The sun beat down on Lecorondia the instant she arrived back in the crowded center of the small town she`d called home for the last several days.

　　Next to her, Kulthurack looked stiff and formal in his military uniform, while the group of Blitzworms in their black power armor checked weapons. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak when the screaming started.

　　"INVADERS!"

　　A bullet ricocheted off one of the Blitzworms, who responded by moving over and smashing a mechanical fist into the human`s face. Blood sprayed. People screamed. Lecorondia sighed. She moved quickly, hands up as she smiled, trying to lock eyes with as many of the panicked people as she could. In their midst, she saw Lucy, who looked like she`d been running with her disheveled hair and unsteady breathing.

　　The woman looked terrified, confused, and angry at a level Lecorondia had never seen her reach before. Briefly, she wondered if Lucy might take a swing at her thanks to the glare shot her way. Instead, she gave her a get-on-with it gesture.

　　Lecorondia obliged.

　　"Thank you for being here for my return!" She shouted as she strutted forward to shake the hands of several confused men holding guns. "And for displaying your swift actions in my defense. Fear not, however! These are other representatives of the Galactic Government, and they are not here to cause harm."

　　"That mech punched Carl!" someone yelled.

　　Another voice followed suit. "And your weird dog almost blinded Charlie!"

　　That caused her to falter, and she whirled, searching for Lucy, who nodded to her. She stayed silent, but Lecorondia filed that away for later. They`d need to talk. If Erodicilee had invaded the town, that was big news.

　　Kulthurack stepped forward, holding up a hand as his three eyes surveyed the crowd. His face remained impassive, but at his silent orders, the Blitzworm stepped away from the bleeding man. In perfect sync, they raised their left foot and smashed it down hard enough that dirt flew towards the sky as they placed their blasters on a parade rest.

　　The display did little to stop the panic, but to her relief, no one else fired a shot. As the two men dragged Carl away, Kulthurack cleared his throat.

　　"People of Earth. I am Overseer Kulthurack, watcher of the sector and leader of the armed forces of Galtic Prime. My duties here today are to deal with the situation currently plaguing you. Who here is in charge?"

　　"I am." Lucy stepped forward, her hands reaching up to swipe the sweat off her forehead. "Are you the one who took the ambassador?"

　　"In a sense. Her withdrawal was mandatory, as she was required to discuss the potential ramifications of her actions with the Galactic Government." Kulthurack said.

　　Lecorondia tried subtly to shake her head as she caught Lucy`s eyes. The last thing she wanted was her babysitters, thinking the government had punished her. No. She needed to look strong and keep the woman on her side. While the council had sent the overseer here to assist her, she knew their true intentions.

　　Either they brought Erodicilee home together or the overseer killed him, and they cared little about which occurred. If Lucy aided Kulthurack, she had no chance of getting her baby back. The mere idea sent a cold spike running through her.

　　Lucy nodded, her face still angry, and Lecorondia didn`t miss the slight bite to her words.

　　"Well, I`m sorry to say, Overseer, that you missed the festivities. Your target is no longer with us."

　　Kulthurack nodded. "You killed him?"

　　"No, he escaped. When he couldn`t find the ambassador, he left to search elsewhere," Lucy said as she gestured towards the pub.

　　Lecorondia glanced over, noticing the bullet holes. The sight of the shattered glass around her room`s window made her wince. He`d been here. Kulthurack`s face remained impassive, but with a twitch of his fingers, one of the Blitzworms marched towards the building. It stomped inside, ignoring the protests of the owner.

　　"In that case, I believe we should discuss our strategy. I shall have my guards defend the perimeter with your permission?"

　　His voice was smooth, but Lecorondia could tell no one here believed it was an honest question for a second. Lucy nodded, but angry murmurs filled the crowd as they made their displeasure obvious. Her tail flicked as she watched them, but she stilled it when someone stepped forward. It was a woman who scowled as she ran a hand through her buzz cut in a motion that seemed intended to show off her broad arms. Not that anyone would miss them with the sleeves of her jacket torn off.

　　When she was sure she had everyone`s attention, she tapped the pistols attached to either side of her hip. Sunlight glinted off them, and Lecorondia wondered if the woman had ever used them. She`d met posers before, and this woman reeked of wannabe.

　　"You hear about killing them?" The woman asked, her gravelly voice sounding almost hopeful.

　　Kulthurack stared at her before he answered. "I am here to do what needs to be done. Is the creature a threat?"

　　"I reckon so," she said. "He killed Mark and then rampaged through the town."

　　"Oh, he did not." Another voice called out.

　　This one belonged to a man she recognized, Peter, who still wore his alien outfit. He didn`t look ashamed as he pushed his way through the crowd.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

　　"Shut up, geek," the woman growled.

　　Peter snorted. "He was scared and didn`t even hurt anyone. If you idiots hadn`t started shooting, we wouldn`t be here! Lucy almost had him."

　　"She`s not going to fuck you, dude. Stop defending her."

　　The crowd devolved, and Lecorondia shifted around as the Blitzworms stirred. Near the back, she`d caught Julep`s eyes, her bodyguard pushing his way through the crowd. None of Kulthurack`s guards stopped him when he approached.

　　"How bad is it?" She asked him as she watched a fist fly.

　　The blow knocked Peter to the ground, and a circle formed while he climbed back to his feet, ignoring the woman heckling him.

　　"Bad," Julep admitted. "These people want blood and trophies. Lucy got most of the media and families out. She`s done a good job while they held you."

　　Lecorondia smiled. "Excellent. If there is a split, which way will she fall?"

　　"Depends on what happens. I think we have a good chance, though."

　　"Break it up!" Kulthurack barked.

　　She turned, watching as two Blitzworms waded into the group. Their mechanical limbs pulled the bystanders away and shoved them to the ground. As they moved, the smarter bystanders shied away, breaking up the miniature brawl on their own.

　　"Alright. Let`s see what we can get done. Come on," Lecorondia whispered before she followed Kulthurack and Lucy towards the police station.

　　***

　　Sounds of arguments and gunfire sneaked their way through the closed doors of the interrogation room, and Lecorondia forced herself not to shiver.

　　Each sound made her wonder if Erodicilee had returned, which made the glacial pace Kulthurack questioned Lucy excruciating. She understood the game. This entire ordeal was to wind her up, make her snap, and say something stupid. Lecorondia refused to play his game. So, she sat in her uncomfortable chair as the perfect picture of poise and dignity while she sipped at the pathetic brew this town called coffee.

　　"As I said, sir," Lucy said in the tone of an underling who didn`t know how to make the failing numbers appear positive. "He fled. We didn`t get time to chase him down before your arrival. However—"

　　"Rampaging through the nearby farms isn`t going to help tensions," Jerry cut in.

　　It was the first time he`d spoken in the meeting, and he sounded exasperated, though he didn`t show it on his face. He remained wearing his usual happy, joking grin. If not for him dropping that act around her, Lecorondia wasn`t sure she would have noticed.

　　"It would not be a rampage. My guards would simply investigate the local areas for the most dangerous wildlife. The local populace should have adequate knowledge to assist me."

　　Lecorondia wanted to groan. No matter how many times Lucy and now Jerry politely suggested that most farmers wouldn`t appreciate having mechanical soldiers turn up on their property, the overseer refused to get it. She would have to take matters into her own hands. A distraction that would get them off this well-worn path.

　　"Do we truly need every farm? Surely a town local would have the knowledge we need." She slammed her fist into her open palm, as though she had an idea. "What about Arnold? He seems the type to be well versed in sneaking around."

　　Kulthurack turned to her. "The man you wanted to use as bait. That is who you suggest we take?"

　　"I do. Lucy, do you think he would be amenable?" Lecorondia asked, even as another gunshot and yell of triumph made their way inside.

　　Lucy appeared as though Lecorondia had tossed her a lifeline during a spacewalk. "Yes. He would, I believe. Though he may not come out with us. Any questions the overseer had, however, he could answer."

　　"True enough, lass." Jerry nodded. "He`d be one of the few you`d want to talk to."

　　Lecorondia resisted the urge to lean back and grin as she watched her two babysitters jump on their plan. It seemed they didn`t care how ridiculous the plan was if it got them out of this room. Kulthurack, however, remained unmoved.

　　"I don`t see how he could assist us more than a simple door-to-door search." He said that, and Lecorondia swore she heard a hint of smugness as another shot went off.

　　That statement was a direct challenge: convince me, or I`ll stall until someone else does my dirty work. She showed all her teeth when she beamed at him with her least authentic smile.

　　"You wish to help me find my darling as quickly as possible, true?" She asked. "Why waste time when we have an alien hunting expert? He found me, after all."

　　Lecorondia could see Kulthurack coming up with a counter to her words. She wasn`t wrong, and he knew it. He didn`t have a battalion on him, only a handful he`d scooped from station security. With how spread out everything was, it would take time. Plus, neither of them knew exactly how fast Erodicilee could run.

　　"Would it not be wiser to split up?" He asked after what felt to her like an eternity.

　　"No," Lucy said as she shook her head. "Not if you don`t want to scare people. Sir, someone shot at your troops when you first arrived. Without you there, I`m worried something might happen."

　　Lecorondia nodded along. "And we wouldn`t want the locals hurting themselves. The council may not take kindly to decisions that lead to additional deaths."

　　"That is true. In that case, shall we discuss what to do with my guards? With so many weapons in town, I would hate to leave the place unguarded."

　　This time, she was sure of the smug tone in his voice. She waited, anxious, as the overseer and Lucy debated how best to use his assets. When another gunshot sounded out, she rose to her feet.

　　"If you excuse me, I think I need a drink of water."

　　Without waiting for an answer, she swept from the room, a silent Julep in tow. Her heart pounded, and she knew she`d weakened her position. That didn`t matter. She needed to understand what they were doing out there.

　　Upon opening the front door, she froze. People had lined up beer cans on top of barrels and other basic targets along the street. Men and women with guns aimed and fired at the targets. Peter and a bunch of his friends stood watching with anxious faces. When he spotted Lecorondia standing at the top of the stairs, he sidled over.

　　"They`re practicing for the hunt," he said, without bothering to give his usual stammered greetings.

　　She raised an eyebrow at him, even as her tail flicked behind her. "Hunt?"

　　"They think your new companion is here to lead them back out to kill the alien." Peter trailed off as another bottle exploded, and cheers rose. "Is he?"

　　"Maybe."

　　Lecorondia wasn`t sure what to say to that, but as she looked at the carnage before her, she was sure of one thing. She would do whatever it took to stall the man inside, as long as it took.

　　"Peter?" she asked.

　　He turned, nodding so hard that one of his ears came askew. "Yes?"

　　"If you had to choose sides. The death of my baby or the chance for him to live with me. Which would you pick?"

　　She swore his eyes shone, and in a swift motion he adjusted his prosthetic ears and saluted her.

　　His voice didn`t shake as he replied with the most determination he`d ever heard from him. "Captain Peter`s starfleet is, as always, at your and the commander`s command."

　　"Excellent Peter. Then this is what I want you to do."