|Mykari|

-------------

Another battle took place in Limbo Galaxy. Hotwing, the SilverHawks resident magician was facing up against Windhammer and Hardware. The two Mobsters were on their way to Dolar when Chatterbox, the cyberparrot, caught them and alerted Hawk Haven. The valiant bird tried to hold them off on his own, but Hardware managed to injure him. It was only fortunate that Hotwing arrived on the scene and eventually drove the Mobsters off. The mystic SilverHawk picked up Chatterbox, who tried his best to move. "You okay, Chatts?" Hotwing asked the parrot.

"Okay?" Chatterbox replied. "That puto troll paralyzes me, I can't fly and you ask if I'm okay?!"

"Well, you're still talking, that's for sure," Hotwing replied. "Then again, I heard that beak of yours got you into some trouble last week."

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be, eh? Something goes wrong, blame the parrot! Like most of that stuff was my fault, anyway."

"Oh, just what Limbo needs," Hotwing chuckled. "A second Zeek."

"Don't even think about comparing me to that bozo!" Chatterbox snapped. "At least I know when to back off!"

"I'm sure you do," Hotwing replied. "Come on. Let's get back to base and get you fixed up."

As the two headed back to the mode of transportation, a figure stood in the shadows; watching, observing.

"So," it said in a deep, seductive voice. "That's what Limbo's like these days. Law enforcement's upgraded and the Mob's reduced to a bunch of rookies. How pathetic. Wait til I tell the others about this." The figure then snuck off to a small limo, and headed straight for Fence.
 

At Fence, things were pretty quiet. At least, as quiet as they get, that is. The patrons went about their usual business when a small, black limo parked itself outside the Sini*Star Diner. Out of the limo came out a small man dressed like a fool, a lady with a labcoat who could resemble a blonde Frankenstein’s bride and a spunky little vixen whose black hair and matching eyes could catch any male a mile away. The trio walked into the bar, looking around at the local customers. "Good to know some things never change," the blonde said in a thick German accent.

"You got that right," the male replied, his voice as whiny and high as he himself is short. "Who knows how long we've been here?"

"Only one way to find out," the second female, in a soft, gentle voice. She pranced over to a table where a trio of poker players was dealing out their game. They only had to catch a glimpse of her and boom! They were hooked. "Hi, boys."

"Hello, gorgeous!" they whistled. "How's about joining us?"

"No, thanks."

"Come on," one of them said. "We'll treat you real nice." Another of them even grabbed her arm. The brunette looked pissed.

"Did I say you could touch me?" she said, her voice turning to ice. "I don't think so." The brunette then proceeded to flip the offender over her shoulder, causing him to land on his back and let go of her arm.

"Hey!" the other two shouted. "You can't do that to our buddy!"

"Oh, so maybe I should do this?!" The brunette then pulled out an energy pistol and fired several shots, hitting every single mug in the place. "Psst..." she whispered to the men. "This is the part where you run."

Just about everyone in the diner fled out, except for the upcoming trio and the bartender. The brunette blew the top of her energy pistol and re-holstered it. The blonde clapped at the display. "That was something, Astrala!" she said to her friend.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the male said nonchalantly. "Where was that when you needed to knock off that candidate for governor way-back-when, huh?"

Astrala looked at her male comrade. "Are you implying that our current situation was my fault, Jester?" she asked, ready to pounce on him.

"Glycerin," Jester said to the blonde. "Tell your friend here she needs a little more practice."

"Why I oughta--!" Astrala practically lunged at Jester, but Glycerin held her off.

"Calm down, mein frunde," Glycerin said to Astrala. "We didn't come back to Limbo to tear ourselves to pieces. Remember, we have some business to take care of."

"I remember," Astrala replied, calming down a little. "Just tell the shrimp that he should watch his mouth."

"Who you callin' a shrimp?" Jester demanded. Astrala ignored him and got herself a Limbo cooler.

"So," Glycerin said, hoping to ease the tension of her comrades. "What was it we heard about these new SilverHawks?"

"They seem pretty tough," Jester replied. "I even hear Stargazer still leads them."

"Stargazer," Astrala growled clutching her drink. "If you want to blame someone for our situation, blame him. He's going to pay for this." The three paused for a while. "Who's up for testing out those new SilverHawks before going to Brim Star?" Astrala asked. Jester and Glycerin raised their hands. "I thought so." the vixen smirked.

"Where to first?" Jester asked.

"Definitely Bedlama," Glycerin replied. "I believe we have an old score to settle with a certain wuss there, right, Jester?"

"Right," he said, smiling.

"Then it's settle,." Astrala said. "We head straight for Bedlama." The three nodded, went back to their limo and rushed off into the stars.
 

"Oh, give me a home, where the asteroids roam! Where the Mob and the SilverHawks fight!" Chatterbox was singing as the SprintHawk soared through Limbo. "Where seldom is heard, a discouraging word, and the stars are not cloudy all night!"

"Could you sing just a little louder?" Hotwing asked sarcastically.

"What?" Chatterbox asked innocently. "Not my fault you're going too slow. How about a teleportation spell to speed things up a bit?"

"Who's going to fix you when I do that? The SteelTwins don't have your schematics yet and Sapphire's still on Bedlama. If we take the SprintHawk, then Sapphire should be there and able to fix you." Chatterbox rolled his eyes as Hotwing said that. Sapphire was his creator and because of the catastrophe he caused on Bedlama, she got stuck completing his mission.

"Am I that complicated?" Chatterbox asked. "My design is similar to that glorified feather duster, TallyHawk."

"He can't talk like you do."

"How very unfortunate."

"You two don't really get along very well, do you?"

"Not really. Heck, I know everything he says, and I mean, everything. Pays to be a bird, ya know."

"And what, dear parrot, does TallyHawk say?"

"He says you're a great magician, Quicksilver and Stargazer are efficient leaders, SteelWill's a good medic and SteelHeart's a real hottie."

"You're kidding."

"No way, jose. The hawk likes the lady, ya know what I'm saying?"

Hotwing chuckled at that. Even if Chatterbox wasn't telling the truth, the thought of TallyHawk liking SteelHeart was a bit funny.

All of a sudden, the SprintHawk started to get some turbulence. Hotwing looked over the sensors and noticed an armed, black limo attacking them. "What in the name of Cristo is going on out there?!" Chatterbox asked.

"Looks like we're being attacked," Hotwing replied.

"Besides the obvious, please?! Who is it, the Mob?"

"Don't know. Hang on!" The SprintHawk went into several flight patterns in hopes of eluding their pursuers.

"They're getting away!" Astrala cried. "I knew it was a mistake to let you drive!"

"Like you can do any better!" Jester snapped as he gripped the wheel. He tried to get the limo to follow the SprintHawk, but to no avail.

"Whose bright idea was it to go after that SilverHawk, anyway, on the way to Bedlama?" Jester asked.

"Yours!" Glycerin answered. "Ve could've been there by now if you hadn't insisted on going after that SilverHawk on the vay!"

"Yea, yea, whatever!" Jester replied.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Astrala cried. She began to climb to the roof.

"Ala, vhat are you doing?" Glycerin asked.

"You two go ahead to Bedlama," Astrala said. "I'll handle this SilverHawk." With that, the lethal femme shot a grappling hook which caught onto one of the SprintHawk's wings, allowing her to climb on top of the shuttle.

"If I said it once, I've said it a thousand times," Jester commented. "That woman's crazy!"

"Shut up and drive, imp," Glycerin snapped. "Unless you vant to be deep-spaced."

Jester rolled his eyes as the two continued their way to Bedlama, watching the SprintHawk tumble down to a nearby asteroid belt.
 

"AH!!!!" Chatterbox cried as the SprintHawk rushed towards an asteroid field. "We're gonna die!"

"Hang on!" Hotwing shouted as the SprintHawk went down on one of the larger asteroids. After getting a grip on his surroundings, Hotwing instructed Chatterbox to remain in the ship while he looked around. He wasn't out for a minute when energy bolts headed his way. Hotwing managed to stopped the shots with his magic while Chatterbox observed the fight.

"How...how did you..." the attacker asked. "No human could do what you did!"

"Trade secret," Hotwing replied as he took a look at the armed femme on top of the SprintHawk. "Plus a little magic. Of course, you have a slight talent for stating the obvious."

"Arcane energy, psychic abilities," the attacker observed. "You're.... you're Mykari, aren't you?"

"Half-Mykari, actually," Hotwing replied. "Hotwing's the name, and magic's my game. Now, who are you and why were you and your friends attacking us?"

"The name's Astrala, professional assassin," the attacker answered, ready to take another shot. "And when I'm through with you, it'll be the last name you'll ever hear."

"This is going to be a long day," Hotwing thought as he prepared for a fight.

Astrala let loose another shot, only to have Hotwing dodge it easily. It was clear she had underestimated him as he took a shot with his lasers. Astrala managed to dodge that with no problems. This went on until a slight trick allowed Hotwing to gain the upper hand. He used his magic to make Astrala trip on a rock. As soon as she had fallen, he pinned her down.

"If it weren't for your human looks," Astrala commented. "I could've sworn you were a full-blooded Mykari."

"Enough talk," Hotwing replied. "Now, who sent you and your friends?"

"We sent ourselves, thank you very much."

"Really now? Let's have a look in there."

"You... you wouldn't! You couldn't be strong enough to--no, not that!" But it was to no avail. Hotwing had shot a stream of magical energy at Astrala's head, allowing him to look at her recent memories. He saw her and two other people ready planning to go to Bedlama and deciding to have some fun on the way. After that, he came out of his trance and tried to call Stargazer.

"Stargazer here," the com replied. "What's up, Hotwing?"

"I need you to look up a record of somebody," Hotwing answered. "Name’s Astrala. Ring any bells?"

Stargazer was silent. "Astrala?" he questioned.

"Yeah," Hotwing replied. "I've got her right here and she was accompanied by two other people, a midget and a female Frankenstein."

"Great galactic ghosts," Stargazer thought. "It can't be!" He shook the thought out of his head. "Anything else?" he asked.

"I took a peek into her pretty little head; looks like her friends are heading towards Bedlama."

"Then what are you waiting for?! Get over there pronto!"

"I don't think so, rustbucket!" Astrala shouted as she took a shot. It hit the engines directly, shorting out all the systems. Hotwing managed to get Chatterbox out before the whole ship exploded.

"Watch it with that thing, puta!" Chatterbox yelled.

"Oh, goody," Astrala remarked. "A talking rat. I knew things have changed, but this is ridiculous."

"Don't tempt me..."

"Or what? You'll bite me?" She turned to Hotwing. "We'll meet again. Soon." With that, she tossed a smoke bomb on the ground and was gone in minutes.

"Uh, oh. We're in trouble, aren't we?" Chatterbox asked.

"Not unless you can fly me to Bedlama stat," Hotwing replied.

"Hello! Do I look like I can go anywhere? I can't even lift myself, let alone you. Now what happens?"

"We have to get you to Bedlama."

"How? You see a way of transportation?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. I can teleport you there."

"Me? Uh, Hotwing, do you recall what happened the last time I was there?"

"I'll send you to Sapphire to give her the message. With any luck, you might be able to make it on time."

"How many times have you done this?" Chatterbox asked as he was put down on the ground.

Hotwing concentrated hard. "Counting this time," he said. "Once." With that, a wave of energy blanketed Chatterbox and he was gone.
 

The next thing Chatterbox knew, he was in the stratosphere of Bedlama and falling fast. "Hotwing, if I ever live through this, I'm going to kill you!" Chatterbox shouted as he closed his eyes in fear of the impact. After falling a few feet, Chatterbox felt a crash and a yelp. He opened his eyes to find himself in a sophisticated vehicle.

"What, you're trying to wreck this cab, too?!" a voice shouted. Chatterbox summoned up the courage to look in the front and noticed Seymour and Zeek. "Like I don't have enough to worry about, Zeek!"

"Oh, cono," Chatterbox groaned. "If this is purgatory, I'd hate to see Hell."

"What in Limbo happened to you?" Seymour asked.

"Hardware and Hotwing happened to me," Chatterbox replied. "But no time for small talk; I need to get to Bedlama Square ASAP! Official SilverHawk business!"

"And who's going to pay for all this?"

"Uh, put it on Sapphire's tab."

"You're sure she won't mind? She seems like a tough tomato, ya know what I mean?"

"Si, si. I'm positive! I need to get to her fast!"

"Then we better head on over to Lunata Industries, 'cause that's where she is, ya know what I mean?"

"Whatever!" Chatterbox's patience was wearing thin and there was danger in hand. "Just hurry!"

"I hear that new defense system is undergoing some modifications," Zeek said. "Talk about handy work."

"Wait a nanosecond," Chatterbox interrupted. "Lunata built that defense system?"

"Designed and built, ya know what I mean?" Seymour answered. "I guess that's what happens when a CEO is close friends with the Governor."

"Speaking of those two," Chatterbox said. "wouldn't you say they’d make a good... couple?"

Seymour and Zeek stared at Chatterbox, then laughed hysterically. "What's so funny?" Chatterbox asked. "Did I miss something?"

"Someone's been reading way too many tabloids!" Seymour yelled.

"Would it help if I said I saw it myself?" Chatterbox questioned.

"Even if what you say is true," Zeek explained. "There's no way they'll be together."

"And why not?" Chatterbox asked. "I know for a fact Madame Crescent's divorced."

"Yeah," Zeek replied. "Divorced with those monster daughters of hers!"

"Oh, Zeek, they're not that bad!" Seymour argued.

"Hold it!" Chatterbox exclaimed. "She has daughters?"

"Oh, yeah, you're new in Limbo, right?" Seymour asked. Chatterbox nodded. "Then you haven't heard of the infamous Crescent Triplets."

"Ay, Carumba."

"You said it," Zeek said. "And they're all terrible!"

"Well, I know for a fact Lindy is a saint, ya know what I mean?" Seymour replied.

"Okay, one exception," Zeek admitted. "But her sisters, Roz and Cassie are the worst! I swear, they have problems!"

"Roz is the one with the problems, Zeek," Seymour disagreed. "Cassie is just her mother's daughter."

"Yeah, with the mouth. Oh, what a headache she gives us!"

"They're kids, Zeek," Chatterbox said. "What did you expect?"

"Kids?!" Seymour cried. "Try early adolescents, ya know what I mean?!"

"Teenagers," Chatterbox realized. "Even worse."

"They all work with their mother at Lunata, so expect to see them often," Seymour warned.

"Any advice on how to not piss them off?" Chatterbox asked.

"Well, Lindy's okay; she doesn't have much of a temper," Seymour explained. "But her sisters can be vicious, ya know what I mean? Cassie's not too bad; just don't insult her family or her. Roz is the one you really have to watch out for; that girl's always looking for a fight, ya know what I mean?"

"Got it," Chatterbox replied.

"And whatever you do," Zeek lectured. "Don't call them by their real names; only their mother does that, and they don't let anyone else do so. Zeek! Good luck."

"Don't call them by their real names, show respect to the family," Chatterbox repeated. "I think I can handle it."

"Let's hope so," Seymour said. "We're almost there."
 

Sapphire was bored. Very bored. An important meeting was held about the entire defense system, and as much as she loved machines, Lunata could do more than just talk about it, in her opinion. She even started feeling her pulse in fear of dying of boredom. A sigh of relief escaped her as a signal from Hawk Haven came in on her com system.

"Is something the matter, Corporal?" the Governor asked her.

"Huh?" Her thoughts snapped back. "Oh, uh... I need to take this. Excuse me." With that, she left the room.

"Sapphire here," she said. "Commander, you have just saved me from a fate worse than death."

"Save it, Corporal," Stargazer replied. "We have a situation."

"What is it?"

"Intruders are heading straight for Bedlama. They may be after the Governor."

"How many?"

"Two. One's a midget dressed like a jester and the second's a blonde Bride of Frankenstein."

"A pair of freaks are after the Governor because..."

"I'll explain later. They'll be in a black limo. Hotwing should be on his way, but I have a bad feeling about this."

"Don't worry, Commander. I'll make sure nothing too exciting will happen here. But you might want to send some backup just in case. Sapphire out." As Sapphire ended her conversation, a young girl with long brown hair gathered in a bun approached her.

"Corporal Sapphire?" the girl asked. "There's someone who wishes to see you."

"Tell him I'm busy," Sapphire replied.

"But he has something for you. A cybernetic bird, it looks like a parrot."

"What?" Sapphire knew it could only be Chatterbox. "Bring the parrot to me." she told the girl.

"Right away," the girl responded.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it...Miss..."

"You can call me Lindy. Everyone does." With that, the girl left. Sapphire began to worry; as much as she wanted to retrieve Chatterbox herself, but she had her duties.
 

Meanwhile, in the asteroid field, Astrala laid low in a crater, hiding from Hotwing. "Pretty strong for a human-Mykari hybrid," she thought. "No wonder the Mob's been having so much trouble."

"That's a very attractive position you're in, Astrala," a deep voice said. Astrala turned around, armed at the source of the voice. She loosened up when she saw a gigantic, cloaked figure.

"You idiot!" she snapped. "You trying to give me a heart attack or something?!"

"Nice to see you, too."

"You try hiding from a SilverHawk sometime!"

"I've done it before."

"A human SilverHawk, maybe, but one who's also part Mykari?! That's a different story altogether."

"Ooh, Mykari... seems Stargazer's putting a little variety into his soldiers. Question is, how much??"

"Don't know. You just standing there or are going to help me?"

"Someone's been hanging around Jester too long. Speaking of Jester, where is he?"

"He and Glycerin headed to Bedlama for an old score. They said they would stop by the old Casino afterwards."

"Really now? I don't suppose you need a lift.."

"I could use a ride to Brim Star. That is, if you're able to dodge the SilverHawk."

"I don't see a SilverHawk anywhere, do you?"

"Not really."

"Then your chariot awaits, Milady."

"Just hurry."

"Eager to see an old flame, Ala?"

"Stuff it. That was a long time ago."

"Suit yourself. Just don't tell anyone, especially Mon*Star I'm here. I want to surprise our old employer."

"Always full of surprises, aren't you? Let's go." Astrala went close to the mysterious figure, who grew wings, and flew off into the stars.
 

The duo soon reached Brim Star. The huge beast lowered Astrala to the planet's surface, near the edge of the huge crater. As the beast flew off, Astrala dived into the crater, her descent slowed by the huge heat bursts that occurred. Eventually, Astrala managed to reach the fortress. It looked the same as it did years ago. Now, Astrala thought to herself. Let's see if some old friends are still around.

She managed to sneak inside, rolling her eyes at the amount of rookies there. "Mon*Star must be desperate to have hired these bums to rebuild the Mob," she said to herself. "Then again, no one could ever replace us."
 

It seems like another dull day, Yesman thought to himself as he worked the controls of the fortress. Things had been a bit quiet since that stunt Zero pulled on Bedlama last week and Mon*Star had been trying to figure out the weaknesses of that new SilverHawk and her annoying parrot. Yesman almost lost it when the other Mobsters told him about what had happened. From their information, the parrot almost drove the poor Governor crazy. "Sounds like someone needs a trip to the Asylum Planet." Yesman murmured.

Suddenly, he felt a chill in the air. It all seemed so familiar and yet. At that moment, a large bolt headed towards Yesman's head. On instinct, the snake turned around, grabbed the bolt and began to scan the room.

"I'm glad to know you haven't lost your touch, R. J.," a seductive voice said.

"'R. J.'?" Yesman said to himself. "No one's called me that for years." He then turned around to see his attacker, a gorgeous brunette carrying a modern crossbow. "Astrala?" he asked.

"It's been a long time," Astrala replied, moving closer to Yesman.

"You came back. The Boss--"

"He doesn't know yet. We just came to Limbo a few hours ago."

"Everyone... Are the others with you?"

"Oh, you know how Jester and Glycerin are upset about that little mishap back on Bedlama way-back-when. They're off settling that little thing right now."

"Where's Dragor?"

"Oh, around. You know how he is; loose cannon psycho rebel until the end."

"I've missed you..." Yesman moved closer to Astrala. "In more ways than one."

"I know..." Astrala whispered.

"Hey, Yesman!" a voice hollered. Yesman recognized that as Hardware, who was coming in from the next corridor.

"'Yesman'?" Astrala asked.

"It's what I'm called now," Yesman explained. "Long story; you know where to find me."

"Usual spot," Astrala said, smiling. "I'll be there. Can't wait to know what had happened here. It'll be good to see everyone again; Poker Face, Mumbo Jumbo, Lina..." At the last name, Yesman looked down. "R. J., what is it?" Astrala asked as she saw his face, filled with grief.

"I'll explain later. You better get out of here before Mon*Star... unless you want me to--"

"Not yet. Umm, we'll tell him we're here later." With that, Astrala disappeared into the shadows as Hardware came in.

"You're not going to believe this!" Hardware cried. "Someone knocked me out while I was conducting repairs. I awoke to find half my tools and all my Limbo bucks gone! When I find the creep who did this, I'm going to-- Yesman, are you even listening?!"

Yesman was a bit too busy thinking of Astrala. She hasn't changed a bit, he thought. "Huh?" he said as Hardware got his attention. "Oh, sorry, Hardware. You said someone stole your stuff after you got knocked out?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, I haven't been aware of any intruders. The sensors didn't pick up anything."

"Ah, you're hopeless!" With that, Hardware sulked out of the control room, leaving Yesman alone with his thoughts.

"It's just like her to do something like that," he said to himself. After a few more minutes, he hurried to his quarters to give Astrala the update on what's happened.
 

When Lindy came back with Chatterbox, Sapphire was in shock. She took the injured parrot from the girl, who left to organize some files. "Oh, my goodness!" Sapphire said as she examined her friend. "What happened to you?"

"It all started when I caught Hardware and Windhammer making a beeline for Dolar," Chatterbox explained as Sapphire looked at his systems. "I contacted Hawk Haven about it, and tried to stop them myself. Hardware shot something at me and I can't move, save my beak and I probably wouldn't have survived if Hotwing hadn't got there. We were on our way to Hawk Haven when these people attacked us and caused the Sprinthawk to crash. One of them attacked Hotwing, who barely got me out of the Sprinthawk before it exploded and the other two are headed straight for Bedlama."

"Then how did you get here?"

"Hotwing managed to teleport me here after getting some info from the attacker's head. It was weird, chica; he shot this beam right at her head and learned the two others are heading for Bedlama. I think Hotwing mentioned he was part..something or other, Mikrya, I think.

"Mykari?!"

"Si, si. Mykari. Hey, didn't you grow up on one of their colonies.."

"I knew Hotwing was an alien hybrid, but Mykari??"

"Only half Mykari; not too bad. You know about that species, right?"

"He must've done a Mykari memory view, complex stuff even for a full-blooded Mykari. You said he teleported you?"

"Si, and I nearly got killed because I was way up high in the air, almost near the stratosphere. I managed to land in Seymour’s cab, whom, by the way, you owe him the fare."

"Thanks a lot." Sapphire finished scanning his systems, then took out a small tool and started working on the repairs. "It looks like Hardware hit one of your motor functions; nothing serious, just need to rewire some of your systems to compensate."

"All right, but hurry," Chatterbox replied. "Those weirdoes could be here any minute now."

"Commander contacted me about them. Backup's on its way."

"What about stopping them before they get to the planet?"

"The Mirage is on patrol, you said Hotwing is stranded somewhere and knowing Mykari physiology, won't be going anywhere for a while and someone needs to remain at Hawk Haven."

"Looks like we won't be getting much help."

"Quicksilver's on his way and after all of this, you might be starting your duties on Bedlama soon."

"All right!" Unfortunately, Chatterbox got so excited that he literally flew through the door.

"Memo to self," Sapphire mumbled. "Get that bird's armor upgraded and do full diagnostic as soon as possible.

Sapphire was almost afraid to open the door, but she did and it nearly wasn't as bad as she originally thought. There was Chatterbox, lying on the conference table right in front of the Madame and Governor. Needless to say, the poor Governor wasn't too thrilled to see the parrot again.

"Buenos Dias, everybody," Chatterbox said cheerfully. "Governor, Madame."

"Y... Y... You again?!" the Governor barely spat out. Madame Crescent, on the other hand, had an opposite reaction.

"Hello again, little one," she said.

"Why me?" Sapphire groaned as she walked in. "Sir, I can explain."

"Not now," Chatterbox replied. "We need to get him to safety ASAP! They'll come looking for him."

"Chatterbox..."

"Come on, Corporal. If we don't hurry, those guys will come looking for him."

"Who is it this time?" the Governor asked reluctantly.

"I haven't seen them, but Hotwing probed this loco chica's head and described them as a miniature joker and a blonde Frankenstein, or was it his bride?" Chatterbox said. The Governor paled as he recalled the persons in question.

"Oh, no..."

"Sir?" Sapphire asked. "You have any idea who they are?"

"The Mob Elite. Mon*Star's most powerful goons."

"I haven't heard of this Elite."

"That's because they had left the galaxy several years ago," Madame Crescent explained. "Long before you were even born, I believe. Senor Chatterbox, you recall our conversation on the Governor's accomplishments right after elections?"

"You mentioned he shut down a prostitution and drug ring in the slums." Chatterbox recalled.

"Those two you mentioned, Jester and Glycerin, I think they're called, were the ones behind those rings in the first place."

"Now, they might want revenge," Sapphire concluded.

"Now there's an understatement," Governor Xander replied. "I swear, if I had a penny for every time someone tried to assassinate me--whether physically or just trying to drive me insane--I wouldn't need to impose taxes."

"You can't let that go, can you?" Chatterbox responded. "It wasn't like it was intentional! For the love of Cristo, I apologized!"

"Let's not get into that right now, please," Sapphire said. "We have bigger problems. Like this so-called Elite."

"Oh, relax, Sapphire," Chatterbox said. "The first place they'll look is the Square, and like Madame Crescent said, they've been away from Limbo for a long time; it's not like they'll find him anyway."

At that moment, a black limo came crashing right into the conference room. The occupants of the limo--a man and woman in weird clothing crawled out.

"Vhy did I even bother to let you drive?!" the woman snapped.

"Because you couldn't even drive your way out of a spacious nebula," the male replied.

"That's them, isn't it?" Sapphire asked. The Governor nodded.

"They always act like that?" Chatterbox asked.

"When I knew them," the Governor answered.

"You had to jinx it, didn't you?" Sapphire said to Chatterbox, positioning herself in front of the Governor and ready for battle.

"IS THERE SOME SORT OF LAW THAT SAYS EVERY BAD THING IN THIS GALAXY IS MY FAULT?!" Chatterbox shouted, getting the attention of the two Elite members.
 

Glycerin and Jester looked up at the group staring at them. "Vell, vell," she smirked looking at Governor Xander. "If it isn't the vuss who put us out of business."

"Been a long time, Governor," Jester sneered.

"If you know what's good for you, shorty," Chatterbox said. "and Tannenbaum over here, you'll leave and turn yourselves in."

"A talking birdie!" Jester exclaimed. "Now I've seen everything." Jester looked and saw Sapphire, his eyes nearly bugging out. "Whoo-hoo!" he whistled. "Hello, Dollface!"

"Dollface?" Sapphire repeated, her eyes filled with a rage Chatterbox has only seen on certain occasions. The parrot knew Jester made a mistake calling Sapphire that; a BIG one. "DOLLFACE?!" Sapphire's voice was now able to turn the Sahara into a winter wonderland.

"Uh, oh..." Chatterbox said as his partner moved closer to Jester. "He shouldn't have called her that. Really."

"What's going to happen now?" The Governor asked.

"You don't want to know," Chatterbox replied. "In short, things could get ugly. Big time. Why don't we find some cover until she cools down?"

"For once, you make sense," The Governor and Madame Crescent took refuge at a nearby table.

"By the way!" Chatterbox called. "How tough is Glycerin?"

"Combat-wise, lousy," the Governor replied.

"Good," Chatterbox said as he let out a sonic pulse which shattered the beakers the mad scientist was carrying.

"AHH!" Glycerin screamed. "My creations!" Chatterbox charged at the femme Elite's face while Sapphire was very busy kicking Jester's sorry butt all over the room.

Glycerin waved frantically as Chatterbox started pecking her face. She was barely able to knock him out of the way only to have him keep getting in her way. "Move, you stupid bird!" she shouted.

"Nein, Liverwurst Breath," Chatterbox replied. That got Glycerin even angrier. She was so busy trying to get the parrot out of her face she didn't even notice herself burning from the spilled chemicals. Only when the chemical's heat was felt through her clothes did she tear off her lab coat and rush towards the limo.

"Jester, let's get out of here, now!" Glycerin shouted to her associate, who was trying to keep himself out of an angry Sapphire's reach.

"Glycerin, a little help here!" he screamed.

"Vhat do I look like to you, a contender? Qvit fooling around vith that SilverHawk and get over here!"

"Love to, can't; she's TRYIN' TO KILL ME HERE!" Glycerin rolled her eyes as she managed to climb into the limo and activate the weapons systems. The targeting scanners were screwed from the crash, so she had to fire blind. One of the lasers was bend to the far right. Glycerin fired to have it hit Chatterbox; the bird then flew right into the wall, and ultimately into the corridor.

"You call that help!?" Jester shouted as Chatterbox went through the wall. "Get that damn limo running already!"

Glycerin opened the roof and climbed out. "I am not a mechanic!" she yelled. "Next time, improve your driving skills vhen ve get out of this! Now qvit vasting time and move, you covard!"

"Ah, shut up!" Jester didn't realize until it was too late that Sapphire managed to reach him. She picked him up and tossed him towards Glycerin, who joined him as they both hit the wall. The two Elite members got up to notice their adversary hovering over them.

"I wouldn't move if I were you two," Sapphire warned, a growl heard under her breath. "You're both charged with anarchy and attempted murder." Neither Mobster moved as Sapphire read them their rights. These new SilverHawks might be just a little bit tougher than they thought.

"Oh..." Chatterbox moaned. "Somebody get the license plate on that space hack."

"Are you all right, Chatterbox?" a voice asked. Chatterbox shook his head a few times and looked up to see Quicksilver standing over him.

"Oh, Lieutenant! You're here, finally!" Chatterbox cried. "But... why are there three of you??"

"You've sustained some damage. Where's Sapphire?"

"Uhh..." Chatterbox didn't hear anything inside. "Handling things on her own... she was taking care of the short guy when that scientist gal managed to blast me through the wall." Chatterbox tried to get up, but he found he couldn't move. "That bitch!" he shouted. "I just got fixed from my battle with Hardware! Oooh, when I get out of this mess, she's gonna get her eyes plucked out!"

Not wanting to wait another second, Quicksilver barged into the conference room, just in time to see Sapphire holding the two Mobsters at laser point. Looks like someone didn't need backup, Quicksilver thought as he approached her. "I got them, Sapphire," he said. She didn't move. "Sapphire?" He could've sworn there was a glint of rage in her eyes.

"Hey!" Chatterbox shouted. "Paralyzed cyberparrot in need of assistance here! Hello, am I chopped liver or something?!"

"You better take care of Chatterbox, Sapphire," Quicksilver suggested. "I'll handle these two." Reluctantly, Sapphire backed away, slowly, still glaring daggers at Jester as she went to get Chatterbox.

Sapphire scooped up Chatterbox and began fixing the newly acquired damage. "Sapphire..." Chatterbox began. "Are you okay?"

|You try spending a week in boredom and get insulted by a perverted imp.| Sapphire snapped in a foreign language. Chatterbox took that as a signal for private conversation.

|That bad, huh?| he replied in the same language.

|You think?|

|Well, when you think about it, things could've been worse.|

|Yeah, I could've gotten into really big trouble. I guess I could take this as my punishment.|

"What are you two talking about over there?" Quicksilver asked, curious about the language.

"You're kidding!" Chatterbox exclaimed. "You don't know what language we were just speaking?"

"Not really..." Quicksilver kept a close eye on the Mobsters.

"Dio mio!" Chatterbox shouted. "You were Head of Interplanetary Force 8, and you mean to tell me you do not even recognize the tongue of Mykari!? What did they teach you in that boot camp, what one plus one is?" Sapphire hit Chatterbox in the head, indicating him to shut his beak. "Ow!"

"Didn't know you spoke Mykari, Corporal," Quicksilver commented.

"Speak Mykari?" Chatterbox responded. "Sapphire is fluent in the Mykari language and is an expert on their culture."

"Really?" Quicksilver replied.

"Heh, heh," Sapphire couldn't help but feel embarrassed. "Talkative little critter, isn't he?" She said, glaring at Chatterbox.

"What?" Chatterbox asked innocently.

|I really need to have my head checked for letting you get me into this mess.| Sapphire told Chatterbox as she finished with his repairs. Chatterbox flew to his partner's shoulder as she approached the Mobsters, despite the look on Jester's face.

"I got to admit, Corporal," Quicksilver commented. "It's not too shabby for your first week."

"WHAT?!" Jester yelled. "You mean I just got my ass kicked by a rookie?!"

"Two, actually," Chatterbox replied. "Including me!"

"AH!" Jester screamed. "This is humiliating! Bad enough she's a broad!"

"Why you little--" Chatterbox barely held Sapphire back with his talons. "Let me go! Let me at him!" she shouted.

"Calm down, quedra," he said to her. "The puto's not worth it. All right, take deep breaths. Okay...." Sapphire breathed and managed to calm down, but barely.

"Rule numero uno," Chatterbox stated. "Never, and I mean NEVER call my partner 'Dollface'; it yields some disturbing, if not fatal results."

"Now you tell me," Jester grumbled.

"Hey, you're lucky she didn't get you in the nuts like the last hermano who made that mistake," Chatterbox snapped, gaining a shocked facial expression from Jester.

"You two are going to spend a long time in the Penal Planet for this," Quicksilver told the Mobsters.

"That's vhat you think, SilverHavk." Glycerin mumbled as she reached for a small vial in her glove. Suddenly, she dropped the delicate glass, causing smoke to fill the room. The two Elite members took this chance to escape.

"What about the Governor?" Jester asked.

"Forget him," Glycerin replied. "Ve'll deal vith him later. Let's get out of here vhile ve still can!" Jester and Glycerin managed to leap out of a window and hijack a space vehicle passing through, and left the planet. After a few minutes, the smoke finally cleared out.

"Blast it!" Sapphire cried. "They got away. Ugh, this is not my day."

"Everyone's okay, Lieutenant," Chatterbox informed.

"Good," Quicksilver replied. He then focused to Sapphire. "I'll inform the Commander on what happened. In the meantime--"

"I know, I know," Sapphire interrupted. "Stay here and protect the Governor. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse."

Quicksilver left the room to go after the eluding Mobsters, leaving Sapphire to complete her mission. This is so not over, she thought to herself as she resumed her mission.

"Come on, Chatterbox," she called.

"I'm coming with you?" he asked. "After--"

"At least this time, you won't get into trouble."
 

The space hack carrying Glycerin and Jester sped out of the planet's atmosphere as Quicksilver gave chase in the Road Nova, the newest vehicle in the SilverHawk arsenal. Sapphire somehow managed to find time to build the space motorcycle equipped with lasers and plasma torpedoes as well as the latest in shield technology. "Ah... he's catching up!" Jester shouted as the chase proceeded in Limbo.

"Vhy did you have to grab the first space hack that came our vay?!" Glycerin snapped.

"Hey, beggars can't be choosers. Now, help out in ditching him!"

"I don't fight, Jester, you know that!"

"Well, toss a beaker at him, dance on the fender, JUST DO SOMETHING!"

"Out of the vay!" Glycerin grabbed Jester and tossed him in the back, then she started driving.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Jester shouted.

"Getting us out of here," Glycerin replied. "And I'm not going to let you trash this space hack like you did the limo!"

"But you can't drive!"

"At least I can reach the brake!"

"Well, I know where the brake is!"

"Shut up and let me concentrate," Glycerin pushed both pedals on the floor, causing the space hack to nearly over load.

"The gas is on your right!" Jester cried. Glycerin took her foot off the brake and floored it straight into the Lightyear Limit. Quicksilver shot a laser blast at the hack, but missed when another limo crashed into him. The limo contained Buzz Saw and Mumbo Jumbo, who were on their way to the Casino when they saw the pursuit.

"Whoa!" Jester screamed as he slammed on the brake, just stopping a few centimeters from the Lightyear Limit. After regaining control from Glycerin, the two Elite Mobsters turned around in time to see the limo come their way. "Thanks a lot." Jester said to the two Mobsters. "You saved our butts."

"Well, we would've left you behind," Buzz Saw explained. "But Mumbo here wouldn't stop whining until we took care of that SilverHawk." The large minotaur rose up and looked at Glycerin.

"Hello, Mumbo," Glycerin said. "It has been a long vhile since ve last met."

"Grrumff... Glycerin," Mumbo replied.

"Mumbo Jumbo?" Jester said as he saw the bull. "Hey, big guy, what's up?"

"You know those two?" Buzz Saw asked Mumbo.

"Ve'll explain at the Casino," Glycerin said. "Care to join us?"

"Hop in," Buzz Saw said as Glycerin and Jester ditched their ride and boarded the limo. The four Mobsters then sped off into the Lightyear Limit, leaving Quicksilver with a rammed-in Road Nova.
 

The four Mobsters made it to the Starship Casino. Buzz Saw went to participate in the latest boxing match while Jester made his way to the backroom, leaving Mumbo and Glycerin to talk about old times. Jester reached the door and knocked hard.

Inside, Poker Face was counting up the bets for tonight's boxing match when he heard loud knocking on the door.

"Go away!" Poker Face shouted.

"Aw, come on!" the voice on the other side shouted. "Don't tell me you forgot an old friend!"

"What old friend?"

"Oh, sure! Rise a few notches in the Mob and forget all the people who helped you! That's so like ya, Hokey Pokey!"

"What?" Poker Face was shocked; no one's called him that terrible nickname in years. Enraged, Poker Face opened the door and frowned at the face that greeted him.
 

"Booby!" Jester cried as Poker Face opened the door. "How has my favorite buddy doin'?"

"I should've known it was you, Jester," Poker Face growled. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Well, we was in the neighborhood and figured we could stop in and say hello."

"'We'?" Poker Face inquired. "The others are with you?"

"Glycerin's in here reminiscing with Mumbo, Astrala ditched us to take care of this SilverHawk and I have no idea where that crazy mutant I call a partner is!"

"Astrala's dealing with a SilverHawk? Which one?"

"Eh, some male... human-like guy. Yea tall, has flames all over his armor..."

"Hotwing?!"

"Yeah, that's the guy!"

"You idiot!" Poker Face shouted. "Do you have any idea what you've done?! Astrala might be on her way to the Penal Planet by now!"

"Hey!" Jester replied. "I know Astrala; sure, she screws up once in a while, but she knows better than to get caught." At that moment, Jester's pager phone rang. "Hello? Hey, where have you been?! Don't give me that crap! Huh? You say Ala's at Brim Star? The boss know we're here? No, huh. Uh, listen, you didn't by chance run into any SilverHawks on the way, did ya? No, but Ala mentioned the 'Hawk after her was... WHAT?! Mykari?! Are you sure?! Oh, only half?! Gee, that makes me feel better! Now, where are ya? Hello? Hello!"

"I take it that was Dragor?" Poker Face asked.

"Yep," Jester replied. "As you can see, he hasn't changed a bit. Still keeping me from all the fun."

"I see you've been banged up there." Jester noticed some of the bruises Sapphire gave him remained.

"Uh... we ran into another SilverHawk; two, actually. One's this crazy bitch in blue armor and the other was like this... younger version of Stargazer, only more annoying."

"That would be Sapphire, the new one, and Quicksilver."

"New, eh? So, you have no clue about her?"

"None whatsoever. She just came to Limbo a week ago. But she did built this parrot, and from what I hear, that crazy bird nearly sent the Governor on a one-way trip to the Asylum Planet."

"Really?" Jester questioned. "Tell me more, Hokey Pokey." The two Mobsters then engaged themselves in a long talk featuring updates from both ends.
 

Hours seemed to have passed since the attack. Hotwing felt dizzy and disoriented as he awoke. "What the--" Instead of an asteroid, Hotwing found himself on the Mirage.

"It's about time you woke up," a voice blared on the radio. Hotwing recognized it as Bluegrass. "We were real worried 'bout you there, Hotwing."

"Thanks for your concern," Hotwing replied. "But what happened? The last thing I remembered I was teleporting Chatterbox to Bedlama. I knew that spell would take a lot out of me, but we needed to get there fast."

"Don't worry about Chatterbox," SteelHeart said. "He got there in time and stopped the assassins. Sapphire's with him now."

"Where are they, anyway?"

"Quicksilver was after them, but they got away," SteelWill explained. "The Lieutenant's okay, but the Road Nova looks like a beat-up goal post."

"Now what do we do?" Hotwing asked. All of a sudden, the SilverHawks noticed a dark blur rushing past them.

"What in Limbo?" Bluegrass asked. "What do you suppose that is?"

"Don't know, Tex," SteelHeart said. "Let's follow it." The Mirage trailed the mysterious blur all the way to Fence. "I'll go investigate," SteelHeart said to the others. "It may be nothing, it may be something; we have to know."

"You sure you want to go it alone, Sis?" SteelWill asked.

"Hotwing needs medical attention ASAP, Little 'Bro," SteelHeart explained. "You're our best medic; I'll be okay."

"'Heart, I don't like this, you going by yourself," Hotwing said. "I'm in no immediate danger; I just need to rest a while and then I'll be fine."

SteelHeart thought on that for a minute. "All right," she reluctantly said. "Will, you can come. Bluegrass, take care of Hotwing."

"You got it, Sarge," Bluegrass replied. "Prepared to launch."

"Release!" the Steel Twins cried as they leapt from their pods. They landed on the asteroid housing the Sini*Star diner and watched as the Mirage headed back to Hawk Haven. Managing to salvage a cloak, SteelHeart disguised herself and entered the diner, Will waiting outside.

Inside the diner, SteelHeart noticed a rather large cloaked figure sitting at the bar. Curious, she went nearby for a closer observation.

"What'll it be, stranger?" Harry the bartender bot asked the figure.

"Gin and vodka," the figure replied in a cool, alluring voice. "On the rocks, and make it quadruple."

"We haven't had that order for years. Not since--" Harry looked at the figure at disbelief. "It can't be!"

"Keep your voice chip off-line, Harry," the figure warned. "Unless you want me to reassemble you into a million toasters."

"S-s-s-sure thing..." Harry replied. "One gin and vodka coming up." As Harry prepared the figure's drink, SteelHeart noticed how it looked at her.

"These damned robots are pathetic," the figure said, coming slightly closer to SteelHeart.

"Some of them are rather useful..." SteelHeart replied, sensing an aura of excitement and satisfaction.

"Who cares?" the figure said, grabbing his drink and gulping it down. "All I know is that robots do what they're programmed to do. Sure, some of them have A. I., but that's about as close to becoming a living being as they can get. I prefer dealing with organic creatures... or at least cyborgs." The figure finished his drink and looked over SteelHeart. "I don't think I've seen you around before." he said. "New in town?"

"Are you?"

"Hmm, I've been around these parts; hasn't been a while, though... why don't you remove that there cloak and let me gaze on your pretty image?"

"No, thanks."

"Shy one, aren't you?" the figure said, grinning. "I like you already." He made a move to grab SteelHeart, who flipped him over her shoulder and out of the bar. SteelHeart rushed outside after him. SteelWill noticed his sister's tension.

"You all right, Sis?" he asked her.

"I'm okay..." SteelHeart replied, discarding her cloak. "But what about him?" She pointed at the figure.

"A fighter too," the figure said grinning under his hood. "Now things are getting interesting." He attacked the SteelTwins, who were barely able to hold him off.

"Whoever this guy is," SteelWill grunted. "He sure is strong!"

"You got that right!" SteelHeart replied. The Twins finally managed to grab the figure's cloak and tugged hard. The cloak ripped, but the figure threw it off, causing the Steel Twins to fall over. When they got up, they saw the figure standing there, just waiting. SteelHeart got a good look. The figure was a humanoid saurian, very muscular and had ice blue eyes that were filled with lust and desire as well as chaos.

"It's the body, isn't it?" the figure asked SteelHeart. "I know, I know; it's irresistible, but you're more than welcome to try. I love a gal who puts up a fight; it makes the conquest all the sweeter."

"You pig!" SteelWill cried. "You got a lot of nerve hitting on my sister!"

"And what a lovely sister you have," the figure replied, giving off a malicious grin. "You must be those... SilverHawks that protect Limbo these days. I must admit, I am impressed. Stargazer's really outdone himself this time, but it's going to take a lot more than the two of you to stop me." He looked over at SteelHeart. "We'll have our fun..." he said to her. "Soon." With that, he leapt off of the asteroid. By the time the SteelTwins got to where he jumped, he was gone.

"Where do you think he went?" SteelWill asked.

"I have no idea," SteelHeart replied. "We better tell the Commander what's happened."

"Good idea. Let's contact the Mirage."

As the SteelTwins left, the figure looked over from where he jumped, his huge wings allowing him to float. "We'll meet again, SilverHawks," he said before flying off to Brim Star. "This is just the beginning." He then laughed a bone-chilling laugh as he soared through the galaxy of Limbo.
 

Mon*Star was formulating a plan in his private quarters when he received a personal call from his informants. "So," Mon*Star thought to himself as Larry explained what had happened at the diner. "The Mob Elite has returned. After all these years..." The Planet Master then made his way to his throne room, where he got a pretty big surprise.

"Hello, boss," the large figure sitting in Mon*Star's throne said. "Miss me?"

"Dragor..." Mon*Star growled.

"That's my name, don't wear it out."

"Get. Out. Of. My. CHAIR!!!!!" Dragor shrugged his shoulders and obeyed, flying over to Mon*Star, landing and retracting his wings into his back.

"Sorry we didn't tell you we were coming sooner, Planet Master," Dragor said. "But we needed to see how much Limbo has changed for ourselves. I must say, the results are interesting."

"If you call dealing with Stargazer and those blasted SilverHawks interesting," Mon*Star grumbled.

"Quite a variety we have there; a Mykari half-breed, an alluring, yet lethal beauty..."

"I see you haven't changed, Dragor; still have an eye out for the ladies. Now, where are the others?"

"Jester and Glycerin should be on their way. Ala's supposed to be right here... maybe she's with a certain snake..."

"I should've guessed."

Suddenly, the communications console went off. Mon*Star went over and answered. "Mon*Star here. This had better be important."

"Hi-ya, boss!" the voice cried. "Just lettin' ya know we're back."

"I already knew that, Jester. I know everything that happens here in this galaxy. You and Glycerin get your butts over here pronto."

"How was your tour, Jester?" Dragor called.

"Where the hell were you, you crazy mutant?!" Jester shouted. "I could've used you on Bedlama!"

"Oh, around."

"Don't start with me, Dragor. Don't. I had a bad day and am not in the mood for any of your shit. Do you have the dough?"

"I think it turned to bread when I baked it."

"Not that kind of dough, you nutcase! The profits from our new brothels!"

"Oh... I thought you had it."

"No... I gave it to you before we left."

"Oh, wait! Now I remember! I spent it on a drink at the Sini*Star."

"YOU WHAT?!?!"

"Relax, partner. It was only my share; I guess we'll have to give Mon*Star your share of the profits as good gesture."

"Damn you, Dragor!"

"Been there, done that, seen what it can do; I'll see ya later." Dragor then shut down the console before Jester could say another word.
 

As soon as Jester and Glycerin arrived, Mon*Star gathered all the Mobsters and introduced the Elite. Both old and new members of the Mob mingled and talked about how tough it was to earn a dishonest living these days. While Windhammer and Zero were grateful for a replacement for Melodia in Astrala, Hardware was having a hard time getting along with Glycerin. Buzz Saw was bonding with Jester on account of the tough bot being curious about the brothels. Dragor had found some common ground with Molecu-Lar and had considered taking the shapeshifter in as a protégé. About the only ones not thrilled with the Elite's return were some of the most powerful Mobsters.

"I can't believe they got the nerve to come back here," Yesman said to Poker Face. They were in Yesman's quarters, away from the party taking place.

"I know," Pokey replied. "You do realize what this means, don't you?"

"That things will sort of return to the way it was? I doubt it; too much has changed since we were all separated."

"One thing still remains the same, I believe."

"Oh?"

"You still want Astrala, don't you?"

"Pokey, that was a long time ago, remember? There's no way Ala and I could be an item anymore."

"Yet you still hope otherwise."

"Well, I still can't forgive her for dumping me. 'You care more about that dumb brat than me!' she said. Then I found out the little trollop was cheating on me with Mon*Star all along. You know what hurts; I did love her, really, and what does she do? Deceives me, hurts me, betrays me..."

"We both know Ala wanted to be in good terms with Mon*Star."

"That good?"

"You know how Mon*Star wants an heir; with Lina unable to reproduce after... the last birth, Astrala saw her chance to get in."

"But she was working with Jester at the brothels. How in Limbo could Ala grant Mon*Star an heir?"

"She would disable her special implant whenever she would sleep with Mon*Star."

"So, she would become the new Moll now?"

"I seriously doubt that now. Remember the special assignment she had on Bedlama years ago?"

"How could I forget? When she failed, both the brothels and the drug ring closed down, the Mob lost all control of Bedlama and we were captured months after the whole thing."

"Well, I overheard Ala talking with Glycerin about it once. Ala was two months pregnant at the time of the assignment."

"What? She was injured that day!"

"Exactly. Not only did Astrala miscarry, but the injuries caused her implant to malfunction and literally explode. They had to perform a hysterectomy to save her. With Ala sterile, Mon*Star saw her as useless as a mate and all of her chances of being his Moll washed away."

"By the gods..." Yesman knew something happened on Bedlama that day, but he had no idea it was that. The room was silent as Yesman absorbed the new information he received. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" he asked.

"The Elite had left for different galaxies shortly after we had escaped," Poker Face replied. "I didn't see the point of telling you until now."

"Well, I'm glad you told me, Pokey," Yesman said. "This information is very interesting." Poker Face looked at his old friend's face and realized something was up.

"I know that look, R. J.," Pokey said. "You're up to something, aren't you?"

"Like I'm going to tell you," Yesman replied, a cold attitude resurfacing.

"R. J., look. I know you're still upset about what happened to Melodia, but--"

"But nothin', Pokey!" Yesman grabbed Poker Face and shut him down. The snake man then started hacking into his circuits, hoping that this plan will work. I should've done this a long time ago, Yesman thought as he finished with the circuits. Poker Face came back on-line and looked at Yesman.

"What in Limbo did you--" Poker Face started before a surge of electricity went through him. Poker Face then started to remember something, a piece of the past. "My gods..." Poker Face began. "I remember... everything. Lina, the casino... everything. What is this?"

"Hopefully, the events Mon*Star erased from your memory board," R. J. explained. "I probably should've done this sooner, but I couldn't risk Jadine's life."

"Jadine... Melodia's first name... yes, it's all coming back to me. Lina was double-crossed the instant she got into the Mob. Her father... my old partner, he was killed by Mon*Star after the Planet Master agreed to spare his life if Lina became his Moll; she never even knew... I was there when it happened, but Mon*Star erased my memory."

"That's right. My guess is that Lina found out what happened while she and Jade were hiding."

"R. J., did Melodia... did Jadine tell you what happened to Lina?"

"Yeah. Lina's dead. Suicide. And I'm assuming this is the reason why. I'm sorry."

Poker Face allowed a few seconds for the information to be processed. "Mon*Star's going to pay for this," he growled. "First he erases my memory so Lina couldn't escape and he drives her to suicide!"

"Ease up, Pokey. I still need you to act your namesake," Yesman said trying to calm the robot down. "If we're going to get revenge on Mon*Star, we have to make sure he doesn't suspect anything. Keep acting like everything's normal. Until we can get him, we have to keep up our acts."

"That, I can do, but what about you? With the Elite back, it's not going to be easy; they know you're not a pushover."

"Ala doesn't suspect anything for the moment. They'll assume Mon*Star's finally broken my spirit over the years."

"But what about Dragor? He's a maniac, but he's usually on target when it comes to reading people."

"If I know our resident Saurian Casanova, he will be too busy having fun in Limbo to even care about our business."

"I assume you have a plan?"

"Been working on one for years. I'll give you the details later; right now, let's join the party and see how our old friends have changed." As the two Mobsters walked down the corridors, Poker Face prayed that whatever R. J. had up his sleeve, it had better be one heck of an ace.
 

After looking through the several reports received about the events of today, Stargazer called for an emergency meeting. All the SilverHawks gathered in his office as Stargazer prepared to tell them news he had hoped he would never have to tell them.

"All right, Hawks, listen up!" the Commander barked. "Over the past twelve hours, you've run into some trouble with four new criminals. Well, these hooligans are nothing like you've seen before; they're the most powerful and dangerous criminal force in the whole universe. Years ago, they served as Mon*Star's higher forces, making them known as the Mob Elite. After the Mob's first escape, the Elite scattered to different galaxies and were never heard from again, until now." He then brought up their profiles, one by one. "First up is Jester, a miniature pimp who ran a prostitution racket and is known to be pretty cunning, but a coward at most. The next one is Glycerin, a volatile scientist known for running a drug ring and is a dangerous chemical expert. This here is Astrala, a real lethal beauty, both a prostitute and an assassin. A real weapons expert, not to be taken lightly."

"I'll say!" Moonstryker interrupted, obviously drooling over the image of Astrala. The other Hawks shook their heads.

"Pay attention, kid!" Condor scolded. "These people are serious. Astrala may look delicate, but she can easily break your neck like that!"

Stargazer waited for silence before reluctantly bringing up the final profile. "And last, but not least," he said. "We have Dragor, also known as the Saurian Casanova. Fire breathing abilities and wings that can grow from his back make this guy the worst of the worst. He's also a serial rapist responsible for the worst sex crimes in Limbo history. This guy's considered extremely dangerous and must be handled carefully."

"Ay, carumba," Chatterbox said. "That Dragor guy sure has issues."

"A serial rapist," Sapphire stated. "In other words, he's a psycho?"

"Big time," Stargazer answered. "Which is what makes him more dangerous than the rest."

"Any clue about how he operates or the sort?"

"You seem to have taken an interest in this one, Corporal."

"Frankly, Sir, it's scum like this one that disgusts me, whether they're sane or not."

"Well, you're more than welcome to try and predict him; we're going to need a lot of resources to handle the Elite. Dismissed." All the Hawks departed from the office except for Condor.

"I don't like this, 'Gaze," Condor said. "The Elite caused a lot of trouble when they were here last time."

"I know," Stargazer replied. "That's what worries me. Now that the Elite, particularly Glycerin, is back in town, the drug rackets might rise up again. We're going to have to really buckle down to stop them."

"I know, and we need to keep you out of trouble."

"Why is that?"

"You do know Astrala's still pissed at you for--"

"Yes, Condor, I remember when I stopped Astrala that day twenty-eight years ago, but I wasn't the one who dealt the blow that made her infertile."

"Point, but still, if Astrala's not your major concern, I know Dragor is."

"Dragor. Now there's someone to look out for. He's too unpredictable; we have no idea what--or who--he'll strike next."

"I have a bad feeling about this, 'Gaze. Bad enough we have to deal with the MATI and their attacks without the Elite returning to stir up trouble."
 

Meanwhile, in the hangar, Sapphire was fixing up the Road Nova. She needed to keep her mind off of today's events. An energy surge suddenly shocked her and Sapphire spat out several Mykari curses in frustration.

|Pretty colorful vocabulary there, Sapphire,| a voice said. Sapphire turned around to see Hotwing. |Not all humans can speak the Mykari tongue fluently.|

|Hotwing, I... I didn't see you,| Sapphire replied.

|Sorry if I startled you. I see you've had a rough day.|

|Practically the worst possible. After dealing with those assassins, we took a cab to Bedlama Square. Zeek said something about my work and insulted Chatterbox, who would've torn his eyes out if I hadn't held him back. Then, while passing the park, Chatterbox fried about every bird who came near one of the statues and I had to drag him back to the cab before he did any real damage. On top of that, I'm supposed to bring him to Bedlama's military base tomorrow for him to officially start his duties and got requested for a delegation involving the Mykari. I tried to get out of it with no such luck, the Road Nova's been trashed and we learn about these new crooks!|

|Think learning about them is bad? Try facing one of them.|

|I've face two of them, but neither of them was Dragor.|

|He sounds dangerous.|

|He won't be too dangerous when I'm through with him.|

|Calm down, Sapphire. No need to get all worked up.|

|Sorry, it's just that I can't stand perverts. Rapists, pimps, the whole lot of them make my stomach turn.|

|Care to tell why?|

|I'd rather not.|

|You know, you should start socializing more often with the rest of the 'Hawks. Maybe it'll help you get some of that stress off your chest. Let's start with your real name. Most people call me Leo.|

|Seska. Seska Terani.|

|A Mykari name?|

|I was adopted by a barren Mykari couple and grew up on a colony. They changed my name shortly after taking me in.|

|It would explain how you knew the language.|

|I don't suppose you have a Mykari name?|

|I prefer to be called by my human name.|

|Okay. Now, I need to get back to work on this thing. Care to help me out, Leo?|

|Sure thing, Seska.| The two 'Hawks then worked together to fix the Road Nova.
 

The next morning, a drowsy Sapphire made her way to the mess hall. After spending all night in the hangar with Hotwing fixing the Road Nova, she needed some strong caffeine to get through the day. When she finally made it to the galley, her eyes shot wide. |Oh, no!| she exclaimed as she heard singing.

|Morning, Seska!| Chatterbox cheerfully greeted as he drove an egg beater with his talons. Sapphire could only stare as the cyberparrot dropped the egg beater onto the conveyor belt, took the bowl with whatever contents were in it, poured them in a pan and placed the pan into an oven, where it slowly began to rise.

"Chatterbox," Sapphire started. "What in the name of the galaxy are you doing?"

"Cooking breakfast," Chatterbox replied. "What does it look like?"

"What, exactly, did you make?"

"A ham-cheese-bacon-egg soufflé with cereal and wheat."

"A soufflé. For breakfast?"

"It's my own personal recipe."

"What's going on here?" a voice asked. Sapphire turned to see SteelHeart. "Sapphire, what--"

"Shh!" interrupted Chatterbox. "You'll cause my soufflé to crash."

"A soufflé," SteelHeart stated. "For breakfast?"

"That's what I said," Sapphire replied. "But it's his own recipe, which we do not have time for. Chatterbox, did you forget what today is?"

"Uh... it's a Tuesday, I believe."

"Very funny, birdbrain. Today's your first day on Bedlama as official translator and assistant bodyguard; I have to bring you into the military base today!"

"Ay, carumba! I totally forgot! Oooh, SteelHeart, can you keep an eye on my soufflé? It needs to be carefully monitored for an hour and keep the room as quiet as possible so it doesn't collapse while baking. Oh, I can not believe I forgot about today!"

"Don't worry, Chatterbox," SteelHeart assured. "Consider your... soufflé watched out for."

"Gracias, SteelHeart. You are a savior!" Chatterbox and Sapphire then rushed off to Bedlama.
 

"All right, birdbrain," Sapphire said as the Road Nova went down to Bedlama. Chatterbox seated himself in the little pod connected as he listened to his friend's lecture. "I am warning you right now. Do not screw this up."

"Si, si, Sapphire," Chatterbox replied. "I'll be good."

"I mean it, Chatterbox. Once you start your duties, I'm not going to be around to bail you out."

"Oh, ye of little faith; what's the worst that could happen?"

"You'd be surprised," It was then Chatterbox noticed Sapphire's look; it was mixed with concern and uncertainty.

"Something wrong, Seska?" Chatterbox asked. "You've been on my case since that solo mission I took. You usually don't treat me like a bambino unless I'm way over my head."

"I just want you to set a good example," she replied. "Look, I just want you to survive this position; I hear Brightlight can be tough, even worse than me."

"Oh, is that what you're worried about? Okay, tough, I can imagine, but worse than you? I'd have to say that's an exaggeration."

"I think a superior rank and the fact he's a local hero on the planet supports my 'exaggeration'."

"Point, but I still say you're making too big a deal about this."

"We'll see, old friend. We'll see."
 

When they finally reached the military base, Sapphire parked the Road Nova and motioned for Chatterbox to come. The cyberparrot perched on her shoulder and noticed the worried look on his friend's face. "You okay, quedra?" he asked her. "You seem nervous."

"Nervous?" Sapphire stated. "I'm only going to leave you under someone who's three steps away from 'General'; why should I be nervous? Just don't embarrass me." As the two 'Hawks walked towards the base, they were joined by a young girl carrying about a dozen disks. Chatterbox noticed the girl looked a lot like the nice file clerk at Lunata who brought him to Sapphire. The only difference was she had hazel eyes and her red hair was in a loose ponytail.

"Whoa... a new SilverHawk. I never thought I'd see that."

"And you are..." Sapphire started.

"Courier from Lunata. Came to drop off the latest schematics for the defense system," the girl replied.

"I'm surprised that they would trust such a feat in such a child."

"Number one, I'm 14. Two, Madame's instructions; not like the Mob'll notice me coming here anyway."

"All right," Sapphire wasn't certain at that point, but the trio had already entered the base. Sapphire decided to let the girl go first hoping some of the tension she was feeling would drift off by the time her turn came. As Sapphire looked at what took place, she noticed the recently recovered Brigadier didn't look too thrilled at the girl's presence. She couldn't help but overhear the conversation.

"I trust this is all of the data concerning the defense system?" he asked the girl.

"Hey, I only deliver the stuff," she replied. "How should I know what's on it? Anyways, it's yours and I'm outta here."

"Cono!" Chatterbox exclaimed, bringing some attention. "How rude."

"Amazing," the girl said. "It talks. Does it roll over and play dead as well?"

"What do I look like to you, a dog?" The girl just stuck her tongue out at Chatterbox and stormed off. "I've heard of teenage angst, but this is ridiculous." Chatterbox commented. "I mean, come on, have you ever seen anyone with less respect than her?"

"Chatterbox. Zip it," Sapphire stated. Chatterbox immediately shut his beak.

"Don't tell me," the Brigadier said looking over Sapphire. "You're the new assistant Stargazer sent?"

"Not quite, Sir," Sapphire replied. "I built your new assistant, who is right here." She presented Chatterbox, who gave a nice big smile.

"You're kidding," he stated, hardly impressed.

"I assure you, Sir. Chatterbox is a very capable unit. A standard voice imitator, sonic disruptor and a built-in language database gives him great potential."

"And I'm housebroken, too," Chatterbox added. Sapphire gave a small groan. "I'm just trying to help." the parrot told her.

"Well, he's adequately named, I'll give him that."

"'Adequately named'?!" Chatterbox exclaimed, floating down to the desk. "Is that all I get? Adequately named?! Jesus, Mary and Joseph! There's no pleasing this guy!"

"Chatterbox," Sapphire scolded. "Must I remind you to whom you're addressing?"

"Well, excuse me for speaking the truth," Chatterbox replied.

"He's not always like this, Sir," Sapphire explained. "If there's any trouble with him, you have my full permission as his creator to rip his beak off." Upon hearing that, Chatterbox gulped and became a little more nervous.

"I'm sure it won't come to that...," Chatterbox started. "Right?" Unwittingly, Chatterbox backed into the pile of disks. One of them landed right on his head and squirted red paint in his face. Sapphire couldn't believe what was happening. "What the--" Chatterbox started before a second disk flashed, then disintegrated.

"Chatterbox, are you okay?" Sapphire asked.

"Okay?" Chatterbox stated, covered in red paint. "I look like a Sky Shadow! I knew that red head was up to no good!"

"I can't believe someone would pull a prank like this."

"Me, neither. I mean, exploding paint disguised as a data disk? That is so lame! I could do a better job," Chatterbox then noticed the looks on the two officer’s faces. "Not that I would do that. I have way too much respect for my superiors for that kind of stuff."

While the reluctant pair got themselves acquainted on Bedlama, another duo tried to work out their own differences on Brim Star. Hardware had updated Glycerin on what had happened and the scientist began to examine the formulas for herself.

"These are very complex formulas," she observed. "Vhat vas Mon*Star thinking vhen he put you in charge of this operation?"

"Maybe he was thinking how desperate he was to make some dough," Hardware replied. "It would've been easier if you were here from the start!"

"Hey, I needed to explore; ve all did. Not my fault ve got a little curious about other galaxies."

"Then why come back here?"

"Personal scores."

"Eh, I don't like this," Jester said. He had decided to watch Glycerin and Hardware go at it. Astrala was too busy with Buzz Saw and her new 'friends' to do anything. Dragor and Molecu-Lar stood behind him, a malicious glint in the dragon's eyes.

"It's only drugs, Jester," Glycerin replied. "My forte, remember?"

"Hey, I ain't complaining about your skills, Rin. It's where these drugs are coming from; I don't trust that MATI one second."

"You're just upset because Mon*Star refused to let you add any Mimian females in your ever-growing collection of whores."

"I hear they're pretty exotic, and you know how high in the market these foreign girls can be. Sure, they promised to lend us the so-called infidels, but it just ain't the same."

"For once, I agree with Jester," Dragor said. "The restrictions imposed upon us to preserve the Mob’s alliance with the MATI are seriously testing my creative abilities."

Hardware just looked at the two pimps. "You two are sick," he stated.

"Why, thank you," Dragor replied. "Remind me to invite you to the next gang bang. I've yet to pick a date, but it should be soon."

"Look here, lizard breath," Hardware stood before the giant saurian. "I want no part of any of your crazy schemes."

"Ah, don't mind him, Dragor," Molecu-Lar said. "Hardware's a wimp when it comes to our handiwork."

"For good reason," Hardware shot back. "Or have you forgotten the time you spent on the lower levels of the Penal Planet?"

"Hey, it was worth it."

"You kidding?! That part is seriously guarded; it took us forever to get you out of there!"

"Not my fault my crimes on the Planet of the Mimes were added to the charges."

"What crimes?" Jester asked.

"Oh, the usual," Molecu-Lar bragged. "Conspiracy against the planet, attempted murder..."

"Not to mention first-degree rape," Hardware finished. "Which got you down the lower levels in the first place!"

"And what do you know about the lower levels?" Jester challenged.

"I've been in that place enough times to know the ropes," Hardware responded. "The lower levels hold all the ones who have committed sex crimes. Not to mention solitary confinement."

"Ooh, I'm so scared!" Dragor mocked. "Ha! Like I'm scared of some shrewd warden who's against sex crimes. Say, I wonder if the warden you're talking about is that insect we had when we were in the Penal Planet?"

"Oh, no!" Jester cried. "Don't even think about it, Dragor! We've heard that story too many times!"

"What story?" Molecu-Lar questioned.

"I'll tell you later," Dragor said. "Right now, I have to check on something."

"What the heck do you think you're doing?!" Hardware cried when Dragor started to mess with some of the machinery.

"Hacking into the communications system of the Penal Planet," Dragor simply replied.

"Have you gone bonkers?!"

"I ask myself that question about a million times," Jester commented. "Of course, it's a stupid question because Dragor's nuts all the time." The imp turned to Dragor. "Look, partner, it's a good chance he's retired, hell, even dead by now! Especially after all the grief you gave him!"

"Oh, he's still around," Dragor responded. "I can feel it." Dragor soon completed his work and unleashed a devilish smile as he heard a familiar voice. The huge saurian gave his partner an 'I told you so' look as the other Mobsters present got curious about his actions.

"What in Limbo are you trying to accomplish?" Hardware asked.

"Just watch and learn," Dragor answered as he turned to the machine. Both rookie Mobsters' eyes widen as Dragor started speaking into the machine. "Hello, Warden," he said casually. "Remember me? I remember you... Just letting you know that the Saurian Casanova is back in town! I haven't had much fun yet--well, only if you don't count that rumble with that pretty SilverHawk; a pity I couldn't get a taste of her, but you know how it is. I'll be seeing ya real soon..." Dragor then ended the communication. Molecu-Lar watched in amazement at the scene, Glycerin and Jester were shaking their heads while Hardware was completely baffled.

"What was that all about?" he asked Dragor.

"I'll tell you and the boys all about it," Dragor said, grinning. "Soon. A pity I couldn't see the look on his face when I made the call!"

Hardware could only stare in shock as Dragor laughed at his accomplishment. Either he was really nuts, really brave or really stupid to do what he just did. But whatever Dragor's done today would be nothing compared to his actions in the future, Hardware was certain about that. The Saurian Casanova was proving himself to be a handful, and this was only the beginning.

-fin (With the Elite? Yeah, right!)

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