What in the name of Peach, groaned Catherine - Kitty to her friends - as she stepped out of City Hall and a hulking figure landed on the ground in front of her.
"Ho! I thought you were part of Logan's gang!" the man in front of her exclaimed, "but no, look at those skinny arms!" He grabbed her wrists and held her arms out to either side and examined them. Kitty pulled her arms out of his grasp, which earned her a raised eyebrow.
"Not bad, Skinny Arms. I am Pen, Protector of Sandrock.!
Oh great, the Church of Light, Kitty groaned.
"Kitty, new builder, nice to meet you," she replied, trying to walk away, but he stepped in front of her, halting her steps.
"I have decided that I will give you a sparring lesson! It is important that you know how to survive in the desert!"
"Thanks for the offer, but I really need to get my workshop set up and running," she said, sidestepping him and groaning as he continued to get in her way.
"Very well, I will find you at the weekend, we can pick up then, Farewell, Skinny Arms!" With that, he turned and stalked off, his cape billowing behind him.
Light save me from men with over-inflated egos!
"Nicely handled, sugar," a gentle voice interrupted Kitty's thoughts. She looked round and saw an older lady leaning on the wall across the square.
"I'm Vivi," she said, walking over and talking Kitty by the arm, "but everyone calls be Grandma. Well most folk," she added, glaring at where Pen had headed.
"Kitty, new builder, good to meet you."
"Figured. That Pen is bad news," Vivi told her, dropping her voice. "Thinks he's Peach's gift to women, but, well, they don't come out of it that well."
"Yeah, I've met men like that back in Highwind," Kitty said, allowing Vivi to lead her towards the tailor's shop.
"My shop," Vivi told her, sweeping her arm round the porch, which was laden with clothes racks and bolts of fabric. "Now, did you fully prepare for Sandrock weather before you came here, sugar?"
"I think so, though I couldn't find any sandgear anywhere."
"No, not much use for it back in Highwind, I'll wager," Vivi replied, before rummaging in a trunk next to the till.
"Ah, here we are," she said, pulling something that looked like a hat with goggles and a cover for her lower face. She placed it on her counter, before flipping through the items hanging on the rack.
Within a few minutes there was a pile of clothing there, topped off with a thick quilt.
"That should get you started."
"Vivi! I can't afford this, not yet. I need to get my workshop set up before—"
"Oh tosh, I ain't chargin' you, sugar, this is a welcome to town present. But I will allow you to buy me a yakmel milk as a thank you, if you insist!"
Vivi parcelled up Kitty's goodies, and left them next to the till, before they headed over to the Blue Moon.
Mabel sat in one of the booths at the back of the saloon, and waved when she saw them walk in.
"This is Kitty," Vivi introduced her as they settled across from her. "Mabel and her husband run the ranch across from your workshop."
"Pleasure to meetcha," Mabel said, waving to the gentleman behind the bar, who headed up towards them with several bottles in his hands.
"New builder?" he asked as he passed round bottles of… milk?
"Yup, Kitty," she said, holding her hand out to shake his.
"Owen, owner of this fine establishment."
"So," Vivi interrupted, "looks like Pen has set his sights on our new builder here."
Mabel and Owen both winced.
"He's bad news, sweetie," Mabel said. "Steer clear of him as much as possible."
"Well, based on my first meeting, I'd rather not have too many more," Kitty said, before talking a mouthful of her milk.
"What in the Light…" she spluttered.
"Fermented yakmel milk," Owen said with a grin. "It can be an acquired taste. Wanna stick with it, or I can get you a sandbeer?"
Looking at the three people she sat with, Kitty realised this was a test, a gentle hazing of sorts.
"I'll stick with the milk," she stated, which received nods all round.
The second mouthful wasn't as bad once she knew what to expect, and after the third, she found it was at least tolerable.
"So, why's Pen such bad news?" she asked. "I mean my gut tells me he is, there's no question on that, but if there's anything in particular I need to know, then I'm all ears."
"Where to start?" Owen said, swirling the milk in his bottle.
"Pen arrived in town, 'bout five years ago now?" Vivi and Mabel nodded in agreement.
"Took up fairly quickly with Catherine, who was a member of the Civil Corps."
"Huh, that's funny, I'm Catherine, too," Kitty commented.
"Well, this one went by Cat. An' yeah, they seemed real happy together, for a couple of years, at least, were even engaged to be married. Then a new builder came to town, Anne. Set her sights on Pen, and, well, he didn't exactly turn her down."
Kitty raised a brow. "He's a cheating bastard, you mean?"
"That's one way of putting it," Vivi muttered.
"Cat caught them together once too often, which led to arguments. Cat reminded him on more than one occasion that his vows as an officer of the church enjoined him to be honest and faithful in all his actions. Pen accused her of being controlling and possessive. At one point, though, he did look to leave the church for Anne, I believe."
"Really? He must have been serious about her, then?" The other snorted.
"Anne flirted a lot," Vivi said, and Kitty noticed Owen's ears go red, "but she didn't, how do you young folk say? Put out? Unless she thought a guy was serious. An' the only way she'd believe Pen was serious was if he dumped Cat."
"He even tried suggestin' they had threesomes," Owen added, blushing furiously at mentioning such a thing in front of his elders. "Cat told me before she left town. Packed her bags, dropped Justice in the yakmel shit, leaving him alone until Unsuur appeared a couple of years later. Logan, Howlett an' I helped out, but, well, yeah…"
A silence fell over the group at the mention of Howlett and Logan. There had been a few brief news articles Kitty had found before she left Highwind, alluding to a local tradgedy, but no real details.
"Tell you about them some other time," Owen added, heading off her questions. "Anyway, Cat left, and Pen took up with Anne. He got what he wanted, but you know the saying, be careful what you wish for? Yeah, he got himself a flirt, and she kept flirting. With basically anyone with a pulse. Trust me, I was on the receiving end more than once. So were Justice an' Logan."
"Ouch, so what did Pen do?"
"Flirted just as hard with all the women. Heidi, Amirah an' Venti got the worst of it, but he went after tourists a lot, too."
"An' while Anne came off as just having fun, well, Pen seemed a lot darker," Mabel said with a sigh.
"Yeah, Heidi used to come home after talkin' to him, say she wanted to scrub her skin off," Vivi added.
"Anyway, Pen escorted Anne on a ruin run one day, that Paradise Lost, up behind your workshop. Brought her back a few hours later."
Again, a silence fell across the group, and Kitty felt a heaviness in the pit of her stomach.
"He said she'd had a run in with one of the rogue AI there," Owen said carefully. "The thing dang near took her head clean off."
"Light, no-one warned me that the runs round here were that bad," Kitty said.
"Weren't the ruin," Vivi muttered, "but no-one could prove a thing."
"Anyway, next builder was a lady from Barnarock, name of Jane." Owen began. Just then Cooper walked in and started hollerin' for service.
"Guess that's story time over for today," Owen said with a smile. "Steer clear of Pen, though, darlin' that's all we're saying."
Kitty nodded, and the group around the table disappeared, Owen to serve behind the bar, Mabel to join her husband, and Vivi headed home to cook for her son.
Kitty sat back and sipped on her yakmel milk, considering what they'd just told her.
Ten minutes later, a blonde appeared and set a plate of Highwind fried rice in front of her, along with another bottle of yakmel milk.
"Courtesy of the bossman. I'm Grace, waitress and archeology student. Owen says they were warning you about Pen?"
"Yeah, ran off a Civil Corpswoman, and had a builder die on his watch?"
"Oh honey, that's just the start!" She waved at some people about her and Kitty's age who had just walked in and beckoned them over.
"This is Amirah, her brother Arvio, and Heidi. This is Kitty, the new builder. She needs the Pen history, and fast."
"Where did you get up to?" Heidi asked.
"Cat from the Civil Corps left town, and Anne the builder died on a ruin run."
"Riiight, let's see, left town, killed, died, left town, and killed," Arvio said with a grin.
"Light, when you ask guys for their body count, it's not normally that kind of body count!" Kitty spluttered.
"He and Jane were sweet together," Amirah said resting her chin on her palm. "She was the builder after Anne, arrived a month or so before Arvio and I did. She was one of the calmest builders I've ever met. Our cousin, Linda, is a builder, she's just moved to Portia, and Light, she could drink the menfolk back home under the table."
"That's more like most builders I know," Kitty said, clinking the neck of her bottle with her new friends' bottles in a toast.
"Anyway, Jane was quiet and calm, and had a positive effect on Pen. Everyone thought that he might finally settle down—"
"Not rumours, he bought a heart knot from my store, Sis!" Arvio interrupted.
"Well, as things turned out, it's only ever a rumour. One morning, he woke up, but couldn't wake Jane, so he took her to the clinic. Fang did everything he could, but…"
"Dang shame," Heidi sighed, "she had her whole life ahead of her, just faded away like that. According to the church, she musta picked up some Old World virus in one of the ruins. They quarantined her body, we buried a closed casket for that one."
"I knew Sandrock had a problem keeping builders," Kitty said, "but no-one warned me—"
"Ha!" Heidi said. "You think they'd warn you? We've got enough problems getting builders without putting y'all off before you even get here."
"Anyway, Trudy was away in the desert when Jane died, and Matilda was running City Hall, so Pen got involved in the hunt for the next builder. Anna. He waited at the train station for her an' everything. Only…"
They all sniggered, a marked difference from the reverential silences that had surrounded the other builders.
"Only Anna wasn't quite what Pen expected," Heidi picked up the story. "She stood up to him for one. She lasted about three months before she contacted the guild and asked for a transfer due to his behavour. Not sure quite what she had on him, but she got a sizeable payout and her contract terminated with no recrimination. She still writes me occasionally, got a new contract in Walnut Groove, where she's having the time of her life."
Kitty nodded, and counted off on her fingers. "So one left, was killed? That's my immediate predecessor. Was told that was a ruin accident?"
"Technically, sure," Amirah said. "She was another Katherine. Went by Katy, though. We talked a lot. She'd come to Sandrock to escape from her master back in Atara. He'd taken advantage of her. Then she landed up here, and Yan being Yan saw someone weaker than him and did the same thing."
All three women shivered. One her brief meeting with Yan, Kitty had already clocked him as the worst type of weasel and was prepared to keep him at arm's length; this just proved her right.
"Anyway, Pen stepped in and rescued her from Yan's clutches on the Winter Solstice when he got a little too handsy for his own good. And they, again, seemed happy for a while, but Kathy used to attract attention, even without meaning to. Pen did not like this. Man has a jealous streak a mile wide. Wouldn't believe Kathy that she wasn't doing anything to encourage them."
"She got caught in a sandstorm," Heidi said. "Down in the Valley of Whispers, which is full of toxic gases, too. They found her a few days later. She was wearing normal sandgear, or at least the remains of it. No protective gear, so they think she got turned round in the storm, found the Valley instead of town, maybe had a run in with a plier imp."
"You think there's more to it," Kitty said. It wasn't a question, more a statement of fact.
"Again, can't prove anything, but…" Amirah said.
Owen wandered over with another round of drinks. "All caught up?" he asked. Kitty nodded.
"It's a lot to take in," she said softly.
"It is, but you see why we're all telling you to be careful?"
"I do, and the warning is appreciated. I ought to get back to my workshop after this."
"Give me a shout when you're leaving and I'll see you home," Owen offered. Kitty nodded.
"Lot to drop on you on your first day," Owen said as they walked towards Kitty's workshop later, "but better that you're warned ahead of time."
"Appreciate it," Kitty replied. "He set off my creep detectors pretty much straight away, and they're normally pretty reliable."
"Yet here you are, letting another stranger walk you home?" Owen challenged her with a grin.
"So far, my creep detectors are telling me you're safe," she replied. Please don't prove me wrong, she added to herself.
"Good to hear," Owen said, smiling. He cupped her cheek. "Promise me, Pen gives you any problems, you'll let me know. I'm one of the few people in town that can beat him in a spar. Heidi can, but she won't get close enough to him to spar. Logan could too, but, well, yeah. he's not here to beat him."
"What happened there?"
"That's a story for another night, darlin'," Owen said. "We've dumped enough on you for one night. Come by for lunch tomorrow, and I'll tell you some happier town stories."
"Will do. Thank you."
Sandrock was nothing that Kitty had expected, but everything that she needed. The climate was harsh; dry heat during the day, coupled with cold nights. At least most of the year - winter was bitterly cold all day long, although on the plus side, it slowed the water use of her machines.
The people, though, the people were want made it. The group that had been so keen to look out for her from the very start had become important parts of her life. Vivi and Mabel had more or less adopted her. Vivi taught her how to quilt, and Mabel helped her with her baking. Heidi, Arvio and Amirah had become fast friends, as had Mi-an, the other new builder, Elsie and Pablo when he returned from Walnut Groove. Each of them had their own stories of Pen, and the five women that she'd heard about on her first day.
Then there was Owen.
Kitty hadn't some to Sandrock looking for love, but it found her swiftly. Lunch with Owen at the saloon because a habit almost immediately. Then there had been a sandstorm a couple of weeks after she'd arrived. Despite the warnings not to venture out unless it was absolutely necessary, she'd deemed the lack of food in her workshop a necessary reason to go out indeed.
Stepping outside had led to her first encounter with Pen since she'd arrived. He'd tried showing off his manly toughness and telling her how to deal with a sandstorm before running off. Kitty just rolled her eyes and headed slowly across the tracks to the saloon.
Owen had been surprised to see her, but after the initial lecture about not going out in a sandstorm, they'd spent a pleasant day together. Kitty had realised the flicker of chemistry she'd felt since he'd walked her home that first night was quickly igniting, and it was clear the feeling was mutual. They'd fallen into bed together rather than venture back out in the sandstorm, and been inseparable ever since.
Of course, life wasn't all plain sailing. The town itself needed a lot of work, something she and Mi-an had agreed on from the start. Not just the big jobs like repairing the moisture farm or the Shonash Bridge, which had been damaged in fights with the Geeglers, but the small day to day jobs that had been neglected by the previous builder, Mason.
Two things slowed their progress. The lack of water, as the oasis that supported the town was slowly drying up, and the bandit activity. Owen, along with Heidi and Justice, had finally filled Kitty and Mi-an in on exactly what had happened there. How Logan's pa, Howlett, had failed to return from a hunt, and was found by Pen, feverish and hallucinating. How he'd been quarantined by the church, who feared he was infected by an Old World Virus. And how Logan, with help from his friend Haru, had tried to break him out, but instead collapsed the wall of the church, causing Howlett's death. The two men had been on the run since.
"You don't think he's guilty?" Kitty asked Owen as they curled up later that night.
"None of us do, but we can't prove it. Dang fool ran away, which doesn't help matters."
Then, Kitty came face to face with Logan and Haru and got that proof, thanks to Grace, of all people. It turned out that she wasn't an archeology student - "Haven't been for a long time, but it's still a hobby." Grace was, in fact, an ACI agent, who was investigating the possibility of a Duvos spy in town, something that seemed to be linked to Logan's pa's death.
Finally, it all came together.
Kitty and Grace were able to infiltrate a hidden chamber under the church, solving the water mystery, and identifying both Miguel and Pen as Duvos agents. Before they could take this to Trudy, Pen caught Haru and organised a boxing jack court to try and flush Logan out.
It worked, but not as Pen had planned, and soon he and the other traitors, including Yan, were locked up in the Civil Corps jail, while an injured Matilda was taken to the clinic.
Then things started to go wrong.
Plans to flush Duvos out using false telegram messages only served to prompt them to invade the town instead. The town fought back, but the injured Matilda, who wasn't as poorly as she'd made out, turned out to be another agent. Her appearance had turned the tide of the battle, and now Kitty found herself locked in a cell with Justice, Unsuur, Cooper and, surprisingly, Miguel. It seemed the pastor had been nothing more than a pawn and had served his use.
"That's her!" Yan's nasal whine broke through Kitty's thoughts. He stood there with several Duvos soldiers, one of whom appeared to be high-ranking based on his uniform.
"OK, newbie, the commander here wants a jacuzzi. You're going to build it for him. Understood?" Yan thrust a blueprint at Kitty.
The commander looked Kitty up and down. Although his eyes were hidden, she shivered in fear. He snapped his fingers and one of the soldiers stepped up.
"This is Stev. He will be your assistant while you work. Do not let me down."
"Assistant? Guard you mean?" Kitty snapped back.
"You didn't tell me she had such… spirit," the commander told Yan. "She will be quite delightful when I take her back to Duvos, so much fun to break in." He ran a finger down Kitty's cheek and laughed as she flinched away from him.
Kitty took full advantage of the ability to wander round town to check in on all her friends. Most of them were held in either the apartments or the temple. A few, like herself, had been separated to do work for the invaders. Owen was in the kitchen of the Blue Moon, cooking up a feast for the evening, assisted by Mabel. While they couldn't get close enough to touch, even seeing him was enough to soothe Kitty, at least in the short term.
What confused her was there was no sign of Logan.
She spent the afternoon at her workshop, crafting the jacuzzi for the commander. Stev was the most relaxed guard she could imagine, and didn't even complain when she dragged him to the Valley of Whispers to stock up on the granite se needed for it. One of the first things she'd done was investigate the toxic fumes and clean up the gas leaks that had killed the previous builder.
She'd almost finished, when she saw a flicker of turquoise in the mouth of one of the caves.
"I need to go check in there," she told Stev. "Granite, spinel, maybe even some rubies or diamonds. Gotta make this look fit for the commander, you know."
Stev nodded and leaned against the cave guarding the way in and out. Luckily Kitty was looking for something that was already in the cave.
Just as the natural light faded, and the glow of the crystals running through the walls took over, a hand shot out of a side tunnel and grabbed Kitty's arm.
"What the fuck is goin' on?" Logan hissed.
"Oh, thank Peach you're OK," Kitty replied. "Duvos invaded. I was worried they'd caught you, too."
"Well, shit," Logan said, running his hand over his face. "That explains the airship over the Northern Plateau, and the armed guard, but what are you doin'?"
"The commander wants a jacuzzi, so I was freed. Well as free as I can be with a guard. Meant I could stick my nose in and find out what's happening. Most of the townsfolk are either in the apartments or the temple. Andy's in the apartments. Safe, but giving the guards trouble."
Logan smiled in relief at the news his adopted son was safe.
"Justice, Unsuur and Coop are in the cells, Owen and Mabel are in the saloon, being forced to cook for them."
"Grace?"
"In the apartments with Andy."
"So, we need a plan," Logan said, leaning back against the wall. "How long until that contraption yer buildin' is ready?"
"How long do you need? Probably tomorrow lunchtime, though."
"Right, right… lessee… you got any bombs in them storage boxes of yours?"
"Few small ones, nothing that'll do much damange."
Logan sighed. "That's what Haru said…" He shook his head. "Those small ones pack more of a punch than folks realise, An' we don' need them to do too much damage, just distract them, pull the soldiers away."
"Builder?" Stev's voice echoes into the cave.
"I gotta run. Tomorrow, midday, listen for the bang. I'll meet you at the jail, we can free some shooters and go from there." Kitty gave Logan a brief hug and headed towards the mouth of the cave.
"Sorry, couldn't find any, need to make do with what I've got," she told Stev as she headed out.
There was an unpleasant surprise awaiting Kitty when she arrived back at her workshop. A garment bag hung from the front of her wardrobe - the thought that some of them had been in her bedroom alone was enough to make her skin crawl, but the note attached was worse.
It will be my pleasure to have you for dinner. Eight o'clock promptly. Wear the dress.
Lefu
The dress was red silk, and clung like a second skin. Nowhere to hide a weapon, she thought to herself with a sigh. She had to admit it was gorgeous, and she wold have loved to have worn it on a night out with Owen. Or better still, a night in. She'd wear it, but she made no other effort, and instead of the stiletto sandals that had been delivered alongside it, she wore her boots. There as no way she would try and walk on Sandrock's paths in those heels, not even for Owen.
Kitty stepped into the saloon at the appointed time and found not just Lefu, but also Pen waiting for her. She gave a brief nod, and stepped towards her seat. Pen stood up and shook his head, walking towards her.
"Oh Skinny, you could have made some effort," he said, smirking at her. "No make up, a dusty ponytail that's been in since this morning…" He leaned closer, burying his nose in the crook of her neck. "Haven't even showered, have you Skinny?" He raise his hand and Kitty forced herself not to flinch, expecting him to slap her, but instead, he brushed a smudge of soot from her cheek, leftover from filling her furnaces. His touch was surprisingly gentle, which she found even worse.
"But come, sit, enjoy the fruits of your boyfriend's labour." Pen placed his had on Kitty's back, urging her forward to the seat across from him and Lefu.
"I didn't realise you and the builder were so close," Lefu said as Pen sat back next to him.
"We had our moments," Pen said, "but sadly the poor fool chose a different path. I'm looking forward to correcting that once we return to Duvos with her."
"I had planned to take her for my benefit," Lefu replied, "but I see nothing wrong with sharing her, brother."
Kitty went cold, but squared her shoulders. "I think there's some mistake. I'm not going to Duvos, and I'm certainly not being shared by the pair of you."
The men looked at each other, she could see the amusement on Pen's face, and assumed it was mirrored on the commander's hidden face.
"How cute," Lefu said, "the builder thinks she has a choice in the matter. But, since she needs a little more encouragement, we will give it to her." He snapped his fingers, and a few moments later, two soldiers appeared, dragging Owen from the kitchen.
Kitty gasped, it was obvious Owen had tried fighting back. His normally immaculate clothing was torn and in disarray. His lip was swollen and trickling blood, and the beginnings of a black eye bloomed down onto his cheekbone. Kitty was out of her seat and running to him, but Pen was too fast. He caught her round her waist and dropped her back onto her chair.
"I think she's starting to get it," he said. "You think you've got a choice, Skinny? You will comply, or well, this happens." He drove his fist into Owen's stomach, causing him to double over.
"Coward!" Owen groaned. "You're only doing this because I cain't fight back." He tried pulling away from the guards, but they held fast. "You, me, fair fight in the sparring ring? You know I can take you. Every. Single. Time."
Pen delivered another blow, this time to the other side of Owen's face. "You want more? Believe me, I can do this all day! Now, Skinny, you see what's at stake?"
Kitty caught Owen's eye, and he gave a brief shake of his head. Don't do anythin' stupid, darlin' she could almost hear him say. She thought about the plan she'd made with Logan hours earlier. She just had to get through this meal, get the jacuzzi finished and rigged, then…
"Fine, I will listen to what you have to say," she said, "that is all I can promise for now."
Pen started to protest, but Lefu held up his hand. "Now, now, we're not savages. Surely you realise that our builder here needs to appreciate the positives she'll find in Duvos?"
With a final kick towards Owen, a threat, rather than one that connected, Pen sat back down.
Under other circumstances, Kitty mused, the commander could have been pleasant company. He was witty and charming, making sure she was enjoying the food - Sandrock ingredients cooking in the Duvosian style - and telling her of the wonderful experience she would have as a builder in Duvos.
"They are worshipped and venerated," he explained. "Stev told me you actually had to go out collecting your own resources? I was shocked."
"I enjoy that," Kitty said. "There's something quite therapeutic about hitting something over and over with my pick hammer until it crumbles."
"I'm sure there it, and if that's what you want to do, then you shall, but as my—" Pen coughed to remind Lefu of his presence. "—as our consort, you will have no need. In fact, we can ensure you don't even have the time to do so." Kitty could hear the leer in his voice. Idly, she wondered what he looked like under the mask. He'd called Pen brother earlier. Were they related, or was it just a turn of phrase. The thought of a second Pen made her skin crawl.
Finally the meal was finished, and Kitty pushed back her chair. "Thank you for the food and the company this evening, gentlemen, you have given me a lot to think about. However, I still have work to do on your jacuzzi, sir. I am on schedule to have it finished and installed tomorrow lunchtime, I know you said it was a matter of urgency."
"Excellent," the commander replied, clapping his hands together. "Stev, please accompany our guest home, and see that she in undisturbed. Pen, you and I have much to discuss."
"That man, the cook, is he a friend of yours?" Stev asked as they crossed towards Kitty's workshop.
"My fiancé," she said quietly, unwilling to give the enemy more than they no doubt already knew.
"I will have one of my men check on him," Stev said quietly. "We're not all savages."
"Thank you."
Kitty had always found building a comfort, something that soothed her soul, so finishing the commander's jacuzzi - along with its hidden surprise - calmed her. Stev had given her a brief update on Owen first thing, assuring her that he was bruised, but there was no permanent damage.
The jacuzzi was finished on schedule, and Stev arranged for several soldiers to help transport it to what had previously been Matilda's house. It seemed Lefu we using it as his headquarters, at least for now. None of them noticed the series of bombs attached to the heating element. Once the pipes reached the specified temperature, they would go off. And hopefully she'd used enough of them to cause some damage.
"Ah, builder, good morning!" Lefu greeted her cheerfully. "And right on time, too. I love to see such efficiency. Please, let me apologise for my colleague's behaviour last night. I can assure you that he won't be bothering you any more, at least while we remain in Sandrock.
Like that's supposed to make me feel better, when I know you plan to drag me to that Light forsaken country of yours, Kitty grumbled, but she simply nodded and thanked the commander for his consideration.
All too soon, the jacuzzi was installed and ready to go.
"Excellent, I must test this now!" Lefu exclaimed, sounding almost giddy."Begone, I must be nude." The soldiers and Kitty started to file out the door, but he caught her arm. "Unless, builder, you would like to assist me?"
"Tempting, sir, but I have other commissions I must complete. I will await your feedback."
She was halfway down the stairs towards Martle Square when the explosion happened. Stev glanced at her as the soldiers streamed up the stairs towards the source.
"If I tell you to stay here, will you?" he asked, not waiting for an answer.
Kitty ran down the stairs, heading towards the Civil Corps. Logan stepped out of the stables and fell into step beside her.
To her surprise, there were no guards in the office; the distraction had worked better than expected.
They freed Justice, Unsuur and Cooper, leaving Miguel locked up.
"We know that Pen and Matilda are working with them, but we don't know where they are, Yan is also around somewhere. They will need taken care of along with the troops," Kitty explained. "Owen is badly beaten but safe in the saloon. Someone needs to get to him, though. The rest of the good fighters - Grace, Heidi, Hugo - are in the apartment building. Everyone else is in the temple. We take City Hall, we free the apartments, then we head for the temple. That's where most of the troops are, too. At least those that are still in town. There's fewer than there was yesterday."
Unsuur offered to go to the saloon and rescue Owen, Justice and Cooper headed for the apartments, leaving Kitty and Logan to take back City Hall.
"They made me repair the air cannon," Kitty told Logan as they headed there, "What a shame I was missing one small, vital part." She grinned as she pulled a microprocessor out of her pocket. "Keep me covered, it'll take two minutes, then we're back in action with that."
Taking back City Hall proved easier than expected. It gave Kitty great pleasure to send Yan flying across Martle Square courtesy of the air cannon. After the third time, he stayed down. Back up from the apartments appeared fast, and between them, they took out all the troops in the area, tying them up and gagging them to deal with later.
As they converged on the temple, Lefu stormed out, holding Trudy in front of him, a gun to her head.
"Builder! You betrayed me!" he cried out.
"Nope, you heard what you wanted to hear, not what I said." But that didn't stop his rants. He was so focussed on Kitty that he didn't notice Logan take his chance. A bullet hit his shoulder, allowing Trudy to drop from his grasp and grab Lefu's gun. Once the troops realised that several Sandrockers were aiming at their commander, they dropped their weapons in surrender.
"The Alliance arrived shortly after," Kitty told Owen as she curled against him. They were sitting in the saloon after hours along with a number of their friends, including Logan and Haru who had arrived back from Atara with the Alliance troops.
Owen himself had spent the night and most of the following day in the clinic under Fang's watchful eye, but as Stev had told her, he was a bit battered and bruised, but with no long term consequences.
"A few of the Alliance soldiers came straight to town to help us clean up," Justice added, "the rest went straight to the Northern Plateau where that airship was. Found more troops there, arrested Pen and, well, tried to arrest Matilda, but the mech-suit she was using had some sort of self defense mechanism, she took off into space."
"Where's Pen now?" Owen asked.
"In our cell, under Alliance guard. An' havin' to cope with bein' locked up with Yan, too."
"That's a cruel and unusual punishment for sure," Kitty said, laughing. "When are they taking him back to Atara?"
"Tomorrow, I think."
"I want to see him leave. I want to make sure the bastard is really gone."
"That can be arranged," Justice said.
There was more of an audience than anticipated the following morning. Kitty wasn't the only person keen to see Pen leave. Owen stood next to her, one arm round her shoulders, the other leaning on the stick Fang had insisted he use for a few days.
"You OK?" he asked as the former Protector of Sandrock stepped onto the plane and the door slammed behind him.
"You know, I am. What did Arvio say when I arrived? Left town, killed, died, left town, killed… well, I survived!"
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