Checkmate

Checkmate

Ed loved puzzles. She loved games and challenges and putting her inquisitive mind to work. She also adored visual tasks like MAGIC EYE and WHERE'S WALDO - though trying to find copies of either was, in and of itself, quite a struggle too.

Naturally, finding opponents could be just as difficult since it required a combination of having the time and the capability to play, having the interest to stay engaged, and being willing to put in some effort so that all parties were excited to continue the battle - whatever it may be.

Chess was something Ed had learned to do at the orphanage but it had been nearly impossible to find anyone to compete with. Most of the other kids preferred physical games like stacking competitions or feats of endurance or group activities - which was fine and dandy if you had a group who all wanted to play.

Ed had a group on the Bebop but hardly ever did all of her companions agree on a single important thing let alone something designed for idle time, for relaxation, for filling empty hours with a clever pursuit.

When they all came home toting chess pieces, Ed was immediately curious. When she realized each one held a chance to get into a serious game on the interwebs, she was positively thrilled. When it turned out that she was playing against a Grandmaster it seemed too good to be true!

Hour after hour, move after move, she was in the zone. Taking pieces and gaining ground, losing pieces and scrambling to keep the other player from hounding her King... It was a classic game with countless plays committed to books on the subject, yet against a true foe it was a painstaking process to toe the line of risk versus reward and each play was somehow new and unexpected.

It took days and it was DELIGHTFUL.

She had three pieces which equated to three games. For the first, she employed a method of gameplay similar to Spike-person's method of living life, which was mostly to fly by the seat of his pants. Brash and bold and wild, with no apparent forethought given to any move. It was a tactic which often infuriated grandmasters of the game. But not this person!

She lost but it had been thrilling to play so recklessly.

Next she thought of Faye-Faye as she played. Faye was truly like the Queen piece - capable of incredible moves and the most powerful when you got right down to it. The Queen also did whatever she could to protect and defend others, which Faye-Faye would deny but actions spoke louder than words.

Subterfuge and bluster were the name of the game when she used Faye-Faye as inspiration. It was a clever match that lasted longer than her original game and the grand master seemed just as pleased with this gameplay. Ed still lost.

The last game would be the most important because there were no more chances after this. Ed went into the third round with a determination that would have impressed even Jet, who she was channeling for this match. Well, Jet and Ein both with a splash of essence of Ed to keep things interesting.

The Jet approach required studious examination of the game board and attempts at considering things from all angles. The patience came into play from her adoption of Ein's lifestyle. As a former cop, Jet was skilled at reading a situation and considering potential consequences from this move or that, but he tended to rush into things. All humans did - Ed had observed that often enough throughout her life. Dogs, however... Sure, they'd go running off on a wild hare (sometimes literally she supposed) and they were often as easily distracted as Ed herself, but dogs also had an abundance of patience to draw upon.

Patience while waiting to go for a walk. Patience while awaiting a treat. Patience until their owners returned from work. All their lives they tended to be waiting for something or someone. And Ein was especially good at waiting for scraps or people. He was also especially good at games and Ed loved to go up against him.

With their skills combined with her own instinctive reactions, it was no surprise to her that the third game lasted days where the other games were only hours-long. She'd finally found a style that offered true competition to Grandmaster Hex!

The biggest surprise came after she was in her fourth wind. She hadn't slept, had barely eaten, couldn't even remember if she'd gotten up at any point to use the bathroom. There were plenty of opportunities for any of those things, of course, chess didn't require split second reactions the same way video games did. But the intensity of the match had her enthralled and she could think of nothing else.

And, just when it seemed as though he'd bested her again... Which would have been fine with her, she knew she'd played a good game and that was the important part... She finally saw the move that would end things in her favor.

Checkmate!

Royal Flush

It was harder to cheat at poker than dice but mainly because she had no sleeves to keep cards hidden up. No wonder Spike had insisted on cards. Still, Faye had spent a good portion of time learning how to bluff and how to read her opponent, so she was fairly confident in her ability to beat Spike.

He had a tell, after all, and that was all she needed.

Then again, Spike was far too clever for his own good. She didn't put it past him to be feigning a tell just to get her to lower her guard in false confidence.

They'd been playing for hours already while the ship floated dead in space. It wasn't the first time nor would it be the last time that they ran out of fuel and had to drift along until they reached a starbase or a planetary outpost. This time they at least had a pantry full of food. Ramen cups, but food nonetheless.

Jet had folded in a previous round and subsequently bailed entirely. Ed had been cast out of the game for repeatedly trying to play according to different rules. Ein hadn't been included in the first place even though Ed had insisted on his skills. Now it was down to just Spike and Faye.

They were playing heads up poker which was a more fast paced and aggressive form of the game. Naturally this suited both Spike and Faye just fine. They'd decided to play for cigarettes originally since it was the one commodity both had in spades. Shortly after Ed passed out, Spike had suggested strip poker but Faye had shot that down since she had so much less to lose.

Though his casual suggestion had certainly put some wild ideas in Faye's head. Which was probably all part of his plot to throw her off. He seemed too chill about her initial outraged reaction and hadn't even bothered to push for it. Instead he'd acquiesced to her rebuttle of loser washing the winner's zip craft.

He had his chin resting in his left hand and a smirk on his face as he fanned his cards lazily. He looked like the cat who got the cream. There was nothing left to do but lay down her own cards but Spike's expression and posture didn't faze her in the least. She knew hers was a winning hand. And she hadn't even needed to cheat!

"Four of a kind, read 'em and weep!" Faye called out, laying her hand down.

"Mm, such a shame." Spike mused, putting his own cards face down on the table.

Glee spread across Faye's face as she greedily gathered up the loose smokes on the coffee table.

"Shame indeed! My craft got covered in bird crap on that last mission," She told him without a hint of compassion.

"No no no, Faye... A shame for you!" Spike reached out and slowly flipped each of his cards over to reveal... "Royal Flush."

"What!" Faye squawked. "But you didn't even slow blink!"

He snorted. "You thought I had a tell? Aww, poor Faye-Faye!" A grin stretched across his face. "Gotta say I'm looking forward to our next dock. Seeing you in a swim suit getting suds all over my... cockpit..."

Faye's cheeks burned red. "Why you dirty-"

"Well, it's my ship that's dirty but..."

"Ugh. I'm done playing." Faye grumped. She let the cigarettes spill back onto the coffee table and then snatched one up as an afterthought. "I'm bumming one of these."

Spike blinked at her slowly. "I'll spot you another... If you need one after a round in my quarters."

"Ohh you think I'm gonna play you again?" Faye purred at him. "I got news for you, buddy. I don't play games in bed." She stood up then and stuck a hand down to take his and yank him to his feet. "But I'm ready for a reeeeeal good workout. If you think you can make me sweat..."

Mushroom Hunting

Even as abnormally intelligent as Ein was, he wasn't impervious to making a mistake every now and again. He laid the blame on this erroneous instance on being hungrier than usual. Who wouldn't have eaten a mushroom in starvation? Particularly when said mushroom had been toted around by a human.

Ein knew wild mushrooms were hit or miss and that the 'miss' could sometimes be lethal. He'd foolishly trusted that the goofy man hadn't had a stash of deadly 'shrooms.

No, these mushrooms had quite a different - though certainly not deadly - effect on the consumer.

Normally he'd have shared the treat with Ed. She was a kind kid and Ein's favorite member of the crew. But for once Ein had been too ravenous to be generous and in retrospect he was grateful for his own rude behavior. He was positive that Ed - while she might have enjoyed the strange trip - absolutely did not need to experience the side effects of the 'shroom.

It was difficult enough to wrangle her as it was! Keeping an eye on her to keep her safe would have likely proved impossible. Ein was clever and resourceful but even he had limits.

Thankfully Ed was clever as well and when Ein had begun hiccuping and acting odd she'd understood that the mushroom had been to blame. Further research had been necessary and, at her side, Ein had observed - once he came down from his own high - the effects on the rest of the crew.

An introspective journey that more or less trapped them in one place. Hearing Jet giggle had been rewarding, if unexpected. Seeing Spike step along to nowhere had been a relief as there were many places on the ship that could prove dangerous to someone tripping the light fantastic. And Faye's aerobic exercising seemed at least a healthy output of energy.

Truth be told, things were still a little fuzzy for Ein himself at that point. The world had mostly returned to normal but the edges were still a blur as he and Ed watched the announcement on Big Shot. They instantly recognized the guy - Domino Walker - from their encounter with him earlier.

Ed's eyes lit up and Ein could practically see the gears turning in her mind. Hunger was still gnawing at both of them and hunger is always a powerful influence.

"Shes's a cowgirl Ein! We earn money and buy food! Ein, you're a cow-woof-woof!" Ed exclaimed.

Ein had to admit it was a good idea. Money meant a way to secure sustenance - that was literally the whole reason the rest of the crew ever went and did anything - and he and Ed had a better chance than other bounty hunters at getting this one in the bag! They had already run into him, after all, and Ein still had his scent in his nose.

It was time to gear up and get going on this mushroom man hunt!

Old Fashioned Cowboy

The sound of spurs rang out in the quiet of the storage compartment of the Bebop. And then - silence. Silence for a few tense moments that was abruptly broken by a whistling song - a rather iconic one often featured in spaghetti westerns from way back even before Faye's time.

The sound of slow and steady footsteps, ringing out with the jangle of the spurs, resumed.

A brief commotion ensued over by the entrance to the room as two figures, hidden in shadow, waged a slap battle over turning on the overhead lights. Naturally, Faye won because Spike was still recuperating and his position in a wheelchair gave Faye the height advantage which put her in a better spot to turn on the lights.

Suddenly an entire town was revealed before them.

Wooden crates and cardboard boxes of varying sizes had been arranged along the walls of the large room which had been recently emptied out entirely to allow enough space for the construction which had consumed an entire week of Ed's time.

She'd painted windows onto many of the boxes and had even cut doors into some of the larger boxes. The crates had been built up into a sort of corral at the far end of the room and were currently encircling Ein who was dressed in a costume to look like a horse. He was lying down at the moment, snoring softly and wholly uninterested in what was about to take place.

Quite of few of the boxes had words written on them in giant blocky letters stating their purpose such as...

Doc's Hospital: You Break 'Em, We'll Remake 'Em!

Whiskey Willie's Wet Your Whistle Saloon

Hair of the Dog Bar & Brewery

Down in the Mouth Drinks for That What Ales You!

Copper Your Bets Casino

The Hokey-Pokey Jailhouse

Ticky-Tacky Tack & Tails Stable

The pair at the door shared a surprised look as they took in the surroundings.

There were drawings of horses, townsfolk, and various old west themed plants all along the cardboard boxes. There was a thin layer of sand covering most of the floor in the middle of the room. There was even what looked like a tumbleweed sitting in front of one of the saloons.

"Maybe you're right, Faye. Ed might be picking up a bit too much from our drinking habits." Spike muttered as he read the business names.

"Oh hush, you." Faye replied in an undertone. "You'd better start whistling again, she's looking a little ornery over there."

Indeed, Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky the 4th was frowning at them. She had her hands planted firmly on the butts of a pair of guns tucked into holsters on each hip, a pair of cowboy boots that nearly reached her knees on each foot, a leather vest with fringes dangling from every hem and edge open over her white tee shirt which had a sheriff's badge drawn on it in marker and subsequently crossed out, and a cowboy hat set jauntily on her head.

"You're in a bad box now, you dirty scoundrel!" Ed shouted in their direction. "What're you doing jawing at the air, Miss Faye Faye? Get a wiggle on! You're like to get caught in the crossfire if'n ya stay put where ya at!"

Spike choked on laughter, which interrupted his whistling, as Faye scowled at the young hacker and stalked further into the room. She'd been excited at first by Ed's desire to play Wild Wild West because she'd assumed that her role would be a chorus girl or in charge of the brothel - for the sheer pleasure of the costume involved, not because she wanted to portray a promiscuous role.

Ed had other ideas.

Spike's convalescent status meant he wasn't given a role, though Ed was happy to put him to work handling the soundtrack of her adventures.

Faye meanwhile was regulated to "prospector hoping to strike it rich" and had been stuffed into layer after layer of scratchy heavy clothing and for extra attention to detail, had been liberally decorated with dirt smeared on her face and hands.

"I reckon I'll be able to get your dust back, ma'am!" Ed went on. "I may be just an old fashioned cowboy, but I aim to win back your claim and I ain't yet met a soul who can outgun me! I've got an ace in the hole and a snake in my boot and 'Ol Rusty you've done met your match now that ya met me!"

"Ah you're barkin' at a knot, QuickDraw Kid!" Jet's voice boomed into the room as he stepped into the doorway and paused for dramatic effect.

Ed had gone all out on his outfit. It started at the bottom... worn leather boots - much better fitted to his feet than Ed's - adorned with the very spurs that had been ominously ringing out as Jet approached, with denim blue jeans tucked in. The denim itself was mostly covered by a pair of assless chaps and held up by a tooled leather belt with a giant metal buckle and hung with a holster that held a faux .45 caliber single action revolver on one hip and a coiled up lasso on the other. His upper body was clad in a button up rust colored cotton long sleeve shirt with imitation pearl snaps beneath a plain leather vest with loads of loose strings to indicate where patches had previously been. A broad brimmed authentic Stetson hat completed the effect.

"Today ain't your day, Rusty!" Ed exclaimed. She whistled sharply and Ein perked up to trot over to her. "I done gave up my job as sheriff just ta be able to shoot you dead without no paperwork involved! You looking to die, old man? Give up the claim to Miss Faye's creek and we can all go belly up to the bar for a cold one!"

"You're in cahoots together! I ain't about to give up a damn thing to some obnoxious broad!" Jet roared back.

"Hey now!" Faye interrupted, though neither Jet nor Ed paid her any mind.

"Oh you gone and done it now, Rusty! Ya shoulda made tracks when I gave ya the chance!"

"Oh I'm in for it now, eh?"

"I reckon you sure are!" Ed moved to stand over Ein. "Me an' this here Deputy Dog are gonna get you, ya filthy varmint!" She grinned wildly. "Now, get ready to draw in 3...2...1... let's jam!"

(featuring dialogue & description from a transcript of the Wild Horses session of Cowboy Bebop)

Sacrifice

It happened so fast. Then again, that's how most things went wrong in his life. The majority was spent idling time away in a haze of smoke or an alcohol-induced stupor, lazing around the Bebop. Those long hours were often interrupted by high stakes bounty chases and that's where it all tended to unravel in spectacular fashion...much like today going up against the space pirates...

Earth space. Spike continues chasing the pirates.

SPIKE: So let's see what ya got...

GEORGE: He's here.

HARMAN: Waste of time.

Spike hides under the haul and fires at the harpoon.

HARMAN: He's after the arm...

GEORGE: He's not taking us seriously! Ruth!

RUTH: Ready to go anytime.

GEORGE: Take that!

George releases the haul. Behind the truck are dozens of harpoon guns.

RUTH: Welcome...

Spike dodges them.

SPIKE: Excellent!

Harman locks on to Spike.

HARMAN: Bingo!

Spike barely dodges Harman's harpoon shot.

RUTH: He's holding up pretty well.

Spike is finally hit by a harpoon.

JET: Cut off the mono-system!

SPIKE: I'm doing it!

RUTH: That idiot cut off his mono-system!

HARMAN: Hey... George...

RUTH: And he's in Earth's gravitational field...

The pirates truck are hit by a harpoon.

Doohan's office. Miles runs in with the radio.

MILES: Old man! Here, here!

They overhear Spike and Jet's communication.

MILES: This is pretty bad!

JET: Align the D7. Ya did it before, right?

SPIKE: Like I remember!

Earth space. The pirates are being pulled into Earth's atmosphere.

GEORGE: No good... There's nothing we can do...

HARMAN: You idiot! Hurry up and do something about this!

GEORGE: Dammit... Move! MOVE!

RUTH: Falling... We're falling!

Spike rewires Swordfish.

JET: Spike, I'll be right there. I'm calculating an interception course. Until then, keep control manually somehow. Even if everything was normal, it'd be tough to get outta here.

SPIKE: I can see that. And I just had it overhauled...

Meteors crash into Swordfish.

SPIKE: Oh well. Whatever happens, happens.

Spike dodges meteors.

JET: Spike, above you.

Spike sees the Bebop above him.

SPIKE: Your tattered ship looks like a goddess!

The pirates' truck crashes into a meteor and explodes, harpoons fly upward.

SPIKE: Shit, the virus...

It wasn't even a conscious thought. It was merely a knee jerk instinctive reaction to intercept. Self-sacrifice to save his companions. And why not? He'd died before anyway, what was another death to him? Particularly one that would keep the others alive and well. Even if he'd had the time and capability of considering an alternate option, he'd choose to put himself between them and danger any day of the week.

Spike flies low and uses Swordfish to block the harpoons from hitting the Bebop.

JET: Spike!

SPIKE: I'm still alive!

JET: We have to start over!

Doohan's hanger.

MILES: No way! Old man, ya gotta be kidding! Are you really gonna move this ancient piece of -

Miles laughs.

DOOHAN: Do you think I'd do this as a joke? Don't just stand there! Hurry up and get me some fuel!

MILES: All right!

Earth space. Swordfish slowly falls into Earth's atmosphere.

JET: Spike, can you hear me? I got a calculation. It'll take another 7 hours for us to rendezvous.

SPIKE: Come on, you're joking, right?

JET: We're too close to Earth. The orbital paths I can take are limited!

SPIKE: Isn't there a  way for you to just swing on by?

JET: If I plunge in at this angle, both the Bebop and the Swordfish will burn to nothing!

Swordfish's underside begins to burn.

There was still no regret over his choice. He'd always lived a fatalistic life, it was bound to catch up with him one of these days. Of course the others would no doubt be upset over his sacrifice - though they'd be alive and well to rue his absence so it was still a win in his books.

SPIKE: Jet... I have some booze hidden behind the fridge. Feel free to drink some.

JET: Something wrong?!

SPIKE: I'm outta gas. Nothing I can do now.

Doohan communicates to Spike through the radio.

DOOHAN: How about I go there and tow you back, in exchange for that booze? I heard the conversation. Give me the Swordfish's coordinates.

SPIKE: Doohan?! How the hell do you - ?!

Doohan's hanger. Doohan prepares to launch the old space shuttle.

DOOHAN: Spike, I don't care how ya do it, but slow down using an air-brake.

SPIKE: Slow down?

DOOHAN: If you slow down within Earth's atmosphere the gravitational pull will accelerate you instead which will give you enough speed to escape. However, you have to maintain the ship at a certain angle. Too far either way, and you'll be thrown out to the other end of the universe.

SPIKE: Unfortunately, I'm not one for delicate controls.

DOOHAN: Spike... I know you can do it. I didn't give you the Swordfish for nothing.

SPIKE: Don't you start crashing, either!

In the shuttle.

MILES: Maximum propulsion.

DOOHAN: You didn't have to force yourself to come with me.

MILES: You know how Blue Sox fans love to party!

DOOHAN: Let's go!

MILES: All right!

The shuttle takes off.

MILES: We're flying... We're REALLY flying!

Earth Space.

JET: Lower the nose by 0.6 degrees.

Spike lowers too far.

JET: You're in too deep! Spike, you'll burn to a crisp!

Spike spots Doohan's shuttle. The back of the shuttle opens up.

DOOHAN: This is the last chance!

Spike breaks off Swordfish's wings and falls into the shuttle.

MILES: It went in! It went in! That was perfect!

SPIKE: Doohan, you saved me.

DOOHAN: Not quite. Most of the heat-resistant tiles have peeled off. The temperature is rising...

MILES: T-The landing gear isn't coming down either!

DOOHAN: Oh yeah, and the #2 nozzle won't work either.

MILES: WHAT!? Is that for real? What are we gonna do? We can't land without them!

SPIKE: Oh well... Whatever happens, happens.

MILES: I KNEW I shouldn't have come up here! I'm still too young to die!

Spike spared a flash of sympathy for the younger man. He and Doohan had lived lives full of success and regrets, neither man cared overly much about their own survival in the grand scheme of things. But chatterbox Miles was basically just a kid. Far too young to sacrifice himself in an attempt to rescue a fool like Spike.

Fortunately for the lot of them, a crash landing was all that they had to worry about. Self sacrifice didn't have to end in death, after all!

Legacy

The elevator ride was silent as Mao rode with his security team to the Great Hall on one of the uppermost levels of the Red Dragon Tharsis Headquarters. He took in the view through the glass wall as the cart trundled quietly along its track, grateful for the peace of the moment that enveloped the small space. It was no small thing he was on his way to do, after all.

The sky had been clear all day - which he took as a sign that everything was moving into clarity. Now, some clouds were meandering into the airspace above the congestion of the city, but the sun was still beaming down on the skyscrapers such as the one he was presently in. Sunset was not far off, but for the time being it was as bright and warm as a person could hope for. Tharsis was well known for its rain, which even the weather control satellites had been unable to completely control. It amused him to think of the weather being as unruly and difficult to tame as the syndicates which thrived on the planet.

It had taken ages to convince the Van of his idea, but thankfully the White Tiger Capos seemed just as ready to bury the hatchet. Cooperation between their syndicates would mean more power, riches, and respect for them all. After so many years of rivalry, of violence and loss of life, this pact between them would usher in a brand new era of peace and prosperity. It would be his legacy - a fitting way to put a cap on years of dedicated service and all the recent effort he'd put into consolidation. The treaty, on a scroll tucked neatly under his arm, would finalize all the talking points that had been covered in the long months leading up to this day. That the Van trusted him to manage this meeting on his own was a source of pride that he had no shame in acknowledging. Pride had its place in life, as long as one didn't permit pride to control.

There was very little he was actually proud of, in fact. Regrets he had in spades, but accomplishments were few and far between. Once upon a time, he'd had the joy of recruiting and training some of the strongest candidates to one day take over the syndicate - and oh, how proud he'd been of those boys, boasting and bragging about their every achievement and conquest - but it had all fallen apart. The dream died when Spike died. Even if he secretly believed that Spike still lived, a hope that he had shared only with Annie, there was no chance for the future he'd once worked so hard to assure.

Years had passed by since that bleak day and Mao had turned his sights towards other worthwhile goals. And now, finally, the greatest would come to pass.

To transmute the bloodshed of the syndicate rivalry into a pact of solidarity that would see both into a glorious future... that was a legacy he could indeed revel in. A feat to stoke his ego, to make up for the shadow that had been cast upon the city for so long, to bring relief to his troubled mind. He would always carry the weight of his decisions, of the acts he'd condoned and the missions he'd set soldiers on. It would be good to have something pure and true to give back to the people, something they need not fear.

The doors slid open behind him and two members of his security team exited to swiftly survey the floor.

Mao took another moment to enjoy the scene spread before him. The Great Hall had enormous windows of its own to regale visitors with the cityscape stretched out below, and he was quite partial to that view as well, but it would be with new eyes that he gazed out of those windows. This would be the last time he would stare out at Tharsis as a city beleaguered by the incessant conflict of the two most powerful syndicates on Mars. It was a somber thing to take in. When he moved into the other room, he would sit with his back to the colossal windows so the White Tiger Capo could behold the grandeur behind Mao. It wouldn't be until the signatures were put to paper that he would be comfortable with turning his back on the other man and letting the splendor of the city - with all the shining promise it held - greet his eyes.

The sun would set on a day that would live in infamy. Tomorrow, a tentative new peace would dawn on Tharsis.

His legacy would soon unfold.