"Approaching missiles detected," Skullker's ship informed him.

"Yep, noticed," he snarled, barrel rolling to avoid the explosives. The compound ahead was launching all its available weaponry while lights flashed around the perimeter. 

"Looks like someone was prepared," Skullker noted, a grudging respect in his voice as he shot down a small drone. A wide, half metallic smile spread over his face as he entered EMP range. 

"But were you prepared for this?"

The true beauty of an EMP was not in its activation. There was no flash of light, no impressive sound wave. But the wave of electronic death it left behind was indescribable. The alarms of the armored compound fell silent, the lights crashing into darkness. The protective drones went dead, floating in the void. The missiles and lasers stopped, trapped inside their launch bays. 

"Too easy," Skullker smirked, gliding in for a landing. 

...............................................................................................

"What's happening?"

"Who's here?"

"Is is Space Corps?"

"Danny lead them here didn't me?!"

"What are we going to do?"

The frantic voices were all that Vlad could hear now. The Halphas clustered around him, desperate for news and reassurance. They were lit only by the faint glow of the Halpha plants and their own adrenaline reactions. 

"Everyone listen!" Vlad shouted. 

The room fell silent. He took a deep steadying breath.

"A Grangen is here, probably one sent from Space Corps. The security system warned me he was here, which is why I called you all here. I thought the defenses could hold him off, but... he must have found a way to take out our power."

He looked around at them all. Their green eyes were all trained on him. In the darkness, it was all he could see clearly. Those trusting eyes. Even now they seemed to believe that he had a way out, a solution to the problem. 

"So what are we going to do?" one of them asked. 

"You are all going to stay here," Vlad commanded. 

"But we've trained. We can-"

"No!" he shouted, before the protest could be fully formed. "It's my fault that this monster is here. I brought Danny back. It must be tracking us through him. None of you are ready to fight a fully trained Grangen."

A heavy silence followed these words. None of them said anything, but Vlad knew they were all wondering if he was strong enough to fight one either. 

"I'm going alone. If I can get to my blood stores, I'll be more than a match for this beast."

He reached out in the darkness toward a familiar pair of eyes. He placed his hands on the boy's shoulders.

"Jax'i is in charge until I get back." 

If I get back, he couldn't help thinking. He straightened up and looked at the small huddle of Halphas. His responsibility. His purpose. His family. 

"Lock the door behind me and don't open it for anyone. I don't care what you hear, what he says. This room stays sealed at all costs. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," Jax'i whispered. 

Vlad took a step backward, preparing to leave. But before he could the Halphas closed around him in a swarming hug. He could feel several of them shaking. Vlad blinked away the sudden tears that sprang to his eyes. He could not fail them. He would not fail them. 

Finally he broke away. Before anything else could happen, he stepped out of the memory room. 

"Stay safe. Stay together," he whispered. The door closed behind him with the solemn finality of a coffin.