit her lip. His agreement was the outcome she wanted in this conversation, wasn\u2019t it? So why the hell did she feel so disappointed?\n\nBecause you\u2019ve fallen hard for him, idiot. Her cheeks heated at the thought. Now was not the time to be thinking about this.\n\nShe kept her eyes straight ahead, afraid the look in them might give her real feelings away. \u201cI\u2019m glad we agree then.\u201d\n\nThe scanner beeped, and Mila\u2019s heart rate picked up as she looked over at what it had found.\n\nThey\u2019d located the Phantom\u2019s ship. Tentative ID: a Cutlass.\n\n\u201cShe\u2019s heading away from the platform,\u201d Rhys said urgently. \u201cWe might lose her on the scanner with all the debris.\u201d\n\n\u201cMap a new trajectory. Maybe we can cut her off before she reaches it.\u201d Mila throttled up, her breath coming more quickly as she followed the new course.\n\nIn minutes, they came up on the tangle of floating junk. It loomed before them, hunks of twisted metal and dead ships in the distance, sprawled out in a mess that would be tough to navigate.\n\nJust as they reached the edge of it, the Phantom\u2019s ship winked out of existence on their scanner.\n\n\u201cKak.\u201d Rhys fiddled with the scanner, trying to manually find the ship. \u201cWe\u2019re gonna have to go in there. That debris won\u2019t be easy to fly through \u2014\u201d\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ll be fine.\u201d\n\nMila searched ahead, seeking any sign of a ship where the Phantom had disappeared from their scanner.\n\n\u201cThere. The only one moving!\u201d Mila pointed to a glint of metal in the distance, weaving through the debris. \u201cI\u2019m taking us in.\u201d\n\n\u201cLet me check where she might be headed.\u201d Rhys zoomed in on his map.\n\nMila gritted her teeth and directed the Freelancer into the debris field, cutting around a half-destroyed freighter. \u201cDo you think she knows we\u2019re here?\u201d\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t think so. She hasn\u2019t changed her speed.\u201d\n\nMila edged Devana around a hunk of twisted metal, trying to keep the distant glimmer in view.\n\n\u201cWe should get above this mess. It\u2019s safer.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d Mila responded. \u201cWe risk being detected, and then we\u2019ll lose her if she goes deeper into this floating pile of kak. We need to go in and flank her. Catch her by surprise.\u201d\n\nMila sped up, darting around small pieces of junk. Sweat popped up on her forehead as she tried to watch the debris and keep an eye on the glint of the Phantom\u2019s ship ahead of them.\n\nThey were flying straight for the center of the junk pile.\n\n\u201cShutting down unnecessary systems to increase shielding,\u201d Rhys said. \u201cElaine\u2019s not gonna let us catch her without a fight.\u201d\n\n\u201cI know.\u201d Mila killed the main engines, relying on maneuvering thrusters. \u201cHold on.\u201d\n\nAs Devana slipped through the detritus, it swayed from side to side, avoiding most of the scrap metal and decommissioned ships.\n\nRhys grunted and shook his head as small pipes and bolts bounced off their hull.\n\nMila\u2019s pulse pounded, buzzing in her ears with the thrill of the chase. Then the distant ship suddenly made a hard right and disappeared between two massive cargo hulks.\n\n\u201cDid she make us?\u201d Mila pushed Devana to the limit to catch up.\n\n\u201cMaybe. She could be waiting for us on the other side of that ship.\u201d\n\nJust before they reached the Hull-C where the Phantom had disappeared, Mila rotated the Freelancer to starboard and slowed.\n\nThe massive skeleton of the Hull-C blocked their line of sight. She couldn\u2019t see the Phantom\u2019s ship, but it could be hidden just on the other side.\n\nShe tapped the thrusters and coasted beneath the cargo ship.\n\nMila barely breathed as they reached the far side of the dead ship\u2019s hull.\n\n\u201cI got her on the scanner. Hanging right above us,\u201d Rhys said. \u201cA Cutlass, all right. Weapons ready. She knows we\u2019re here.\u201d\n\nAs they emerged, Mila\u2019s heart thumped wildly. She rotated the ship in a deft motion to face the Cutlass. Devana was momentarily bracketed between the Hull-C and another freighter \u2014 a terrible place to be in a gunfight.\n\nThe Cutlass took a shot but missed, instead damaging the Hull-C above them. It was a straight shot; had the Phantom just missed on purpose?\n\n\u201cI gotta get us out of here.\u201d Mila dropped the ship lower, trying to escape the narrow choke point they\u2019d found themselves in.\n\n\u201cUse the freighter for cover!\u201d\n\nThe Phantom fired again, this time a steady fusillade that still missed Devana, striking the hulk they were slipping toward.\n\n\u201cMila, wait!\u201d Rhys yelled, just as the Cutlass\u2019s barrage triggered an explosion in the Hull-C. It burst in a wave of shrapnel, generating a force that sent Devana flying sideways.\n\nMila gripped the controls tighter as the Freelancer slammed into the other cargo ship with a hard shudder. The shielding held, but barely. Alarms sounded in response to the shield loss, and Mila felt the balance of the ship shift beneath her.\n\n\u201cManeuvering thruster?\u201d Mila asked, struggling to regain balance.\n\n\u201cDammit. Yes. We lost one.\u201d\n\nFrom above them, the Cutlass rained shots down on their weakened shield.\n\n\u201cShields at quarter power,\u201d Rhys reported.\n\nAnother explosion sparked near the second cargo ship, and a new wave of debris headed toward them. Mila watched in horror as a jagged metal panel flew straight at the nose of Devana.\n\nRhys squeezed the trigger. Half the panel shot off in the opposite direction, but the rest of it stayed on course.\n\nIt slammed straight into them, and Mila\u2019s head snapped back against her seat. Alarms blared as the ship rotated wildly, and she gripped the stick firmly, trying to steady them. A thin crack spread across the cockpit, slowly widening, and the temperature instantly dropped.\n\n\u201cKak.\u201d She and Rhys both said it at the same time.\n\n\u201cGotta patch the screen. Now.\u201d Rhys moved, grabbing their helmets from the storage compartment, and took the controls as Mila latched hers on.\n\nShe took the controls back as he got his helmet on. Rhys stumbled out of his seat.\n\n\u201cGetting the repair foam.\u201d He said, his voice crackling over the helmet comms. He hurried toward the cargo hold as Devana banked through a fractured Starfarer. When Mila came out of the turn, she spotted the Cutlass as it ducked behind a blackened hull that was too far gone to identify. Angling the thrusters, she turned tightly to follow.\n\nRhys stumbled back into the cockpit and applied the foam to the crack, temp-sealing it.\n\n\u201cThis\u2019ll hold until we get to a repair dock,\u201d Rhys panted. \u201cBut not if we take another direct hit.\u201d\n\nMila keyed up the guns, her breath coming quickly now and frosting up on the interior glass of her helmet, as the Phantom danced in and out of sight ahead.\n\n\u201cIt could have been far worse.\u201d\n\nRhys smirked at her tone and strapped back into his seat. \u201cFine. I\u2019ll say it. You were right about that extra armor.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat always does have a nice ring to it.\u201d With Rhys back on weapons, Mila narrowed the distance to the Cutlass.\n\n\u201cTake her out, Rhys.\u201d Mila focused on keeping the Freelancer steady as Rhys targeted the Cutlass\u2019s engines.\n\nDevana\u2019s twin Kronegs opened fire.\n\nThe Cutlass jerked sideways, off course, and a small, bright flash told them they\u2019d gotten a hit. Mila darted a glance at the scan. It updated, showing the Cutlass\u2019s left engine had been damaged.\n\n\u201cTargeting her jumpdrive,\u201d Rhys said. As the Phantom regained control of her ship, Rhys fired off a series of rapid shots, targeting the armored drive.\n\nThe Cutlass lurched and then took off again, swinging from side to side, this time heading for a half-scrapped Orion nearby. It disappeared on the far side of the ship, and Mila adjusted course to go after it.\n\n\u201cNot giving her a chance to drop another mine,\u201d Mila said.\n\n\u201cI think we got her,\u201d Rhys replied quietly. \u201cShe\u2019s not getting out of here.\u201d\n\nMila suppressed a smile and tried to ignore the giddy feeling in her stomach. \u201cGood shot. But we still have to catch her.\u201d\n\nThe Freelancer\u2019s lights illuminated the torn-apart ship the Phantom had disappeared behind. Tangles of pipes and dozens of storage levels were partially visible where armor had been ripped out. The ship was a veritable warren of half-enclosed corridors.\n\nMila slowed as their lights found the Cutlass. It was stopped dead near the front of the ship, hugging close to the hull. Mila searched along the hull as Rhys activated the comm and hailed the Cutlass.\n\nNo response.\n\nHe checked the scan again. \u201cI think her systems are failing. Maybe life support. We got some good hits in.\u201d\n\nA white spacesuit floated out between the Cutlass\u2019s far hatch and the freighter\u2019s hull. The Phantom flailed as she hurtled into the freighter and disappeared.\n\nMila pulled the Freelancer closer to the Cutlass and looked at Rhys. \u201cWe have to go in after her.\u201d\n\n\u201cShe\u2019s setting a trap.\u201d\n\n\u201cShe\u2019s running. She has nowhere to go. We have her.\u201d\n\n\u201cShe could have called for help. What if reinforcements show up? What if she met someone back at the platform and commed them? This freighter\u2019s a death trap.\u201d\n\nMila edged the ship closer to where the Phantom had disappeared and unstrapped her harness. \u201cI\u2019m going in.\u201d\n\nRhys grabbed her arm. \u201cDon\u2019t. She can\u2019t stay in there forever. We can wait her out. This is what she wants.\u201d\n\nDesperation surged through Mila, mingling with her adrenaline high. She pulled her arm away and headed back to suit up.\n\nRhys followed her and watched as she pulled on her armored suit and strapped her pistol to her hip.\n\n\u201cShe always manages to slip away,\u201d Mila said. She slammed a fist against the locker, frustrated. Knowing the Phantom was so close. . . right next to them in that ship. It was making it hard to think straight. But Mila was sure of one thing. She was going in after her.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re so close this time,\u201d Mila continued, trying to keep her voice steady. \u201cToo close to risk losing her, and you know this could be our only chance. I\u2019m going in. You can come if you want to.\u201d\n\nRhys wrapped a hand around Mila\u2019s arm and turned her to face him. She reluctantly looked up at him.\n\n\u201cI should be the one to go in there after her,\u201d he said gruffly. \u201cYou watch the ship. If she comes back out or anyone shows up, you can comm me.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo.\u201d\n\nRhys narrowed his green eyes at her, clearly worried.\n\nMila took a labored breath. \u201cWe should go in together.\u201d\n\n\u201cMila, someone needs to stay with Devana, and you\u2019re the better pilot. Let me try to chase her back out here. The mission comes first.\u201d\n\nMila\u2019s stomach clenched at the thought of Rhys going in alone, but he was right. Someone needed to stay. And the mission had to come first.\n\nRhys took her silence as agreement, quickly suiting up and holstering his Arclight.\n\nShe kept her spacesuit on \u2014 just in case she needed to go in after him. Her throat tightened as she returned to her seat and pulled the Freelancer closer to where the Phantom had disappeared.\n\nRhys came back up to the cockpit and squeezed her arm lightly. \u201cKeep the commlink open. Stay on guard.\u201d\n\nMila nodded and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. This could go sideways so easily.\n\nShe depressurized the cargo hold and lowered the ramp for Rhys. He pushed off and drifted into the dark body of the freighter.\n\nShe very nearly commed him to tell him to come back, that they could wait until the Phantom gave up, but she hesitated. Her feelings for Rhys battled with her need to capture this terrorist. Her need won out. This was their last chance to capture the Phantom. Rhys would be fine. He was a great shot.\n\nSeveral moments passed, and Mila forced herself to check the scanners again. No sign of any other moving ships.\n\nA dull thud sounded from somewhere on the hull, and Mila\u2019s heart rate sped up as she pulled her gun from her holster.\n\nShe glanced back at the cargo hold door in time to see the light flash. The alarm sounded \u2014 a warning that the door was being opened from the other side while the hold was still depressurized. Mila turned back to the console and scrambled to lock the door, but she failed. It was too late to raise the ramp, too late to repressurize the hold.\n\nMila got to her feet, her pistol tight in her grip, and trained it on the door to the cargo hold.\n\nAt that moment, Rhys\u2019s voice came over the comm. \u201cThere are too many places to hide.\u201d His voice rose. \u201cMila, close the ramp! I just found an empty spacesuit. It wasn\u2019t her.\u201d\n\n\u201cI know. She\u2019s here, Rhys. I repeat, she\u2019s on the ship.\u201d\n\nThe door slid open, and Mila\u2019s body lifted off the floor as the artificial gravity systems were deactivated. She reached out to grab her seatback with one hand, and her pistol arm swung wide.\n\nThe Phantom floated through the door, weightless, and took a shot. It tore through Mila\u2019s suit, and she cried out.\n\nA terrible burning pain ripped through Mila\u2019s shoulder, and her oxygen began to vent. She shot back desperately, but the Phantom pushed off the ceiling toward the floor in a well-practiced zero-G evasive movement, and Mila\u2019s shot missed, taking a hunk of wall panel out instead.\n\nAdrenaline flooded her. They\u2019d cornered the Phantom and now she\u2019d fight to the death to take Devana. Mila wouldn\u2019t let that happen.\n\nShe took another shot, but missed again as the Phantom pushed off the floor. She hurtled forward and slammed into Mila\u2019s injured arm.\n\nMila gasped and caught a glimpse of herself in the dark reflective glass of Elaine\u2019s helmet, at the bloodied torn shoulder of her suit.\n\nElaine slammed her pistol directly into Mila\u2019s helmet, then knocked her gun from her grip.\n\nMila recovered, grappling with the Phantom, and managed to slam a fist into her arm, making her lose her grip on her own gun. Both pistols drifted away, floating toward the far wall.\n\nMila tried to push off the wall toward the pistols, but Elaine grabbed her in a tight chokehold.\n\n\u201cAlmost there.\u201d Rhys sounded panicked, and Mila didn\u2019t have the breath to respond. \u201cHang on.\u201d\n\nShe fought against Elaine, trying to throw her off, but the two of them just spun in weightless rotation, bouncing off the walls. Mila finally got her feet planted on one of them and pushed hard, slamming herself and Elaine back against a cockpit seatback.\n\nSweat dripped into Mila\u2019s eyes as they struggled, and blackness crowded around the edges of her vision as the oxygen escaped her suit. The cargo hold was wide open, all their oxygen gone. Soon Mila\u2019s suit would be just as empty.\n\nElaine kicked off the seat, propelling them both down the aisle, sending them flying toward the floating pistols.\n\nMila was still in a tight chokehold as she reached for the nearest pistol, but the gun spun out of reach. The Phantom punched Mila in the ribs, hard, and squeezed the bloody wound on her shoulder.\n\nMila nearly blacked out.\n\nWithout warning, the gravity came back on, slamming Mila and Elaine to the floor. The pistols clattered to the floor with them. Mila scrambled away from Elaine and closed her gloved fist around the nearest one. She flipped over on her back, pointing the gun up at the Phantom just as she was about to attack.\n\nThe Phantom froze and slowly lifted her hands, palms out, in a gesture of surrender. Mila\u2019s pale, stricken countenance reflected back at her from Elaine\u2019s dark glass visor.\n\nRhys ran through the door, pistol out.\n\n\u201cCuff her. Throw her in the pod. I need oxygen,\u201d Mila gasped. The pistol wavered in her grip as she fought to stay focused. She was suffocating.\n\nRhys slammed the Phantom into the wall, then dragged her into a restraint pod.\n\nIn moments, he was back, reestablishing oxygen levels from the cockpit. Then he lifted Mila\u2019s helmet from her head, and the dark spots clouding her vision faded. She could breathe again.\n\nShe tried to smile up at Rhys, but the stabbing pain in her shoulder made it come out in a grimace. \u201cWe got her.\u201d\n\nRhys took off his helmet and lightly touched her cheek, his brow furrowed with worry. \u201cYeah, we got her. But it looks like she got you.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, you\u2019re not.\u201d Rhys grabbed a medpen and plunged it into her arm. The healing agent took over, easing Mila\u2019s pain.\n\nThen Rhys leaned down and gently pressed his warm lips to hers. As they kissed, relief flooded her. She hadn\u2019t allowed herself to admit how worried she\u2019d been for him when he went into the freighter.\n\nShe lifted a hand to the rough stubble of his cheek, and Rhys laid his hand over hers. \u201cYou were right,\u201d he said. \u201cI think my professional judgment\u2019s been compromised . . . by this. By us. I never should have agreed to that plan. We should\u2019ve waited. But I saw that stubborn look on your face, and . . .\u201d\n\nMila shook her head. \u201cIf you\u2019re compromised, so am I.\u201d She gave him another kiss. \u201cWe\u2019ll figure this out. The important thing is that we both made it out okay. We completed the mission.\u201d\n\nRhys finally cracked a smile and helped Mila to her feet. \u201cWe did it. Are you ready to unmask our Phantom?\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve never been more ready in my life.\u201d\n\nRhys typed in the pod\u2019s code, and the door slid open, revealing the Phantom cuffed to the interior bar.\n\nThis was the woman they\u2019d hunted for months, the woman who had nearly killed them on more than one occasion. And they\u2019d never even known what she really looked like.\n\nRhys raised a brow at Mila. \u201cYou want to do the honors, or should I?\u201d\n\nMila lifted a brow in return, and he stepped out of her way. She winced as she used both hands to unlatch the Phantom\u2019s helmet. She pulled it off with one swift movement and took a step back.\n\nShe and the Phantom met eye-to-eye for the first time.\n\nAnd Mila\u2019s heart nearly stopped. She lifted a shaking hand to her mouth, covering it.\n\nRhys gave her a confused look.\n\n\u201cEvony Salinas,\u201d the Phantom said. \u201cWho knew a Salinas would ever go into bounty hunting?\u201d\n\nRhys\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cWho? What\u2019s going on, Mila?\u201d\n\nThe Phantom stared at Mila intently. \u201cGoing by your middle name now?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou know the Phantom?\u201d Rhys\u2019s voice was low, incredulous.\n\nMila dropped her hand from her mouth and finally found her voice. She backed up another step. \u201cHer name is Casey Phan.\u201d\n\n\u201cPhan? As in Phan Pharmaceuticals?\u201d\n\nMila nodded. \u201cThe same. But . . . Casey Phan was murdered ten years ago.\u201d\n\nTO BE CONTINUED\u2026"},"links_count":1,"comment_count":18,"created_at":"2018-10-31T00:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"7 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-07 22:45:22","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":16826,"next_id":16828}}