<br/>Kat???  Hell, Kat, was rambunctious since they day she was born!  She’d teased her siblings though that they had all been hatched and /or nursed by robots.  She’d been the only one who remembered their real mother.  Dad fell apart after she’d died and was constantly with a bottle, a whore or in the end, a needle.  When the local authorities finally figured out they children were alone they stepped in.  But separated the kids.  They Alliance was never known for having a heart.<br/><br/>Her brother had supposedly fell to some sickness, that was the ‘official’ account, but she doubted it and always would.  He was placed with terrible people.<br/><br/>Sissy, she’d never been able to find a trace of…  Kat had worried for sometime.  Sissy was a beautiful girl and she was afraid someone had taken advantage of her.  There were always stories of Alliance officers taking young girls as sex slaves…  After several years, Kat simply had to set her mind to the idea that all she cared about was dead…<br/><br/>Though deep down she craved romance, she rarely found it.   Unfortunately she’d spent a good portion of her younger life carousing in taverns, brawling and going home with many ‘wrong’ sorts…  But one day she’d meet someone the saw through the hardened wall that had been built around her heart.<br/><br/>Trojan Boris Zeus Smithe…  He was much older, older than her father, but with a love that seemed to flow to those around him.  When they first met she figured he was just another rich old guy who liked her curves and wanted to get into her pants.  But when they got to his place, all he did was hold her…  Kat eventually wept in his arms for hours.  How had he broken through?<br/><br/>He became a mentor/father-figure and the most important person in her life.  He’d had the resources to teach her so much.  But flying?  THAT was the most amazing to her.  There was a freedom when at the helm she simply couldn't describe…   It didn't matter the size, if it could get her into the ‘black’ she’d smile, Troy loved when she smiled…<br/><br/>But Troy had finally fallen to an illness caught on a remote and exotic world.  Kat was devastated.  One of his best friends recognized that the young woman; surrogate daughter needed guidance, help and purpose brought her aboard his ship.  She was an excellent pilot.  Though, at first she was sullen, he finally saw sparks of life when, after months, she began to mingle and associate with the crew.<br/><br/>Unlike Troy, Captain Anderson was not blessed with rich influential parents.  But he had worked hard, climbed ladders and ended up ‘Captain’ of his own vessel.  He might have cut a few corners when it came to Nuke exposure…  It did make for a faster trip and more potential profit.  But he paid the Engineering and Medical staff quite well and was able to retain the best people, for the most part.<br/><br/>Kat hated hat Captain Anderson and her navigator had both died to try and save her and her honor as the Pirates had threatened to do all sorts of things to the buxom beauty, finding her an ‘exotic creature’  She’d been slapped more than once when she said they all disgusted her.  But the pirate ship’s captain put a stop to it with a blade, declaring her as ‘his’.  He’d licked her cheek and whispered how he looked forward to ‘breaking’ her.  Kat held in her nausea as she was escorted from one ship to the other.  She was pacing in the cell, contemplating several ways of escape when HE walked in…<br/><br/>A KNIGHT IN A SUIT OF ARMOR  The description rang through her head even as she shook it to try bring herself to a more realistic state of mind.  It took but a split second to recognize him, the Engineer.  She honestly had no idea of his name, but she knew the Captain had trusted him and figured that was enough for her…<br/><br/>The young pilot swiftly took and donned the suit he’d passed through the bars, not wasting any time.  Her eyes grew huge when she heard the approaching guards, but his charming grin somehow reassured her he was in control and not to fret…<br/><br/><br/>The following explosion knocked her to the floor, but her gallant rescuer reached out a hand to bring her to her feet.  He took her hand and guided her through the ship, even giving her a weapon.  It made her smile.  He was smart!  She appreciated that.  Once she realized he was gathering important items that might be needed to survive, she sprung into action as well.<br/><br/>Once in the Docking bay, Kat smiled at the ship he chose.  It wasn’t pretty but it was that of a smuggler.  They knew how to pack and had more tricky gadgets than anyone else.  Though she’d noted the two reptilian dead in the cargo hold, she didn’t judge.  She was not one to care about such things though she preferred her own kind.<br/><br/>Here eyes sparkled, despite the cold coming over her, when she got to the cockpit.  Rubbing her hands together to gather a little warmth, Kat silently wished for a better suit, but at least she was still alive..  And as she glanced at her rescuer, safe…  Plopping into the chair she brought up the HUD looking over the systems and checking each off in her head.<br/><br/>Kat followed suit in taking off the restrictive helmet of her suit and removing the gloves that had been two sizes too big.  Despite her nearly frozen skin, she smiled over as he introduced himself.  “Kat Montya, pilot and general enigma…”  She teased with a wink.  The sciency types were always fun to tease.  Though this one had a sexiness about him that she found immediately enticing.  She’d not felt so attracted to a man for sometime.  She was trying to convince herself it was something else.  Perhaps the cold or a lack of oxygen from earlier…  But she was finding herself charmed.<br/><br/>“Partners!”  She offered out a cold, half-frozen hand.  The other was already on the launch control.  “Here we go!  Hold on…”  She punched it and they shot out the open hatch toward a nearby moon…<br/>