"Kat?" Cecilia paused to glance at her radar. The runaway was... getting away. Kat had either missed the window, or... "Kat?!" Then, Snow Leopard's signal on the C3 disappeared as it shut down. Realizing what must have happened, Cecilia's knuckles turned white as she strangled her control yokes. [i]It's been a whole fucking year.[/i] Zipping her Kirin into a 180, Cecilia left the last thug in the immediate engagement to the others and sped off to chase the blip on her radar.  
	
	"I'm leaving the last one here to you; I'm playing tag with 'speedy,'" Cecilia radioed to nobody in specific. She was furious - not at Kat herself, but at the state she was in and her inability to cope with the past. If an easy errand like this set her off, what would they do when they faced a [i]real[/i] enemy again? She hated to admit it, but the girl was becoming a liability. As far as she knew, Kat didn't belong in a FRAME until she got herself sorted out. 

	"Cecilia?" Bentz's voice asked over the radio. "Sorry to interrupt."

	"Director. We need to talk about Kat-"

	"I know. I was monitoring your op. I'm afraid I can't put her in a cockpit in her current state. She needs therapy, Cecilia."

	"Does that mean you'll let her go?" Cecilia knew it'd be for the best, but that also meant another Panther lost. In recent times, they were short on staff as it was, and every dip in manpower could be felt throughout the unit.
	
	"I don't know just yet. It might be the safest option, but I'll take an alternative. In other news, I just met with a client. This opportunity is big, Cecilia. We haven't had a break like this in a long time."

	"Big as in...?"

	"[i]Pre-Cradle[/i] big. Like the old days. It sounds too good to be true, and I know it'll seem crazy, but when you're done there, I want everyone to report to the command deck immediately. We have a lot to discuss, and there's someone I'd like you to meet."

	"...Yes, Director. Out."

	Cecilia cut the transmission, eyed peeled on the escapee. She was gaining ground quickly; she just needed a clear lane to get a shot. Just one, good shot. Lucky for her, desperation mixed with a wrong turn put the ganger on a straight bridge. Nowhere to turn, plenty of straightaway. 

	[i]End of the road.[/i] Cecilia's reticule snapped to target and her muzzle flashed. The next instant, a smoldering wreck fell into the river. The Panther turned around to regroup with her companions. 

	"Marathon's over; nobody qualified. Let's drop the last one and be done with it. Director's got a big surprise waiting for us," Cecilia radioed the others. She then opened a private transmission to Kat's FRAME. She knew the power was down, but, by any chance she left the radio on, she could get to her.

	"Kat? It's me. This channel is encrypted. It's over."