Page 4

"A strange coincidence...or perhaps a sign from a higher power one might say," Sia said in a sad tone. "Only a few days before team 16 vanished, we got a message from a crewmember that had been aboard Grayhart 12. Only three somehow made it back. They are returning here to give us a full report and will likely return to Earth or a civilian world after. Who knows what horrors they faced." Sia leaned against the table to look down at the city. "I would not see it happen again. For that, I am desperate. If you agree to go, to find this team and bring them back to us safely, I will pay you triple the usual price."

This got their full attention. No one said a word and waited instead on Adrien's order.

"We need a minute to discuss," he said after a moment.

Sia nodded. "Of course." She straightened and made for the door. "Take the time you need. I will be right outside."

As soon as the door closed, the whispers flew.

"Fuck me, that's forty million to the lot of us," Bruce said in a loud hiss.

"Yeah, except this feels a hell of a lot like a suicide mission," Amy said in turn.

"You heard the drogin, though. He said they would give us some of their weapons. I'd be down for a trade," Jerico added.

Elise looked to Adrien, who met her gaze. "That's a lot of money. Probably could live nicely on it if you don't go ham at the bar every week," she said honestly.

Adrien thought it over then raised his voice over the others. "We'll vote on it." Everyone quieted up and nodded in agreement to a vote. "All those in, raise your hand."

Bruce's and Jerico's went up immediately, followed by Reese, Helen, and Tom. Adrien raised his and looked to Elise. "One more mission," he said.

Elise knew she was going to raise her hand no matter what. But deep inside, she was hesitant. Amy—who hadn't raised her hand—wasn't completely wrong. It would be a difficult mission. But not impossible. If they made it back...

You saved us...our hero...thank you...

The memory of the little voice still rang true in her head, even when her heart jolted at the thought. It took effort not to think of the past—of the little voice laced with fear and the dark jungle where it had come from—as she raised her hand.

"Looks like a clear winner...send her back in," Adrien ordered Tom.

As Tom opened the door and Sia entered the room, Adrien stood and nodded his head. "We're in."

Two

Nezka sat silently at his pilot seat in the dark cabin, watching the lights of the city pass by. A soft blue light blinked at him, but he ignored it, his eyes narrowing in on a map of the city displayed before him on the console.

Eight turns of the planet. Eight days since he had spoken to Vesra in the callroom. Eight days since he had prepared his team to gather the humans. And as soon as they were geared up to go, what should happen but for the humans to go missing somewhere in the lower levels of the city. Five days now passed since their disappearance, and there hadn't been a single sign. What should have been a simple extraction now was the very opposite.

Nezka's hand, which had been resting calmly on the arm of his seat, slowly tightened into a fist.

Fuck.

The blinking blue light continued to flash and, without looking down, Nezka tapped his finger on the pad to take the call.

"Ruumas is back," came a low voice, "with one of them."

Nezka ended the call and lurched out of his seat, making his way out of the cabin and straight down the hall to the end of the ship. The sounds of moans, muffled by the door, grew clearer as Nezka entered into the holding dock where a small pod-ship sat amongst crates of supplies. Ahead, a group dressed in silvery black armor suits similar to his own stood around a creature with its back turned, crouched on the floor with its head bowed. Its clothes were ripped, droplets of blood staining the collar. As Nezka approached, the group stepped back save for one who barely flinched as Nezka stepped close to meet him.

The skra, an amphibious looking male with dark green skin, blinked at him. "He's stable. Just a little roughed up."

Nezka didn't look away. "Did anyone see you?"

The skra lifted his webbed hand and shook it once. "No."

Nezka turned and looked down at the creature before him, one of the cityfolk—a drogin. He crouched down, and the drogin lifted his head enough to see him, letting out a pitiful hissing cry. He spoke in a stuttering, unrecognizable speech, shaking.

Nezka gestured to his team, and one of his men came around and took hold of the drogin's head, placing a voicer across the drogin's mouth—a simple mask with a vent at the front. It took a few moments until the drogin's speech became clear, translated through the voicer.

"Please...please..." came a grated, wheezing voice. A small earpiece was shoved into the drogin's ear, and Nezka waited a short moment longer before speaking.