Well, I've finally got another teensy missive for you guys. Hope you
like it.

=======
When the Katze Away
by
Deborah Brown
Characters 'borrowed' from Tatsunoko Enterprises, all rights reserved

NOTE: For those who came in late, this is part of my Alternate Reality
Gatchaman. Any oddities of timeline/set up are probably due to that
and not my ignorance. Really.

This is set somewhere around the end of first season. I think we can
all guess about when.
--- Legion

PS. I'm gutless, so a certain scene is being left to your
imaginations.
=============

PART 1

	Two cars roared down the abandoned highway, trailing twin columns of
dust, their engines howling as they vied for position. They were
almost evenly matched, but the first car, a blue-grey convertible, had
managed to edge a foot or so past the bright scarlet Lancia.
	Eyes narrowed against the wind, the driver of the blue corvette
glanced sideways at the other, a grin of appreciation crossing his
face. She was one *hell* of a driver, whomever she was, and damned
attractive aside - with platinum blonde hair, delicate lips and a
straight nose. Her eyes were hidden by mirrored glasses, but he was
willing to bet they were as pretty as the rest of her. He wondered
where she'd come from. Not many people travelled this way. Not since
the super highway had been built linking most of the major cities of
what had been North America. Caution born of years of practice made
him wary, but - at least so far - she'd shown no signs of being one of
his enemies.
	[Besides, how could they guess that Jayse Arront is Condor Joe?] In
three years of searching Galactor had yet to identify him, or the rest
of the G-force team. Considering where she started following him -
back at the road rally he'd just won - it was more likely she was
looking for something very different. The grin broadened. [And if it's
*that* she won't find any objection from me!]
	It was the Lancia that finally surrendered the race. Its driver had
pushed it to its limits and more besides, but it simply wasn't capable
of crossing a riverbed, even one dried out and relatively flat.
Unfortunately for her, however, both cars couldn't fit the narrow
bridge that crossed it. Spinning to a halt, the driver let Joe pass,
stopping just a foot from the embankment.
	Joe swung his car around and drove at a more sedate pace back over
the bridge, stopping so that he was even with the other driver. "I'd
ask if you come here often but it'd be trite. Not to mention unlikely.
You'd have known about the bridge, otherwise."
	The blonde opened her car door and swung out long legs encased in
knee high boots and a short, tight, lavender skirt. With easy grace
she rose to her feet, standing ever so slightly taller than he. She
straightened the almost see through green and purple blouse whose
tails were tied around her bare midriff and purred in voice rich with
suggestion, "I don't come often *enough*, it seems."  She looked him
up and down appreciatively and he grinned. Things were definitely
looking up.

***

	Berg Katze was feeling particularly pleased with life. After having
been summarily dismissed from her place in Galactor - replaced by that
servile idiot, Fingers - she'd gone through several days of intense
dejection, soon followed by raging fury. That period had quickly
passed, however, as she reminded herself that - sooner or later -
Fingers was bound to run afoul of the Gatchaman team. She doubted he'd
have any more success with them than she had. In the meantime, she
might as well make it clear to Soosai, and the rest, that Berg Katze
didn't need any of them.
	That decision made, Katze was soon on her way to a remote part of
what used to be North America. Travelling in a car rented from a
dealership on the West Coast and carrying a credit card made out in
the name of Shanna Mao, she was taking advantage of her freedom to
wander the countryside unhindered by the idiots she normally had with
her. It meant staying in some pretty run-down hotels - some where you
could pay by the hour - but it was a hell of a lot more private than
taking a Goon with her.
	Removed from her responsibilities and no longer under Soosai's almost
puritanical thumb, Katze began busting out in a big way. Dropping all
pretense of disguise, for the first time in her life she was showing
her true face. No one except Sosai knew her real appearance - not even
those who'd seen her as the female commander. Now she knew every
reaction, every word spoken to her, was honest response to her own
Self. It was - in a way - a relief.
	By the time Katze'd crossed the Rockies she'd left a trail of fond
memories behind, gaining confidence as she went. She'd stopped short
of actually screwing the guys she'd picked up along the way, but not
by very much. Only years of having it hammered into her that sex was
something to avoid - even fear - kept her suddenly broken inhibitions
from shattering completely.
	[Though I'd almost make an exception in *this* one's case.] This one
being the tall, dark and far too handsome for *her* own good, Jayse
Arront. She glanced sideways at her companion, appreciating the view.
Dark hair, worn a bit longer than was standard, tanned skin and a face
that - despite its obvious strength - was just a touch pretty. [Not to
mention violet eyes to *die* for.] His scent mixed with that of his
leather jacket, sending signals that her body very much wanted to
answer.
	Jayse grinned at her, turning to look at the empty bar, leaning
against the counter in a pose that displayed the muscles under his
black 'Poison Elves' t-shirt. They both knew what he was doing -
performing the age-old courting ritual - and in another man it might
have annoyed her. Yet there was something too good humored and
undemanding about the action - as if it was a game that he were
inviting her to play, rather than a demand for her to fall in line.
She couldn't help but feel amused and not a little intrigued. [Yes, my
lovely lad, I do believe I'd love to play with you,] she decided and
determined to be utterly charming.
	"So, pretty lady, don't suppose you dance." Jayse gestured at the
dance floor, raising a dark brow, eyes sparkling slightly. "My
quarter."
	"I could be convinced," Katze replied, smiling.

When the Katze Away
by
Deborah Brown
Characters 'borrowed' from Tatsunoko Enterprises, all rights reserved

NOTE: For those who came in late, this is part of my Alternate Reality
Gatchaman. Any oddities of timeline/set up are probably due to that
and not my ignorance. Really.

This is set somewhere around the end of first season. I think we can
all guess about when.
--- Legion

PS. I'm gutless, so a certain scene is being left to your
imaginations.
=============

PART 2:

	The afternoon practically flew by. Dancing and drinking had taken up
most of it, along with long technical conversations about cars and
engines. Shanna amazed Joe by being every bit as knowledgeable in the
field as he was himself. When he'd said as much she'd accused him of
male chauvenism but in such light tones that he couldn't take offense.
"I've only found a few women who knew how to take an engine apart," he
explained. "You have to admit you're unusual."
	Unusual and fascinating, Joe decided. She was what he liked most in a
woman, tough-minded and self-confident. Her bright, sharp, sense of
humor left him chuckling, especially when they'd gone to dinner. The
waitress had been slow, excruciatingly so, with a superb lack of skill
in her job. When she'd taken almost twenty minutes to bring Shanna's
coffee the resulting tower of creamers, salt shakers and various table
implements had reached almost a foot high before the waitress
returned. Both Joe and Shanna had all they could do to keep a straight
face as the older woman stared blankly at the tower for a moment, then
very carefully placed the cup in front of Shanna. It was clear from
her expression that she thought they both were stark raving mad. Her
service didn't improve much, but it made the whole thing a lot more
fun.

	Dinner over, the couple strolled through the city park, still
laughing at the old woman's service. "A'hm a comin'" Joe said, letting
his voice quaver in classic Tim Conway's "Old Man". "A'hm a comin'."
	Shanna grinned wickedly. "Well, we certainly can't say you'd be
coming too soon, now could we?" She looked off at the moonlight,
obviously ignoring Joe's splutter. "What I loved was the way she put
the one creamer back up when she knocked it off. I think she was
afraid we'd go beserk if our tower was ruined."
	"Either that or she was convinced it was part of some secret ritual
that she didn't *dare* disrupt." Joe stopped, taking a deep,
appreciative breath. The night air was cool and faintly scented with
jasmine [or is that Shanna?] With the moon shining so bright he felt
like they were walking through a postcard. "Come on, let's sit down."

***

	As hot water sluiced off Katze's body she wondered why she was doing
this. The evening had been pleasant enough without risking ruining the
fun. Sex was something she'd learned to take or leave. Her only
experiences with it had been brutal affairs, more like animal rutting
than anything resembling the sensuous pleasure she'd read it was
supposed to be. Soosai had showed her it was all a lie, though. Her
female form wasn't expected to enjoy anything and as for the male -
the sluts he'd lain with had made it impossible for him to bring the
act to a satisfactory conclusion. She'd turned all her attention to
the task Soosai had set her, giving up all thought of finding any
pleasure for herself. [So why am I doing this now?]
	The sound of Jayse humming softly as he moved around in the outer
room reminded her. It was a little off-key, but she recognized the
song as the one he'd chosen for their first dance. "It's only fear
that makes you run, the demons that you're hiding from..." [The only
one?] she wondered to herself. She rather doubted that, but at least
once she'd like to know what it was like to have sex without Soosai's
disapproving presence in the back of her mind. [This might be my only
chance.]

	"Well, hi there." Jayse smiled up at Katze as she entered the room.
He was sitting on the bed, a white towel wrapped around his lean hips,
his hair ruffled and still slightly damp from the shower. Seeing her
expression he stopped. "I meant it, earlier, we don't *have* to do
this if you don't want to."
	Katze forced her face to soften. "I don't go to bed with just anyone,
Jayse. I admit, it's been awhile." She managed a smile. "I want to do
this. Really." She walked over to the bed, about to pull off her own
towel. Jayse stopped her, drawing her closer and stroking her cheek.
"God, you're beautiful."
	Running her fingers through his hair, Katze bent to kiss him, feeling
his hands stroke her bared shoulders. The gesture was gentle, warming
her flesh. She murmured wordlessly, letting her hands slide down his
back, tracing scars. He'd led a busy life it seemed, but then, so had
she. If she was unmarked by the wounds she'd taken, it was only by
virtue of her regenerative abilities.
	Jayse's lips worked their way down Katze's collarbone, surprisingly
delicate in their touch. This was nothing like what she'd experienced
before and she swallowed. [I think I may faint,] she thought to
herself, drawing him into her arms and lowering her face into the
crook of his neck.

When the Katze Away
by
Deborah Brown
Characters 'borrowed' from Tatsunoko Enterprises, all rights reserved

NOTE: For those who came in late, this is part of my Alternate Reality
Gatchaman. Any oddities of timeline/set up are probably due to that
and not my ignorance. Really.

This is set somewhere around the end of first season. I think we can
all guess about when.
--- Legion

PS. I'm gutless, so a certain scene is being left to your
imaginations.
=============

PART 3:

	Joe leaned on his elbow, examining Shanna's face. Asleep, there was a
sweet sadness to her expression that hit him where he lived. She was
so strong when awake that her current vulnerablity was more obvious.
He wondered what it was in her past that made it so difficult for her
to enjoy herself. He'd been able to feel her fighting her fears all of
last night. It saddened him. Sex should be fun for both parties or why
the hell bother? He hoped she'd been able to enjoy herself at least a
little.
	A buzz at Joe's wrist made him sigh inwardly and slide out of bed.
Stumbling into the bathroom he turned on the water and muttered, "What
is it?" into his bracelet.
	"You're needed. The Phoenix will pick you up in fifteen minutes."
Nanbu's voice was stern and a touch disapproving. He couldn't possibly
know what Joe had been doing, but his tone could have fooled Joe. Of
course, since Joe usually was doing something to annoy Nanbu, he
probably was right to take that tone.
	"What's going on? Or do I have to wait for the Eaglescout?"
	Nanbu sighed. "There's a new Galactor mecha. Damn near
indestructible. Rumor has it it's built by someone other than Katze.
Now get your butt moving, Condor. We don't have any time to waste."

	The battle took a lot longer than Joe liked, eliciting a sour comment
from Ken. "Joe, I'm sure you're in a rush to get out of here, but
don't you think your girlfriend, or racing buddies or whatever, can
wait until we're finished saving the world?"
	Joe growled a curse. "Can't we just fire the Bird Missile and be
*done* with it?" This was incredibly frustrating. He'd had to leave
Shanna with barely a word of explanation and a hurried promise to be
back. [Nambu thinks I should stop sleeping around so much but he
doesn't do anything to help. How in the *hell* am I supposed to
establish a steady relationship when I have to be on the run all the
time. I can't even explain *why*.] He knew Nambu's response to that.
He was a member of Gatchaman. His duties to the world took precedence
over any personal gratification. It was - in Joe's mind - a bunch of
bullshit.
	Ken's sigh was deep enough to fog his faceplate. The sight made Joe
grin inwardly, even as - once again - the Eagle explained, patiently,
why they were *not* going to fire the Bird Missile randomly.
	Joe grumbled under his breath. "Let's at least *try* to finish this
up?"

***

	Katze stared into her coffee, fighting unhappiness. This wasn't fair.
It had just been a casual date. There was nothing between her and
Jayse. There couldn't be. Sooner or later she'd have to go back to
Galactor and Soosai. The thought of her master made her shudder. What
was he going to say when he realized what she'd done?
	Almost as if the thought of her lord was enough to summon him, Katze
felt the surge of power in her mind that heralded the alien's psychic
arrival. ::WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, KATZE? IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO COME
HOME.:: As always, she felt the beginnings of a headache. She was glad
they were so distant. Soosai never had learned not to shout. Not only
were his rolling tones less painful here, but the conversation
wouldn't last very long. It used up energy that Soosai had other uses
for.
	Katze forced herself not to react physically. The waitress - a
younger one than the night before - had apparently been warned about
her. She'd been tip-toeing around the crazy lady all afternoon. Katze
didn't want her to think she really *had* gone around the bend. ::My
Lord? I thought you didn't want me anymore. Fingers...::
	::FINGERS HAS FAILED ME. YOU MUST RETURN AND --:: Soosai stopped.
::WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?:: His mindvoice was stunned, could it even hold
fear?
	::My Lord?:: That Soosai could see that she'd been screwing didn't
really surprise Katze. But why should he be so upset?
	::THIS SHOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. YOU CANNOT LOVE... YOU SHOULD NOT BE
ABLE TO LOVE...:: There was silence for a moment. ::SO. YOU THINK THIS
- JAYSE ARRONT - CARES FOR YOU? YOU ARE STILL A FOOL, KITTEN::
	Katze gritted her teeth, forcing herself not to respond. Jayse
wouldn't want anything to do with Berg Katze, she knew that, but he'd
liked Shanna. ::I don't love him, my lord. I just... enjoyed his
company.:: She winced at the sense of disgust that Soosai projected.
::He means nothing else to me.:: She felt her cheeks begin to redden
and she was very glad Soosai couldn't see her, though she feared he
could sense her embarassment.
	::WE WILL DISCUSS THIS UPON YOUR RETURN. I HAVE SENT A PARTY TO PICK
YOU UP. BE WAITING OUTSIDE OF TOWN.::
	With a sigh that started from her toes, Katze agreed.

When the Katze Away
by
Deborah Brown
Characters 'borrowed' from Tatsunoko Enterprises, all rights reserved

NOTE: For those who came in late, this is part of my Alternate Reality
Gatchaman. Any oddities of timeline/set up are probably due to that
and not my ignorance. Really.

This is set somewhere around the end of first season. I think we can
all guess about when.
--- Legion

PS. I'm gutless, so a certain scene is being left to your
imaginations.
=============

PART 4:

	"Shit shit shit *shit* *SHIT*!" Joe swung his car around and followed
after the Lancia. He'd been afraid this would happen. He'd left her
too long and now Shanna was going on to wherever it was she'd been
headed. "Damnit! Wait up!"
	Once again Joe raced Shanna, but this time she obviously didn't want
to be beaten. She pulled some tricks with her car that left Joe
staring. The Lancia wasn't built to be treated this way. She must
really want to avoid him, if she were willing to risk damaging her
pretty car. Regretfully, he slowed down. He wanted to follow, but
there wasn't much point. He wouldn't be able to explain, anyway.
[Crap! Chalk another down to job before life.]
	Joe was just turning around again when he noticed the plane headed in
the same direction as Shanna had. It wouldn't have given him a second
thought if it hadn't been for one thing - he knew that type of plane.
[Galactor!] Shanna was headed right for trouble. Angrily, Joe set off
again, activating his transformation as he did so. Car and driver were
both surrounded by a flash of brilliance that - when faded - revealed
Condor Joe and the G-2. [She won't recognize me. I'll just get her out
of there and then....] He wondered what he was going to do next.

	A few minutes later, Joe topped the ridge in time to see Shanna
stopping her car and climbing out. A jet was parked ahead of her on
the road and two Galactor Goons were walking towards her. "What the
hell do you think you're doing?" Shanna was in the midst of demanding
of the pair. Joe hurried, firing his weapons and blowing up the jet,
and the two Goons, with a few precise shots. Then he gunned his engine
and raced up beside Shanna. Reaching out, he caught her around the
waist and pulled her over his lap.
	While Shanna struggled, Joe sent the G-2 racing away again. There
were almost certainly more Goons out there. They never went anywhere
without backup.

***

	Katze's first thought when grabbed was that Jayse had followed her
after all and was trying to get her away from perceived enemies. Then
she recognized the leggings of the uniform she was staring at. [Condor
Joe? Oh dear sweet God, he found out I was here and came after me.
HOW?] Katze struggled to slip free, but Joe's grip on her waist was
tight. "Stop that, Shanna. I'm trying to help you!"
	Katze jerked to a halt. How had Joe known her cover name? "That's
better, sweetcheeks. Can you try to crawl over me and get into the
passenger's seat? Without crashing us?"
	Nodding wordlessly, Katze began worming her way forward. It wasn't
where she wanted to be, but hanging with her rear end out of a vehicle
moving about as fast as small plane was *not* where she wanted to be,
either - and getting off wasn't an option. With a lot of squirming and
cursing on both their parts, she slid into the required spot. The
process, however, told her that her first thought had been closer to
right than she'd thought. Jayse Arront was the Condor. She recognized
his scent, the mix of leather, rite-guard and a touch of garlic.
Pulling herself straight, she stared at her companion. [I *slept* with
the Condor?] "Jayse." She swallowed, feeling shock take over. [Now I
*am* going to faint.]
	Condor Joe looked at Katze and sighed. "I'm sorry, Shanna. I should
never have let you find out, but when I saw you about to take on those
Goons..."
	Katze thought, but prevented herself from saying, [Imbecile, I was
going to go *with* those 'Goons'.] With a sigh, she leaned back in the
car. "You'd better get to cover," she told him. "Those... Goons...
will be after us again and soon." [And I can decide what to do about
you.]
	The Condor nodded. "Makes sense." He considered something a moment,
then made up his mind. "This is top secret, sweetcheeks. I'm going to
have to take you to my boss after this - but..." He made a gesture
with his arm and a brilliant flash nearly blinded Katze. A moment
later they were once more in the corvette and Joe was wearing his
street clothes.
	Katze avoided thinking about being taken to Joe's boss. The very idea
of being brought in front of Nanbu terrified her. She'd have to get
away soon, Joe would kill her if he knew who she was.

When the Katze Away
by
Deborah Brown
Characters 'borrowed' from Tatsunoko Enterprises, all rights reserved

NOTE: For those who came in late, this is part of my Alternate Reality
Gatchaman. Any oddities of timeline/set up are probably due to that
and not my ignorance. Really.

This is set somewhere around the end of first season. I think we can
all guess about when.
--- Legion

PS. I'm gutless, so a certain scene is being left to your
imaginations.
=============

PART 5:

	Joe knew he'd made a mistake letting Shanna recognize him and
possibly a worse one in showing her how his car could transform. If
Nanbu knew what he'd done - and why - he'd be furious. "There's a cave
over this way. I'm going to park there. Then we can talk." He turned
the wheel and took his car over something only a madman would have
considered a road. A minute or so later they were driving into a
darkened overhang. 
	Shanna was out of the car in a moment. "I don't think there's
anything we need to talk about," she told him. "I don't appreciate
being grabbed and dragged off like a pig to market."
	Following the blonde, Joe stopped a few feet away. "I know. You're
scared and upset." He made a face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get
you involved in this."
	"Involved?" Her sharp bark of laughter had an ironic ring. "You
haven't a clue, have you?"
	Joe swallowed, he'd begun to be afraid of this. "Shanna, you're with
Galactor, aren't you? A Devilstar?" As her face went white, Joe held
out his hand. "Please, I don't think you want to go back to them. If
you help us, I swear we'll protect you..." He only wished his words
didn't ring quite so hollow. Gatchaman hadn't had much luck protecting
other Galactor traitors.
	Turning away, Shanna leaned against the wall. "You don't understand.
You can't understand. And I can't *make* you understand." She sighed.
"You would never be able to protect me and I have every reason to
believe you won't *want* to protect me if you knew the full truth."
	"That's not true..."
	"What if I were Berg Katze?" Shanna demanded. "Would you still
protect me? Would you still care about me?" She turned, seeing his
face and Joe knew his expression was answering her question. "You
see?"
	"You're *not* Katze. Katze is a man," Joe denied. "I've had him in a
clinch too many times not to know that. You're softer than he is." He
remembered holding her, feeling her body lean into his. There was no
way this could be Galactor's leader.
	"But is my point proved?" Shanna's gaze was intent. "You have no idea
what I've done. Besides, even if you could forgive me, do you think
Nanbu would? Or Ken? Or any of your friends?" She shook her head
sharply. "It's better if we part ways right now, Jayse. I mean, Joe."
	Joe reached out and touched her cheek, causing her to shudder
uncontrollably. "I don't care what you've done. I want you to stay..."
She closed her eyes and a tear trickled down her cheek. Feeling a bit
braver, Joe moved closer, drawing her into his arms and kissing her
forehead. The tension in her slim body relaxed and she lowered her
head to lay it against his shoulder. "I love you," he whispered,
stroking her hair. "I won't let anyone hurt you."
	Silently, Shanna began to cry.

***

	Back in their hotel room, Katze lay in Joe's arms, keeping as still
as possible so he wouldn't realize she was awake. She knew what she
ought to do, what Soosai would expect her to do. She had one of
Galactor's worst enemies in her grasp. It wouldn't take much to break
his neck, or stab him or somehow get rid of him. She couldn't. She was
still loyal to Soosai, still committed to the cause he'd created her
for, but this was something that went beyond loyalty.
	[I could kidnap him... brainwash him...] Somehow the idea held no
appeal. Brainwashed, Condor Joe would no longer be the man she'd
fallen in love with - [Is this really love?] She sighed, causing Joe
to stir, pulling her close and murmuring "Shanna..." The feel of his
arms and the sound of his voice sent an ache through her that at least
partially answered her question. Love or not she couldn't betray him.
	[But I can't go to Nanbu. *He* may care about me but that's because
he doesn't know who I am. Nanbu will figure it out. He's been getting
closer to the truth everytime I turn around.] Katze managed to keep
from shuddering. [And when he *does* realize.] Besides, she couldn't
betray Galactor anymore than she could betray Joe - and that paradox
was tearing her apart. She'd have to go back to Soosai and - [and
he'll see the truth... When he knows that I failed to kill Joe... and
why...] Soosai's chosen creation or not, he would never understand.
There was only one thing she *could* do.
	Sliding out from Joe's arms, she stood up. Again he muttered her
name, proving that no matter how tired he was he was still aware of
her every motion. "Washroom," Katze told him, padding across the room
and pulling the door shut behind her. A moment of concentration
shifted the atom-thick nanotech suit she always wore, changing its
appearance to a maid's uniform. There was no need for the melodramatic
sweep she usually used for such a transformation. When it was done she
slipped back into the main room and went to the door, opening it
gently.
	Joe sat up immediately and looked at her without recognition.
Considering the suit had created an image of a woman several decades
her elder, with thinning red hair and a mole on one cheek, that came
as no surprise. "Didn't I put the 'do not disturb sign' up?" he
demanded.
	In a thick south-of-the-border accent, Katze answered, "Seenor?"
	"Go away!" He made a shooing motion with his hands. "Come back
later."
	Katze allowed her persona a blush, for the sheet covering Joe's body
was inadequate to the purpose and she could see more than a maid would
have bargained for. Then, nodding and bowing, she left the room. She
had one more thing to do, before her men came for her. [Soosai won't
know what *I* don't remember.]

When the Katze Away
by
Deborah Brown
Characters 'borrowed' from Tatsunoko Enterprises, all rights reserved

NOTE: For those who came in late, this is part of my Alternate Reality
Gatchaman. Any oddities of timeline/set up are probably due to that
and not my ignorance. Really.

This is set somewhere around the end of first season. I think we can
all guess about when.
--- Legion

PS. I'm gutless, so a certain scene is being left to your
imaginations.
=============

PART 6:

	Joe opened his eyes and reached out, expecting to find Shanna beside
him. The bed was empty and he remembered she had gone to the washroom
earlier. [Hell of a long time to be in there. I thought I heard her
come out.] He sat up, remembering that idiot maid who'd intruded about
that time. When Shanna hadn't joined him he'd figured that she'd gone
back into the washroom to wait until the silly woman had left.
	"Shanna?" No answer. Joe climbed out of bed and walked to the
bathroom door. "Shanna?" The room was silent and when Joe opened the
door he saw why. It was empty. "Shanna!" He rushed around, grabbing
his discarded clothes and pulling them on in a hurry.
	Outside the hotel room Joe halted, seeing a piece of paper fluttering
under the windshield wiper of his car. He grabbed it and sat down on
the sidewalk to read.
	"Joe, I'm sorry, but it's better this way. If it's any comfort, you
tempted me. I wanted to stay, but it'd be too dangerous. I have my
reasons for needing to stay with Galactor. I'd like to say I won't
forget you, but I'm going to have to do that, too. For both our sakes.
Shanna."
	There was a postscript. "Oh, and Joe? Don't worry about fighting
Devilstars, my dear one. I won't be among them."
	Joe clenched his fist, striking the pavement. Had it not been
protected by the ultra thin and invisible layer of his uniform he'd
have bruised himself. As it was, his knuckles ached with the force of
the blow. "I would have protected you, Shanna. I will protect you.
Somehow I'll stop Galactor and then you'll be free of them." He closed
his eyes, feeling tears begin to trickle down his cheeks. "Somehow..."

***

	::LET A CAT LOOSE AND IT COMES BACK PREGNANT. HOW COULD YOU LET 
THIS
HAPPEN?:: Soosai's voice made Katze wince. She felt sick enough as it
was, what with having been half blown up when those imbecile guards
had messed up their landing within half a block of her Lancia and
having wandered, confused, for almost a day afterwards. She might have
died of exposure if Soosai hadn't sent a second team to find her when
they'd lost contact with the first plane.
	Putting her hand to her belly, Katze frowned. She couldn't remember
the last week at all. What ever had possessed her to go rutting
around? And how had she gotten pregnant anyway? Soosai had always said
her body would reject any such intrusion. She wasn't stupid enough to
question him, however. He was angry enough as it was. "I don't
remember anything..." she whispered, although an effort had produced
the image of intensely purple eyes. [Violet eyes to die for...] echoed
in her mind, only to fade quickly away.
	::NEVER MIND. THE PROBLEM IS EASILY DEALT WITH.:: 
	Katze felt herself lifted upwards, sharp pain clutching her insides
and twisting. Her scream echoed through the Holy Chamber as she
struggled against her master's grip. Was he going to kill her, she
wondered miserably. Something cried out in her mind, grasping for
life, and some other part of her Self reached out to protect, to
guard, denying the death Soosai was dealing her.
	::INTERESTING. EVEN NOW IT FIGHTS?:: The pain stopped and Katze found
herself floating in mid-air, her master's conciousness probing her
body. She could sense puzzled consideration in Soosai's mind. ::IT
USES YOUR OWN MIND AGAINST ME? VERY WELL, THEN I SHALL SEPARATE YOU.::
	Again there was pain, different this time but no less agonizing.
Katze could feel herself swelling, bloating, her breasts - normally
small - enlarging to several times normal. She moaned, and felt that
part of herself crying out as well. That part was growing more
distinct with every second, separating itself from her mind and
becoming a different entity entirely. [The child?] she realized,
automatically responding to its projected need.
	A final, gut twisting convulsion emptied Katze's belly of the
force-grown child and she struggled to reach out to the small,
blood-soaked body. It was still growing, howling its rage at its
treatment, and - as she stared at it - Katze saw brilliantly purple
eyes open to meet hers. The shock of that glance silenced her, for it
reached deep into her thoughts and made a place for itself in her
mind. It reminded her of another pair of eyes, blacker than the
midnight skies and just as filled with stars, but the memory faded as
Soosai's voice growled, ::NO. YOU WILL NOT INTEFERE. YOU ARE A
COMPLICATION THAT I WILL NOT ALLOW...::
	The child - now appearing about three years old - screamed and Katze
felt Soosai's mental attack on it. It was trying to defend itself, but
there was no way a child could do what even Katze - much older and
stronger - could not. "Lord! Wait!" Katze sensed Soosai's gaze on her.
"Lord, even I, your creation, must die one day. Would it not be better
to keep the child -- as my heir?" She didn't like admitting the
possibility of death, but if it would save the child she'd do far
more.
	::YOUR LOGIC IS GOOD,:: Soosai admitted softly. ::VERY WELL. BUT YOUR
HEIR MUST BE RAISED AS YOU WERE. WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF HIR PLACE UNTIL
S/HE IS OLD ENOUGH TO COMPREHEND IT. AND YOU WILL NOT INTEFERE, OR
EVEN RECALL HIR EXISTENCE. YOU MUST NOT INTEFERE WITH HIR
UPBRINGING.::
	Katze bowed her head. She would have liked to deny the necessity, but
Soosai, no doubt, knew best how to prepare Galactor's next leader. "My
Lord, let it be as you will."
	Set back down, Katze took the child into her arms, gazing into the
violet eyes with confusion. The child was calm now, returning her gaze
with a grave expression. Examining it more closely, Katze saw why her
master had called it *hir*. It had both genitalia, just as she would
in the middle of the change. [S/he's like me...] Katze realized and
almost felt sorry for hir.
	The sound of the door opening caused Katze to raise her head. One of
her men [Goons?] walked in, eyes blank and empty. None of the regular
rank and file were permitted in this Holy of Holies ordinarily, but
Katze recognized mind-control when she saw it. The man walked up to
her and held out his arms and - perforce - Katze handed her child to
him. [I'm sorry, little one,] she thought, regretfully as the little
one was carried away. The last thing she saw of hir was the violet
eyes watching her with silent calm.
	::NOW, MY KITTEN, YOU MUST FORGET ABOUT THAT CHILD. THERE IS STILL
MUCH YOU MUST DO, AND I WILL NOT HAVE YOUR THOUGHTS CONFUSED.:: Katze
felt Soosai's mind in hers, engulfing her memories and wiping them
away.

	::WHAT ARE YOU DOING, KATZE. DON'T DRIFT OFF WHEN I'M TALKING TO
YOU.::
	Katze blinked awake, aware of a dull ache in her body, [Feels like
the Change coming on. It's early, this month.] "I'm sorry, Lord..."
S/he told her master, bowing. "I won't let it happen again."
	::SEE THAT YOU DO NOT. YOU HAVE RETURNED TO ME ON SUFFERANCE, 
LITTLE
KITTEN. IT IS TIME YOU CEASED FAILING ME. NOW, LET US DISCUSS OUR
PLANS.::
	Katze went on hir knees before hir Lord, listening intently and
gratefully. He'd accepted hir back into his grace and with Fingers
gone s/he had no doubt that s/he would earn Soosai's favor. "Yes, my
Lord," s/he whispered. Let Gatchaman beware. Berg Katze had returned
and this time - somehow - s/he would defeat them and win this world
for hir Lord.

The End