No-one paid her any mind other than to avoid running into her or tripping her up.

Her senses were filled with the sights and sound of over 850 Teshin, some of whom smelled like they hadn't bathed in some time.

She paid little attention to anyone in particular as she made her way to the back area of the spaceport, where she had been told to buy weapons.

She came to the small vestibule, marked with a sign: Weapons, High Quality, Low Prices. Legal and Trouble-free She entered without hesitation and encountered the seller. The old Teshin male was a badly scarred ex-Protector, one of the elite soldier corps of the Teshin Legacy. He had artificial legs of plastic and metal and an artificial left arm, which looked lifelike.

He squinted at her with his one eye. the other was covered in an optic sensor patch, which glinted in the lights. The rest of him was wrapped in a dark cloak. "Ah, my lady. Have ye need of a good weapon?," he asked.

Orisen nodded. "Yes. One personal protection and one for the protection of another."

The seller nodded his scarred head. "Fancy yeself a Protector, eh? I got just the things." He manipulated a holo-emitter and various weapons appeared in the space between them.

Orisen knew what she wanted. She pointed to it. "I'd like that wave gun."

The seller chuckled, an awful choking sound. "Big gun for a lady. Can ye handle it?"

She smiled. "Quite."

He laughed and opened an unseen case beside him, withdrawing the small black gun in question. The Teshin wave gun was a devastating energy weapon that could blow through any known material. It was the standard sidearm of the Protector Corps. He handed it to her. "Its in excellent condition, surplus, probably came from one of those that fell in the last war. Its cost is 63 Legacy 10-coins or the equivalent."

Orisen nodded. It was shamefully cheap for such a powerful weapon. She placed her debit card into the reader on his table. The amount was deducted. She replaced it to her midriff pocket in her undersuit.

He gave her the wave gun and a holster.

Orisen would put it on in privacy because it was going on her left thigh, under her vestment-gown. She looked at the holo and pointed to the disc gun, which shot small, razor sharp metal discs. It had nearly 100,000 discs in reserve and 3 magazines of 100,00 more. Its cost was a paltry 17 10-coins.

She placed it in her gown's pocket. "I will need a good knife also, have you any?"

The seller nodded. "Sure. Have a look." He altered the holo display and a whole legion of knives appeared.

She selected a folding knife with a serrated blade, ideal for cutting flesh. It costed on five 10-coins. "Thank you, sir."

He nodded. "Appreciate yer business. Be careful, my lady."

She smiled. "I will." She left the vestibule and went to the taxi area, where one was waiting for her.

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In the privacy of the taxi's passenger compartment, she placed the wave gun and holster on her left leg and the knife in its sheath next to it on the same straps that held it to her leg.

The disc gun remained in her pocket.

Her instructions were to meet with Lady Eralen and learn everything she could about her in the short amount of time she had to successfully remove her from the estate.

The plan was to wait until the Governor left for a meeting with his superiors on distant Aliba in 2 days, then take her to the spaceport and take the daily flight to Mrellkis, where Tiat Si was located.

The taxi arrived at a huge stone house set amidst a rolling garden of orchard trees. She thought it was beautiful, having a Teshin sense of beauty. She paid the driver and got out, easily picking up her heavy suitcase. She then went to the heavy wooden front door of the house.

She switched her vision to composite and saw through it, detecting a serving person, a male, approaching the door as she ringed the bell.

The door swung open. The tall, thin male in black livery looked her over. "Yes, my lady?"

Orisen smiled. "I am Lady Orisen. I was asked by Lady Eralen to visit."

The server checked a small compad. "Ah, yes, she did mention something about you. Please come in." He stepped aside and Orisen entered a large, sparsely decorated foyer.

Eralen hurried down the staircase to the left. "Orisen! You're here!. Welcome," she cried as she hugged the replicant Teshin female.

Orisen hugged her back. "Thank you, Eralen. Are you doing well?"

She nodded. "Yes, for now. Please, come upstairs with me." Orisen followed her master upstairs.

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Orisen frowned as Eralen looked her over. "I look no different from you under this," she said.

Eralen smiled. "I know. Lady Merisa and her people are wonderful artists. I am amazed that you are a person and not a machine. I've never seen one like you before."

Like all her kin, especially Oelia, Orisen didn't like being called a machine. She appreciated Eralen's comment. "Thank you, I am what I am, a replicant."

Eralen smiled even more. "No, you're my friend. Please, sit."

Orisen sat down on her bed. "Thank you, Eralen. Won't you tell me about youself?"

She scoffed. "What's there to tell? I am stuck here, ordered to marry some guy I've never heard of or get my head cut off. I was selling flowers before this outrageousness."

Orisen wondered why she was being forced to marry but didn't ask. "You make flowers?"

Eralen giggled. "No, silly, I grow them. I'm rather good at it, if I may say so."

Orisen felt dumb. She should have known better. "I'm sorry. I can't say that I have ever seen any flowers in the few days I've been online."

She nodded. "I cannot take you into the flower garden until my father leaves for his daily business but I will once he does. Do you need anything to eat? You must be hungry, travelling all that way."

Orisen pulled a small datacard from her gown. "This is what I can consume. You should find this it is rather simple."

Eralen took it and nodded. "That's okay, I like simple food best, myself." She went to her computer and studied the simple list as if it was a plant care guide, her specialty.

She turned to look at her. "You and I will eat the same things. I don't mind."

"You do not have to make sacrifices for me, Eralen," Orisen said.

Eralen shook her head. "It's no sacrifice. I don't get treated well here."

A bell chimed.

"Oh! I have to go see what my father wants. Please stay here. I will be right back." She hurried out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Orisen looked around. There were 3 packed suitcases semi-hidden in a closet and a traveling cloak, sweater and jumper of dark reds and browns lay upon them. There were few personal relics as one might expect Eralen to have. She must have them in one of the bags. She expected to go soon, it appeared.

Orisen took this moment to send a message to Merisa: Merisa, I have made it safe to Delian and the home of Eralen. I have met her and find her quite agreeable and endearing. Will report with an update later. With love, Orisen.

She then pulled off her gown and weapons, putting them in a mesh bag she bought for this purpose. She wore a solid dark blue bodysuit underneath, armor webbing under that and underwear under that. Taking it off would be a laborious process so she didn't. There was no need to.

She stretched stiff cytec muscles and went to untie her hair. She found that she did not like it that way. As her preferences developed, she found herself more and more like a Teshin female. Perhaps by design or not, she didn't care.

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Night came and Eralen lay sleeping on her bed.

Orisen did not need to sleep but did need to power down to let her back ups take over and her main power cell to cool off. It took about 2 hours, in which time she was fully alert.

She lay on a cot beside Eralen's bed, listening to the young female breathing.

Orisen was content here. But she would be content anywhere Eralen was.

A sound got her attention. The creak of floorboards under heavy feet, outside the room's door.

Orisen slowly got up, careful not to make a sound. She switched her vision to composite and saw a male in Protector's armor approaching the door.

She went and retrieved her disc gun, taking up a position near the door.

The door creaked open. The Protector peeked inside. A razor disc silently clicked and struck him in the throat.

He fell back and Orisen grabbed him from behind. She was careful not injure him too severely.

"Who are you? what is your purpose here?," she whispered in his ear, holding his right arm back with pressure.

He choked. "What?! I am here to take that insolent girl to be measured for her dress. Let me go."

Eralen awoke and gasped. "Orisen?!"

"I am here, my lady. Talk you scum. Who sent you?," She said, applying more pressure on the arm.

The man cried out in pain. "I work for the Governor. Let me go or I'll gut you."

Orisen easily broke his arm. She then shoved him face first into a wall. "You have a ship?"

"I am not telling you, cunt," he growled.

Orisen searched him and found a ship's key card. "You'd be wise to before you lose your usefulness."

There was a loud pop. The man froze and then went limp. Orisen let him drop and looked at Eralen, who help a plasmic pulse gun. "Eralen?," she asked in suprise.

Eralen scoffed. "I am not defenseless, my friend. We'd better go. You have his ship card?"

Orisen held it up. "Yes, but I cannot fly a craft, I do not know how to."

She took the card and kissed Orisen on the cheek. "I do. Grab your things, I'll get mine." She hurried to her closet and pulled on an exo-assist strength frame, picking up all of her bags.

Orisen put on her weapons and gown and took the Protector's wave rifle and her bag, quickly following Eralen in the darkened house.

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No-one stirred as they reached the back entrance and went out back where the Protector's patrol craft sat. The sleek, winged craft could indeed speed its way to Mrellkis, undetected.

Eralen opened the cargo area and put her and Orisen's bags in, stripping off and discarding the frame. "Come on, Orisen. Climb in."

Orisen did and nearly jumped as the seat conformed itself to her body.

Eralen expertly jumped in and started the craft. "Hold on, my friend. This will be a darngerous ride until we leave the Legacy."

Orisen sent another message: Merisa, fleeing Delinar in a stolen Protector patrol craft. Please inform the ACDF that we may need assistance.

To Be Continued.

� 1 Mar 04 Gregory Thompson