Johnny rose and followed Jaq to the door. He didn't notice that she swapped a glance with Dude before stepping out into the rainshower of the evening.

Johnny offered to get his space motor, but Jaq declined.

"Actually," she said, giving him a little wink, "I prefer to walk." She took a few steps away from him, but then glanced over her shoulder to see if he was following. Then she let out a slight giggle and continued heading toward the back of Dude's establishment.

"So how long ago was your last date?" Jaq teased, glaring at Johnny with her fierce blue eyes.

For the first moment of the evening, Johnny felt his face flush. He stammered a bit in his fight to recover.

"Y...You sure don't waste any time, do you there, Jaq?"

Drunk but not stupid and as much as he would to sample her fine wares, he knew what he must do.

She wiggled her ample *** in an invitation.

Johnny pulled her *** to his groin and with a caress, tranqued her with a needle hidden under his little finger. Hoisting her over his shoulder, he went looking for a taxi.

Flagging one down, he gave the driver 200 credits and told him to drive east till the credits ran out.

He made his way to the spaceport, hoping to catch the next shuttle to the Lo Mining Settlement...

Jaq felt the needles prick and immediately slummped against him...It din't knock her out as he'd hoped...Drugs didn't bother her....but this only served her purpose...she'd get him to take her where she wanted to go without having to **** him after all...Yes, this was working!

Waiting till that taxi was out of sight, he flagged down another for himself.

He decided to take a detour, " Hey Bub, take me to Ching Ling Foo's باز. (Bazaar)" he growled.

Vendors from a 100 worlds set up shop here for a hefty fee. Merchandise was specialised and or rare and priced accordingly.

Johnny slipped into a booth adorned with a holographic head that changed every standard minute.

A tall figure, face hidden in the shadows of his hood stepped from behind a veil. "May I help you sir?" he asked in a think clipped British accent.

"Something Old World Asian." he drawled.

After the taxi had driven out of sight, Jaq sat up and had the driver to stop..."Keep the credits and get yourself a toke on me" she growled as she stepped out of the cab. She watched it drive away and whistled with a high sharp sound.. Almost immediately a hugh Silver and grey cat materialized beside her. Rubbing it's head she whispered something to it and bounded to it's back.In a flash of light they were gone.

Dude whistled and a rat faced little man emerged from a secret panel in the wall.

"Yeth Thir?" he lisped weasily.

"You have images of Johnny and those two dames?" asked Dude

Droog Pyew nodded.

"Then follow Johnny, make sure he does his job and keep tabs on those dames."

Droog scurried out the door...

The cat stopped on a high peak overlooking the vally below. There in the distance Jaq could see the mining community and the vehicles slowly escavating the minerals.Ships flew overhead, lights shining in beams to the ground.
Suddenly the cat growled deep in it's throat Stroking his neck, Jaq spoke."It's alright my friend, I know he's back there hiding in the rocks. He won't be here long" She grinned as she sent a ray of thought through the night In the distance, a scream broke the night,ending quickly in silence. " He won't be bothering us" she purred to the cat.

Johnny sat alone at the restaurant, pouring over his rice patties and soy sauce. He had opted not to have dinner with the holographic person that would interact with and make meals less uncomfortable for thsoe who dined alone. Now he looked the most out of place of anyone else in the eatery.

He glanced around him, noticing a few faces catching his eyes. Two men in the far corner glanced in his direction as well as a woman who was dining with one of the holographic beings.

Johnny took another bite and looked down at his meal. It all looked well, but suddenly he started to feel a bit queasy.

Phil E. Peeno stepped off the shuttle onto the busy spacedock and headed towards customs. He was quite a nondescript little fellow but then that was the idea.

"The sooner I get this job done the better," he thought. "There are way too many people seemingly interested in me at the moment." he mused.

"Passports, Have your passports ready!" the Lo Ming Officer barked.

Jaq and the cat watched as Phil.E.Peeno went through customs..She couldn't afford to meet him at the space center so they made their way down the jagged rocks and cliffs to the bottom of the valley..
She had a sensation there was something wrong with Johnny, but she had to meet with Peeno first, then they'd go find Johnny..business first, then play. And she intended to play hard with Johnny!

Droog Pyew groaned as he sat up. His head throbbing he painfully looked around, the suns had set. Apparently he had been out cold for hours. His mind began to race with stories of the Mutated Ones that dwelled in these peaks, only coming out at night. They loved to play with and eat their food alive.

A bit unsteadily he got to his feet and began to run towards the settlement. Stumbling but never quite falling, he continued to run.

What sounded like bubbling hisses rose from the shadows around him. The hair on the nape of his neck stood erect like little thorns.

"Kllluuurrr, ssst catchesss sweeeet meat, klllluuurrr." echoed with many voices.

Droog shat his pants and ran even faster...

Phil E. Peeno had exited the space port and was trying to flag a taxi when he heard a sound behind him. He whirled, and was face to face with a huge silver and grey cat..It was larger then even the ones on his home world of Sufi-Zensunni. The cat's large slanted eyes gleamed with golden fire..it growled deep in it's throat.

Peeno backed away, wanting to turn and run when sudden the cat launched it's self at him. Peeno screamed in terror, but the huge cat had him in it's large mouth, and together they vanished in a flash of light.

Droog made it through customs with a glare from the officers. After he cleaned himself up in the restrooms he contacted Dude.

"Yeth itth me Droog, I was knocked out by a mind probe and almotht eaten by the Mutated Ones. Johnny hathn't arrived at the colony, I thuthpect one of thothe dameth." Droog reported.

"Eiliki Mephisto has just arrived with her goons, the wannabe baboons." he continued.

Dude roared,"Get back to me when Johhny arrives, you worthless shyte."

Dude Dudely wondered if he should call in another favour, the cost of this job was beginning to get way out of hand. No job is worth doing without profit, except maybe seeing Johnny die.

The moons shown waxy yellow light refelecting off the muddy pool of water, in the distance the howling of the mutants could be heard.

Standing alone on the edge of the mine shaft, Jaq waited for Peeno to awaken from his faint. The cat lay at her feet, dozing, growling low in dreams.

She needed to get this business with Peeno over with. Other important deals must be made. She had a contract on Eiliki Mephisto, and it must be delt with within the next few days...Johnny would be a key player in the nefarious exchange of prisoners.

If the little imbecile didn't awake soon, she would throw him to the mutants and be done with him!

Phil E. Peeno feigned unconsciousness while he sussed the situation. He barely remembered who he really was after sudden jump into the inbetween. He decided to play the fool and go along with Jac and The Cat and ignore The Cat In The HAt that was strolling by.

With that decision he opened his eyes...

Phil E. Peeno feigned unconsciousness while he sussed the situation. He barely remembered who he really was after sudden jump into the inbetween. He decided to play the fool and go along with Jac and The Cat and ignore The Cat In The HAt that was strolling by.

With that decision he opened his eyes...



... he just didn't feel right after that tramautic inbetween jump.

"Feeling a little out of sorts Peeno?" ask Jaq, when she felt him open his eyes.."Why were you faining sleep? I nearly fed you to the mutants..they're very hungey..."

"What do you want with me?" Peeno barked

The Cat in the Hat came back and set up a travelling bar. Looking over at Phil he asked, "Peeno wanna colada?"

Meanwhile at the spaceport, Eiliki Mephisto ordered one Wannabe Baboon to stay and alert her the moment Johnny Strokes showed up.

She and her other goon boarded a shuttle heading for Shaft Sixtynine,
to keep her scheduled meet with Xiao Hu, head of the Chyenne SHaolins. The unofficial agents of the Mephisto Corporation.

...

Droog sat, sipping cheap spaceport rum, trying to ignore the lingering effects of his narrow escape. He wondered why Johnny hadn't arrived yet, surely Johnny would want to wrap this job up quick since he had no idea what his fate was.

Jaq watched the strange looking little creature before her..he was gulping down the Coladas as fast as the Cat in the Hat could shake them up..eyes darting this way and that....that small nose twitching as if a mouse was up it..Coladas were spilling over his fat lips and running down his double chins. Messy little man..

"When you get a grip, pay attention" she says.." You are going to be working for me from now on."

"You are going to get me the title to the Lo Ming Mines, tomorrow!"

He whirled as if stuck and sputtered spewing the last colada towards her.."Eiliki Mephisto owns the mines!! I could never get the titles!!"

"Kill her" Jaq purred..."tonight...I want them tomorrow!"

"Whadya paying ya purple faced b1tch?" Phil E Peeno slurred.

"He's either very brazen or very stupid..." Jaq thought as she glared at Phil. Something seemed almost familiar about this drunken asian.

"Count yourself lucky I don't cut your balls off little man!" she hissed.

"Very well, take me back to the spaceport or to the mining camp, so I can get this job done." he burped.


Xiao The Chyenne Shaolin sat at the head of a long obsidian table. The room dimly lit from candles made from the fat of slain foes, obscured the ancient writings upon the walls.

He snapped his fingers, summoning ...