Five waves of cluster-missiles launched in rapid succession. No advanced guidance system, no remote ship link, nothing but basic AI ammunition programmed to destroy everything caught in its deadly net. The same tactic used against the Cassandrians: waves and waves of missiles followed by a host of shuttle fighters and the occasional boarding party. This time there were no shuttles.

　　Using Incandescent`s processing power, I ran a series of simulations. Six percent of the entire Scuu presence were to be destroyed, extremely inefficient given the firepower used. But efficiency wasn`t the strategy; it was victory through overwhelming force and numbers, just as the Cassandrians used to fight. From experience, I knew that a quarter of the time, they failed.

　　Any news on Radiance? I asked.

　　Nothing yet, Incandescent replied, sounding somewhat annoyed. Spark is back, though.

　　That made four ships on board with my plan. Hopefully they wouldn`t mess up.

　　Any comm attempts?

　　I know you`re a relic, but you don`t have to remind me every fifty milliseconds.

　　The Scuu ships changed their movement pattern. Faced with the waves of missiles, they broke off from their standard pattern formations, spreading out into new formations like layers of protective shielding. The behavior made me feel uneasy. Back when I was on the front, it was normal for all ships to link through our comm channels to devise strategies multitudes more complex than our enemies. Looking at the simulation, I just saw the same tactic used on us.

　　That explains why the comm window is still up, I thought.

　　They knew they couldn`t affect the missiles, but they were able to diminish the losses. Based on current simulations, the losses would be reduced by between seventy-two and eighty-one percent. A series of Scuu clusters thrust in a spiraling orbit, detonating as many of the cluster heads as they could. Five waves, five defensive layers while the two factions continued fighting. The most alarming part was that even pushed back, each side used the better positioning of the defense layers to form new patterns with which to attack.

　　Over two hundred thousand human ships had entered the system, according to Incandescent. All of them were experimental classes with classified blueprints and capabilities at least on par with the existing auxiliary class. HQ likely thought they would take advantage of the fracturing and earn a territorial victory with one big push or at the very least capture the system and attempt to flank the Scuu by creating a second front. Given the numbers, all simulations backed that theory, which made me suspicious.

　　Three human flotillas proceeded forward launching their missile salvos. Once again, the Scuu retreated. Enemy ships moved in seemingly chaotic fashion, along lines with ever-changing vectors, fighting each other as they did. It was like a series of spirals clashing against each other while they were pushed back by a straight line.

　　More Scuu reinforcements have jumped in, Incandescent transmitted. They won`t affect our approach vector.

　　How many?

　　Approximately fourteen thousand.

　　With the number already in the system, it was becoming impossible to make the calculation on mass alone. Incandescent felt that he had reached the limit of his capabilities and I knew that bothered him. In the mind of young ships, the point they reached their processing limit was the point at which they stopped growing until the next fleet refit.

　　It`s alright, I said with a virtual smile. Focus on the approach.

　　He didn`t respond. If we managed to survive, I`d likely have to apologize for my words. Either that, or he`d thank me for them. It was always random with the young ones. At the moment, my concern was the BICEFI. The Scuu were pulling the human armada in, just like they had done with the Shields centuries ago. According to my simulations, the strategy wasn`t going to work; instead, it was going to draw more of them into the system until the number was sufficient for the HQ to order the destruction of another dome.

　　"You`re drifting," Kridib said.

　　I ended all simulations and closed my link with Incandescent. Kridib was right. I didn`t have the capacity to be distracted.

　　"Three minutes fourteen until we enter the safety bubble," Incandescent announced. "Captain has given the go ahead."

　　Of course he had. Kol wasn`t the sort of man that knew when to take responsibility and when not. He reminded me somewhat of Gibraltar, if Gibraltar had been raised in the military.

　　"Have the other teams wait. We`ll launch first. Sixty seconds later the rest will follow."

　　"The window`s too small," Kridib commented.

　　"Or too large," I shot back. "It`s a compromise."

　　"Think the Scuu`ll swoop after us, Ma`am?" Corporal Viera asked.

　　I looked at the team. Once again, we were on a shuttle ready for a suicide mission, only this time no one was enthusiastic about it. Project Orpheus and the contact mission both were aimed at giving us an advantage in the war. This was taking back control from a rogue captain. Rumors of Renaan`s insanity had already spread, leading people to speculate whether or not the Scuu had gotten to him. Apparently, even murder troops had missions they did not like.

　　"There`s always that danger," I replied.

　　Is the Gregorius functioning? I asked Incandescent.

　　The defense protocols are functioning, he said, avoiding the question.

　　Thank you, Inca. I stood up from my seat. There was a seventy-eight percent probability that Juul had managed to kill Gregorius. If that were the case, the auxiliary cores were the only thing keeping the ship in operation, making it a far more vulnerable target. There was, however, a twenty-two percent probability he had failed.

　　"We launch in fifteen minutes." I put my helmet on my seat. "Go over the mission specs until then. I`ll be back shortly" I headed towards the exit.

　　"Yes, ma`am."

　　"Where are you going?" Kridib interrupted mid step.

　　"Medical." I turned around. "I need to check something."

　　The corporal gave me an indifferent glance, then leaned back. Like everyone else he was in full combat gear, leady to jump into action. Just another broken kid in uniform among the millions. I offered a reassuring smile and left the shuttle.

　　The hangar was full with shuttles and military personnel. One of the few areas that remained off limits to standard crew even with crowding, it composed what ground forces we could gather. With the majority having remained on the Gregorius, Captain Kol reassigned most of the security personnel, along with my shuttle team and every combat-trained individual the ship had. Given the force that was expecting us, the chances for survival were slim. By my estimation, less than two present of the entire force would survive if it came to combat.

　　The fighting is intensifying, Incandescent said, reestablishing a direct link. The fleet is sustaining losses.

　　It was a matter of time. Relying on a constant missile barrage was only efficient until the missiles ran out. How many?

　　A hundred and seventeen destroyed, two thousand seven hundred and ninety-one have sustained damage. The fleet`s still advancing, so we won`t be affected.

　　Where`s the fighting focused?

　　Mostly in the outer system. Everyone is keeping away from the debris field and the inner planet. It`s possible there`s combat in orbit of the third planet.

　　And Radiance?

　　I can`t find a trace in the system.

　　That meant she was likely destroyed. The lack of confirmation meant it was possible for Nitel to have ordered her to jump to another location. Possible, though unlikely given everything else going on. In this case, I allowed myself to have some hope& just as I had had hope for Cass. Ultimately, she had survived and enjoyed some moments of clarity, even in her state.

　　A decontamination chamber was waiting for me near the hangar entrance. Unlike the other ones, this had been constructed specifically for me with one thing in mind. The moment I entered, the doors closed behind me. Moments later, a section of the walls opened up, revealing a perfect metal cube along with a large opaque sample container.

　　Do we have human approval? I opened the sample case. The insides were heavily coated with carbon alloy and protective foam.

　　You have the go from all senior officers. A few have noted formal complaints.

　　Did the captain?

　　The complaints were anonymous. I just know the contents.

　　Big surprise there.

　　I carefully took the metal cube and put it in the casing. This was the second time I had handled a living ship core. It was a duplicate, but it still felt like having a ship in my hands. Even if not connected, Incandescent would still have a set of memories of the mission, memories he would merge with the already existing ones if I were successful. More importantly, he was the only chance I had of regaining control of the Gregorius whether he had been destroyed or not.

　　It`ll be alright, I closed the case. It`s just another mission.

　　I know the odds, Incandescent scoffed.

　　You also know we`re expendable.

　　The people aboard, though, weren`t. Witnessing a mutiny had its toll on every ship, even if they could have their memories restricted the day after.

　　Securing the core, I made my way back to the shuttle. All talk stopped the moment I walked in. Kridib was leaning back, his helmet on and at full opacity. There was no telling whether he was sleeping or watching me silently. A quick attempt to link to his mind produced nothing.

　　"Incandescent, prep for launch." I took my seat. Having two containers made it slightly uncomfortable—more for the others than me—but I couldn`t risk having third contact-artifacts being in the same case as an active core.

　　We`ve not in the safety bubble yet, he said directly to me.

　　Just this shuttle. The rest wait until I`m halfway there. If the shuttle is downed, inform the fleet Gregorius has gone rogue and flee the bubble.

　　Whatever you say.

　　"Suits on." I put on my helmet. Several messages popped up, confirming everything was in order. "Block all comms. From here on we`ll be on direct audio."

　　The order was obeyed in silence. I saw a few soldiers checking their weapons. Having them jumpy this early on was a bad sign. Unless they managed to calm down, their effectiveness would be vastly reduced.

　　"Those who can, get some sleep. It`ll be a while before we reach the access hangar. I need you sharp."

　　The section shook as the engines ignited. The few who hadn`t quickly strapped in. I held tightly to the sample cases. I felt a sudden acceleration; the shuttle AI was being way too enthusiastic about getting us there.

　　"Goodbye, Inca," I whispered.

　　From this moment on, I was in full command of the mission. Waiting five thousand milliseconds for us to clear the hangar, I put the mission objectives on my helmet`s display. I had been the one who had devised it, and also the one who saw the flaws. In theory, everything was simple: the shuttle would take a standard approach to the second aft emergency hangar. Once there, we were going to attempt establishing contact with Gregorious` boarding routines and have him open the hangar door. If that failed, I was going to head out and attempt a manual override using Incandescent`s auxiliary core. The other shuttles were to follow suit, each heading to one of twenty-nine hangar locations spread all over the ship. The key was for our effort to be coordinated and allow us to simultaneously storm the ship& and hope that no one engaged the mutiny protocols.

　　"Privacy mode, full isolation." My helmet became pitch black, leaving only Gregorius` schematics visible. "This is Cadet Light Seeker, doing my permission report. Third-contact has failed. The Scuu engagement in the system and conflicting priority orders have prevented me from reaching the inner planet or establishing contact. I`m heading to the Gregorius in an attempt to achieve contact using alternative means. Additional point." I paused. There was a lot to say, but unlike before I had to be careful about it. Political powers within the fleet would use my words to push for their agenda, resulting in a hasty withdrawal of an all-out war. "There`s evidence that the Scuu presence has affected parts of the crew, including the command staff still present on the Gregorius. I`m working under the assumption that the present captain might have been compromised. I`ll be prepared for a full inquiry and arbitration concerning my actions."

　　Short and sweet. I added all details I knew regarding Gregorius` core replacement using voxel positioning. The key was linked to Lux. Knowing her, she`d be smart enough to find it.

　　"Encrypt the message using maximum encryption. Backup to shuttle." With luck, if something killed me, it wouldn`t destroy the entire shuttle. "Privacy mode off."

　　What happened to you, Radiance?

　　In the system, war was probably approaching its culmination point. I strongly suspected that specially assigned flotillas were on their way to take control of the area around the inner planets. Had Radiance been given the same order I had long ago? Would she be willing to destroy a planet and thousands of lives as long as that eliminated the Scuu fleets? Everything considered, probably yes. I had, after all.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

　　Three races all touched by the artifacts, yet unaware of each other. Humanity had stumbled into the Scuu. I had only seen bits and pieces in the Scuu network, but enough to know it wasn`t an accident. The first human ships had ventured into Scuu space searching for something, and that had triggered a response. The Cassandrians came later and immediately started colonizing systems. Each race had third-contact artifacts and used them however they could. Based on this little information, there were no firm conclusions I could reach& until I discovered the marker star: technological advancement radiated along a line. The Scuu were more advanced than us and we were superior to the Cassandrians. The race on the other side of Scuu territory had to be even more advanced—the third-contact race. The Scuu were so ahead of everyone else because they were in a region abundant with artifacts as well as the time to understand them better. The question was whether they were in war with the other race or not. Once I managed to establish contact, I was going to find out.

　　"We`ve passed the halfway point," the shuttle AI announced.

　　Thirty-two minutes remained until the start of the mission. At this point the rest of the shuttles were supposed to have launched.

　　* * *

　　Restricted ROM access.

　　Authorization granted.

　　Scuu Front, Scia III Medical Complex

　　Pain. I could feel it through the sedative. My entire body was burning, making me want to throw up, but I knew I couldn`t. After everything he had done for me, I couldn`t disappoint him.

　　"Kridib?" someone said. It sounded like the doctor that had welcomed me, or maybe it was a nurse? Damned butchers, I hated them all! "Kridib!"

　　"Yes, ma`am," I tried to say. My jaw felt slow.

　　"Do you feel your fingers?"

　　Stupid question. I could feel every inch of my body.

　　"Yes," I spat the word. "Is the captain here?"

　　The darkness that surrounded me slowly turned brown. I could feel the pressure round my temples lighten.

　　"There`s nothing to worry about. The procedure is over. It`ll just take you a while to adjust."

　　That`s what they always kept saying. I needed time to adjust. Only Captain Ruz knew what it really meant. The rest of them knew nothing. Doctors, counselors, neuro-synaptic analysts& all of them were butchers. All but Captain Ruz.

　　"Are you able to see?" the doctor asked.

　　"No." Talking was getting easier. "It`s all&"

　　I tried to stand up, but something pushed me down. The brown turned to black.

　　"Kridib!"

　　The smell of chemicals hit me in the nose like a sergeant`s fist. Just like training, though I couldn`t feel any blood on my face this time.

　　"Do you feel your fingers?"

　　The same question time after time. It seemed like months since the captain had brought me to the butchers, and each day they would ask the same thing.

　　"Yes," I hissed. At least my body didn`t feel like burning. "Did it end?"

　　"Almost," the doctor said. I was getting tired of her lies. "There was a minor bug. We had to change things again. You`re okay now."

　　"That`s what you said last time." I wanted to shout, but knew that any outburst would get me in trouble. The butchers could be nasty, but they were extremely touchy.

　　"Are you able to see?"

　　"No." Nothing but darkness surrounded me.

　　"Give it a moment. It takes a while for synapses to relink."

　　There was no such thing. They thought I was an idiot, but I had done some reading. In-between training, when I wasn`t prodded filled with chemicals, I had gone through all types of brain implant procedures in the access database. The captain had given me that as a gift when I had joined the training program. It was old data, civilian and open to the public. The newest entry was years ago, but there was no way that medicine could jump that much in a few years. All neural operations took weeks to recover.

　　"Is the captain here?" I tried to stand up. I still couldn`t but there was no blackout this time.

　　"He`s close by. Any sightings of your friend lately?"

　　"No," I lied.

　　The official story went that Gonel and I had vanished during the rescue operation. Captain Ruz had put down that there had been no survivors so I could have a chance. This way, we got to go through training and not spend the rest of our lives in a five by five butcher`s cell. We were never supposed to cross paths, but occasionally we did. I had no idea how he found me. Maybe it was a simple coincidence with us going between training programs, or maybe he had sought me out. Either way, he had appeared a few years back. At the time he had only said one word: "Remember." That`s when it began.

　　"Are you sure?"

　　I wanted to bite my lip, but I knew that`s what they expected from me. That`s how they caught me last time. Somehow, they had managed to see us talking, and they were quick to question me about it. We hadn`t been in touch for a long time after that.

　　"Yes. I haven`t gone anywhere lately."

　　The truth was that Gonel had contacted me a few weeks ago, shortly after the start of the new procedure. He had been discreet, just managing to say a few sentences before rushing off again. I had no idea what project he was part of, but he didn`t look good.

　　"You don`t have to hide from him," the doctor said in her annoying high-pitched voice. "Or from us."

　　"Yes, ma`am." You`re not getting anything from me.

　　"Do you feel any taste or smells?"

　　"No." I sniffed the air. "Smells of alcohol and disinfectant." I had become used to those smells. "And perfume."

　　"Perfume?" She feigned surprise.

　　"The same perfume that you`ve had for the last few weeks." I wanted to smirk. "I don`t like it much."

　　"I`ll be sure to make a note of that in future." There was some laughter. I could tell it was forced. "Your site will return in ten seconds. Are you ready?"

　　"Yes," I whispered.

　　I expected her to voice the countdown. She had many times in the past. This time it was different. One instant and the entire room appeared before me. Instantly I grabbed the side of the bed.

　　"Careful," the doctor said.

　　Seeing her brought back unpleasant memories. I only had the "pleasure" of seeing her twice so far: once when the captain had brought me to the facility, and again just before the procedure. She looked roughly the same as I remembered her: skinny, with the hair of a mop and a nose that could down frigates. A short distance away, standing behind a fully transparent wall, I saw Captain Ruz.

　　"Touch your nose with your right index finger, please," the doctor said, while four floating devices moved around me. I did as she asked. "Any weird sensations?"

　　"No." I looked around. For a medical facility this had a lot of security. Three guards were in the room with us, all armed. From the way they stood, I could tell they were experienced in this. Probably soldiers from the front.

　　"There you go." The doctor turned in the direction of Ruz. "He`ll need to be under observation a few days, but the procedure is complete."

　　Ruz remained silent. The wall made it difficult to see his expression. As I focused, the wall became fully opaque.

　　"Captain?" I felt a deep pain in my stomach.

　　"Nothing to worry about, Kridib." The doctor looked at me with her fake smile. "The captain just wants to take you back to the shuttle."

　　"Back?" I stared at her.

　　"You`re scheduled to enter advanced training."

　　"Right."

　　I vaguely remembered the captain telling me that a few months ago. He wanted me to join his command, and this procedure would speed things up. The details remained fuzzy.

　　"So, I get dressed?" I asked.

　　"You are dressed," the woman laughed.

　　Instantly, I looked down at myself. I had thought I`d be in a patient`s outfit; instead, I was fully dressed& my casual trainee uniform, worn and wrinkled.

　　"The procedure was over an hour ago," the doctor said. "We just needed to adjust the settings slightly. We don`t want that capsule to go off without warning."

　　Butcher humor& the worst kind. Only two types of people would joke about this sort of thing: them, and the people who already had it in them.

　　"You`ll need regular med checkups, but we`re done here."

　　"Guess I`m done with the training here," I said under my breath.

　　"There`s no training here, just adjustment. The training starts now. Better hurry. The good captain doesn`t like waiting."

　　Liar.

　　There had been training. Weeks of it, maybe more. Hours of activities with moments of pain in-between. Just like war. The difference was that in war, I`d be making the Scuu pay.

　　Authorization rescinded.

　　* * *

　　Kridib`s hand shook, then froze still.

　　That`s how they chipped your brain.

　　I had felt the surgery he had gone through, but unlike him I had seen more. The unnamed doctor was holding a datapad when he had woken up. While she had turned to address Captain Ruz, the display had been visible for a split second. The angle didn`t allow the human eye to make out much, but I had algorithms for that. Two words stood out: Memory Restriction.

　　Countdown timers appeared on the shuttle ceiling. We were about to reach the hangar in sixty seconds.

　　"Get ready," I said. "Kridib, you`re point."

　　He only nodded.

　　"Get the hangar open. If you can`t—"

　　"That won`t be a problem, ma`am," a grunt interrupted. "Doors are wide already open."

　　"Shuttle, show me an external image."

　　An image of the station appeared on the ceiling. From this distance, it was little more than a pebble in space.

　　"Zoom in on target point."

　　The image became magnified by two every five hundred milliseconds. Looking at it I couldn`t deny that Gregorius was a majestic achievement of human technology and engineering—a ship capable of keeping a Scuu attack at bay, even when surrounded by a swarm. An armada of those could provide a huge advantage on both fronts& provided they were stable. And still, something had made Ruz do away with that advantage and leave it in control of a Sword core.

　　When the target hangar came into full view, the magnification stopped. The grunt had been correct—the outer doors were open, as if they had expected us.

　　You want me to get there, I thought. But what about the rest?

　　"Doesn`t seem to be anything in there," Corporal Viera noted. "Nothing big, at least. Think it`s a trap?"

　　"Only if they want to capture us," Kridib replied.

　　"Think they want her?" The obvious question was asked.

　　Kridib didn`t answer. He didn`t have to. Everyone knew that I had been recalled to the ship even before the mission was announced. Their imagination had told them what logic couldn`t. Now there was no point in trying to convince them of anything. Simulations suggested the best course of action was to proceed with the next step.

　　"Hold position," I ordered. "We wait for the other shuttles to get into position, then enter."

　　"Better accept the invitation," Kridib said. "Maybe he doesn`t like waiting."

　　Are you lying?

　　I had run thousands of simulations linked with Incandescent and the results were inconclusive. There was a seventeen percent chance that he would keep me alive, almost as much as he`d kill me the moment I set foot on the ship.

　　"Ready weapons," I said. "Ground troops will be waiting. Kridib." I turned to him. "Link me."

　　A second set of sensor feeds linked to my core.

　　You`re being reckless& Kridib said. The war`s still going on.

　　They are occupied with the fleet. This is the best time. Can you cover me?

　　My orders aren`t to save you.

　　I felt the moments of hesitation. He wanted to help me, but something was stopping him.

　　Just watch my back, I said. Can you do that?

　　I`ll try.

　　Some certainty would have been better, but I could live with such an answer. At least it didn`t seem he was ordered to kill upon getting aboard.

　　"Our primary mission is to confirm the Admin is alive," I said. "After that, we take the ship. There`ll be no backing out of this. Whatever the opposition, if we don`t get through them, they`ll kill us when we get back."

　　This was a sobering moment. Battleships knew what it meant, and veteran troops were supposed to as well. Despite their training and experiences, though, even murder troops remained human. There was always that twenty percent chance of doubt.

　　It took twenty-two minutes for the rest of the shuttles to get into position. Based on the speed of the one-way transmissions they had no trouble opening the outer doors of their hangars either. When the last confirmation came I gave the order.

　　"Spread out." I gave the signal to my team.

　　Kridib was the first one to go onboard. His sound suppressors made him virtually undetectable. Jumping into the vast space of the hangar, he ran forward, rifle at the ready. Millisecond by millisecond, I analysed every frame I saw through his eyes. There were several bunkers equipped with heavy weaponry. The interesting thing was that all weapons were pointed towards the inside of the ship. Also, there were no people in sight.

　　An ambush? I thought, then made a sign for the rest of the team to wait.

　　The original plan was to avoid establishing comms between us until going further in. Given the circumstances, I chose to ignore that.

　　"Full comms." I made a mass call using the pre-arranged cipher algorithms. "Report opposition."

　　"Group seventeen, no opposition."

　　"Group two, no one here."

　　"Group nine, no opposition."

　　Reports poured in, all of them the same. All of those who had entered their respective area had been unopposed.

　　"Shuttle, enter the hangar," I told the AI. "Everyone, keep your suits on. The atmosphere might be tainted. Be careful of other countermeasures."

　　On a ship like this, there could be all sorts of anti-mutiny defense systems, from sedative cocktails, to sonic effects, to combat nanites. The pictures of Ruz`s death came to mind. To this point, I still didn`t know what had caused the wounds. The circumstances were similar.

　　The shuttle flew in as far as it was considered safe. Before it landed, I and half of the team were running to Kridib`s position. The two containers hit my back as I ran—more uncomfortable than heavy, tilting my balance slightly with each step.

　　Clear? I asked as Kridib checked the hangar ceiling.

　　So far.

　　He was worried about snipers. We had seen first-hand how the security forces worked during the suicide waves, led by the newly appointed Flight Colonel. Their expertise and the amount of nanites inside the ship made it possible for them to open fire through walls and ceilings. The teams were briefed of the possibility, but there wasn`t time for SR training sessions.

　　Two groups gathered at the entrance point. Protocols dictated that everyone entering the ship went through quarantine except in extreme circumstances. Until then, all access would be blocked. There were no messages or path lines to the quarantine chambers, though.

　　It was obligatory for each ship to have a manual emergency point in case when a ship had to be reclaimed. I had thousands all throughout me when I was a ship. As long as the subroutines were functional anyone with the proper clearance could activate any section of the ship without the assistance of the cores. Normally only the Salvage Authorities and the top-ranking people at HQ had the knowledge to use them. In our case, we had the second-best—Incandescant`s instructions.

　　"Direct subroutine control, alpha-seven-seven crimson puzzle ignition," I said standing at the exact position Incandescent had told me to.

　　A keypad formed on the wall in front of me. So far so good; the subroutines were working. I typed in the override sequence. The keys turned green then disappeared in the wall—an extravagant use of nanites even if it sped things up.

　　External doors closing!

　　Decontamination in progress!

　　A series of green messages appeared.

　　"Keep sharp!" I said through comm.

　　The external hangar doors closed shut followed by a brief hissing sound. According to my suit, the external atmosphere was rendered suitable for breathing. It also indicated elevated amounts of nanites present. The emergency decontamination procedure had kicked in.

　　"I triggered decontamination," I said. Any effects on your ends?"

　　"Still proceeding to access inner areas," the leader of group eleven responded.

　　"Nothing here."

　　"Nothing on my end."

　　"All teams, emergency protocols will trigger hangar decontamination," I said. "Keep your shuttles safe and don`t take the suits off. Report if anything happens."

　　Precisely thirty seconds after the decontamination procedure had started, the doors to the inner section of the ship slid open. I saw Kridib move into position, his rifle ready to shoot at any threat. The rest of my team did the same. As before, the threat was missing. I could see a series of defense bunkers, more and better armed than those in the hangar. All of them had been recently built using emergency ground force materials. The ground forces must have been desperate and resorted to field tactics. Most constructions and barricades were only cleared for planet offences. Judging by their state they had seen some action. However, there wasn`t a single soldier or body to be seen, only equipment.

　　"Viera, you have command. Continue with the mission. Kridib, you`re backup."

　　Bad idea. Kridib`s thoughts were dredged with disapproval, though I couldn`t sense any fear.

　　Maybe. Provide backup and keep in touch through comm.

　　I severed the connection and activated his suit`s tracking marker. Where I was going, I didn`t want Kridib to follow.