There is no reason for life, or at least none that mortals can find. Precious life can last an eon or a second, hardly of any importance in the scheme of things. Life can be given or taken in an instant, and is a thing to be treasured above all. And yet who truly has the authority to give it or take it, who truly has the right? When it is threatened, the liver will fight with strength dredged up from the sheer will to live, will fight tenaciously and fiercely, and will even take another's life to keep their own. But few think of these things in the heat of battle, where life is as common as the weapons that take it, and where there is no mercy. There it is kill or be killed.
But life has meaning for the holder. When it loses this meaning and becomes worthless, then it follows that the killer's life is forfiet. And yet even the merciless killer will fight ferociously for his life, refusing to let go to his awareness and abilities to be engulfed by the emptiness of Death. Life is a thing prized above all, or should be.
Life exists for its' own sake. Life makes changes, change makes life. Life holds so many things dependant on its' very existance, things that would be as empty and meaningless without life in the same way that dark has no meaning without light to compare it to. If life did not exist, Death wouldn't either, and nor would any emotion or change. Only one who has met the blank, hungry eyes of Death itself without flinching, trading stare for stare and accepting his fate, and yet surviving, can truly appreciate the great privelege of life.
KRSplat had met those empty eyes. He had defied both Death and Life, and so had kept his life when it no longer mattered. He was one of the few who would not kill if he could help it in a galaxy full of murderous assassins. Now he roved in a tiny one-man ship, the Eyes of Death. Few understood the name, but he didn't care. It meant something to him.
The Eyes of Death was a ship that had just enough room for him, a few simple controls, the engines and the life-support system. It had no weapons, and was the true black of space, with deep blue stripes along the wings. It was shaped in a crescent, like a large ring on which the band didn't quite meet in the back, but instead the two halves had been tapered into points. It had a solar-powered hyperdrive, and was quite a nice piece of work in KRSplat's opinion.
The Eyes of Death was just now powering up to enter hyperspace again. She needed some repairs from a run-in with a couple of pirates, but KRSplat had used the old trick of no shields, then flipping them on suddenly. Strangely, the ship had also let out a burst of brilliant white light that had dazzled the pirates and had given him time to enter hyperspace. He intended to check out what had made it do that, and to enhance it if he could. Tubelectric was the logical choice.
Unknown to KRSplat, Tubelectric had undergone a cloaking operation, making it virtually invisible to any questing eyes. Standard scanners could not pick it up.
Luckily, the Eyes of Death did not have a standard scanner.

"It's no good, Copper," said Grath, shaking his head. "I haven't a clue where he is."
"It might be no good anyhow, Grath," said Claw grimly. "They could have already gotten him."
"No!" Copper hissed. "No! Don't you dare give up! He's a friend, Claw - and I wouldn't leave you to the cares of the Deathless Ones, and you can't tell me you would leave me either. Friends help each other. Keep searching - he may be somewere you haven't been before. Wildie might find him, she knows who he is. He could be anywhere."
"Or not," Claw said gloomily. Copper looked slightly pale - but that could be a trick of the light. Claw watched her with something like confusion. He still didn't know why he remained with the odd mercenary, except to say that he was drawn to her for some reason, like a moth to a light. She had nearly gotten him killed several times, but still he remained. He'd been almost killed so many times he couldn't count them, true, and those details that should have been blurred by the countless seasons, the millions of years that he had been in existance, were still there as if it had just happened. But still -
I may have been 'killed' many times before, but I have never come so close to actual death than with Kroys, he thought caustically. He didn't know what kept reviving him; indeed, those times where he had actually seen the Gates of the Timeless Realms were not exactly few, but just as he always laid a hand on them something always yanked him back. A sense of unfulfilled duty, perhaps, though he could be blasted it he remembered what it was, oh yes. Death was no stranger to him. He had brought more creatures to that One and to the Gates than any other combined, he was sure. He'd met it more times than he might of liked, but he did not fear Death. Disliked, but not feared. Claw never feared. But somehow Coppertop was closer to the edge between Life and Death than any he'd ever seen before, barring himself and Shinyso. For all her youthful looks, he knew that she'd met Death at least three times. She had that look about her.
Why don't I just leave? he asked himself again.
Because, the Answer said, you and she have kindred souls. She is a friend; you cannot abandon her. You know that.
I know it, but I don't have to like it, he growled silently. Copper looked exhausted. While he had been thinking, Wildie had entered and was searching for KRSplat now.
The Assassin was actually situated underwater. Seeing as there was no other 'safe' place to land, they were now on the bottom of the ocean. The life-support system was drawing their oxygen from the water, and several curious fish were now dinner. If one had that kind of sense of humor, their situation was actually quite funny. Well, in a couple hours they could go to find both KRSplat and Emerald Dragon.
Claw was not certain what to think about the newcomers, Zazz Darkfist and Saturn. Zazz swore that he was just staying around for a short time, until they reached wherever they were going. Saturn - he did not like Saturn. She could be either cold or overemotional, with no medium. She was too uncontrolled for his liking, any magic-user could sense those feelings halfway across the galaxy. Blast, he could even feel it now! She was feeling slighted and was disappointed in Copper, but was feeling slightly fascinated by both him and Shinyso. He snorted. He'd disabuse her of the notion as soon as she met him.
He cautiously liked Zazz, because the young bounty hunter was honest and trustworthy. He was also very controlled and lethal, a combination that Claw admired in one so young. Darkfist had told Copper that he was only 16, or Claw would have been tempted to think that he was a bit older. Zazz kept his distance, refraining from becoming friends with anybody, reinforcing his claim of 'just passing through' - except for Coppertop's cousin (he'd never expected that) Nightshade. Darkfist seemed to like Shade unlike anybody else - like kindred souls, the Answer corrected.
Claw didn't know where the Answer came from, but it was always there. He didn't particularly care, either. Mostly he ignored it.
"Copper!" Angel's voice cut through his thoughts. "Copper, I've found him."
"Where is he? Can you reach him?"
"He's on Tubelectric, enhancing some shielding thing on his new ship. I might be able to reach him, but I don't know."
"Try. I think it's worth it."
"'Kay. Hang on." She closed her eyes and settled into a light trance again.
"Tubelectric has recently undergone a cloaking operation that leaves it invisible to searching eyes," Claw informed Coppertop disinterestedly. "Unless you have excellent scanners, you will not find it."
"I'll find it. I have ways," Copper said coolly. She turned as Angel tugged at her shirt. "What?"
"He's not in danger at the moment. He says that he's already eluded the Deathless Ones several times. He thinks he can wait until we find Emerald Dragon."
"Good. Emerald's in more danger anyhow."
"I agree."
"Right. The logical place to look is the city, so I think that we'd better start searching ..."