From: rip@sequent.com (Paul T Taylor)
Subject: Space Cadets
Keywords:  Rip Skywalker...
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems Inc.
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 92 02:52:49 GMT




Previously on `Space Cadets'

"So, side by hip, the two went to town to B&B's, or as the locals
called it, just plain Hell...."
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The two reached Hell just as the Sun was starting to set.  Rip had
never been into town as was awed by the sight of Hell.  Hell took up a
whole city block.  It didn't look like much on the outside, in fact,
it looked shabby and run down.

'What the....Hell?' asked Rip.

'Yep, this is Hell.'  replied Yoga, (yep, that's his real name
alright, sure is, I kid you not!).

'Sure not like I had pictured it....'

'What did you expect?  Fire and Brimstone?'

'I didn't know *what* to expect, but it sure wasn't this!  I always
thought Hell would be....well, classier.'

'Well, sure,' replied Yoga, 'where do you think the expression "Looks
like Hell" came from?  It may look bad on the outside, but it the
inside looks *alot* different.  Not that you will ever know...'

'What do you mean by that?  I thought I was going to go in and help
you find Uncle Ben!'

'First rule of being a DeadEye knight: Don't think!  Let your
superiors do the thinking for you 'til you know what in Hell you are
going to do.  You stay out here.  And *try* to stay out of trouble
will you?  And quite gawking at the building!  You look like a
tourist...'

With that Yoga open the gates of Hell and went in, leaving young Rip
outside to fend for himself.

Now young Rip is a curious young man, and he soon found himself
walking up and down the street in front of HEll staring at all the
merchants who lined the road on either side.  As he passed an alley
between to carts he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye.  He
stopped to see what it was and about half way down the alley stood
the most striking creature Rip had ever seen!

Well, actually this 'person' was stooped over, clutching at her foot.
Being the gentleman that he is, Rip went to offer her some aid.  As he
approached, the woman's features became clearer.  Rip noticed that she
had a roundish head, and that her face seemed overly large for that
head.  She had no hair on her head, in fact she had no visible hair at
all that Rip could discern.  Her skin was a soft green color, her
stomach almost creamy white.  And Rip could see quite a bit of her
stomach!  She was wearing a *short* dress that clung to her body like
a second skin.  The stomach area was cut away almost the middle of her
back.  What struck Rip, was that when she held her hand up in a wave,
he noticed that it was webbed!  In fact her feet were webbed as well!
The reason he knew this, is because she wasn't wearing shoes.

'May I help you with something?' Rip asked.

'Oh, I seem to have stubbed my toe.'  The woman replied.

'Well, if there is anything I can do....'

'As a matter of fact, I think the best thing you can do is duck.'

'What do you mean du....' *Thump*

'Good work doll.'  This voice belongs to a very unpleasant fellow.
He is maybe all of 4 1/2 feet tall, but he is extremely strong.  The
muscles of his arms and legs stand out like cords of rope.  His face
is pitted like it was hit by hundreds of tiny little meteors.  His
toothless grin and fetid breath made the young woman wince.  'But,
what was ya tryin' to warn 'im for?'

'Well, I like him.  He looks so young and innocent.  I just didn't
want to see him get hurt.  Can't we just leave him alone?'

'No!'  the unpleasant man yelled.  'This "young and innocent" piece
of meat will bring a high price at the Enderperial slave markets!
Now I don't want to hear another word!'

'But he is too young to be put to work in the mines!'  The young
woman moved to a protective stance in front of the unconscious youth.
Her eyes narrowing.

'Get out of the way Francis, he's mine now, you did you work, and
you'll be well paid for it too...'

'Keep your damn money, just let this one go.  Please....'

'I told you, get out of the way!'  With that the man raised his hand
to strike the woman.  Just as his hand started on its downward arch
it stopped, changed direction and struck his own chin!  He went down
like a sack of rotten potatoes!

It was then that the woman noticed the dwarf and the drunk leaning on
him, actually he was suspended in air.

Rip started to come around, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs.
When he finally came out of it, he found Yoga talking to the strange
woman....

'Francis!  I am surprise at you!  Setting traps for naive young men!
Just what do you think you are doing?  And working for a slug like
Plug!  Have you sunk do low?'

'I'm sorry Yoga, but I owe money to all the wrong people!  If I
didn't agree to this, they were going to go after my family!  And you
know that Mom just hatched another batch of tadpoles!  I *had* to do
it!'  At this point Francis broke down into a fit of tears.

'Now, now Francis, let's have none of that.'  Yoga said tenderly.
'You dry those tears, I'll see what I can do about getting the Mob
off your back...'

By this time Rip had become coherent enough to see what was going on.
'You *know* this woman?!' he directed at Yoga.

'Why of course!  We go back a ways....  Rip may I intoduce to you
Francis Frogge, Frannie, this is Rip, the nephew of this drunken heap
here.'

'Charmed, I'm sure,' the woman responded, 'but it is pronouce
"Frog*gay*, French you know.'

Rip gave a short bow, 'Pleased to meet you.  But right before I got
whacked, you tried to warm me, why?'

'`Cause I like you.  You remind me of my little brother...  Anyway, I
was getting kind of sick of Plug anyway and was gonna quite.'

'But didn't Yoga say something about you being in trouble?'

'Well, yeah, but I'd have found a way to pay them back....somehow....'

'Say, Yoga is going to teach me to be a DeadEye knight!  Maybe I
could help!'


______________________________________________________________________
                                                      _____
Rip                                 rip@sequent.com  /     \
Official Palanquin Bearer                           /  rip  \
For the Secretaries                                 |xxx-xxx|
Of the RFA                                       ___|_______|___
And BigBro to LF, 'Chelle, HotDi,                    \~ ~~ ~\
Lis, Garrett, Michelle and GypsyII (whew!)            \~~ ~~~\
Help!  My karma ran over my dogma, and it can't get up!!