RIGHT. Here we go - the finale to the fic I started to pass the time when I was stranded in New Zealand back in April now seems to have evolved into one of my favourite pieces of work to write! Plus, it's served as a great prelude to what's to come in future works...

Thank you to everyone who has given me such lovely reviews and email feedback. You really do light up my day. I really hope it lives up to your expectations.

Suffice to say, Kada felt a tad concerned when he realised exactly who he was dealing with.

Ace Rimmer was the stuff of legend. An immortal figure of universal peace-keeping. A man who - if the stories were true - was capable of single-handedly defeating the simulant race.

And apparently, he'd thought that spoiling for a rumble would be a good idea. Oh great.

However if there's one thing that Sydians are known for, it's their deceptive nature. Their almost weasel-like sense of sneakiness. After all, it was how the precious treasure hidden in the dark depths of his pocket had been…acquired. And when one uses the term 'acquired' in a Sydian context, it's as loose as a gymnastically-trained Titan hooker.

Kada swallowed carefully. If he and his 'acquired' item were going to make the planned rendezvous and leave this sandpit of a planetoid together, he was going to need to put some seriously sneaky moves into practice. He was no stranger to fighting dirty should the need arise, and instinctively adopted his oft-used and deceptively convincing mask of humility.

"Apologies," he grovelled, his voice dripping with theatricality. "Had I known it was you - " Kada's eyes flitted thoughtfully between the dusty ground and the hologram's frown. Feigning submission, he bent down closer to the floor as if in severe pain, still caught in Rimmer's grasp. "A foolish mistake, I can assure you. Please - if you could see fit to release me and let me be on my way - "

Kada waited for the right moment. The point at which his cringe-worthy begging drew forth a disgusted roll of the eyes. And with that tiny window of opportunity, he struck. Scuffing a hand across the loose sand, he cast up the swirling dust into Rimmer's face.

"OWW! Smegging - "

Fighting to blink the sand from his eyes, Rimmer felt the heel of a palm thrust hard and fast into his chin. Stunned by the blow, he struggled to stay on his feet as a mist of shimmering stars exploded across his vision.

Taking advantage of his lapse in concentration, Kada spun them both outwards, wind-milling their arms so that the hologram had no choice but to release his grip. Bad move.

"Argh!"

As Rimmer finally wrenched his eyes back open, a flash of yellow caught his attention through the blurred haze. It seemed that something small and round had been cast free from Kada's robes during the spin, and he now clutched desperately at thin air, trying to snatch it back before Rimmer could notice.

It was a coin.

Bouncing twice off the ground, two sets of eyes watched as it rolled in a lazy circle - as if meandering in a shameless, drunken dance - before clattering to a final rest in the dust between them. A good two inches in diameter, the coin was far too large for the usual tender of the markets. Even from this distance, one could make out the distinctive Aztec-like patterns embossed into the shimmering gold.

Rimmer eyes narrowed in suspicion. The coin was almost certainly from the temple. In fact, it looked incredibly reminiscent of the temple's own Pene o Popare - the Coin of Protection - a symbol of Lati's plentiful love and generosity for her worshippers.

"Interesting." The word formed itself slowly, rolling with thoughtful consideration around his mouth. Silence hung stale in the air before their eyes met once more.

Kada coughed politely, proffering his well-rehearsed salesman smile – all flash and no substance. "A gift from the priesthood," he chuckled lightly. Wolverine fingers twitched under his cloak, hovering dangerously close to his sword.

Rimmer stared back at him, unimpressed. He didn't reply, simply cocking an eyebrow. And that small movement was all it took.

When he'd first died, Rimmer had hated being a hologram with a passion - but as Ace, he'd quickly learned to suck it up. Yes, death had its crappy drawbacks, but there were times when it came in rather useful. Such as, for example, when people were trying to kill you.

His electronic visual senses noticed the very instant that Kada drew forth his sword, before swinging it before him in one fluid and fatal movement. The arc of his slice seemed to slow, allowing Rimmer to tip back out of harm's way - enough to feel the wind of the blade and the sharp tickle of the tip against his throat as it passed by. In the same movement, he reached behind his back and drew a sword of his own, the chiming clang of blade against blade commanding the return of time to its usual pace.

"I don't think so, sunshine."

The air erupted with a flurry of swordplay, a clash of metal as the pair fought furiously - slicing, parrying and blocking one another's blows. Kada was clearly more than familiar with wielding a sword, but lacked the flare and polish that came with formal training.

Casting Kada's rather sloppy yoko giri attack to one side, Rimmer thrust forward with his sword. However, Kada was surprisingly swift in his retaliation and their blades buzzed with a low hum as they clashed in an ox-guard block, faces barely inches apart.

With an amused snort, Kada delivered a hard kick to the solar-plexus, casting Rimmer back from their locked position in a resonating slice of metal. Desperate, he quickly stooped to make a grab for the coin as the hologram regained his footing. However, he soon snatched back his hand just as we was about to lose it to Rimmer's sword, his head snapping back from a sharp elbow to the chin. Dazed, Kada staggered back before sinking to his knees.

Sword tip nestled protectively in the dust beside the coin, Rimmer scowled. "Two can play at that game, smegger," he muttered under his breath, his old voice biting through.

Knelt in the sand, Kada glanced up to regard him darkly past hooded eyes, fingers curling silently around his sword handle once more. Lips retreating into a primal snarl, he slashed out at Rimmer's legs and feet to force him into retreat, scrabbling forward in the dust with his free hand to snatch back the coin.

Startled by his desperation, Rimmer dodged quickly, skipping back with every blow as if this were some bizarre game of hopscotch. With the risk of losing his own hand to the Sydian's sword, Rimmer had no choice but to simultaneously use the tip of his sword to draw back the coin out of his reach, leaving behind a strange swirling trail in the dust.

Leaping to his feet with a frustrated growl, Kada swung a kesa giri - an overhead cut - to cut short his tactic. With the blade hurtling down upon him, Rimmer had no choice but to raise his sword to block, leaving the precious coin on the floor between them, unguarded. The pair glanced down to its innocent sparkle before their eyes met once more.

Still joined in their peculiar lock of swords, clouds of dust began to curl up from the ground as a scrabble of feet ensued. With a series of mutual kicks, toe scuffs and knee jabs, the pair fought to plant a claiming foot on the coin - lips flinching and noses twitching at the delicate operation.

Finally, with a powerful shoulder-barge, Rimmer managed to topple the Sydian off-balance for just a moment; enough for him to stamp a guarding shoe on top of the coin, silencing its shimmer in the low light.

"Ha!" he cried victoriously, in a tone rather reminiscent to his old self.

Oddly enough, Kada seemed unfazed by his opponent's triumph. In fact, a wicked grin split his wolverine features as with vindictive force, he aimed a swift kick at Rimmer's unguarded crotch.

It was Sod's Law really. The bods who had created the hologram technology had failed to replicate three out of the five senses, rendering those resurrected as completely incorporeal - unable to taste, touch or feel anything.

However, the one sensation their subsequent upgrades had been able to replicate faithfully was the startling realism of receiving a blow to the bollocks.

Initially it was the shock that stunned him, his sword dropping like a dead weight to the floor. And then came the explosion of agony, powerful enough to conjure tears that pricked in his eyes. With a shocked wheeze, he crumpled to the floor, the rhythm of pain from Beelzebub's own drum pulsing through his entire body.

With a barely-concealed smirk, Kada sheathed his sword and snatched up the forgotten coin from the dust. Rimmer could barely concentrate on that treasure, with his hands full of his own family jewels.

"It's been a pleasure!" the Sydian announced with a sweeping bow, before hurrying away into the shadows of the market's maze

Rimmer groaned as he staggered to his feet. "Defend, then gloat," he reminded himself, his voice rather creaky. He sheathed his own sword before embarking on a fuming, yet hobbling pursuit of the thief. "Defend, then gloat."

Kada's long coat rippled in the wind as he sprinted into the shadows of the abandoned market stalls, disappearing at a worryingly swift pace. Rimmer scowled as he raced after him, leaping over the wooden vegetable crates that Kada kicked and knocked back to shatter and splinter in his wake.

That smegging Sydian may have speed on his side but Rimmer knew these streets. The patterns of the market alleys were engrained in his mind from weeks and months of mooching, and a flash of realisation hit him as he clocked the sign ahead that read Piti Porowha - or 'Bidder's Square'.

With renewed purpose, Rimmer took the next left and followed him in the parallel alley, carefully tracking the black blur in the corner of his eye as it flitted in and out of sight behind the sandstone buildings. Although far narrower, this street was clear of crates, allowing him to not only catch up with the Sydian, but gain a few precious seconds on him.

Rimmer grit his teeth as he pounded up the stone steps that led to the auctioneer's gantry. He only had one shot at this. But like most things in life, it all boiled down to a leap of faith…

Panting heavily, Kada risked a glance over his shoulder as he continued to run. The shadows behind him were strangely empty - the beating footsteps that had once followed him now silent. A wicked grin stretched across his face. Looks like that wannabe Maitiaki had given up the chase.

Ahead of him the street opened up into a tiny square, the sandy floor patterned with the footprints of the day's bidders. And just as the rippling awnings of the alley opened up to the dying sunlight of the open air, it was swiftly drowned out by a shadow that swallowed him whole.

Kada hardly had a chance to react. He glanced up just in time to see the hologram descending from the sky, barrelling into him in a rugby tackle so rough the wind was ripped from his lungs. The resulting collision sent them both crashing backwards through an arched wooden doorway on the street corner, shattering it into blue-painted shards.

The family inside were understandably a little shocked.

One minute the market auctioneer, his wife, and their young daughter had been enjoying a quiet family meal together. The next minute an alien pair - a Sydian and a human Maitiaki - had exploded through their front door, landing in a blanket of wooden splinters that now littered the dining room floor-tiles.

Scrabbling back to the relative safety that the corner of the room offered, the trio watched open-mouthed as the strange pair battled in a furious flurry of punches. Their mutual desperation was clear as the Maitiaki pinned the Sydian to the floor, snatching for some hidden object in his tightly clamped fist.

Grabbing him by the loose cloth of his shoulders, the Sydian thrust up his boot to meet the Maitiaki's chest and threw him bodily over his shoulder to free himself with an audible growl. He quickly pulled himself to his feet, snatching at the nearest chair that set nestled under the dining room table and thrust it forth in defence. The Maitiaki was fast in his recovery, launching himself at the Sydian as if the whole performance were some strange lion-taming parody.

Wielding it like a primitive club, he swung the chair hard and fast towards the Maitiaki's head. On the first swing, he managed to dodge its trajectory just in time. On the second swing, he didn't even allow it the satisfaction. With an angered snarl, the Maitiaki delivered a powerful roundhouse kick that swiftly retired the chair to nothing more than firewood kindling.

The flurry of punches and blocks resumed once more, with the Sydian clearly desperate to reach the staircase doorway that led up to the roof. Yet the Maitiaki didn't seem like he was going to grant him the pleasure as he snatched him by the cloak and wrenched him back, slamming him against the stone hearth.

The resulting force cast the row of dusky clay bowls free from the shelf behind him, smashing by their feet into jagged shards. The Maitiaki was obviously not happy with his attempts to escape, delivering two sharp knee-jabs to the stomach to voice his displeasure.

Riled, the Sydian thrust his head forward in a vicious head-butt, shoving himself free as the Maitiaki staggered back from the blow. He concluded with a potent side-kick that sent the hooded man flying backwards across the room and crashing onto the dining table, snapping it neatly in two.

The family watched, still with open-mouthed disbelief, as the Sydian dusted his hands at his work. He gave a cursory nod to the trio.

"Te-nei ahiahi," he said politely, and then made a sharp exit through the door and up the stairs.

The auctioneer and his wife exchanged bemused glances, surveying the devastation he'd left in his wake. They glanced back as with a weak groan, the Maitiaki hauled himself to his feet, picking his way upright amongst the splintered devastation beneath him.

Turning back to face them, he clasped his hands together in a meek bow, gesturing apologetically at the broken table.

"Aroha mai tata te paparahua," he offered, panting heavily.

And with that, he was gone.

The sky was darkening rapidly now, sinking into a palette of inky blues. The clouds still clung to what remained of the day, their once innocent whites now bleeding an eerily beautiful red tinge in the dusk.

Tonga hurried across the square to the trio of Blerion guards, picked out by their red and gold uniforms. "Have you found him yet?" he asked quickly.

They each shook their heads. "We only have a rough description from earlier sightings in the day," the captain explained. "About an hour ago, we received a couple of reports that a Sydian had been acting suspiciously in the market square, frequently loitering around the temple doors." He dipped his head in reverence. "My apologies that we did not act quicker."

Tonga sighed gently. "The guardians haven't seen anybody leave the city gates so he's got to still be here," he reasoned. "We just need to - "

"Look! Up there!"

The pair swivelled back to see the young guard gesturing towards the distant rooftops of the market buildings. Tonga's eyes narrowed to follow his finger tracing the path of two silhouetted figures, racing at an impressive speed across the horizon.

A knowing smile stretched across Tonga's face. "Good lad," he muttered under his breath.

In a crazed flutter of wings, a flock of roosting birds cast up into the evening air as two pairs of feet thundered by.

Kada growled to himself as he pushed himself faster, leaping, clambering and sliding across every level and angle of the city's rooftops. Despite his good head-start, the damned Maitiaki was still in hot pursuit, refusing to give up the chase.

He gripped the coin tighter in his pocket. They clearly both understood how much was at stake, but each had their own motivations. Kada's face hardened. It just fell down to how far you were willing to go to get what you wanted.

Rimmer's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he clocked the Sydian's strangely knowledgeable route. Rather than choosing a sensible path to make an easy escape, it seemed as though he was happy to take on steep inclines and risky leaps. It could only be for one reason. He had an appointment to make.

Indeed, the Sydian almost seemed to hesitate as he realised the distance he was going to have to jump in order to reach the neighbouring building. Yet with the determination only seen in the most skilled or desperate of men, he leapt, arms wind-milling in mid-air as if to help propel him forward, landing feet first on the building opposite.

However, he must have landed too heavily or too awkwardly. Rimmer watched across the expanse as the Sydian sunk to a crouch as if in pain, head bowed into shadow. He smiled to himself. Looks like this little game of cat and mouse was over.

Conjuring an extra burst of speed to ensure the best possible run up, Rimmer pushed off from the ledge and leapt. It wasn't until he was mid-air, hurtling towards the neighbouring roof, that he realised not only had he made a fatal mistake, but it was far too late to rectify.

They were like pulses of sensations. The stark yellow of the Sydian's eyes as they locked with his. The glint of sword-metal. The searing pain across his abdomen as he passed.

Rimmer hit the ground hard, spinning over and over in the dust before skidding to a halt in the clouds it conjured forth. Gritting his teeth, he curled up his knees instinctively, clutching his stomach. He could feel the heat pulsing from the wound already, the disconcerting numbness in his chest as his lightbee buzzed into overdrive, quickly trying to knot together the electrons of his image once more.

Kada chuckled as he approached, sheathing his sword underneath his cloak. "You truly are a glutton for punishment, aren't you?" he observed, shaking his head. "A shame really. I expected a lot more from the legendary Ace Rimmer." He shrugged. "Still, the fairytale rarely lives up to the reality, does it?"

Unable to get up, Rimmer merely scowled back at him. His self-repair would still take a couple more minutes to rectify the damage the sword-blow had inflicted, so he was armed with nothing but words to war with.

"You don't even believe in what the coin means to these people, do you?" he demanded. "What it stands for?" Sucking in a sharp breath as more electrons knotted together in repair, Rimmer shook his head. "Why the hell do you want it so badly?"

Kada snorted. "Are you kidding?" he shot back, incredulous. "Blerion gold this rare and pure would go for a hefty price in the off-world trading posts." His eyes glazed over as they pictured a life of wealth and grandeur. "I wouldn't have to work again - " he mused dreamily.

His attention was snatched by a distant flash on the horizon. A strange light grew in size and form as it steadily powered towards them.

A wicked smile crept along Kada's face. "Right on time," he nodded.

Unbeknownst to both Kada and Rimmer, Tonga and the guards listened in the street below as a tinny buzz on the wind grew louder and stronger. They clutched their ears as it reached a steady crescendo of thumping bass roaring so loud, the stall-owners were drawn forth from their houses to spill onto the streets in abject wonder.

High above them, the distinctive shape gave it away. A Sydian transport craft - barely large enough for three people - cruised across the sky, blocking out the weak glow of the dusky clouds.

Tonga's fingers retreated back into tightly-clenched fists. "What are you doing up there?" he hissed to himself.

The ship paused thoughtfully high above the rooftops before sinking down into a hover, as close to the building as it dared. Now crouched on the floor, Rimmer shielded his eyes as the ship's engines whipped up the loose sand from the ground below, sending it swirling up into the sky.

Kada cackled happily as a panel on the ship's underbelly unlocked, easing down into an open platform for his access. He turned back to face him, his black robes billowing.

"Nice try, hologram!" he howled over the roar of the ship's engines. "But I'm afraid you're just not ready to play with the big boys."

Rimmer watched as the Sydian tossed up the coin playfully, noticing how it winked in the neon glow of the hazard lights. And it was in that flash - that moment right there - when the realisation hit him.

"Yes I am."

The moment Kada tore away his gaze and turned back to the ship's platform in preparation to jump, Rimmer seized upon the opportunity. He kept his eyes locked on the Sydian's back, watching as he leapt with outstretched hands and grabbed onto the ship's platform, struggling to pull himself up against the fierce wind of the engines.

And as the ship slowly began to rise once more as it prepared to leave this godforsaken planetoid behind, Rimmer closed the gap between them with a speed and desperation he'd never known before.

Springboarding a flying leap from the roof, Rimmer threw his entire body weight onto the dangling Sydian and latched his arms and legs around his torso with a vice-like grip. The momentum sent them swinging back and forth precariously, the swirling dust rising up to encircle them both.

Yet the combination of shock and extra weight proved too much for wolverine clutches. With a strangled cry, his fingertips slid from the metal gantry and he let go, sending the pair tumbling free-fall to the street below.

The Blerion captain reeled back as the pair plummeted towards them, their black silhouettes outlined against the harsh glare of the ship's lights.

"Incoming!" he hollered.

Startled by the daring approach, Tonga's breath shuddered. His panicked eyes flitted across the dark alley until they lit upon an abandoned vegetable cart, laden with rotting spoils.

Racing over, Tonga sprung his weight onto his left leg and kicked the cart with as much force as he could conjure. The creaking wooden wheels were pressed into swift conscription as it squealed off across the alley in a ramshackle rescue mission, providing the perfect cushioning when the pair landed with a sickening squelch in its mulch within.

Without a moment's hesitation the ship rose up and powered across the city, abandoning both its mission and its last remaining crewmember. Tonga watched as the silhouette disappeared into the glowing horizon, swallowed by the last dying embers of the sunset. He shook his head sadly. It spoke volumes about how self-serving the Sydians really were.

He glanced across with a smug smile of self-satisfaction as the trio of guards hauled the Sydian bodily out from the cart with an audible squelch, escorting him swiftly away in a clatter of chains. Rimmer was left to pull himself free from the muck, picking his way towards him with barely-concealed disgust.

Tonga raised an eyebrow. "I take it you've managed to retrieve the coin?" he asked.

Exhausted, Rimmer brandished it wordlessly, the glimmering gold not at all marred by its excursion across the city.

The Blerion sighed. "You could have conducted that pursuit a little less publicly, you know," Tonga stated simply, his face still and solemn. "A little less destruction and a little more decorum, perhaps?"

Rimmer stared back hard as he panted heavily, his abdomen still pulsing and flickering with a weak glow as his lightbee concluded its self-repair. The torn and splattered robes were now ruined beyond rescue, his hood wrenched back to reveal an explosion of ruffled blonde locks. His chest heaved with a little more than pure exertion as he stood, dangerously silent.

"What?" he snapped suddenly - expressed in his old voice before he could even stop himself.

Tonga couldn't keep up the pretence any longer. A cheeky smile tobogganed across his features, his lips bubbling with restrained giggles. He pulled Rimmer into a headlock as he walked him back to the temple through the receding crowds, rubbing his knuckles against his head so hard his scalp burned from the friction.

"You're really easy to wind up," Tonga managed, his laughter now riotous. "You know that, don't you?"

Darkness had now reclaimed the sleeping city. The night shadows had crept through the streets, holding silent dominion until the return of the day.

Tonga stood alone in the square outside the temple, picking out the distant stars that had now begun to emerge from the eternal darkness of the night sky. Each of them seemed to sparkle with their own story to tell, winking back at him wordlessly.

Lone footsteps sounded on the stone steps behind him. Tonga swivelled back to see Rimmer emerging from the temple, dressed in the gold lamé outfit that could only signify one outcome.

Rimmer shrugged at Tonga's questioning eyebrow. "My Maitiaki outfit was way beyond repair," he explained. "I'd have been risking indecent exposure if I wore it again out in public again." He glanced down at himself, despairing at the bacofoil get-up. He really had to get around to changing it. "These are the only clothes I own now."

Pulling his robes tighter across his body, Tonga gestured back to the temple. "So you managed to return the coin to its rightful place?"

"It's all tucked in for bed, don't worry," Rimmer parried back. His eyes dropped to his boot as he scuffed the sand, pausing for a moment before he continued. "When I was putting it back, I saw the Mahita again."

A little uneasy, Tonga glanced up. "What did he say?"

The hologram shrugged. "He didn't." He crossed his arms, tucking his fingers under the warmth of his arms. "Just nodded."

Tonga pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Fair enough."

The square was abandoned now. What was once a hive of activity was now quiet and still, save for the odd whistle and howl of the bitter desert wind.

"I know it was hard for you," Tonga offered in the silence that followed. "But trust me. Every single one of those 124 days has brought you a step closer to who you need to be out there."

He fell quiet for a moment, regarding the night sky once more. He gave a low sigh.

"And now the stars beckon for your return."

A flutter of apprehension flared in Rimmer's chest. From under the feathered bangs of his fringe, he stared up at the foreboding blackness that held so many galaxies, colonies, dangers and foes.

And in that moment, he realised how small and insignificant he felt against the vast enormity of the universe and its infinite dimensions. How heavy they felt weighing upon his shoulders. How their voices called to him all at once, vying to be heard.

Wrenched from his reverie by the sound of receding footsteps, he spun back to catch Tonga crossing the abandoned square, heading towards the temple. Rimmer scowled.

"So what, is that it?" he called after him angrily. "After all that, you're just going to walk away? Not even say goodbye?"

The hooded figure slowed and stopped, pausing momentarily before turning back to face him. "I believe it is you who is walking away, not I," Tonga explained evenly. "Besides, we shall see each other again. Or rather, I shall certainly see you again - but not in the form I see you in now."

Rimmer swallowed hard. "Tonga – "

"I know you're still afraid," Tonga nodded, understanding. "But don't worry. All is not lost." Despite the space between them, his soft words seemed to carry across the square on the cold chill of the night air. "When the time is right, you will find the nirvanah you seek so desperately."

Rimmer's mouth fell open. "Nirvanah - ?" he managed, blinking unsteadily. "You - you think I'll see her again?"

Even from the depths of his hood, Rimmer could pick out a grin that stretched wide across Tonga's face. "Goodbye, Ace," he replied simply. Stepping back slowly, he watched him for a moment before turning away to head for the temple. "And good luck!" he called over his shoulder.

As the echoes of his footsteps faded away into the darkness, Rimmer regarded the stars once more. A rare smile, small at first but growing in confidence, swept across his face.

He found himself appreciating – not for the first time – that the universe had a strange sense of humour when it came to karma.

Well folks, that's a wrap. I really do hope you've enjoyed this fic as much as I've enjoyed writing it!

Now it's time to change channel, dear readers. I'm going to be switching temporarily to the author name CazEvelyn in order to publish the long awaited sequel to 'The Ace Chronicles' and 'The Prophecy' - Cosmic Castaway: The New Divide.

Please do tune in. Looking forward to seeing you over there...