"Terry, Crimson," someone said. Malia, Alex thought it was, but he didn't look. Terrence swung and Alex blocked. His arm stung. At least he was blocking and dodging more often than not now. After three weeks of daily practice Alex thought that was quite good.

    Terrence stepped away after that, and then Alex looked over his shoulder. He'd been right, she was standing in the doorway.

    "What's up?" Terence asked.

    "The target's almost here, an hour, tops."

    Terrence nodded. "Okay, I'll get cleaned up, change and meet up with the others."

    "I guess I'll do the same and head to the bridge," Alex said.

    Malia shook her head. "No, Anders's waiting for you in the meeting room."

    Alex frowned. "Why?"

    "He didn't say, just to tell you to meet him there."

    Alex nodded and headed to his room to change. Thirty minutes later he was in one of the set of clothing Terrence had had made based on the jumpsuit. The gray pants were a thick fabric that could withstand unpowered knives, the gray jacket was made of the same material and both had multiple pockets.

    He had seven knives on his body, one in each boots, something else Terrence had insisted he get, instead of his shoes. One on each hip, one strapped to each forearm, and one at the small of his back. Alex was now used to them enough he felt odd when he didn't have them on him.

    Five minutes later he was in Ander's meeting room. A large room next to the man's quarters with a table capable of accommodating twenty people. There was only four there at the moment, not including Anders; Zephyr, Terrence, Barbara and Malia.

    "You wanted to see me?" Alex said. 

    "Yeah, the job's starting in a few."

    "Malia said that. She also said you wanted to see me before I head to the bridge."

    "You're not going to the bridge. This is a simple job, I talked it over with the captain, we don't need you doing your thing."

    Alex was surprised. This was the third job since they'd left Jahulna's station. He had no idea if the previous two have been small or large jobs, but he'd coerced them both.

    "Okay, then what am I doing?"

    "You're coming with us. I figure it's time you got a taste of how things go. Get your hands bloody, if you like."

    "Don't you think they're bloody enough?" Alex asked, but there was no anger in his voice. He'd accepted what he'd done, and he no longer snapped each time someone brought it up.

    "You haven't been in a real fight yet. Terry tells me you're handling yourself well enough now. This should be a piece of cake for you."

    Alex nodded. There was nothing else he could do. He wasn't looking forward to this, but he'd known he'd have to fight at some point.

    The six of them went down to the common room to pick up armor and weapons. Alex clipped the gun to his belt, but he didn't like having it. He was a much better shot now, but it didn't take away the sense that it was too easy to kill with one.

    After that they joined the rest of Anders' team in the large airlock that was next to the hold.

    "So how are we getting close to them if I'm not telling the other ship not to see us?" Alex asked.

    The man next to him, Jurgoson, Alex thought, snorted. He still couldn't recognize all of them, but he thought that was the name of the platinum haired man.

    "We were doing this before you showed up. The pilot's using the blind spot caused by their engines."

    "It should be too hot that close to them," Natalie said, "but this ship was built to do work in close proximity to stars, so it can take it."

    "How did the captain get it?"

    "To hear Anders say it, the captain won it in a card game." 

    "You don't-"

    "Alright men!" Anders raised his voice over anyone talking. "You know the drill. We go in, keep security busy any way we can, while the rest of the crew makes out with as much of their cargo as they can. You get hurt, you come back to the ship. You see someone hurt who can't move, you get them back to the ship. This isn't a suicide mission, I don't mind you coming back hurt, but I want you all to come back, got it?"

    As one the men and women let out a loud "yeah!" and fell silent.

    Alex was amazed at the discipline he was seeing. None of what he'd seen in his time on the ship had led him to believe they had any. Alex caught the motion because he was looking around, looking for movement. It was becoming habit for him to never fix his gaze on any one spot. He recognized the Mohawk before seeing the face. Zephyr took position next to Alex.

    "Do you have your knives?" 

    Alex nodded.

    "Don't let Anders scare you. You don't need to kill anyone. Just incapacitate. A few good cuts and they'll be too busy to bother anyone."

    "I know. I'm going to do what I have to. I'm going to pull my weight."

    Zephyr smiled. "I have no doubt. You're tougher than any of us gave you credit for."

    Alex smiled back. Most of his doubts were gone now. He was doing this for Jack. He would do whatever it took to get him back. He didn't want to kill anyone, but if he had to, to pull this off, then so be it."

    The ship shook.

    "Stick with me as much as you can," Zephyr said.

    The ship shook again, there was a loud whine, metal against metal. A few loud knocks, then silence.

    Alex had no idea what to expect when the hatch opened, but again he was surprised, the group rushed through the connecting tube into the other ship in an orderly manner.

    "Okay," he asked Zephyr as they followed the group. "I get that we're protecting the others, but what exactly am I expected to do?"

    "We're handling the perimeter." He indicated the head of the group, a dozen people turning left. "Anders and those are going to the hold and they'll secure the entry points. The rest of us are patrolling the corridors leading to them. Our job is to thin the security force. You're going to want to use your gun for that."

    Alex took it out as they reach the other ship. They turned right in that corridor. Zephyr jogged, and Alex kept up with him. Some of the people broke off in other corridors. The other man led Alex to a panel in the wall and opened it. It was a ladder.

    Alex almost suggested the lift would be easier, but the ship controlled those.

    "We're going down a level," Zephyr said. "Cover the top until I've reached it, then join me."

    The alarm started when Zephyr reached the level, and Alex wondered why it didn't go off the moment they attached to the ship. No security had showed up and Alex followed him down.

    "How come there isn't anyone running around?" Alex asked. The corridor was empty of people. It felt like there was no one at all.

    "Courier ships don't have much personnel other than the security forces, that's why they're our preferred targets." Voices sounded from both ends of the corridors. "And it's why they have a lot of them." Zephyr ran left, for the loudest voices.

    Alex wasn't sure why the man was going toward them, instead of getting cover and waiting, but he followed. Zephyr fired as he turned the corner and screams of pain erupted from a group of six. Alex fired at the woman who was raising her gun. She went down with a hole in her leg. Three of the others had chest wounds. Zephyr didn't have any problem with killing.

    Another went down and Alex missed the sixth, who threw himself back, rolled and came up fleeing.

    Alex heard foot steps coming closer and looked around the corner. A dozen men and women in dark blue uniform were running in his direction, guns drawn. Alex looked to Zephyr to tell him, but he just saw him turning the other corner, running after the sixth guard.

    Alex cursed softy and ran to the intersection. Zephyr was already twenty feet along. Alex glanced over his shoulder and ducked as the other guards turned the corner and fired at him.

    Alex ran away from them and after Zephyr. He fired blindly behind him in hope of keeping them from following him. He'd never be able to catch up to Zephyr, who was now three intersections ahead of him.

    Alex was wondering what he could do, when two things happened. Two guards ran in ahead of him, turning in his direction, and a door opened.

    Alex threw himself in the door, bowling over the woman who was about to exit. She too wore the dark blue uniform. They landed on the floor and before he could react she struck his hand, making him drop the gun. Alex rolled away and hit a wall. He got his legs under him and grabbed a knife from his boot as he stood. He swung at her to force her to keep her distances.

    Small room, two doors, a four people table and chairs. He threw a chair at her and put the table between them. Limited space meant little maneuvering room, not exactly to his advantage in a knife fight, he was already backed against he wall, but while not being able to back up meant trouble, that was one direction he couldn't be attacked from. 

    Knock her out and go find Zephyr.

    She pulled out her own knife- at least she didn't have a gun - and came at him from the side.

    If he moved, it put the other door to his back. Anyone could come from there, that's bad. He went at her, taking a cut across the arm. The surprise made her back a step and he slashed at her leg. Unlike her, he wasn't going for vital points. She went down to a knee and he backhanded her across the face.

    A door opened. He glanced. The other one. Two men coming out, armed with guns, a room behind them. Alex kicked the table to force them back, but he was the one to move back. The table was locked in place. He hit the wall as a burn mark appeared next to him.

    He didn't have much of a chance against guns. He threw his knife at the first man. And threw himself to the floor pulling the knife from a sleeve. Another door opened and he didn't even think about it, he threw the knife at the man there. He saw him backing up putting a hand to his throat before the door closed.

    Alex pulled the knife from his other sleeve. He couldn't stay down, or in one place. One against three in a small room. Great for vids. Horrible to survive.

    The woman moved. Alex rolled under the table. Two pairs of legs on the other side. He sliced at one and the man cursed. A gun appeared below the table's edge. Alex stabbed the arm. It went off, his side burned. The arm was pulled, wrenching the knife out of his hand.

    He took a knife out of his belt and stood, slashing at the man backing from him. Only two? Where was the third? He glanced to the side just in time to see the light reflecting on the blade. He moved aside, was stopped by the table, felt the cut on his face and saw the tip of the blade move past his eye.

    He had a moment of terror that he was going to loose his eye, then realize the blade was moving away, the upswing. Alex slashed and forced the man away. He looked around. No one was holding a gun, but it was still three against him.

    If he didn't want to die, he couldn't afford to be nice. He couldn't be content with incapacitating them. He had to put them down as fast as possible. He had one moment to worry about what Jack would think of him, then he launched himself over the table for the woman.

    He felt her knife bit in his arm, but his was in her side.

    He twisted it and tried to pull it out. The blood made it too slick, and he lost it as she fell down.

    Pain up his back pushed him forward. He pulled out the other knife from his belt. He didn't know how bad the wound was, but he wasn't letting that stop him. He had to survive.

    The two men rounded the table from each side a knife in each hand. They slashed back and forth and moved carefully, making Alex think they weren't used to fighting with them.

    Trying to intimidate him. Unfortunately for them, he'd been fighting Zephyr for almost a month. That guy was intimidating, they weren't.

    Alex moved forward and then back. He dodged left and right.

    He slashed back, feinted, got a couple of slices in, he side stepped them, quickly moving past the door to the other wall. They got in each other's way trying to get at him.

    He smiled. He might actually survive this.

    A hand grabbed his arm as he got close to the opened door.

    Alex didn't have time to be surprised. He got pulled into the other room and thrown to the ground. He saw muscular legs as he landed and was pulled up. Thick arms as he flew in the air. Wide torso and breast as she let go of him and launched him.

    Alex thought She might be Will's type, before hitting the far wall. His head rang, but he couldn't stay down. He pulled the knife from his other boot gritted his teeth and jumped up, slashing at the hand that tried to grab him.

    She didn't scream, she just closed her hand in a fist and grunted, before swinging at him. He dodge, looked around. The room was much larger, the couch and chairs against the wall.

    More maneuvering room, but he was back to three opponents and while she wasn't armed, she looked like she could break him in two if she got her hands on him.

    Alex moved. Always move Terrence taught him, control how the fight goes. Make sure the obstacles impede your opponents, not you.

    The two men entered the room as Alex was looking in that direction, they ran at him, he dodged toward the woman, under her swing, she hit one of them. He rolled and stood. He dodged the coming knife. He swung.

    He stopped thinking.

    He slashed, dodged, parried, and he smiled.

    Knives cut him, he cut them. Punches bruised his side, he kicked them, and he laughed.

    He hurt, and he was having the time of his life. Then no one moved anymore.

    He was standing in the middle of the room,panting. Three bleeding, lifeless bodies were sprawled at his feet. He had done that. He had killed them.

    He should feel bad, he didn't want to be a killer, but all he felt, was alive. He was the one who had won.

    Sound, movement.

    Alex swung, someone blocked his arm, twisted it, made him drop his knife. Alex twisted out of the hold, reached behind him and pulled out the knife there. He launched himself at his new opponent, slashed with the knife, swung with his other fist. He felt the knife bite through fabric, into flesh.

    He saw the punch coming, dodged it, but the hand grabbed his wrist instead of striking him. His opponent pulled him, spun, and Alex went flying over the man, only then realizing he was sporting a mohawk.

    Alex vision exploded with stars as his head hit the floor.

    He lied there, looking up at Zephyr's face, then he groaned, putting a hand to his head.

    "You can be pretty savage," Zephyr said, now looking at the cut bleeding on his arm. "When you put your mind to it. I'll have to keep that in mind." He extended that hand to Alex, who looked at it, at the blood running down it for a moment before taking it. "Are you okay?"

    "My head hurts." 

    "The rest of you?"

    Alex looked down at himself, his clothing was cut and covered with blood. He had no idea how much of it was his. "I'm not feeling it right now. What happened?"

    Zephyr pulled a hypo from his pack and injected Alex with something. Immediately the pain Alex didn't think he was feeling went away. "When I caught up with the guard I realized you weren't there. I had to deal with a few security groups on my way back."

    Alex looked the man over, except for the cut Alex had given him, he showed no signs of having been in any fights. "How did you know I was in here?"

    "The guy with a knife in his throat lying on the floor before the door made it clear." Zephyr indicated the bodies. "You did this." It wasn't a question. "How do you feel?"

    Alex had to think about it for a moment. He looked at them, expecting to feel revulsion, but it didn't come. "I'm not happy I had to, but it was me or them. I wasn't going to die if I can avoid it."

    "Good, that mindset will keep the nightmare away, and help keep you alive."

    Alex rolled his eyes. "You say that like nightmares aren't the norm for me at this point." He shrugged at the surprised look that got him. "And as for surviving, you and Terrence's training will have everything to do with it."

    "I'm glad you think that, because you're still leaving yourself open on your left side." Zephyr grinned and handed Alex his knife back. "Let's get back to taking down the security."

    Alex nodded, and found he was looking forward to that.