A lone man sat in the waiting room next to the docking bay, eating a small meal.

He was of average build, about 5 foot 8 inches, 180 lbs, his head was covered in a masked helmet perfectly formed to the contours of his face. Made out of blast proof materiel it marked him as a member of the Order Of Akan.

His body was embedded with many Serco implants, at first they had caused a rift with the high command when they found out. But after explaining to them that by sacrificing his perfect unaltered body he had become the enemy, and in doing so he and The Order who he served could better crush the Serco oppressors.

He became an assassin for The Order. No one would ever think some one with Implants could be loyal to the Itani, much less part of the Order.

Code named Death Maker, or Death for short, he was vary good at his job. It was due to his expertise he was here, on the small mining station Aeron's Patience in Deneb I 12.

The Serco nation had started a push into Itani space that had many of the Itani high command vary worried. It was at this time a young IDF Lt. Named Bojan came up with the bold plan to form a new task force code named "Skygge Vakter."

Unlike the IDF or IA it's mission would be one of aggression, after many years of of maintaining a defensive role in the war the Itani faced the possibility of losing the great war, and so much more with it.

"After all these years they finally do what we asked them to do so long ago." The words echoed in Death's mind, it was said by the head Abbot of the Order who had him self contacted Death Maker.

The Order had deiced to assist the Itani nation in their endeavors covertly. And to some degree overtly.

Death looked down at the small case on his lap, knowing it was more then it seemed. At the acceptance of his mission it have been given to him. He knew it contained the goals and mission of SVK. Many people would kill to get this case.

He looked at the case knowing only he could open it. It was programed to take his DNA and match it with a preprogramed data base to make sure it was only his, then it would take his voice and match it, then his size, his build, his face. All of it was being matched as he looked down at the case.

"Open." He said softly.

The small case beeped and popped open by it's self.

Death looked into the case wondering if this was some kind of joke, for in it was a single page of paper with a single paragraph on it.

"But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand."

Death closed the case and stood up, if that paper meant what he thought it meant he was about to become a very busy man.

As Death walked to the small docking bay he saw some one was already there waiting for him.

The being was of average hight, and average build, it's gender was unintelligible for like Death it wore black lose fitting pants, a tight fitting black long sleeve shirt, and a black hood-less robe over it all.

And like Death the person wore a Akaniese masked helmet.

"Should I know you?" Death asked nonchalantly.

"Puck, space combat specialist. They said you may need me." The being replied.

Death nodded. He was an assassin, not a pilot. As are all Akanites he was good at every thing but space was not his specialty, nor did he like it. And though it sounded like Puck asking a question they both knew it was a command neither of them dared dispute.

"What do you know of this?" Death asked motioning around with his arm.

"SKV, or Skygge Vakter. An offensive task force supposedly replacing IA and allegedly making IDF obsolete. Not aggressive like us but for the Itani it is a step in the right way. We are to asset in any way possible in aiding them to the completion their mission, and if possible strike out against the Serco Dominion. In addition to other duties as I'm sure your well aware of..."

Puck's voice trailed off as Death nodded.

"That is why I am here, no need for you to worry about that unless the time should come."

"Agreed. How do they feel about us?" Puck replied holding a small data pad with as Death knew contained information on every member of the task force.

"As I'm sure you know the Itani government was thrilled at the possibility of restarting relations with their "Long lost Brothers" even if we only maintained brief contact with them, other then my self. As for the task force they seem to care little about us. I feel that they are just glad to have help."

"Have help? I was told this was a hand picked task force?" Puck said motioning to his data pad.

"It is, but when was the last time a member of the Itani military engaged in active offensive combat in side Serco controlled space?"

"But did they not hire the pirate Borb The Second to help with this?"

"Yes, but as we both know from his dossier he is a Serco traitor, and as you said he a pirate. Can they trust him? Can we?"

Puck nodded in understanding.

"Did you get one of these?" Death said holding up the small case.

"Yes, it's not the official mission statement for them is it?"

"No, it's ours."

"Then it would seem we have work to do." Puck said turning and walking towards his ship leaving Death to his thoughts.

Death watched him as he left wondering why a combat pilot was needed, would not the pilots already in the task force have not been sufficient. He had read the data too and knew the task force was made up of many capable pilots, Bojan, Lt. IDF, Smittens, IA Commander, _Ghost_ a distinguished pilot who had won many medals of for his valor in combat along the Itani CtC lanes. And that was just the start of the list...

Death shook his head clearing his mind as he too started walking to his ship. He had learned along time ago that it was better not to question Akan.

I'm just misunderstood!

As he watched the two Akanese pilots walk away, Ghost couldn't help but feel uneasy. There was a reason he hadn't joined a guild until now and this was it. Radicals. Those who would act within their own means reguardless of the groups desires; and in turn reflecting their actions on all members of the guild. The members of Akan were murderers. There was no difference between them and their genocidal ancestors. It was true Ghost had been responsible for more than 500 serco deaths, but those had been warriors. Justifiable killing if there is such a thing. These Akanese would kill civilians, women, children, just for being serco.

"I cannot tolerate that," he thought to himself. "My only loyalty is to Itan, but I won't have the deaths of innocents on my hands. If things get out of hand..." Ghost sighed and began walking back to his quarters. He longed for the days gone by when he knew who his enemies were.

Death walked slowly and with confidence down the short hall leading to the kitchen of the apartment as he had done this many times before. Why the bloodshed was needed he neither knew nor cared, for he could see little justification for this sad loss of life. The truth would only bring him even more guilt.

He heard two hushed voices as he turned the corner. He looked down at the deadly Akanese sword with partial serrations he was carrying in his left hand. A work of art, these swords had come to be a sign of fear and terror in the Serco and UIT nations.

Containing an inner Xith alloy core and having a black outer teflon coating the weapons were near indestructible and black as the hearts inside the men and women who used them. Only the bold silver lettering on the handle reviled the maker of these fine weapons. Akan.

Looking up from his sword Death rounded the corner fully and walked right into a small handgun, the Serco woman had been waiting. How she knew he was even there he would never know, for as quickly as he had moved into the room she had stuffed the gun into the crack between his helmet and body armor.

Death let out a slight cough as the gun was shoved with great force into his soft neck. Before he could react he felt the burn, the force of his neck being torn out by the blast of fire pouring fourth from the gun. The world mercifully faded from his view as he fell lifelessly to the ground.

Death opened his eyes wondering if now he was on the other side so many people talked of.

"What are you doing?" A booming voice said, as the bight room slowly came into focus. Death knew that voice, it was a member of Akan's high council.

"Why are you here! Why is the mission not completed!"

"I'm dead" Death replied in awed bewilderment that he had come here.

"You can't be dead! You have a job to do, you think death can end your mission, you end your mission when we say so not before. You think some thing as simple as death can stop us? Can stop you? Finish the job!"

Death started to open his mouth, but it was if a blast went off in the room for it was suddenly flooded with light forcing Death to close his eyes.

When the light faded and he opened his eyes to find he was back in the apartment lying on his back. The Serco woman was bending over him trying to remove his mask. Quickly Death slammed his fist into her face shattering the fragile bone under his reinforced knuckles and hand.

Grabbing up his sword and jumping to his feet Death cleanly removed the woman's head from her body in one swift blow.

"What have you done!" A small voice said from behind Death.

Turning he saw a small boy looking with horror at the bleeding headless body of the women, Death recognized his face.

"Bojan?" Death said in puzzlement. As his arms instinctively raised to make a fatal stroke.

"And now will you kill me as have you and so many other innocents?" The small boy asked with a searing tone of condescending self righteousness, like some one who knew they where doing the right thing and that the right thing would cost them dearly.

Death felt in horror as his body moved on it own, his arms gaining momentum swinging down as if his body was not his own. As if all he could do was watch the evil he was about to commit, unable to do any thing. He tried to shout, to make Bojan move, but nothing came. No words no sound.

Death closed his eyes, as he felt the first resistance of the sword parting the flesh. Trying to in vain to make it stop, to make his body stop. He heard the thud of a body hitting the floor.

"No!"

Death awoke with a start. Looking around he realized it was just a dream, querying a built in clock on one of his Serco implants he learned it was midday. In a few hours he had a meeting with Bojan and _Ghost_ outlining the goals of the new task force.

Death hoped those goals would mesh with other plans.

A-Dawg sat quietly in his Prometheus, listening to SCAR's comm chatter in silence. Laid out on the viewscreen in front of him was a member list of a new Itani guild, [SKV]. The list looked impressive, Ghost, Smittens the old [IA] commander, Puck, and Death Maker, a relative newcomer.

He had fought Death Maker before, and he was a force to be reckoned with. Whatever they did to convince Smittens to resign command of the Itani Alliance, once the largest and most powerful of the Itani guilds must have known what they were talking about. SCAR had been recruiting for the past few months now and was finally starting to pay off. His comrades were ready, but needing a worthwhile enemy, more than your normal Itani riff-raff that passes through Sedina every now and again.

He knew the SKV takes no mercy and fights until death. Finally Itani warriors worthwhile. He knew their intentions, he knew their power. But they weren't going to walk in and take Lady Serco without fight. And they were going to get one hell of a fight.