EPISODE 5: BEAST GIRL, READY TO POUNCE

"Okay, the coordinates are.. now listen carefully.. EXACTLY WHAT THE HELL I'D LIKE TO KNOW!" -- Gene Starwind

Prologue: We see snapshots from Aisha's childhood.

Narrator: This young girl grew up in the sun, with joy, laughter, and friendships. She felt nothing but the pleasure of being in her place in the sun. This girl was born into a proud, noble family, surrounded by love, and graduated with honors from the highest academic institution in the land. Now not graduating with honors was only a faint shadow, but in her land, where respect was given to rank, it held great meaning. The post given to those graduating with honor was space. She was then cast out of her place in the sun. She had no other choice, the choice was not hers. She was Officer Aisha Clan-Clan of the Ctarl-Ctarl Empire. Now the pleasure of her lost place in the sun will never return.

Aisha: NRRRRROOOOWW! IT CAN'T END LIKE THIS! I WON'T LET IT!

Episode 5: Beast Girl, Ready to Pounce

Mikey calls Swanzo at home, allowing us a view of the Corbonite without his usual armor sphere. When Swanzo protests that he told Mikey never to call him there, Mikey explains it's an emergency. The people who were with Hilda a few days before are back, requesting docking clearance and needing help with the control room. Swanzo is confused since Horus shouldn't have any problems docking, but Mikey tells him it's not Horus, and it doesn't look like Hilda's with them. The news hits Swanzo hard.

Gene, Jim, and Hilda greet Swanzo and Mikey at the dock. After hearing the story, Swanzo still can't accept that Hilda's gone, but asks Gene what he's going to do now. Gene isn't sure, but figuring out what's going on between the pirates, the ship, and MacDougall would be a good place to start. On the more concrete end of things, the Outlaw Star needs a registration number as well as outfitting and a paint job. Mikey's willing to do it if Gene has the funds, which he doesn't. Swanzo authorizes the job anyway to repay an old debt he owes to Hilda, but he expects for Gene to make it big before he gets anything more, like the weapons and ammunition Jim wants to weasel into the deal. Gene's confident that with the Outlaw Star that will be no problem. He does, however, press for information. Swanzo doesn't know that much about Hilda. He met her 5 years before when she saved him from an attack by Ban Pirates and has owed her a lifedebt ever since. Before that, he knows only rumors. Gene figures they had a cool relationship, but Swanzo considered it pretty hot. He only knows the guild that was after her was the Kei Pirates. As far as MacDougall, Swanzo knows nothing at all. He's an expert at covering his tracks. That's fine by Gene, who'll resort to hunting him down 'by his scent'. Swanzo gives them one other bit of info. A Ctarl-Ctarl woman was poking around asking about Horus and Hilda. Jim's worry alarm instantly goes off, recalling the encounter with the Ctarl-Ctarl cruiser. Swanzo assures them the cruiser already left and suggests they head to town while he and Mikey work on the Outlaw Star. He asks Gene to pick a color and Gene points to his red hair, asking for something matching that. Gene tells Gilliam to behave himself for one day and Gilliam agrees.

In their hotel room, Jim tries to cheer Melfina up. Gene doesn't see the point in trying to cheer up someone who knows nothing about themselves and is obviously an android. Melfina confesses she's sad about losing Hilda, since Hilda saved her life, prompting Gene to ask angrily how she can feel sad. Jim defends Melfina and tells Gene to stop taking his anger out on her, but Gene denies he's angry, although given a moment to cool off by himself, reflects that maybe he's a little angry.

As they head through town, Gene again asks Melfina if she remembers anything at all before Hilda rescued her. She still doesn't, but agrees to tell Gene if she remembers anything. Jim asks if Gene's over his space phobia, but Gene has his doubts, which he expresses in mocking extreme. Jim is amazed Gene could fly the Outlaw Star, but Gene says that's different, he doesn't feel cooped up in there. Melfina pipes up with the explanation that it's the Physical Navigation System. So, it does seem she has some memories, but only about the ship. Not much help in finding out about her.

Jim breaks up the somber mood by cheerfully suggesting they go eat. He asks Melfina what she wants to eat, but she's fine with anything. Before they can get anywhere, though, a cloaked figure orders them to stop. The woman demands to know the where Hilda is. Gene isn't interested in answering to another pushy little lady. Jim is more polite in asking for the woman's identity and gets a reply. Aisha Clan-Clan removes her hood as she announces her name, revealing her membership in the fierce race of Ctarl-Ctarl, much to Jim's anxious shock. She again demands to know Hilda's whereabouts. Gene attempts to change the subject with an apology about the incident in their exit of Blue Heaven space, but a reminder of her humiliation doesn't improve Aisha's mood. On her third demand for Hilda, Gene finally tells her Hilda is dead. Gene tries for a nonchalant escape while Aisha is dealing with this sudden twist, but Aisha stops them again, a bit more forcefully this time, and wanting to know the coordinates of the Galactic Leyline. So that's what she's after. Realizing a simple response that he doesn't know would be pretty useless against this woman, he opts to lure her in for a close whisper, then yells at the top of his lungs that the coordinates are exactly what the hell he'd like to know, too. Aisha doesn't find the assault to her sensitive Ctarl-Ctarl ears at all funny, but Jim backs Gene up that they really don't know. Aisha is sure they're just playing dumb and declares she'll get it from them by force. Gene protests that he doesn't want to fight a girl, but it looks like Aisha's not going to give them the chance to back out. Gene chooses another option. Run!

Outraged, Aisha pursues, kicking Gene in the jaw as she overtakes them. Jim points out the obvious, that it's not good to fight a Ctarl-Ctarl. Gene and the others try for another running escape, but get cornered in an alley. Forced to fight, Gene fends off a lash from Aisha's steel whip, then gives her a repayment for the kick in the face she offered him. Aisha is mildly impressed by Gene's skill, but not put off of the idea of fighting. Gene sizes this example of Ctarl-Ctarl prowess as about on par with the average assassin and rebukes her for having picked a fight with him, Gene Starwind. Aisha takes umbrage at this and offers to show them the true power of the Ctarl-Ctarl. Jim recalls that Ctarl-Ctarl are metamorphs, capable of turning into vicious animals. This characterization isn't calming down Aisha in the least. She braggingly crows of the form handed down through her ancestors, heightened by the power of the moon and able to crush mere humans easily. Gene calmly reminds her that Blue Heaven doesn't have a moon. Caught off guard, Aisha's boasting ends in a deflated pout, providing another chance for Gene and the others to run. Aisha pursues, but loses them for the moment as she has to go back and grab her cloak.

Out in the street with Aisha but a moment behind, Jim breaks off from Gene and Melfina. As Aisha rounds the corner and follows Gene, he yells back for Jim to go get some Caster shells before ducking through another alley with Melfina, Aisha hot on his heels. Jim doubts he'll find Caster shells in a place like this and tries to figure out what to do next.

Gene and Melfina seem to have finally shaken their pursuer as they reach the observation level of the asteroid. Before Gene can relax, though, a glimpse of raw space beyond the windows brings his space phobia back in full force. Melfina helps him to a bench, where he covers his eyes, peeking through his fingers at the stars, and wonders if he'll ever get over this. Seeing Melfina a short ways away gazing at flowers brings him out of his own problems long enough to think about the strange girl he's found himself with. Asking if she's ever seen flowers before, he gets the response that they're artificial. Like her, they were made, but she still doesn't know why she was made or by who, who she is or why she exists. Gene walks over and lays his hand on her cheek, marveling at this amazing android. Even from up close he can't tell she's not human. She feels sadness. She can even worry about her own existence. With Hilda gone, though, Melfina isn't sure she'll ever get her answers. Gene is still amazed by her and pinches her cheek hard, getting a surprised response of pain from Melfina. Gene can't get over her human-like behavior and emotional responses, she can even complain. Surely she's the only one like her in the entire galaxy. He promises her that since she's his responsibility now, he'll take care of her and solve the mystery of her origins. The problem is, they don't have any clues to go on. Asking the pirates is the most obvious way, but Gene would rather eat shit than talk to them. Melfina says she feels the same way, prompting a laugh from Gene as he asks her if she'd rather eat shit. Embarrassed, Melfina seems a bit unsure about the crude wording, but the sentiment is there. Gene invites Melfina to stay on with them, and assures her she's needed to fly the Outlaw Star. Melfina is delighted with the prospect and Gene calls up Jim to tell him the news. Jim's at a shop that most likely doesn't have Caster shells, but Gene lets him know they've lost Aisha and arranges to meet Jim at the corner they split up at. Unfortunately, it seems Gene spoke too soon. Aisha appears while Gene is still on the phone, demanding that he be a good boy and give up. Since when was Gene Starwind a good boy? Aisha attacks, but it's Gene who gets in the first strike, whipping her cloak over her face and slashing at her side with his knife as he passes. Sadly, it seems to have no effect on an immortal Ctarl-Ctarl and only serves to break his blade. Aisha prepares to change to beast form and destroy him, moon or no moon. Too bad for her, it seems she's run out of calories and collapses in exhaustion.

Feeling sorry for her, Gene decides to get Aisha something to eat, so the Outlaw Star crew and the cat-girl wind up at a restaurant. She may be a hybrid of tiger and human, but she eats like a pig. Gene works on getting her story from her about her dismissal over the incident with Horus. Seems that being a resident officer doesn't come with a paycheck. Somehow she's been getting money on her own to track them down, but so far it doesn't look like she's had enough funds for a big operation. Gene cautions that at the rate she eats, she'll soon be have their own slim bank account tapped dry, which prompts him to wolf down what he can while it's still there. Jim is more of a gentleman, sharing his plate with Melfina. As Aisha sets the empty soup bowl down, Jim complains that that was meant to feed four people. Aisha's reaction is to ask for seconds, earning a groan from Gene and Jim. Gene allows her to order another bowl, but protests that they really have no information that would be of any use to her. Aisha is at the moment only interested in feeding her face. When she finally finishes, Gene lets her know that the dinner should even out things between them, but it seems that Aisha hasn't been listening. She still views them as the enemy and intends to get the coordinates they don't know out of them by force, and now that they've refueled her banks, she's ready to do it. Mercy and gratitude don't seem to be ideas familiar to Ctarl-Ctarl. Incredulous, Jim hands over to Gene the one very expensive #12 he was able to find. Gene loads up as Aisha scoffs that a gun will never work on a Ctarl-Ctarl. "Is that so?" replies Gene, then shoots her, unloading the electric spell, which knocks her out cold. Well, she survives, which perhaps does prove she's an immortal, but she's in no condition to stop Gene and his friends from walking out and leaving her with the check.

Back at the dock, Gene and crew are astounded with the difference in the Outlaw Star's appearance, the hull now painted a vivid red to match Gene's hair and fully outfitted except for weapons. Swanzo informs them he also acquired a registration number for them and gave it to Gilliam. Mikey doesn't seem impressed with Gilliam's fussy personality. Gene agrees with him, but can't do anything about it since Gilliam's part of the ship. Gilliam is insulted by this and says so. Gene tells him to butt out, which gives Gilliam an excuse to verbalize his concerns about his future prospects with Gene. Gene ends the debate with a mature "Up yours!" Gene thanks Swanzo and Mikey for their help and tells them he's headed back to Sentinel III, but has no plans beyond that.

Swanzo decides it's only helpful to clue these kids in on how the galaxy works, so he and Mikey give Gene a quick lesson in galaxy politics. The Kei Pirates are centered around the Tempa Empire, while Blue Heaven is inside the territory of the Ban Pirates. They're probably safe from attack by the Kei unless they go out past Heifong. Mikey asks what they'll do on Sentinel III. Gene says he'll use his contacts to get some Grappler weapons and ammunition, prompting a panic in Jim regarding who he's talking about getting them from. Mikey guesses Fred Luo and seems to share Jim's aversion to having any dealings with the guy, although Swanzo credits Fred's father with having gotten him some sweet deals in the past. Gene is confident nothing will go wrong as Fred's not one of the bad guys, but that doesn't seem to be what Jim's worried about. Gene thanks Swanzo and Mikey again and promises that if he needs their help in the future, he'll be sure to stop by. Mikey reminds him that next time it won't be for free. Swanzo has another translation glitch but quickly changes it to a 'Bon voyage'.

The Outlaw Star prepares for launch as Jim continues to complain about Fred Luo. Melfina asks if he's really all that bad, Jim replying that she has nothing to worry about, being a girl. Melfina asks if he has a problem with men, but Gene laughs it off, saying it'll be okay. Jim is not reassured as they take off. Meanwhile, back at the restaurant, Aisha is washing dishes to pay for the meal that she certainly consumed the majority of, and swears she'll get Gene for this insult to the pride of a Ctarl-Ctarl.

To be continued!

Next Episode: A beautiful assassin named Suzuka comes after my old friend Fred Luo. This assassin is very cunning and ruthless, so I set aside my policy of getting along with pretty ladies and decide to risk myself in order to protect my precious source of money-- uh er, friend! But hey, come on, a beautiful woman is a terrible thing to waste, right? Next time on Outlaw Star, Beautiful Assassin! You better get ready!