Still hovering just outside the tremendous rent in the wall on the forty first floor of the Project Tower was one of BESC’s Dartships. Local militia were persisting in firing on it from all directions but none had managed to make a dent yet. It slowly swivelled round in mid-air, looking remarkably peaceful. The interior however was alive with sights and sounds. Tali and DI Howard had gradually taken charge of all data flows normally destined for BESC HQ operations centres. They could see and control everything: life signs, enforcer positioning, incoming back-up, available air-support, nearby traffic and media presences. The lot. They sat side by side, fingers a blur over a dozen different holographic interfaces, chins wagging furiously as they maintained hundreds of different comm links; soldiers on the ground through to support staff back at base.

However, Tali was patched through to the one person at BESC she did not want to talk to at that moment. “Supervisor Laurent this is Overseer Ngoni. This operation has spiralled far out of control. I want all data streams returned and the plug pulled as of right now.” Taliga gritted her teeth, a 3D map of the Tower in front of her, with a red ping indicating Jack’s pulse. “Overseer Ngoni, we have almost arrested one of the most wanted criminals in my department!” The response was instant: “You haven’t arrested shit! You’ve started a firefight in one of the most volatile Projects in Babylon! Return to base and let Op Cen deal with the evacuation. That’s an order!” Tali signed out of that link, but she could already see data streams being overridden and taken away from her. There was no way she could face her workmates after having failed to catch Jack after getting so involved.

“Take us back to base please.” DI Howard leaned towards the driver, Tali snapped her from her stupor with a snarl; turning off all comm-links she turned to the weedy Detective Inspector.“Cancel that order, we are not leaving yet.” “You heard Overseer Ngoni, we must return to base! You know what he’s like, we’ll lose our jobs! Howard made a move to get into the driver’s seat but a hand on his shoulder pushed him back. Looking gingerly behind him, it seemed he had forgotten the two heavies in the Dart. Tali nodded her appreciation to the men before addressing Howard. “Admittedly i didn’t plan for this, but i believe these enforcers are acting out of personal greed rather than loyalty for BESC. Now you have two choices, either you help me capture Jack Thegn, or i’ll show you the door.”

With a straight face, Tali pulled the manual release lever next to the Dart’s side door. There was a depressurizing hiss, and the noise level dramatically increased as the whole of Babylon tried to force its way in. A slowly revolving view of the neighbouring project towers, packed skylanes and local militia up on gantries all around. Bullets fizzed against the hull, clanging noisily as Howard whimpered in the iron grip of the BESC enforcers. “I’ll do it! I’ll do it!” The DI screamed eventually as the second enforcer got up to take his other shoulder. “Good!” Tali purred like a cat. The door closed and Tali patted him on the leg reassuringly. A voice emanated from the command console. “Hmmph, i thought i turned this thing off.” Tali grumbled, swivelling round just as a seemingly unfamiliar and robotic voice addressed her.

“Organic, you are in need of assistance. I will do so for equipment, information and future contracts.”

Squinting at the holographic display, Tali and Howard edged closer in their chairs. With a waggle of her hand, she indicated he trace the comm-link. Clearing her throat, she edged closer still. “Identify yourself.” All other sound in the Dart had ceased., they hadn’t turned the radio chatter back on. There was no reply, Taliga looked round at her subordinate, who had turned decidedly pale all of a sudden: obviously thinking of all the penalties he would accrue for assisting a rebellious supervisor. “Orwell class transport, identified as BB19SID. Twenty five years old.” Tali licked her lips. Even as she looked, the Dart’s command infrastructure was being suspended and a red order was blinking on every screen. ~RETURN TO DOCK~. If she returned home empty handed after this fiasco, she'd never see a role of responsibility again. Tali thought of her mother, pampered to death with endless galas and shopping trips.

“Bring me Jack Thegn, alive. And i will make you a very rich mercenary.”