My hands trembled as our transport entered the weak atmosphere of the planet and not because the vessel itself was shaking. This was it. The time had come for me and Jackson to leave. All I had to do was wait for Dr. Nakamura to get distracted with his samples and we'd jump in the transport and take off. I'd even convinced Dr. Nakamura to let me pilot the ship down to the surface so I could familiarize myself with this model's controls. The landing was a little rusty, but nothing to be worried about. I had planned on a lighter gravity and came in too hard, but that's not a mistake you make more than once if you're smart.

Ersaad was one of the Vespa system's outer rim planets that hadn't been colonized yet. It was at the edge of the habitable zone but had lost most of its atmosphere long before humans arrived. We launched magnetic shields almost immediately after discovering it, which allowed oxygen levels to build up to a more appreciable level, though it still wasn't quite enough to support human life without assistance. The terraforming companies had been able to get some hardier species of plants to take hold in a few regions, but it would be decades before the planet could support the diversity of life found on Vespa, Lares, or Fauna.

I stepped down onto the hard, dusty black ground and looked out over the desolate landscape. The light was like late afternoon though it was essentially early morning. Helmets weren't necessary anymore and I took a deep breath of the empty air. The soil was too dense to airisolize and there were no factories filling the atmosphere with pollution. It was nice to finally take a breath without that burned polymer smell. Here, the lack of smell was more welcome than I could have anticipated.

We had landed on a plain near the foothills of an ancient mountain range that had long since been eroded to smooth peaks by the relentless equatorial wind. Now they were no more than tall hills covered in unconsolidated till. Water had begun to collect in some of the low-lying areas, but none of it was fit to drink.

We pulled out the large sample containers and started removing the various equipment and collection materials needed to work the field site. Dr. Nakamura assigned me, and Jackson by default, to a section that hadn't been sampled before. There were some unusual magnetic signatures on a nearby hill and I was supposed to collect the dirt in a few locations in that general area. I tried to keep an eye on Dr. Nakamura's location. The excitement of getting to work in the field was diverting my attention away from the original plan. I found myself engrossed in the activity.

"When are we going to do this?" Jackson snuck up behind me as I was closing the lid on a soil sample. I jumped and dropped the whole thing on the ground.

"Great! Now I've got to climb back down in that crevice for another sample."

"Anaïs, we're leaving. What does it matter? Scrape some dirt off your boots."

I looked at him and chewed my lip, annoyed that I hadn't thought of that. We started to make our way back down the hill when I noticed a metallic humming coming from the other side. I stopped and cocked my head to the side. It sounded like the whine of one of the powerful magnets we had in the lab.

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what? We've got to get out of here while we still can." When I didn't move, Jackson climbed back up to my position. "What's wrong with you?"

I shook my head slightly, trying to shake the fog from my mind. The sound grew in intensity until my head was filled with its insistent buzzing. I blinked a few times and then turned to the left, walking quickly. The need to find the source of the sound was sudden and overwhelming.

"Anaïs!" Jackson called after me, struggling to keep up. I felt like I was getting closer. The buzzing was now a tangible vibration in my chest. We had run an experiment once using low-pitched sound waves and I had grabbed the sub while a tone played. The wave resonated through my body, making me queasy. I felt that now as I searched for the source of the sound. I took a final step and was overcome by an electrical current that brought me to my knees.

"What the fuck?" Jackson reached for me, but I was digging into the dirt feverishly. He tried to pull my arm but I shook him off. He took both of my arms and stood me up. I turned and shoved him with both hands as hard as I could then fell back down to dig again. My hands were my only tools and somewhere in my brain, a warning light flashed. I wanted to stop but was unable to. My hair fell in long ribbons around me as it tumbled from the pins holding it in place. Jackson pleaded with me to stop. I ignored him and continued to claw at the dirt.

After about five minutes of constant digging, my now-jagged nails scraped against something metallic. The second I freed it from the ground, the vibrating and the humming abruptly stopped. The silence was so disorienting, I dropped the box. Jackson picked it up and dusted it off.

"What is this?" He turned it in his hands. It was about the size of a child's ball and covered with carved images and the characters of a foreign language.

Sharp clapping grabbed my attention and I spun around to see Dr. Nakamura coming up the hill. "Bravo! Bravo! I was truly hoping my hypothesis was correct!" He walked up to Jackson and snatched the box from his hands. His eyes and mouth opened wide as he stared at it.

"What is it?" I asked, trying to lean closer. The fog had fully lifted, but the muscles behind my eyes felt strained.

Dr. Nakamura recoiled and pulled the box away from me like a greedy toddler. "That is not important right now. I just need you to start packing up all this rubbish so we can get back to the station and I can study this properly." Jackson and I shot a look at each other as my mentor nearly tripped over his feet in the loose sand trying to get back down the hill.

"What the fuck was all that about? You might have blown the whole plan." Jackson's voice was a controlled scream as he gestured wildly with his outstretched arm. He closed his eyes and wiped both his hands down his face, pulling his skin lightly. "How did you even know that was there?"

I met Jackson's eyes, embarrassed. My mind was working at full capacity, but it felt like it wasn't communicating with the rest of me. "I don't know. I...heard it."

"You what?"

"It wanted me to find it."

"You aren't making any sense. We don't have time for this. We've got to go." Jackson grabbed my wrist and dragged me with him toward the transport, but all I wanted to do was go back and get the box. I needed to know what it was and struggled pathetically against his grip, trying to get back to it.

When we were about a hundred meters from the transport, warning alarms started going off on Jackson's wristlet. He looked at it in shock and then at me. He pulled me closer, drawing his weapon and wrapping a protective arm around my body.

"What is that?" I asked.

"A proximity alarm. Another ship is entering the airspace and it doesn't have Union credentials. Stay close to me."

I caught a dark glint in the sky. The glint grew in size until I could make the shape of a sleek black aircraft with unfamiliar markings on the body. It was long and bulbous on one end with two sets of wings and engines on the back end. As the vessel hovered several meters off the ground, I stood in terrified awe as eight black shapes leaped out and fell to the surface. Jackson trained his weapon on one of them but we both knew this was going to turn to shit real quick if they were hostile. Even with the other assistants, we were grossly outnumbered.

The beings surveyed their surroundings. Their shapes suggested humans, but humans couldn't jump from that height unassisted and survive without serious injury. My hair stood on end and my insides trembled. My bladder was suddenly painfully full.

The one in the center made hand gestures. I had the feeling they were communicating, but their helmets prevented us from hearing them. Four of them broke off from the group and headed off in a slow run towards Dr. Nakamura's position. Jackson kept his weapon trained on the one he assumed was the leader.

"Stop right there! This is a Union secured planet and you are not authorized to be here. You need to recall your personnel and vacate the surface immediately!" Jackson's authoritarian voice was intimidating. To me, at least.

The leader stopped and cocked his head to the right. For an instant, I was sure he couldn't understand Jackson's words. I noticed my white knuckles grabbing Jackson's field suit and relaxed my grip. Apparently understanding, it took off its helmet. He had the same features as someone from Kinto. Narrow eyes, dark hair, deeply tanned skin. Only, there was something almost...waxy... about the sheen of his skin that made it clear he was not human.

"I believe the device you wear around your neck is capable of deciphering our language, no?" He jabbed his gun towards us, making me flinch. The movements of the creature's mouth didn't match what I was hearing which meant that the translator was working. I nodded and stepped to Jackson's side. He gave me an angry look but I shook my head once. I was the closest thing to a diplomat here.

"It is working properly. Do you understand me?" The creature nodded. My stomach flipped a little when I noticed him give me the once over and smirk. Jackson tensed beside me but I put my hand on his forearm, lowering it. I continued in a shaky voice, "You do not have permission to be here and need to leave immediately."

"I heard what your officer said and as you can see," he stretched his arms to include the others with him who did not move, "you have no authority over us. We operate outside of your Union law. You have something that belongs to us and we are here to retrieve it." I looked at Jackson. He didn't budge, either.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I assure you we have nothing that doesn't belong to us."

The creature's smile widened. "We received a signal that led us to this location. I assure you, you have it."

The box. They're here for the box. We just found it! How the hell did they get here so quickly without our sensors picking up on their vessel? I jerked my head around when I heard a commotion behind me and saw as one of the creatures pulled Dr. Nakamura by the arm. The other two walked close behind. I didn't see the box anywhere.

"You have something of ours and you will either give it to us now or we will forcibly take it from you." He spoke calmly but I could sense a dangerous tension rising in the space between us.

"I don't think so, asshole." Jackson raised his weapon. The leader rushed him. Jackson got off a couple of shots before the creature reached him but by then it was too late. The creature dodged the blasts with ease. None found their intended home. I screamed as the creature punched Jackson in the chest...right where he had broken his rib. Jackson roared in pain and I lunged for him. Strong arms wrapped around my waist and jerked me back. I bit my tongue. Blood filled my mouth as I thrashed against the creature that held me.

My heart pounded in my chest and the beeping it caused was infuriating. Adrenaline flooded my veins, making me nauseous. I slowed my movements and tried to calm myself through my breathing so I could think. I hoped the creature was physiologically similar to a man and took a deep breath, bringing my heel up sharply between its legs. It growled low, vibrating through my ear and my throat painfully. Instead of letting me go, it put a hand around my throat and yanked my head back.

"Do not do that again or you will regret it. I am not here to hurt you but I will in my own defense."

"You could have fooled me. Let me go!" I coughed out through its grip.

Jackson was doubled over, wheezing. I could see the torture of not being able to do anything as he stared at me. The leader stood over him with his weapon pointed at Jackson's head. Before I could say anything, Dr. Nakamura called out, throwing his hands out in front of him.

"Stop! Do not hurt him!" I couldn't hide my shock. Of all the people in the world Tanshi Nakamura was not the person I expected to be defending Jackson's life.

"If you do not want him harmed and want your female returned to you, you would be wise to produce our artifact."

"Artifact? The box? Yes, yes. I have it in my transport." Of course this was a lie, because he had gone in the opposite direction with it. Right? I didn't think bargaining or trying to trick the aliens was a good idea, but I wasn't in a position to argue. Nakamura glanced from me to Jackson. "Let me take my injured associate with me to retrieve it. You may keep the girl for insurance." He had to be kidding. This was not the Nakamura I knew. Maybe this hidden altruistic side was the reason he had so many friends.

The creature considered this for a moment then nodded. He pulled Jackson up from his good side and held him while Nakamura was allowed to step forward. Jackson wouldn't budge.

"I'm not leaving her here with them." Jackson barked through clenched teeth. Nakamura said something under his breath to Jackson who jerked his head toward him, eyes narrowed. When he looked back up at me, I nodded and motioned with my hand for him to go. Get this over with quickly. If Nakamura had a plan, it was better than nothing.

After several agonizing seconds, Jackson wrapped his arm around Nakamura's shoulder and allowed him to walk him to the transport. My neck ached from the way I had to hold my head through the creature's grip on my throat in order to see what was going on. His gear was cutting into my spine because of how tightly he was holding me against him. My legs were starting to tingle.

"It's not like I have anywhere to run." I choked out. I was thankful that I could still breathe, at least, but talking wasn't easy.

"I am sorry. I do not understand." Its voice was distorted by the helmet it still wore.

"You're hurting me," I said. With a jerk, it loosened its grip on me. Odd, I thought, that they were so willing to be gentle with us when we were hurt. What kind of hostage-takers were these guys? I'd expected a fight.

I wobbled as my feet touched the ground again, but I straightened when I heard the engines spool up on the transport. I wasn't the only one. My new captors turned to fire their weapons. I cried out and struck the creature behind me with a very well placed elbow. Its helmet flew off its head and I was caught in the glare of two fierce, green eyes. He looked astonishingly human with his shaved head and wrinkles at the corners of his eyes like he'd been squinting or laughing too much. The distraction was just enough for him to get a punch into my face and I went down. He turned back to fire at the transport, but they had their shields up. I struck out with my leg and caught the alien's ankles. He fell hard on the ground. While he was disoriented, I lifted my leg and smashed my heel in his face. My training in the dojo was finally coming in handy.

The alien looked at me with a mix of rage and incredulity. Blood trickled from his lip. He started to pounce on me when something exploded overhead. I rolled over and covered myself with my arms as burning metal from the fuselage of the alien ship rained down around us. Not many transports are outfitted with weapons and I couldn't understand why in the worlds ours had been. At that moment, though, I was just thankful that it meant Jackson was able to get away. The fact that I was now stranded with very angry and equally stranded aliens hadn't quite sunk in.

Hands gripped tight around my ankles. Green Eyes flipped me over and dragged me toward him. I felt a little bit of satisfaction seeing an angry gash on his forehead to match the busted lip. He seethed as he crouched on bended knee over my body.

"Your people blew up my ship!"

"Your ship? I thought Punchy over there was the leader?"

"Why do humans always assume that the one who does the talking is the leader? It makes more tactical sense for the leader to stay back to observe the situation." He grabbed a handful of my field suit and brought my face closer to his.

"Well, he's also more attractive."

He apparently didn't appreciate my sass and gave me a violent shake, hitting my head on the hard-packed, black ground. "Why did your people blow up my ship?"

"If I knew the answer to that, do you think I would be lying here getting beat up by an alien?" His menacing glare drew a frightened quiver from my body. His nostrils flared. I was close enough to his face to feel the warm air of his breath on mine.

"Valid point." He stood up, pulling me with him by my clothes. The Halo was beeping wildly in my head and I tried to steady my heart rate, though I knew my blood pressure was probably beyond salvage at that point. I wanted to clear the warning but was afraid of making any sudden moves.

Green Eyes shouted orders at his men, gesturing with clipped motions. The three that had gone after Nakamura went back to the boxes he had been packing when they arrived. Punchy issued commands of his own into what I assumed was a communicator that was attached to the chest of his black tactical suit. Green Eyes turned back to me and dragged me by the arm over to a small outcrop of boulders. He pushed my shoulders, forcing me to sit down. He stabbed a gloved finger at my face.

"You will remain here until I tell you to move or I will make you regret it." I wanted to ask him if I'd regret it as much as I was supposed to have regretted hitting him before, but it didn't seem like an appropriate time for snark. I simply cocked my eyebrow and crossed my arms over my chest. He jammed his helmet back in place, making sure to lock it before turning away. I hoped they had some kind of air circulation system in those things or they were going to get pretty damn hot.

After about thirty minutes Punchy announced that there was a cave a mile south that would provide protection from the weather. Considering the current sweltering conditions, no one argued with the prospect of hiking there. It would also be a pretty good spot to be located by a rescue party. The group took up a formation with me in the center as we walked. I guess I wasn't deemed to be a threat because they put away their weapons and I tried not to take offense. They did have size and numbers.

I wondered how far Jackson and Nakamura had got by now. Our ships didn't have faster than light travel, but they were pretty quick. Maybe they had already told my father what had happened. Maybe he was already scrambling his own fleet to come get me. Would they be able to get here in time? Was Jackson okay? Questions swirled in my head. The alien behind me poked my back when I slowed.

The light faded as the planet made its quick rotation. It was still enough to see by without artificial lights, but it cast eerie shadows over the landscape. Small bushes popped up here and there suggesting a change in geology because where we had landed before wasn't capable of holding water long enough for anything to grow. I resisted the urge to pick up a handful of dirt to examine it. Anything to keep me distracted from my dire situation.

These aliens seemed pretty reasonable, strangely enough. If they came here looking for the artifact, maybe they would be willing to return me if my father could get it from Nakamura. That fucking snake! How could he leave me here? I knew he hated me, but that seemed a little extreme even for him. I didn't care about my internship anymore. As soon as my feet were safely back on that station, I planned on giving that man a handshake. With my fist. In his face.

Thankfully, the lighter gravity made the walk fairly easy and we made it to the cave in less time than Punchy had anticipated. The group laid out their weapons and took stock of their situation. One of the others handed me what I assumed was a canteen and told me to drink. I sniffed it then took a small sip. I swear the guy huffed and rolled his eyes at me. I took a full drink and was happy to realize it was impeccably filtered water, sweet and clear and better than anything I'd ever had on the surface or the station. Of course, that could have also been because I was pretty fucking thirsty.

I sat on a rock in the shade of the cave and looked at my captors. As captors went, they could've been scarier. Their size alone was enough to warn me not to push them too far, but otherwise, they looked pretty human. I could handle humans well enough, so it was to my benefit psychologically that I thought of them not as aliens, but as unusual people.

Punchy was the tallest and to the best of my judgment, the strongest. I hadn't been lying when I'd said he was attractive. He had that dark, brooding look to him that was a general problem for anything with a pulse attracted to a Y chromosome. I turned my attention toward the leader and noticed that their skin, which had seemed so unusual before, wasn't just waxy but was also lacking in any sort of mark or indication of internal veins or any other structures. I wondered if they were actually some form of advanced artificial intelligence, but I'd never heard of AI that bled. The only imperfections were at the corners of his eyes and a lone crease on the left side of his face when he smirked. Not really a dimple...just a really interesting fold.

My eyes flicked up to his. Green Eyes was staring at me. His eyes could suck you in with a single glance before you knew you were even looking at them. His focus was unnerving and made me feel vulnerable.

"What is your name, human?"

"Anaïs."

"Tell me about yourself. What kind of situation have we found ourselves in? You must not be very important if your team was willing to leave you behind." A wave of intense pain hit me as the full gravity of the situation came down on me now that the adrenaline was running low. My team didn't leave me. Nakamura did. There was no doubt in my mind that Jackson was doing everything in his power to rescue me.

"I'm just an intern." The crack of my voice gave me away. Green Eyes smirked at me and shook his head.

"You are not a very good liar. My instincts tell me you might be valuable to us."

"Too bad your instincts couldn't tell you your ship was about to get blasted out of the sky or we wouldn't be sitting here dehydrating to death. It sure was a pretty ship, too." There, that got him. His smirk fell and was replaced with a very dark look that was somehow incredibly attractive.

Where did that come from? Great, I've been taken hostage by a sexy-scary model alien. Get your shit together, Anais! I didn't know much about psychology, but I was pretty sure Stockholm Syndrome didn't show up that quick.

"That was a very unwise decision made by your companions. Tell me, the one you called Jackson, he is your lover, no?"

Shock flashed across my face. "No!"

Green Eyes laughed. "You are a very unskilled liar. That is a good sign."

"He's not my lover." I said quietly. I was going for darkly, but the fight was leaving me. "He's my friend, my best friend. He'll come back for me."

Green Eyes pursed his lips and lifted his chin. A shaft of light reflected off the weird skin of his bald head. "Perhaps if he were well. Unfortunately for you, my lieutenant hit him in a very vulnerable spot and he will not be able to function properly for quite some time. He was injured recently, no?"

I couldn't help but nod. "If he doesn't recover, I'll kill you." I directed my anger at Punchy, looking at him from the tops of my eyes. He laughed at me. No surprise there.

"It would be humorous to watch you try." Punchy's smile was more like the grimace of a carnivorous animal about to strike for my throat. He stood and walked to me quickly, making me recoil and lean back. He braced his hands on the rock wall behind me, one on each side of my head. His face was so close to mine, I could smell the leather on his uniform. "I am the second highest ranking officer in this unit and demand your respect. You will address me as 'Lieutenant' or 'Sir'. At the very least, you may call me Nikko."

"Well, Punchy, where I come from respect is earned, not given, and you haven't done much so far to earn it from me." He lifted his chin and stood, looking down at me with one raised eyebrow and a clenched jaw.

"It is the same where I am from."

"Aww look, we have something in common." My attitude was unexpected. Maybe it was a defense mechanism. Maybe what little was left of my psyche broke when that transport carrying my only true friend in the world left the atmosphere. Either way, the snark made me feel better.

I heard a snort towards the opening of the cave and looked to see two of the aliens trying to stifle laughter. Good to see they had a sense of humor. The lieutenant stormed over to where they were standing and snapped at them in words my translator didn't pick up. They got back to their gear but as soon as his back was turned one of them looked back at me and smiled. They sure were a friendly bunch to have been so determined to kill us all over that artifact.

"Hey, Gr – um, leader guy? Why do you want the box that we found? What's so special about it?" I wanted to ask them more about what they were, but I had the feeling I wouldn't like the answer. Staying ignorant seemed like the safest option at the moment.

He hadn't taken his eyes off me. He walked toward me and bowed, but he didn't take his eyes away from mine. Instead, they burned into me. "First, you will address me as Kaiyn or Commander. My lieutenant may not command your respect, but I will." His tone suggested I keep my mouth shut and I obeyed. "Second, the most you need to know is that it is vital to our civilization and we will stop at nothing to get it back." I returned his burning stare. Intuition and training told me that he was not the type that I should show too much fear toward. Considering the way he was looking at me right now, I had the feeling this guy had a "devour the weak" mentality and I wasn't going to be anyone's meal. Not today, at least.

As night fell over the desolate landscape, I asked Kaiyn how much longer before the transport arrived. The chances of me being rescued dwindled toward zero the longer we sat in that darkening cave. Something had to have happened to keep my father from sending someone for me. Did these guys hit the transport after all? What if there was a hull breech and it imploded once they reached space? A shudder wracked my body and I struggled to hold onto my stomach contents. I couldn't bear the thought. Kaiyn's only response was to look at me dully, then return to whatever he was studying on a handheld device. I groaned and walked toward the cave entrance. Now that the darkness covering the terrain was complete, there was no fear of me disappearing into the rough expanse. It was too much of a risk. Tamek, one of the junior officers that had laughed at me before, was standing guard.

"Do not go far. The transport is scheduled to arrive shortly." I nodded weakly and walked out into a clearing. Two of the tiny satellite moons had risen high in the sky while a third was beginning to pop up over the horizon. They would probably align in another couple days with their tight orbits. I opened the accessory panel on my right forearm and pulled out one of my aspirators. I was down to six out of the ten I started with. They were a nuisance most times, but at least I didn't need a suit or an oxygen supply that could be damaged or exhausted much quicker. Typically, these would last a full day rather than a couple hours. I bit the seal and took a deep breath from the mouthpiece. If we didn't leave soon, they might not have a hostage to take back with them at all. I closed my eyes and steadied myself as the chemical coursed through my system. It was like an adrenaline rush. I hated the way it made me feel. Again, the beeping in my head. I wished for a way to disable the Halo because, without my supplements, this was going to get old. I swiped my neck to silence the alarm.

The sky was as dark as the dirt now and I could see the glow from the center of the galaxy. It was faint because of the light pollution from the satellite moons, but they couldn't interfere as much as the lights from my home world could. I recognized the light radiating from a nearby supernova, relatively speaking, that was reaching its peak output. I had never been able to see it with my naked eye before and stood in awe.

A flash of light and a low crackle in the distance tore my attention away from the stars. As I tried to figure out what it was, another one appeared much closer. It looked like a bolt of perfectly straight blue lightning that hit just over a nearby hill. This planet didn't have a functioning atmosphere, so it couldn't have been a storm. Within seconds, I saw more with strikes coming faster and closer.

"Anaïs! Get inside the cave! Anaïs!" Tamek was yelling at me. There was an urgency and tinge of fear in his voice. I turned and walked quickly back to the cave. A bright flash and loud electrical sound boomed behind me. I ducked instinctively.

"Anaïs! RUN!" Nikko called to me this time. The fear in his voice was palpable. He didn't seem like the type to spook easily. I broke out into a sprint.

I was about ten meters from the opening of the cave when a bolt of the eerie lighting struck directly in front of me. The sound was deafening. I crouched to the ground with my hands over my ears. When the sound stopped, I stood again ready to run, but the glint of something caught my eye and I stopped.

I could see the outline of something towering over me. It was darker than the night and more or less human-shaped, but I realized that the glint that outlined it was light reflecting off its glossy black skin. Another burst of electricity lit what should have been a face. It had no eyes. A smile zippered from one side of its head to the other. Lips curled away from razor sharp teeth filling the space between its lower jaw and where eyes should have been. It sprang for me with its mouth open wide but I screamed and struck out, connecting with the side of its head. The creature was stunned just enough for me to leap around it and make a mad dash for the opening of the cave. As soon as I was inside, the group opened fire.

The light from their weapons was blinding in the dark. My eyes couldn't adjust and I found myself rubbing them over and over again, pain and tears making it impossible to see clearly. I pressed my back against the cold stone wall trembling as hundreds of monsters thundered over the plain towards our cave. For every one that fell, two more took its place. They continued on, rolling over the dead like tsunami waves rushing to the shore. The weapons were effective, but there were just too many coming for us. My companions were having a hard time holding them off. I silently begged someone to get there and help us. I didn't care who it was at that point as long as they were friendly.

One of the things broke through the salvo and I caught a glimpse as it bit into Tamek and ripped off his head. My stomach finally decided to give up its fight and I retched on the cave floor. When I looked up, the creature had broken through the line and was making its way toward me. The other guys were too focused on holding the rest back to notice. It slashed at me with absurdly long talons. I dodged and ducked, dancing around the enclosed space. There were no weapons for me to grab and defend myself. It stepped in the mess I'd made on the ground but didn't flinch.

"I need a weapon!" I cried to anyone who was listening. I heard the electric hum of a plasma gun as it flew through the air and looked up just in time to catch it. Theirs didn't look anything like our weapons and I didn't know what I was doing or how to work it. I put my finger on what I assumed was a trigger, pointed toward the creature, and squeezed. Blinding light ripped through it before it collapsed in a heap on the ground. I caught sight of Kaiyn's shocked look. There wasn't enough time to be offended. Another one was coming to avenge the death of its fallen brother.

I took it out quickly but didn't realize a third one had snuck around behind me. Their black skin made them nearly impossible to see inside the cave. It spun me around and knocked the gun from my hand in one movement. Grabbing my upper arms, I could smell its skin. It smelled like death and smoke. Saliva dripped from the craggy points of its teeth.

Tears fell uninhibited from my eyes. I didn't want to die like this. I could feel a buzz in my brain and a pressure like something was trying to drill into it. I didn't even have the good sense to shut my eyes. Out of instinct, I put my hands on the creature's slick chest and tensed, waiting for the pain of my death. Instead, a brilliant purple current erupted from my hands and covered the creature's body in a ghostly fire. The beast convulsed and shook as the current continued to grip it. I realized it was the same thing that had burned up all of those material scanners and communication units on the station, though this lasted much longer. I tried to find the well of energy that was coming from my body and pull more up to send through the vile creature but lost my hold on it. The electricity stopped. The monster collapsed on the ground as steam rose from its corpse.

All activity around me stopped in an instant. Horrible screeching barks filled the air. They were coming from the creatures. Something was driving them back to their transport lighting. As they retreated, I stood frozen.

Before the last one had disappeared, I heard a deep laugh start behind me. I turned to see that it was coming from Kaiyn. It was creepy and odd considering the fact that Tamek had been killed, and nearly the rest of us too. An aircraft resembling their original one landed in the clearing between the bodies of the creatures who had just attacked. In the glow of the rescuers' searchlights, I could just make out a flash of fire in Kaiyn's eyes.