Page 17
Merxes appeared back into the
world. How he knew he didn't know. It might be something he'd find out
once they got back. He opened his mouth to talk to the others when a giant
dust cloud swept over the lands.
Coughing and spitting he turned his face away from the wind and closed his
eyes. This didn't feel like a low-danger planet.
"What's wrong?" he yelled.
"The prototype!" Raven yelled back.
Not much later the dust settled and Merxes could see the others. Ovi and
Ilandra were clinging to a nearby tree, while Rookie was already examining
a shuttle that was parked close by. Someone grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Raven?" Merxes asked turning.
Another handful of dirt was thrown into his face. Merxes slapped his arms
about blindly and only stopped when he had hit someone. A woman from the
sound of her voice.
"Au."
"What? What?" Merxes asked.
He tried rubbing the dirt out of his eyes. Finally someone pushed a piece
of cloth in his hands. Merxes eased the pain of his eyes and blinked them
open.
"What happened?" he asked again.
"You apparently knocked down one of the Colony crew." Ilandra
said
"She isn't hurt too bad." Ovi added.
"Why did they throw dirt in my eyes?"
"They didn't know we were the good guys, Merxes. Raven's already
questioning them."
"How did they get away?"
"Maybe they didn't know anyone else was here?" Ilandra shrugged.
"They knew! I have the dirt to prove it." Merxes said, still
slightly angry.
"Calm down, Merxes." Raven said as he came back with the two
hostages, "They thought we were guarding the shuttle."
"Anything we need to know?" Ilandra asked.
"Apparently there are three others running around and 5 bad guys. And
the prototype has been activated if you hadn't guessed that already."
"Plan of attack?" Ryan asked.
"We split up." Ilandra said.
"Correct." Raven agreed.
"Raven, you and Liv and Xander go find the others."
"The rest of us will try to catch the criminals before they head out.
Ryan, you will come with me to take the South, Ovi will take the North and
Merxes the West."
"That leaves the East." Ryan remarked.
"I'll be coming back with the other members of the crew. If they go
East they'll make for the Shuttle."
"ok."
"If anything goes wrong, use your Telps and go back to the head
quarters. We'll meet you all there."
"Cerces!" Mormont yelled.
"What?" Cerces shrieked back appalled that the spy dared yell at
her like that.
"This little rat let the prisoners escape."
Cerces turned to Figaro, eyes raging with anger: "Fool!" she
spat, "How could you?"
"They knocked..."
"They were bound together! You know this will cost us money..."
"What can I do to make it up mistress?" Figaro begged.
"Stay."
"What?"
"You heard me. Stay. I'll leave with my Telp at once, you find the
hostages and bring them back with the shuttle."
Mormont smiled.
"Don't be so smug." Cerces said, "You'll be staying too. As
are Trevor and Ivana."
Cerces opened her bag and pulled out her own private Telp. She pushed in
the coordinates and teleported before anyone could object.
Lantessama
Isle
Cy
DragonStake - Darkling
Dawn
Credits:
Backgrounds compiled with images found on Google