Basically it was a job like any other. But that had not much to say by "Pinch's" assessment.

At the academy she had learned that mercenaries who worked for the Comm corporations got outstanding paychecks. Whoever got onto that career path and proved to be capable enough could go home a rich person. She herself had realized how lucrative this career could turn out to be, shortly after her first mission. But there was one important condition: Missions had to be offered. And that was not a given for the "Unicorn Riders" who followed such a strict code of conduct that even sturdy Metalians would raise their eyebrows about it. Kate Lipinsky and the others worked by the motion that they were the good guys, fighting for the weak. In addition to that, they were not assassins - violence was a last resort, not the all-purpose way.

This also cut down the number of missions Kate was willing to accept for the "Unicorn Riders" - most of them found on the mission board revolved around eliminating a person or an entire group. Not even "dead or alive" was a general requirement. Instead most of the time the "proof of elimination, preferably a direct body part" was demanded, which "Pinch" found instantly repulsive. But she had noticed something else after going through the mission recordings of the "Unicorn Riders": Since she had joined them, the number of combat assignments had decreased significantly.

That gave her food for thought. She knew that it had taken some time before she was regarded and accepted as a serious mercenary, and it had taken the fight against three highly dangerous criminals to gain her that kind of respect. But that had been the reason for the "Unicorn Riders" to recruit her in the first place - because she had shown her abilities. The "Unicorn Riders" accepted and respected her. Most of them at least - Ballsey Kent probably not that much. Still, it seemed like Kate was deliberately taking on only those less dangerous assignments that could be solved without violence just to protect "Pinch" from that.

Did her age play into that? By now she was fifteen years old, the "Unicorn Riders" had taken her on about a year ago. The youngest member of the group till this point had been the medic Jessica van Ness who was a bit younger than Tammy. So "Pinch" was the youngster in more than one way. The more the reason for her to show her full commitment in every single mission, to prove that she would do her part despite her age. And so far her achievements had impressed the others. Not only did she learn from the others at every possible opportunity - especially from Ben Dawson and Julietta Donna who taught her to handle weapons even better than the Academy would ever been able to - but also with the assignments they actually did take on. She put in 100 percent with every task she was given.

Including this one. This assignment was important for the team - the elders of the Metalian city Turunen had given it to them in the hopes to ending this whole affair in a good way. It was really unusual for the Metalians to resort to hiring mercenaries for this kind of work, but this was a special case anyway. The man they were chasing had wreaked havoc in the city and had attacked others with flashbang grenades which had a devastating effect on the Metalians. "Pinch" didn't know anything else about the background, all she did know was that this man was supposed to be brought to justice. This time the assignment did not say "dead or alive" or "proof of elimination", no. This time they wanted him alive.

It should have worked out. They had taken on the task professionally, had studied the environment, had located the target and surrounded it. "Pinch" didn't even understand what had gone wrong afterwards. The target had escaped them and had flown out of town. They had taken chase - ending up at the point where nobody but "Pinch" was able to follow anymore.

Now she was here. Alone. In the darkness, only cut through by her own small light. The narrow tunnels under the ice of the cold planet New Wacken left her hardly enough space to turn around, but she pushed forward vigorously. There was only this one way that her opponent could have taken. She would find him. She would end it.