Asteroid Blues

"I guess reports of your retirement have been exaggerated."

Captain Abdullah Remzi had come to regard Naghoon E'Tarse as a friend. When they first met, Remzi deeply resented the ETTVAK agent he was forced to transport and had his command turned over to at the Wotan blockade. This made the second time since that he "happened" to be the one transporting the "civilian" E'Tarse to a combat zone. "Do Hassassins have friends?" Remzi asked himself briefly, but shook the feeling. He knew he could trust Naghoon. Right?

"Hah! This is only a short contract. I'll be on the next ship home after the situation is a bit more stable."

"Of course. Well, it will be good to have you on mine again. So why am I converting half my storage holds into crew space?"

"A small detachment of the Ramah Task Force will be joining us. A brilliant young Lieutenant named Soltani is in charge of them. Your geist should have her files ready for your review by now."

"Come on, guys, people love me here."

Wild Bill, yes, THE Wild Bill, led a small group of Nimr Squad toward a bar on the main strip.

"Why am I here, again?" Lt. Zahia Soltani asked nobody in particular.

"Come on, Lieutenant! It's Wild Bill! This is great! And we wanted to make sure you got some R&R too."

"Why are you still wearing your armor?"

"It, uh... it looks cool. Doesn't it? Do you think Bill thinks I look cool in it?"

Zahia just shook her head and ignored the Janissary.

When they walked in to Harry's Bar, they walked in to the middle of a stand off. A stand off between... Wild Bill? And Wild Bill?!

The real (was it, though?) Wild Bill shouted "We need to help me!" and ran up to the nearest other Wild Bill.

Soltani, applying her extensive tactical training, took in the situation and decided the best solution to this situation was to avoid it entirely. "Nope! I am not dealing with whatever this is today." She declared as she ducked behind a sturdy looking table before the firing started.

A Naffatun who had tagged along for drinks joined her, while the two Janissaries and the uncannily ubiquitous Leila Sharif rushed to the aid of Wild Bill... and Wild Bill.

A Nahab with Nimr Squad, who happened to be in the bar already, noticed her comrades in a delicate position and launched herself into action, only to be taken down immediately by a Spiral Corps Taagma.

It seemed the Spiral Corps would be backing up the third Wild Bill.

"Shasworth Industries won't be covering any of this, you know!" Soltani shouted from behind her table.

The Janissaries, Bills, and Leila moved across the bar, and attacked a Rasail who seemed to be the leader of the mercenaries.

After taking out the Rasail and its Chaksa, the team found their own cover. Next came smoke, and a dazer, and communications being lost to one of the Janissaries and to Leila. The same Taagma from earlier opened fire on the main group, taking Leila out of the fight.

The Janissary Doctor and one of the Wild Bills pursued the Taagma, and exacted revenge for their squad mates.

Meanwhile a Chaksa attempted to sneak up on Soltani and the only other member of Nimr Squad with any sense right now. Soltani quickly rolled to safety while the Naffatun and the Chaksa were engulfed in flames.

Lt. Zahia Soltani stood, arms crossed, tapping her foot, over Leila Sharif's bed back in the NBIS medical ward.

"What was that?" Soltani snapped at the first sign of consciousness from Sharif.

She did not give the Husam Operative an opportunity to respond.

"People from all branches of the Sword of Allah respect you. You're supposed to set a good example!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but... it's not every day you get to fight alongside a famous Aristo!"

Soltani growled and buried her face in her palm.

"If I may, ma'am, how are you going to explain this?" Operative Sharif asked.

"I'm not." Soltani looked back up. "I don't see a reason to take responsibility for this mess. And every Haqqislamite involved is receiving disciplinary action, and that includes you, Sharif, even if I need to talk to every command on this rock to hold you to it."