Well, here's the next piece.  It's starting to look like a six section 
work, and the end is in sight now.  Please, I could really use lots of 
c&c on this section particularly, as I am now starting to build toward 
the ending.

Stormwalker presents:

                  Bubblegum Collision

           A BGC fanfic by Douglas A. Reeves

PART FOUR - The Enemy of my Enemy

     Christine Stevenson was dead; there was no debate on the matter.  She
was known to be in her mansion at the time of the fire, and it was known that
neither she nor Dr. James Boston had escaped when the flames consumed the
building.  Three days later, funerals were held for the two of them on the
grounds of the estate.
      When her lawyers went to execute her will, many people were stunned at
how freely she distributed her wealth.  Having no known heir, she had given
large sums of money and property, seemingly randomly, to individual citizens
of Megatokyo.  In fact, it seemed that the only pattern in the gifts was that
none of them were given to employees of Genom.
      Among the beneficiaries of the heiress's generosity was a young officer
of the AD Police by the name of Nene Romanova.  She was surprised when
she received an envelope from Miss Stevenson's lawyers, and she would be
more surprised later when she opened it.  The contents included some legal
documents and a note.

      Miss Romanova,
      I am truly sorry for the pain that I have caused you.  If you have
received this, it is likely that I will never be able to convey my apology in
person, so please accept this means as the best I may offer.  I realize that this
is a small compensation for your pain, but it is the best I can give.
      With your signature, the enclosed documents will transfer fifty-one
percent of the Stevenson, Inc. stock to your name.  I hope that you will find it
useful.
      Admittedly, I have an ulterior motive in bestowing this upon you.  I feel
confident that you will not allow it to fall into the hands of Genom; this is a
fate which I would not wish to befall the corporation my father built.  I trust
that you will not grant our mutual enemy such a boon.
      Again, I truly regret the day that I harmed you, and while I doubt that
you will forgive me, I hope that you may at least find some comfort in this
gift.
                                                Sincerely,
                                               Christine Ann Stevenson

     Upon reading this note, Nene nearly dropped the envelope.  Once she had
recovered her composure, she immediately phoned Sylia, who said she would
be there shortly to help her decipher the paperwork.
                   * * * * * * * * *
     The very next day, Sylia found an ad of interest in her morning
newspaper.  It was encoded, but the code was relatively simple.  Sitting down
at her computer, she had it deciphered within a few minutes.

     To the Knight Sabers,
           I wish to speak with you.  I may be found at my new home, which is
not far from my old, anytime after midnight.  The matter is urgent.
                                                                  Starblade.

                   * * * * * * * * *

     As the clock struck one, Starblade found her gaze drawn to the tombstone
beside her.  It was an odd feeling to gaze at one's own grave, she reflected,
but she considered it appropriate.  Indeed, everything that had been Christine
Stevenson had died in that explosion, the life bleeding from the wounds of the
only friend she had ever had.
      Looking down at her scarred armor, the only thing she had salvaged from
her home, she realized that it was truly all she had left.  Here, she would
gamble even that on the possibility of more.
      The minutes passed slowly, seeming as hours, until the chimes sounded
again at one fifteen.  It was then that her scanner registered the approach of
her former enemies.  After another tense moment, she could see them
approach. Once they stood before her, she extended her arms in a gesture of
non-aggression and popped the seals on her suit.
     Once she was free of the armor, she stood and faced the one she knew
was their leader.
     "So, you do yet live," Sylia addressed her softly.
     "If you can call this a life," was her bitter response.
     "Why did you call for us?"
     "I wish to join you."
     The silence spoke more than any words could.  Only Sylia was not
shocked by the request, and she was not given to rash speech.  After a
moment, she responded, "We will have to discuss this matter among ourselves,
you understand."
     "I understand," Starblade responded, her voice taking on a somber tone. 
"Please, though, decide quickly.  I will wait here each night until you return."
                   * * * * * * * * *
     "Absolutely not!" Nene screamed.  "Surely you do not trust this... this...
BITCH not to betray us!"
     "Calm yourself, Nene," Sylia interrupted firmly, her voice as ice.
     "Why do you assume that she would turn on us, Nene?" Priss shot back. 
"You just don't like her."
     Nene rolled her eyes.  "She already tried to kill us once!"
     "Yes, and she was hired to do that.  She also saved our lives, if you don't
remember," Priss answered, her voice rising.
     "Priss, that goes double for you," Sylia chastised.  "Calm down.  I can see
where each of you stand on the issue... there is no need to shout.  What do
you think, Linna?"
     "It is difficult to say.  My personal feelings say no, but if I am objective I
think I have to say yes."
     Sylia nodded.  "She brings many valuable things to us as a team, should
we admit her.  She is a competent fighter, her understanding of powered
armor and the relavant technology is superb, if my research is correct, and she
gives us access to new weapons and armor improvements which could be
incorporated into our own designs."
     "Exactly," Priss cut in.  "I think Nene's just pissed to find out she's still
alive."
     "I am not!" Nene insisted, but a small part of her asked herself, "am I? 
Do I hate her that much?"
     "And I thought I was the angry one here," Priss sighed.  At that, Nene
almost exploded again, but managed to restrain herself when she realized she
would only prove Priss right.  Instead, she just sat and turned a deeper red
than she already was.
      "Nene," Linna quietly entered the conversation.  "I understand how you
feel... well, actually, I don't.  But I can see why you would be opposed to
letting her in.  Still, we have to make the decision that is best for the team."
      Feeling her anger crumbling under the weight of truth, Nene only nodded. 
"Not being terribly objective, are we?" the voice inside her prodded - not
taunting, not mocking, just pointing out the fact.
      "Nene, if we do allow her to join, she will be closely observed," Sylia
tried to reassure her.
      "Very well," Nene sighed, resigning herself to the facts.  "My vote is still
no."
      Sylia nodded.  "Priss?"
      "I say yes."
      "Linna?"
      "I say..." she looked indecisive, glancing at Nene, then Sylia, then back at
Nene.  With the thought, "Forgive me, Nene," she said, "Yes."
      "And I must say yes as well.  I am sorry, Nene, but that is the decision I
must make."
                   * * * * * * * * *
     Roughly twenty hours later, Sylia was introducing Starblade to the Knight
Sabers' main headquarters.  The decision had been made not to show her the
alternate complex at Raven's Garage until she had proven her loyalty.
     "This," Sylia explained, opening a door, "is the design system.  The
computers in here are where all of our equipment is designed, to be
constructed in the next rooms.  You and I will be spending a good deal of
time here, creating a hardsuit design for you and incorporating some of your
technology into the existing suits.
     "Very good," Starblade smiled, looking around at the maze of electronics
which occupied the chamber.  "Very advanced system you have here."
     Sylia smiled slightly, "No more advanced than your own, I am sure."
     "No, not more... but certainly equally advanced."
     "Did you design your armor alone?" Sylia inquired.
     "No, I had help..." her voice faltered, then she recovered, "but he was
taken away from me."
     "I am... sorry," Sylia apologized.  "I am... not unfamiliar with loss."
     "I know," Starblade smiled wryly.  "I had a rather detailed file on you,
actually, though I had not guessed your role here.  I probably should have."
     Sylia smiled.  "To my knowledge, only one person has."  Opening another
door, she continued.  "This is the construction chamber.  As the name implies,
much of our equipment is built here..."
                   * * * * * * * * *
     The design of a hardsuit for Starblade proved to be a challenge indeed. 
She was bent on retaining the energy web and razor disc systems from her old
armor, and fitting them into a hardsuit shell was not an easy task.  Eventually,
however, they were able to work the components in, though the size of the
disc magazine was reduced from thirty to fifteen.  Also, she accepted some of
the communications duties originally assigned to Nene, creating space for a
larger arm cannon in her hardsuit.
     In terms of style, Starblade's hardsuit was closest to Sylia's.  It was
moderately armored, and thus sacrificed only a small amount of mobility. 
Starblade was amazed by the sheer freedom of movement which the suit
allowed, and while it was less armored than her old battlesuit, she quickly
became quite comfortable with it.  The largest adjustment was the loss of full
flight capabilities, but this would be solved when she received her motoslave.
     Starblade's major contribution to the Knight Sabers would prove to be her
own design for a power reactor.  Although slightly larger than the one
currently used, it was readily downsized and, even in its modified form,
produced a significantly higher extended power curve.  The peaks remained
roughly the same, but her system had been designed with a flight rig in mind
and was capable of maintaining a high output level for longer periods.  A side
effect of the new reactor was a minor increase in the power of the jump units,
due to a slight rise in waste heat generated.
     As all this work was being done, Starblade found herself admiring the
Knight Sabers more and more.  Sylia, with her fantastic intelligence, reminded
her of her lost friend, and the two began to grow close quickly.  Priss, while
distant, seemed the most willing to trust her; perhaps this was because they
were so much alike.  Linna was a true artist on the field of battle, and
Starblade respected her skill deeply.  Finally, Nene, who was so young,
possessed a genius with electronics like none she had ever encountered.  She
was strong at heart, too; Starblade knew the young one did not welcome her,
yet she could also see that she accepted her presence in a very professional
manner, which was unusual at her age.
     Starblade desperately wished she could find a way to ease Nene's pain, but
she knew that there was little she could do.  She was the cause of that pain,
and it seemed that her very presence would only serve to irritate the wound. 
Never before had Starblade really sought to be forgiven for something she had
done, but she coveted Nene's forgiveness, and she knew she might never have
it.
                   * * * * * * * * *
     Starblade had been faced with another problem as well.  Christine
Stevenson was dead, with all her property distributed to others.  It would be
simple to reclaim it, but she would rather Genom believe her to be gone. 
Since her hostilities with the megacorp had begun, she had feared that the
conflict would be extended to her own financial empire, and she would just as
soon not see her father's company harmed.  Also, once she had given all her
possessions away, she did not have the ruthlessness to reclaim them.
     Sylia, sensing this difficulty, offered her a place to stay.  Starblade did not
wish to accept any more charity than necessary, but Sylia had insisted, calling
it payment for the use of her designs.  Once that was agreed on, she rarely left
the base of operations.
     Each night, her sleep was tormented by nightmares - visions of death
repeated time and time again.  When she could sleep no more, she would
simply lie in bed, wondering why she had to relive the worst moment of her
life each night.  "Was not once torture enough?" she would whisper, crying
herself back into the tortured slumber.
     Eventually, her weeping was heard by another soul.  Sylia, who was
awake late that night, knocked on her door.
     "Yes?" she managed.
     "Is there anything I can do for you?" Sylia asked quietly.
     Starblade didn't answer, so Sylia quietly opened the door.
     "Christine?" she asked softly, using her name for the first time.
     "Christine is dead!" was the reply.  "I am only Starblade now."
     "Perhaps," Sylia answered, her voice soothing.  "Perhaps you wish it were
so.  I know the feeling well."
     "Do you?"
     "More well than you might imagine."  Sitting on the bed, Sylia extended
her hand to Christine.  "We all have our dark hours."
     "And I am the cause of many."
     "You are not responsible for his death, Christine."
     "I am!  He died because he stayed with me... because he loved me."
     "And Nene was harmed because I led her into a trap," Sylia responded,
cautious of bringing up the incident but having no better answer.
     "A trap that I laid!"
     "Then perhaps you are responsible for that.  I would not say so, however. 
Nene knew the risks when she joined us, as did your friend when he chose to
assist you."
     "But he died for my love..."
     "Than his death was happier than most."
     "But..." Christine was stunned by the truth of that statement.  The only
thing James had ever desired was her love... and she had given that to him.
"...but he didn't have to die."
     "All things end.  My father's death was pointless, his life's work stolen by
a power-hungry madman.  He never lived to see his dreams."
     "I don't know how to go on without him."
     "Day by day.  You will find new life.  Perhaps you will find it here, as
did I."
     There was her answer.  All her sorrow, her agony, was over her own loss. 
The knowledge did not lessen the pain, nor dull its impact, but it eased her
tortured conscience.
     "And Nene?"
     "... will be fine, in time.  She, too, has lost something dear, but loss is a
part of life."
     Christine nodded.   "Thank you.  I think I feel better now."
     Sylia smiled and rose, "You are welcome."
     As she left the room, Sylia realized something.  Finally, she had faced her
own pain, and beaten it, by helping another with hers.  Each of her Knight
Sabers - and they really were  hers' - needed her, and she was determined to
be there for them, because that was the new life she had found for herself.

                   * * * * * * * * *
     "So, is this a field test for the new hardsuits or are we actually after
something here," Priss asked.
     "You might call this a scouting mission," Sylia answered.  "The objective
is to sneak in close enough to the facility for Nene to record some data on
production of the 34-CX."  Pausing for a moment, she added, "PREFERABLY
without being detected."
     Priss scowled.  "And here I was hoping for a combat test."  Another of
Starblade's improvements to the basic design was in explosion-protection. 
While not as effective on the thinner hardsuit shells, this was the same design
feature that had allowed her to shrug off the blast effect of Linna's knuckle
bomber.  She predicted that it would also cushion impacts from explosive
projectiles, assuming the projectile did not penetrate the shell before
exploding.
     "I'd just as soon get this information without that sort of distraction," Nene
commented.
     "No questions?" Sylia waited a few moments.  "All right.  Let's get suited
up and go."
                   * * * * * * * * *
     "There's the target," Nene said, pointing to the secluded installation
through the trees.
     "Excellent.  Be careful, the security is probably very tight here," Sylia
warned.
     "I don't know why Genom started building these production plants out in
the middle of nowhere... this would have been impossible in the city,"
commented Priss.  "It's hard to be stealthy in combat armor on the street."
     "Because in the city, we could just pull up across the street and record
data from the truck?" Nene shot back, her voice laced with sarcasm.  "We
need to get closer, Sylia."
     "All right... move in."  The five figures slipped between the trees,
approaching the electronic frontier which surrounded the facility.  A few feet
from the laser fence, Nene said, "I have a signal... establishing a link now."
     "Very good.  Priss, Starblade, fan out to the east and west and watch for
sentries."
     "Got a link... this is going to take time, Sylia."
     "As quickly as you can, Nene."
     Ten tense minutes later, Starblade's voice broke the silence.  "There's a
patrol headed this way.  Looks like its just human guards, but I you never can
tell."
     "How many?"  Sylia inquired.
     "Four."
     "Can you stay concealed?"
     "Not if they're boomers."
     "All right.  Nene, can you scan them?"
     "Not if you want me to keep the stealth on this link."
     "How much longer, Nene?"
     "Three minutes."
     "You don't have that long.  I can web them down, but if they have
commlinks, they'll just call for backup," Christine cut in.
     "Do it."
     Using her jump unit to get up in the trees, Starblade scrambled to get
directly above them.  Aiming for the center of the group, she fired her energy
web down.
     "Got them," she smiled, looking at the tangled mess of Genom guards
trying to free themselves from the web.  "They're calling for help, but it will
take a minute for any help to get here."
     "All right, you and Priss pull back in," Sylia ordered.  "Get ready to move
out.  Nene?"
     "Working on it," she answered, the frustration showing in her voice.  "I
can only do this so fast."
     "Here comes trouble!" Christine called as she dropped to the ground.  "I
see six twelves coming out the front door!"
     "All right... try to hold them off as long as you can," Sylia sighed.  She
had been hoping to avoid combat, but it seemed that fortune did not smile
upon them so.
     "I'm coming in from the other side, Starblade," Priss informed.  "Maybe
we can catch them in a crossfire."
     "Right."  Picking out the nearest of the approaching boomers, Starblade
fired off another web.  Invisible until it made contact, the net opened directly
in the cyberdroid's path, ensnaring it and causing it to fall.  The next of the
boomers opened fire with his machine gun, spraying the ground around her,
and instinctively she took to the air.
     It was a mistake.  Used to a full flight system, she found herself coming
back to the ground much more quickly than she had anticipated.  The boomer
quickly closed, bringing its heavier gun to bear.  Frantically, Starblade began
to fire her disc launcher over and over, emptying half the magazine, but her
aim was wild and only one of the shots hit.  Bracing herself for the shock of
impact, she saw the boomer explode, its insides blasted through the front of its
torso.
     "Thanks, Priss," she breathed, pleased to be still alive.  Regaining her
composure as she touched the ground, she pivoted and fired her disc cannon at
a nearby boomer.  Two of the microserrated blades neatly sliced through the
target's head, and it fell on its face, inoperative.
     At that point, Linna entered the fray.  At a dead sprint, she charged the
nearest boomer.  It turned to fire at her, but she neatly dropped forward,
rolling and coming up on a knee firing.  Laser fire scored the boomer's armor
as it attempted to bring its weapon down to her, and it suddenly exploded as
the shots burst through to its power reactor.
     "Got it!" Nene called triumphantly.  "Let's go!"
     "Move out!" Sylia ordered, turning to face one of the two that had gotten
past Christine, Priss, and Linna.  Deploying her sword, she lunged straight at
the metal monstrosity, only to have it dodge.  Stepping in the opposite
direction to avoid its counterstrike, she brought the weapon across in a
backhanded motion, striking the boomer's neck.  Sparks flew from the point of
impact, and she pressed forward, driving the blade deeper until it punched
through the back of its armor.  Withdrawing the blade, she watched with
satisfaction as her adversary collapsed.
     Retracting her data-probe, Nene rose to confront the last of the boomers. 
With nobody to protect her, she knew she had a fight on her hands. 
Immediately it opened fire, splintering trees and throwing up dirt around her,
but she was quickly out of the line of fire.  A mental command activated the
electronic warfare system, and suddenly the boomer found its vision clouded
with static.  Pivoting to relocate its quarry, it faced her right as she began
firing.  A surprised satisfaction filled her as she watched her newly-boosted
laser tore into the boomer's armor, and after a few seconds it was down.
     Just as it fell, the other three members of the team joined Sylia and Nene,
and they disappeared into the trees.
                   * * * * * * * * *
     "Well done, all of you," Sylia said.   "Nene, the data you recovered will
prove most useful."
     Nene smiled at that.  Of late, she felt that she had really come into her
own as a member of the team.  The electronic systems in her hardsuit were
improved with almost every job now, and they had finally reached the point of
providing her a challenge.
     "Christine," Sylia continued, deliberately using her given name, "Your
improvements to the hardsuits was very helpful.  Your presence in battle also
made a considerable difference.  I doubt we could have completed this
mission without you."
     "Thank you," she smiled slightly, glancing at Priss.  Priss nodded at her,
as if to imply that her mistake would be between the two of them.
     "If any of you need me," Sylia concluded, "I will be in the databank room
analyzing this information."  That said, she turned and left.  Once she was
gone, Christine turned to Priss and said, "Thanks.  You saved me out there."
     "That's what we do," Priss responded.  "We look out for each other."
     Christine smiled, "I appreciate it, anyway."  Looking around, she noticed
that Nene had already vanished.  "Does Nene hate me as much as I think she
does?"
     Priss nodded slightly.  "She'll be all right, eventually.  She's never had to
deal with anger before."
     Christine frowned.  "I've been there before... I hope she comes out of it
better than I."
                   * * * * * * * * *
     Outside the Silky Doll, Nene thought, "Well, she seems to have worked
her way in easily."  Jealousy began to surge through Nene's mind.  Why had
Priss taken to Christine so quickly?  And why was Sylia so insistent that she
was good for the team?  The familiar anger began to build within her again,
and she found it almost comforting.
     "Nene!" Linna's voice cut through her thoughts.  "Wait for me!"
     Turning, she saw Linna running toward her.  "I thought you might need
someone to talk to," she said.
     "Yeah, maybe," Nene said, uncertain.
     "Come on," Linna tugged on her arm.  "Let's go for a walk."
     Nene nodded, and the two of the set off down the street.  After a few
seconds of nervous silence, Linna spoke up.  "I know how you feel, Nene.  It
can't be easy to see us accept someone who hurt you so badly."
     "You would think she and Priss were best of friends or something."
     "They're a lot alike, Nene.  They understand each other very well."
     "I suppose..."
     "And she's not trying to supersede you, Nene.  She would like nothing
better than to be your friend.  I heard her telling Priss that, but she doesn't
think that it's possible."
     "It isn't... at least not now."
     Linna nodded.  "That's why she's leaving you alone.  She doesn't want to
hurt you any more than she already has."
     "Then why did she come here?  Just... seeing her is a reminder."  A tear
formed in Nene's eye as the memories came back to her agian.
     "Because she had no choice.  Think about it... Genom was just going to
keep hounding her until they killed her, as long as they knew she was alive. 
At least this way she can fight back."
     "I... when I heard she was dead, I thought this was over.  I thought I
could just move on.  Now... it's not that easy anymore."
     "I know.  She knows.  Nene, she trusted you with the most precious thing
she had."
     Nene stopped.  "That's true, isn't it?" she asked herself out loud.  "She
gave me... before she "died"... she knew?"
     Linna nodded.  "She found out, anyway.  She hasn't said it, but I think
knowing hurt her.  She's not as heartless as you think."
     "Maybe," Nene said, her mind racing.  "I... need some time to think about
this."
      Linna said, "I understand.  Take care of yourself, Nene."
      "I will.  I've gotten a lot better at that lately."

END PART FOUR

 


--------------------------------------------------------
Stormwalker <temporarily at pingley@post.cis.smu.edu>
"Chaos is a good thing"
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