No, I did that. I had to ask Quisty how, if you remember (if you were there).

I have finally gotten more of the story onto the computer, so here you go. Kaz, no rude comments
The first part I have posted before, suffer with me.


Wild Angel watched, horrified, as Jassiv attacked the soldiers with wild abandon. They parted before him and surrounded him, and he looked up at her with unreadable, shadowy eyes.
Then he was lost from her sight, and she turned and fled up the rusted ladder, tears that would remain unshed blurring her vision.

Coppertop dashed away from Jassiv with the heartrending knowledge that what she was about to do broke her first and primary rule in her personal code. She was abandoning a friend, someone who had helped her. She was leaving him to die alone.
Jassiv had chosen his fate; had offered to sacrifice himself so that they could escape. Still she could not reconcile what she had just done.
Some of her inner turmoil must have showed, for Kovu moved up beside her. His sword, unlike hers, was sheathed, and his booted feet made no sound on the scum-covered ground.
"It bothers you," he stated, "leaving Jassiv back there to die." She nodded shortly. "He knew what he was doing," Kovu went on. "It's not as though you could have saved him. Well, maybe you could've, but not even you can destroy an entire army - even if I haven't seen all you're capable of. He bought us enough time to find this Shonar."
"He bought it with his life," Copper said bitterly. "No one should have to pay that."
"He knew what he was doing," Kovu repeated. "He would have done it with or without your cooperation."
Claw moved up silently behind her. Strange, how much she had come to trust him - as much as she had ever trusted anyone. They were as much of a team as two loners could make. They understood each other. Yet underlying that veneer of friendship was the lurking knowledge that, five years ago, they had been bitter enemies, waiting for an excuse to slay the other.
"I take it that Jassiv's choice bothers you," he commented quietly. Two, maybe three years ago, he would have seen that as a weakness to be exploited. Now it was a wound to be healed. Kovu wisely fell behind; they had inexplicably slowed to a walk. She glanced at her fellow pilot.
"Yeah."
"He had nothing left to live for," Claw explained offhand. "Iceshadow's death took all of the reasons he had left. There was no reason he couldn't die too. I think he couldn't have died in a way that would have pleased him more."
She scowled, her eyes hardening. "I could have saved him. I could've, blast you!"
"Really." He left it at that, deftly changing the subject. "Can Shonar help us?"
Glad to be steered away from the painful subject of Jassiv, she responded, "I don't know. Shonar may be a pilot and a mercenary, but he's the absolute best at his chosen professions. Plus, he makes a point of studying things like security, weaknesses in vessels, establishments, codes and protective programming and the like. He's a law unto himself, and he'll do what he wants, not what I tell him. If anyone knows how to get into the Venomstrike without getting killed, it's Shonar."
"How well do you know him?" was Claw's next question.
"Well enough to know he's as trustworthy as they get. He won't turn on us or sell us out. Frankly, I was surprised that he served Kroys. He's not that type ... he's very much a loner."
"Like us," he said dryly. Then, quietly, "watch your back. Darkfist as impressed me, but Saturn I am not so sre about. She may decide that a knife in the back would greatly improve your temper, or mine."
"I know what you mean," Copper said. "She's neither hot nor cold nor in the middle. She's all three."
"Yes. Something about her bothers me ... I cannot place it."
"I agree. I - " she stopped, then abruptly called back, "they're still coming! Let's go!" She broke into a run and Claw paced her effortlessly.
The tunnel sloped upwards making progress on the slimy ground difficult. Copper dropped back towards the end of the group, where Grath seemed to be having a bit of trouble. He slipped and she helped him up. The black rabbit supported himself on his staff, and said breathlessly, "don't worry about me - I can warp out if I need to ... "
"I know, but if you do we risk detection. Come on!"
They slipped and stumbled on the slimy, uneven ground, following the main group. Suddenly Grath fell again, this time with a short, ragged gasp of pain. Copper whirled, drawing her sword, but there were no enemies. What had happened was worse.
Grath hd slipped and fallen on both his staff and his leg. His weight and the awkward angle of his fall had snapped them both. He could not walk, and his staff was useless. With it went his warping focus.
Behind them the enraged guards could be heard. They (being used to the moist conditions) were having no trouble on the slick surfaces. Copper glanced ahead to see the last of her friends disappear, leaving her and Grath alone.
Shale might heal him, but not in time, and they could be detected by Beren, who had no idea that they were the intruders. She could not carry him and still stay ahead of the enemy. But even as she sought and answer other than the one presented, Grath made it for her.
"Leave me here," he rasped, voice ragged with supressed pain. "Angel can get Kovu there and mask her powers. You cannot .. jeapordize your life or the mission by trying to save me."
"No," she said flatly. "That's not even an option."
Already they had lost Jassiv. Beren would not claim this as a victory.
"You must," he insisted. We've come too far .. to give up now."
"What have I started?" she whispered. "How many would die for my ideals?"
"Jassiv was ... already dead inside," Grath said. "I'm not afraid ... to die. Death is better than Beren's rule ... any day. Darn it," and he roused enough anger to make her straighten, "you started this, Coppertop, and you're blasted well going to finish it! Get out of here. I can still think clearly enough to manipulate them, make them think that I'm the only intruder."
"They saw Wild Angel -"
"They saw a black rabbit running. I'm a black rabbit. Gotta do it, Copper. Tell Kaz he doesn't owe me any more."
"I will," she said. She rose from where she had been kneeling beside him. The guards had almost gotten to the corner behind them. She had to go now or be seen. She looked down at him, yet another friend she had to leave behind, abandoning him to death. She took the broken staff that he handed to her, and closed her eyes briefly.
"Forgive me," she whispered, and then she fled.

Stop snickering, Kaz, or I'll kill you off