Gabatrix: The Warrior of Silence

CMed (TheUniverseofCMed)

The Final Edition

CMed (TheUniverseofCMed)

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

ISBN-13: 9798483708292

Cover design by: Piero Painter
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309
Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Title Page

About the Author

Disclaimer

Prologue

Chapter 1: The New Africa

Chapter 2: Partnered Part 1

Chapter 3: Partnered Part 2

Chapter 4: The Rimbastar Jewelry Heist

Chapter 5: A Nearly Forgotten Language

Chapter 6: Scouring the Back Alleys Part 1

Chapter 7: Scouring the Back Alleys Part 2

Chapter 8: The Turf Battle at L’Kibera

Chapter 9: Two Weeks Later

Chapter 10: Dragon’s Eye Part 1

Chapter 11: Dragon’s Eye Part 2

Chapter 12: The Battle At Warehouse #2

Chapter 13: Preparation

Chapter 14: The Battle at Dragon’s Eye Prison

Chapter 15: About-Face

Books By This Author

About the Author

Hello everyone, my name is CMed. I will make it brief and quick about me. I was a college student who got a Major in History before going into the realm of the military. I am a Navy Veteran that has served for six years and wanted to become an author and book writer near the end of my military contract.

Serving aboard ship was a long and challenging life. It is not for the faint-hearted, but after being taken off of it, I now had more time than ever. I used my time wisely to begin writing books. Writing had and continues to serve as therapy for me. It helped me through my times, even way before diseases or social unrest ever became the main headlines of modern media.

Writing is something that does not come overnight. Most writers require at least two years of writing before they are even going to be marketing. Needless to say, make sure that you set the time to do so if you wish to be a part of that hobby. If you know somebody that wishes to become an author, make sure to give them that support. Writing is an extension of us and our imagination. Without imagination, our civilizations would never exist. Without imagination, we would have no empathy towards the next person. We all come from different walks of life. Each one of us can tell a story, and it all comes down to our will to survive through the best of times to the worst of times.

I have designed Tales of Heroes and Gabatrix to be a system that expands itself. If people like my stories, then they can help out that cause. With the help of you, the audience, the system will get bigger and bigger. If you like my stories, then come and support me on my Patreon. Thank you, and enjoy my stories. :)

https://www.patreon.com/TheUniverseofCMed

Disclaimer

Tags: Swearing, Space, Science Fiction, Future, Sex, Gradual Romance, Love, Sign Language, War, Violence, Guns, Blood, Interspecies, Male Human, Female Alien, Scalie, Human/Alien Sex, Intercourse, Blowjob, Fingering, M/F

Disclaimer 1: This is the seventh story of the Gabatrix series. It is highly recommended that you read the other Gabatrix stories to enjoy the full experience before getting into this story. This story deals with a war between humanity and an alien race and does contain violence.

Disclaimer 2: This story is meant for adults as it contains sex, violence, cursing, blood, and light gore (in relation to the violence). Bear in mind that there is heavy cursing and foul language depicted. There is a clear division between the sex and the violence/blood.

Book Cover Artwork by Piero Painter. Special thanks for the artist’s hard work in this piece.

Special Thanks to my Patreon supporters:

Jordy, Mike Nixon, Frank Nordhaus, Nightsound, and Anthony Kestle for their generous donations

And, of course, the other patron supporters for allowing me to write and supporting the universe that I write. :)

By CMed

Prologue

“What Africa was is now Oshun, and what they are now is part of the UWA. Its greatest struggle is with itself. All of us can’t ignore this world, and all of us must strive to make it better.” Gabatrix at the 50th Anniversary of Oshun’s Colonization, 2318 AD.

……. Humanity and the alien clan known as the T’rintar remained united. Each colony must stand firm, ready to fight any future invasion and sustain itself.…….

…….Regardless, not all colonies are the same. Luxury has a high price as it hides the shadow of poverty and the downtrodden. Corruption very well exists and poisons society……

…….On the colony world of Oshun, an infuriated marine struggles to fight this corruption. He will do whatever is necessary to keep the world from caving in on itself. Sometimes a few individuals can make things better for everyone………

Chapter 1: The New Africa

High above Earth's orbit, we observe the world's many continents. In space, we are drawn to this world over and over again. We have a perfect view of this planet of what it was over four hundred years ago. It isn’t the same as it looks now. It is more covered in a variety of colors. Blue, yellow, white, green, brown, and other colors show a more pristine environment as we float and note the quiet emptiness of the vacuum of space. The colors glow as we are dotted with the inky blackness of nothingness that spans beyond the planet.

It always seems that we are drawn to this world over and over again, like a pendulum swing. Our journey starts here, goes to other worlds, and then it ultimately circumvents back to here again. Even the great pioneer of the human race once said something similar to this. The realm of exploration is one that seems commonplace in many species throughout the universe. At least…..ones that are similar enough to mankind.

Why is that? Why, in all the exploration, do we find ourselves coming right back to the original homeworld? A home provides a sense of comfort for many species. It is a sense of familiarity and a place of refuge. Only in time can a species eventually learn to escape and call new places their home, but do they take careful notes once it is done? It truly depends on society, civilization, nature, the environment, and individuals in preserving that information. Not doing so invites interpretation and perhaps grief over who is correct or incorrect about their own history.

I see you have grown curious about your guide, as the past story was started by someone else. It seems that in my absence, there was another who spoke in my place. Perhaps she is correct on the dinosaurs and their origins. Maybe she is right about the civilizations that pervaded long before the human race. But, of course, there is always more to that. Dreams and ambitions reside in the future, and the past is riddled with mysteries if things are not written down so carefully. It is nobody’s fault, as things can become lost in time. History can be rewritten, and there can be a time where even the past is not important enough to keep safe from the ravages of nature. Even we only know so much about our deepest of origins. Who am I exactly? The Itreans called us the “Kiline.” It is a most interesting name…..but I am more than that, just as much as you have become and what you will be in the far future. In time, I will tell you more about me, but right now, it is a distraction from what is happening.

Instead, we continue to focus on Earth. This single world that resides in a yellow dwarf star system is the harbinger of life for many civilizations. Sadly, not many of these civilizations have been carefully recorded. That interpretation starts to become a prime factor in the newly developing societies. Word of mouth is not enough, as the individual naturally tells the tale differently over and over again with each passing generation. Eventually, the truth is lost, and new ways have to be uncovered in order to learn about a person’s past.

The deepest known surviving history of the human race can be traced back to the ancient Mesopotamian civilization of over 5,000 years ago. The people known as the Sumerians spoke a language that is preserved in artifacts, language, and history. We spin the globe of Earth as the continent of Asia comes into view. Tucked between the pathways of Europe and Africa, the Sumer people came from an area that is located near the Persian Gulf. Despite the heat, the area was cooler than it is today and provided a fertile enough place for a human settlement to occur. The environment also provides a site that can preserve many of these artifacts. Does this mean that the Sumer was the only known civilization to happen in this period? Far from it, as there were indications of cultures that existed in the Indus Valley, Ancient Egypt, and Ancient lands before China ever existed.

As we delve further into mankind, we then discover the other known surviving historical evidence of past civilizations. Before the Sumerians, there was the Çatalhöyük. Found in 2012 of the Earth calendar in what is now Turkey, the ancient civilization had been long uncovered. Dug out of the sands, the city is over nine thousand years old. There are other suggestions of great temples that reside in the oceans as well. How did these temples get underwater? The answer to that is quite evident, as the ocean levels were much lower at this time, combined with the ever-present threat of shifting lands that could lower such structures. One such temple is the Yonaguni-Jima Ruins located near Okinawa, Japan. At the time of its discovery, it was under 20 meters of water and was estimated to be over 10,000 years old. It is so ancient that some still claim that such a civilization could never exist and that the structures were simply made by nature.

In order for us to progress to the future of today, we must go deeper into the past. Each time we return to Earth, we learn more about the human race and what it can become. When all is accomplished, when they succeed in transgressing into the outer beyond, it can look back and tell a tale of how it made it. We would define the term as “Species Transgression Victory,” or how a species managed to escape this confined universe. It is quite challenging, and so far, only one has managed to accomplish this. The sheer difficulty and variables simply make it nearly impossible to complete it, but it can still be achieved.

So this does bring us to evaluate mankind’s past further. Where did humanity come from? We spin the globe of the planet. We see the continents in all of their glory. There is so much land and possibilities in this world alone that we can marvel at how this one particular race has managed to make it this far. Earth has never been the most ideal of habitable planets, with some having far more or far less than what the other worlds have to offer.

A profound idea of the origins of humanity was the search for Eden. This concept exists even today among the human race that there was a single mother and father who birthed all. Now, whether you choose to believe in such an idea is your choice, but some felt that there had to be more to that story. Was there an “Adam and Eve,” and was there ever an idea such as “Eden?”

This question resided in something many considered in the late 20th century and early 21st century. In the desire to search for the answers, the human race had started to do a deep study through the knowledge of DNA. The building blocks of some species in the universe, DNA, carry important clues in the history of how humans evolved to become what they are today. It was a most curious endeavor and one that provided many surprising discoveries. In the DNA blocks, there lined a genetic tag. This would serve as a beacon to help trace the source that would lead to the previous generation and so forth. Random individuals all around the world had samples taken. The DNA carried the answers that they were looking for.

What made things curious was that the tag served as a way to trace where humanity went. In the United States, the population showed where the people came from, whether it was Europe, Asia, South America, North America, Africa, or Oceania. When the populations were tested, the route began to develop. Those with pale complexions had a more singular road that went to Europe but traveled to somewhere else. Those from South America seemed to travel a route that went upward towards North America. Those that came from Oceania traveled towards Asia.

Those with the darkest of complexions, however, showed a myriad of different location traces. It helped encourage the very projects, to begin with, as those that descended from Africa had no other routes of where they came from. Then, like hitting a brick wall, it showed that those descended from Africa came from nowhere else on Earth. Meanwhile, those who came from Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and Oceania were converging towards one location. It was a stunning find as we spin the Earth towards the great continent. Finally, the scientists had put the pieces of the puzzle together.

The continent of Africa comes into view. It is shaped like a giant hammer with the island of Madagascar near the lower right tip. All of this was the source of a large variety of ecosystems and wildlife. From North Africa resides the great Sahara Desert in its reflection of orange and yellow. In Central Africa, it consists of a vast array of forests, including the Congo River Basin and the Great Rift Valley, with its great shades of green. In South Africa reside the Kalahari and Namib Deserts.

All the routes of the Non-African populations trace back to this very continent. The news shocked many. It was believed that in hundreds of thousands of years, the populations of humans that moved from Africa would evolve in their new lands. In Europe, where sunlight is generally less, people slowly began to have a paler complexion to maximize the Vitamin D given by the sun. In Asia and Oceania, the people adapted to their environments with different facial features, pigmentation, and abilities. In the end, for some, it was apparent that Adam and Eve might not have had such a pale complexion as the famous artworks may have foretold.

Africa……despite such news, the continent had been plagued by its own savage history. People from inside and outside had played a role in reducing its value to the rest of the world. Greed is a shared existence in humanity, and it reflected itself on the continent. Slavery had been a source of cheap labor, and it was a common practice for the African population. It is believed that early prototype steam engines, such as the Aeolipile, had been developed as far back as over two thousand years ago. What revolutionized the human race in the 19th century had existed back then. Some believe that because slavery was so commonplace, the engine was never fully developed. Later on, other empires and nations would utilize slavery to fulfill their own means. It was simply cheaper to buy another individual and use a disposable person than create something that would help propel humanity to the stars. Even as far as 2050, slavery still existed in the pockets of the continent. Colonialism and post-colonialism would further define the lineage of developing and sometimes failed governments throughout the land. Sometimes the worst violence in history was located here.

This isn’t to say that Africa has nothing but a history of abuse, strife, and failure, far from it. If anything, the continent has had some level of success. A rising issue throughout the 21st century was the spread of desertification. With rising global temperatures and deforestation, a massively successful campaign had been waged. A manufactured bacteria was introduced to harden the sands to convert them into massive livable landscapes. It was a prideful example of terraforming that would prove beneficial to everyone then and even to this very day. Cleaner energy sources such as solar power farms were introduced. Efforts to stem the tide of poverty and war, improved governments, awareness, and a United African government would help usher Africa to rise up in recognition by the rest of the world.

Sadly, even with all of this, humanity’s time on Earth was running out. Greed ultimately won the great war on itself. We watch Africa as time shifts forward. Year by year goes by each second. The continent is to go through significant changes. Desertification continues to spread southward. The rising global temperatures are taking their toll as the white clouds slowly turn into a thicker gray color. The polar icecaps have melted, and rising sea levels have begun to encroach on the land. Second by second, the green is becoming less and less. Coastal cities are abandoned, and the population moves further inland.

Ironically, most of the world feels more of an impact on the global rising sea levels than Africa itself. While most of Egypt, Mauritius, Seychelles, portions of North Africa, and a portion of North West Africa are swallowed up by the ocean, much of the continent is high ground. Africa does its best, but millions are displaced. Refuge is offered to the flooded island nations in the Pacific Ocean, but the United African Government has little money to spare. Regardless, things could have been worse for the continent, and unfortunately, it would only continue to travel this route.

We watch as the atmosphere becomes grayer and grayer. Pollution is rampant and out of control. Even with clean energy sources, it’s too late. Released from the confines of the melted ice caps, a new menace appears and rears its ugly head. The bacteria that the humans called “23-9” have emerged and spread like a virus. The darkening oceans start to turn orange and red as pollution becomes a food source. The toxic water becomes a byproduct that kills billions. The land begins to turn yellow and brown as the green fades away. The toxic Orange Muck, the deadly sludge, permeates the water supply and gets everywhere. Nothing is safe from it, as every living organism is drinking and bathing in poison.

Nothing was more dramatic than this singular event. Even the eruption of Yellowstone National Park never reached the catastrophic disaster that the Orange Muck brought forth. Sadly, the worst affected by this was Africa. With a population that was struggling to have the same resources as every other nation, even by the 22nd century, the continent had little to combat the toxic spread. Poverty-stricken areas had little to no choice, and there was nowhere to escape it. Billions would die throughout Earth in the first year, and it is believed that 90% of the African population would perish from the Orange Muck. A collective outcry for mercy had been declared. A rallying call had been made, and the choice was to flee to Mars. African populations were along for the ride as the surviving billions of the world made the great exodus to the red planet. The continent remains a shell of its former glory. The cradle of all life is no more as we stare at it in the year 2350.

Of course, you do know most of this story by now as we begin to slowly pan away from Earth. You already know of the famed Gabatrix experiment that would allow the human race to span beyond its solar system. Earth is now Itrea as the T’rintar clan of the Itrean people has reclaimed their lost home world. It is up to the descendants that were once called dinosaurs, along with the surviving humans, to clean up the mess. It will be a long, grueling process, as you can see, one of the ancient green cylindrical dreadnoughts preparing to deploy a new volley of atmospheric cleaning probes to clear out the polluted air and oceans. The Itreans have long learned to be patient while they struggle with the shock of finding the world that gave homage to them.

We start to zoom away at a tremendous rate. Earth or Itrea shrinks in size as we get further and further away from it. We once again say goodbye to this world so we can go to the place that we need to be. Luna becomes a dot as we can only see Sol in the vast distance. As we continue to gain speed, it starts to shrink down more and more. Jupiter suddenly appears and disappears as we leave the solar system. Your head then turns to look at the vast array of stars. Each twinkling star in the blackness of space is just like Sol, albeit bigger or smaller. Their distance, color, and mass are the only indications of what they might be.

Gabatrix’s great experiment was the saving grace for the human race. The gift of folding space would allow many populations to find new worlds to call home. It is the destiny of every intelligent race to discover new worlds. The road to Species Transgression Victory is one that can be achieved if the correct actions are taken. Cebravis, Batrice, and New Olympia were among the first worlds to be colonized outside of the solar system. There was one other world, though, that would be among the first, and it was no sheer surprise on that part.

We start to move at a faster and faster rate as the stars begin to zip past us. We don’t have to go far, however. You see, amongst the cluster of stars is one of the Constellation Pictor. It isn’t a massive star cluster as it is tucked between the Constellations Columba, Carina, Puppis, and Dorado. As we get closer to it, the great star of Canopus comes into view. Even if it is hundreds of light-years away from our intended target, it helps serve as a guidepost to our destination.

Instead, we start to close in on the star system known as HD 40307. Located over 42 light-years from Earth, the star is slightly smaller than Sol with a slight tinge of orange. It is a K-Type star that is expected to last longer than Sol in its age expectancy. In 2008, astronomers found that this star had three planets orbiting it. In the later years, three additional planets were discovered. As the Gabatrix experiment proved to be a viable success, the need to explore new habitable worlds became a priority.

When the other close stars leave your sight, you can see the solar system come into view. Indeed, it is as expected. The probes that traveled here almost a hundred years ago confirm the presence of several exoplanets. Unfortunately, most of these planets are too close to the star, with HD 40307b doing a complete orbit in four Earth days. As a result, it is scorched as the intense heat pummels its surface. HD 40307c and d don’t fare much better, with c being tidally compressed and heated repeatedly. It is almost as if the closest five planets enjoy their star too much. It doesn’t want to leave it and prefers the intense heat that the star gives off. HD 40307d is even comparable to a larger version of Venus back in Sol.

It is believed that all the planets in this solar system were slowly drawn in closer to its star in the last several hundred million years. Thus, if there were any life on these worlds that was similar to Earth, then it is long gone by now. There is one exception to this, however, and it is closer to our true destination.

Our trip brings us closer and closer to a vast planet that lies in the outermost solar system. It is the furthest planet that follows an almost elliptical orbit. Residing in the habitable zone, this exoplanet is more prominent than Earth. We end up seeing the wondrous world that is covered almost entirely with water. The shades of blue and white are all but apparent. Several small moons orbit this world, but they are smaller than Luna.

This is the world of Oshun, and it leads to the current closing tale of what had happened to the former population of Africa. Established in 2268, the colony of Oshun was not as well celebrated as the founding of Cebravis, despite being only a few years apart in age. Despite it being bigger than Earth, there are many similar and remarkable details of this world. The world almost spins perfectly on its Y-Axis. Despite this, the planet receives a fair amount of heat that is circulated into predictable weather patterns. It was once believed that this world was almost encased in ice. Unlike Palora, however, the planet has wandered closer to the star over several million years. Over time, the ice had completely melted and flooded the entire globe. There is more water in this place than Earth ever had. Essentially, there is no separate ocean but one singular one that virtually engulfs the planet.

Such a world is more than capable of sustaining life adequately, but it is obvious that a vast amount of it has adapted to living in the water. There is marine life that can breathe carbon dioxide and oxygen above the surface, similar to Earth. However, ocean levels are much deeper and can put areas such as the former Marianas Trench to absolute shame. A world that revolves on its poles almost perfectly causes a natural circulation of air that appears on the equator. Another notable feature is the “Great White,” as the native Oshunians call it. This massive moving cyclone spins and revolves around below the equator. Much like the “Great Red Spot” of Jupiter, it is continuous and never-ending. It carries the most potent wind speeds, rain, and weather disturbances that dare to get in its path. Thankfully, it seems to travel in a straight line, making regular trips around the planet. Its goal is to regulate the hot temperatures of the water while transferring it to new locations. Meanwhile, rain and precipitation are sent northward.

We got closer to the world where we can see the moon of Orsa. The largest moon serves as a military base and construction yard for the UHN. In orbit, we can see the circular gate array named Fort Kajuru tethered to the planet's surface. A series of small gray cylindrical objects starts to appear. The variety of patrolling warships and commercial vessels travel in various directions or remain locked in orbit. This planet is streaming with human-made activity. In the northern hemisphere, we start to see at least two huge islands. While significant, they are still dwarfed by the endless ocean. It is obvious now that the highest land peaks are still capable of supporting human settlement.

The world of Oshun has never reached the same popularity as Cebravis, but it is far from ignored, either. Over 500 million people live on it today. Its history of former Africa resides in its people who pass along the fabled stories of the discarded “Planet of Lost Cause.” The great spanning ocean harbors an enormous amount of fish-like stocks, food, and tourism. We can note one of the great luxury liner spaceships that has come through the gate array. Having a somewhat similar profile to the great cruise liners of the 21st century, the gray winged hulls radiate that of vacationers and party-goers. The rich often enjoy coming to this planet as another variant world of Cebravis. The fabulous beaches of the islands bring enjoyment and help to strengthen the struggling economy. The former African Union had a chance to breathe a sigh of relief when they first saw this world. Even with little land, it was home, and it would do its best not to repeat humanity's past mistakes.

However, Oshun has had its struggles that last to this day. Establishing a new government didn’t happen so easily, and even an economy based on tourism is not enough to handle the influx of so many people. Even as the third-most-populated world of the United Worlds’ Alliance, politics continually eye this place, much as the ancient history of some African nations shows corruption, bribery, and crime on the rise in government and its population. There is too little land, and debate rages on settling on the southern islands where the Great White sweeps over continuously. A vast range of underwater cities permeates the beaches of some areas, and an ongoing threatening war with an alien race hasn’t helped its condition.

All is not lost, however. If anything, Oshun has hopes in its ongoing struggle with itself. It is less than a year since the planet successfully repelled a Shal’rein clan fleet. Before the grand alliance with the T’rintar clan, a successful defense mounted by a UHN fleet and Oshun assets successfully destroyed and halted the attacking shark-like subspecies. Even as we continue to get closer and closer to the world, we can actually spot very tiny debris that flies past our side. Most likely, these are the remains of an Itrean ship that was closing in on the planet. If one ship managed to deploy its troops, the semi-aquatic race would have had a significant advantage against a people that preferred to live on land. It was a costly victory, but the Battle of Oshun underlines the resolve of Oshun in repelling future Itrean attacks. It was one of three major colonial victories against the Shal’rein clan before the alliance and is the best remembered above all. With the alliance, Oshun is all but safe from the next assault. The rows of ancient leased T’rintar clan battleships are manned and ready for battle.

We have done enough observation from orbit. Our journey nears its end, and we begin a new one. We both slip away as we start to fall into the atmosphere of the blue planet. It is mid-day as we feel the gravity pull us down. Even as the friction bounces harmlessly off of you, you can already feel the temptation. It is the highest dive most can ever enjoy into the salty ocean. Never had a people ever had so much water. We are near one of the two major island nations of Oshun. The small continent of Girinhi Kinshasha houses the more pristine tourist side of the world, but we are not headed there. Instead, we are heading to Beureum Lagos, the more industrial-heavy area of the planet. From high above, it does not look like much. There were no significant natural forests, and only a singular mountain range resides in the center. The rest of the area around it houses the single great metropolis of Bandari Kubwa.

The location is little more than a donut-shaped port that encircles around the small mountain range. As we get closer, the small continent grows larger and larger. The color of light and dark blue, with hints of light purple from the bright orange sunlight, fills your eyesight. Bandari Kubwa is an active location. Even if tourism is more dominant on the other island, a few cruise liners still make regular trips near the area. In addition, 24th-century human-made surface vessels are making frequent trips back and forth from continent to continent. The advanced fishing vessels carefully tap the endless amount of aquatic life that dots the surrounding area.

We begin to see the large amounts of beaches as we close in on the more heavily populated section of the continent. We are so close that we can see several skyscrapers stretch as high as they can. Multiple factories, warehouses, and sky-rise apartments cover the area. Even in broad daylight, these buildings' construction quality is only slightly better than that of late 21st-century structures. While a few of the facilities do have certain aesthetic qualities, most are generic and dull. It was as if there was a great effort to make some of the early buildings look pretty, but the later ones constructed dropped the concept to allow the full utilization of the short space available. Advanced floating airships popularly display advertisements while you can see the electric cars drive down the grid-like streets.

We have finally reached the street level. We are nearly two kilometers from the great ocean. Scores of people walk the side paths, getting from one location to another. Behind you is one of the roads that leads to a tunnel that supposedly goes down one of the underwater cities. Most of these locations are not that deep and only try to take advantage of the little land available. The skyscrapers tower above you like giants.

Most of the population shares different shades of natural dark complexions with varieties of facial features reminiscent of their past ancestry. Of course, this is the 24th century, and not everyone comes from Oshun. A few individuals walk amongst the crowds that have pale and mixed complexions that are native people, visitors, tourists, or those who have moved from other planets and colonies. The clothing tends to reflect long, fashionable dresses of different colors that most women and men wear. With this place being near the beach, it is not surprising to see some individuals dressed in swimwear, with the occasional woman who dares to go topless. Families escorting their children seem to be coming or going.

It isn’t the only thing that can be seen. Among the absolute few are those that are not human at all. By now, the human population had grown accustomed to their new T’rintar clan allies. The sight of a walking alien amongst the crowd does not seem to stir any alarms or worry in public. Most of these few aliens consist of the Yutilian variety. Their small stature makes them shorter than most humans. They walk on digitigrade legs, have a tail to keep balanced on, feathers that protrude from their heads, arms, and tails, and wear similar clothing to the rest of the population. The generally greenish-skinned women seemed to blend into everyone. They are little more than bipedal anthro dinosaurs, proven by the DNA tests and their famed surviving artifact from Earth. A few of these reptilian women are walking together, with one eyeing one of the human men. A look of lust and desire on her face can be clearly seen, and no one can blame her. To her left is one of her friends or associates who is clearly pregnant.

And of the absolute few of the population are those of the Shal’rein of the T’rintar clan. The shark-like subspecies families that live amongst this clan swear their allegiance to them. They are a towering sight to behold. But, unlike the Yutilians, these women don’t seem to mind modesty as much. A pair walks by with a human male in the center. One is wearing skimpy swimwear that is just barely enough to cover her gray-like soft scales. The other one is topless, wearing purple denim shorts and letting her large breasts happily bounce around as she swings her large fin-like tail around—the water calls to them. The man seems to have a look of happiness as the two women are escorting them to the beaches like two giant guards protecting their boss or catch.

Of course, most people are living their day-to-day lives. It is a typical day near the end of the human calendar of September. Most of the men and women are dressed in work clothes. Despite the luxurious, pristine environment of partygoers and vacationers, it was near the end of the workday. Most people are trying to get home. In fact, the people in the happy environment tend to disguise something that our eyes see when we look at one of the buildings. As you get closer to inspect it, you can see indented words written on its sides. It is as if someone had taken a sharp edge and etched the words “It’s a lie” in a slanted text. Another one is written in Chinese that translates to “Shal’rein go home!”

Individuals barely noticed these signs. It is such a busy place and written so small that people hardly see it. The company advertisements quickly grab your attention away from it far more than anything else. Finally, there is one last thing that catches your eye.

As you look towards the mountain range that extends in the opposite direction from the beaches, you can see a series of flashing lights. It is several blocks away, and nobody is coming from that area. It has been safely barred off. We quickly head to this area to see a small row of electric vehicles. The flashing red and blue lights are indicative of human police cars. Oshun police are responding to an emergency. They seemed focused on one of the large apartment buildings. Onlookers caught in the event stare helplessly at the transpiring scene.

Most of the police are dressed in red, black, and blue. They wear the Mclevar bulletproof vests and are armed with a variety of pacification gear and caseless pistols. Some wear black berets. One is even armed with a rifle that he has at the ready.

One of the police officers is a clean-shaven officer. He carries a gold insignia and a tablet, which he is busy talking into. His face shows a sense of fear, mild agitation, and bewilderment. At times, he is simply scratching his head while he overhears the man's orders that are being spoken through the tablet’s 3D projection.

Not far from this person is a man with a pale complexion. Unlike the other police, this man is dressed differently and sticks out amongst the law enforcement. He is seemingly taller, being over six feet in height. His bulging muscles are reminiscent of a bodybuilder, only partly disguised by the red shirt, Mclevar bulletproof vest, and dark blue denim pants. His rugged black boots clunked on the cement and coarse dirt as he moved back and forth. On his right hip was a holster that showed a particularly large pistol that easily dwarfed the pistols used by the other Oshunian police. The top of his head consisted of short dyed gray hair, almost as if he was trying to make himself look older, but it wasn’t that far from the truth. His facial features made him appear to be a man who was born in North America on former Earth, but he had a grizzled look. His lip curled as he paced back and forth in the most agitated of states. The vest had the person’s name, “Stone,” and a UHN Marine Master Sergeant insignia tucked next to it.

Despite his pacing, the other officers tended to avoid him. This “Stone” apparently made people naturally avoid him. No….they were intimidated by him. His size and height alone almost made him represent the great height of the Shal’rein. His face grimaced and only showed signs of annoyance.

“Chief, I don’t know what to do,” the police officer with the tablet said in the familiar Oshunian accent. “I keep calling the hostage-taker. He's irate and refuses our calls.”

“He'll call us and let us know his demands,” the police chief replied in an even broader accent. “You have been trained to do this, Lieutenant Lekan. I know that you're capable of doing this.”

The supposed pale individual stammered in his walk as he tried to bite his lip. It was as if he strongly disagreed with the comment that he overheard from the chief. He did his best to remain reserved but continued with his pacing.

“Is Stone with you?” the chief called out. “Wait, I see him."

“Yes,……Stone is here,” Lekan replied in similar annoyance.

“Stone!” the chief called out. “Follow his orders!”

Finally, the towering man looked at the tablet. His head turned up to look at one of the windows where the hostage situation had taken place. A crime was in progress that seemed to put the veteran in an agitated position. He only gave an evil eye at the tablet and resumed his pacing.

“Ugh….” The chief commented to both of them. “I expect you to get the woman to safety.”

“Don’t give in to his demands…..” Stone finally said. His voice was deep and raspy, and didn’t carry the Oshunian accent.

“I'll get the woman out, Chief,” Lekan said with a slight sense of worried pride. However, Stone could already tell that he was over his head and unprepared for this situation.

“Keep me updated,” the chief said. With that, the tablet projection shut off. Lekan tried to keep a composed look as Stone ignored him. It was as if he completely overlooked him.

“You heard what the Chief said, marine,” Lekan said. “Let me handle this.”

“A man takes his wife hostage,” Stone said. “It's just after working hours. I already know where this is going.”

“You…..you think that this is just a regular lover’s quarrel gone wrong?”

“I don’t care what it is,” Stone finally stopped and looked at the Lieutenant square in the eye. “He can clearly see us from the window and is watching us. He doesn’t know what to do.”

“You can see him? Of course….that augmented eye of yours.”

Lekan had forgotten that Stone had an augmented right eye. While it looked the same as his other eye, the similarities ended there. With technology as it was, Stone had a significant advantage in eyesight as he turned his head to look at the window where the hostage situation had taken place. While there was clearly a wall that was in the way, the augmented eye would continually zoom in and alter the spectrum for the marine to see. He could clearly see a man on the second floor who was walking back and forth in his room. The rough red silhouette would increase from the tainted window that very few others could ever see. In the man’s hand was a pistol similar to the police's but more pocket-sized. The hostage-taker was looking at something or somebody else, but it was too far for Stone to mark clearly.

“Right now, the man is sizing us out,” Stone told the Lieutenant. “I can tell that he's just looking at the police and then probably at his wife. You have a chance to send a team up there and rescue her before he kills her.”

“Send a team?” Lekan argued back. “He'll just go and shoot his wife when he sees them.”

“He's going to kill her!” Stone snapped back at him and briefly pointed at the window. “I can already tell his pacing. He can’t make up his mind right now. Judging from this, he's cornered and didn’t think this through. He was most likely told some bad news, got in a spat with his wife, and is now taking it out on her. He has two choices he's going to make. One is that he will kill her and most likely himself, or he's going to give up. We don’t let him make up his mind. We go in and get his wife out now.”

“Let me talk him down…..I took up years in negotiation at the university. I…..”

“Years, my ass…….” Stone cut him off. “You couldn’t convince one of the Yutilian’s to give you a handjob in a brothel.”

“Hey! What the hell?”

Stone turned his head at the building behind Lekan. He briefly looked up as his augmented eye zoomed in on the female sniper of the police team. The Oshunian rifle was equipped with a deployable scope from the top of the gun for the woman to look through. She was in a comfortable sitting position as the gun was resting on the top balcony edge.

“This is Officer Leredi,” a female voice called through on the Lieutenant’s tablet. “I'm in position and have a partial vantage point to the target. He's currently walking back and forth from the window. I can barely see the hostage, but he is brandishing a pistol.”

“Good,” Lekan replied. “Remain in position but hold your fire.”

The marine briefly looked around. The other police had adequately closed off the street. However, there were only so many available as this only left a small armed team of three police officers and Lekan that was ready to storm the building. He recognized that two of them were armed with the OSG-5 shotgun fitted with stun rounds and stun grenades. The other had cutting tools and a pistol.

While viable, it didn’t seem to please Stone. He turned to look up at the window. His hands would clench back and forth as he showed a state of aggravation and unease. His eye could see a different angle of the hostage-taker. The red outline depicted a person who would walk up the window. Finally, he stopped his pacing. The perpetrator looked at his gun, away from the window, and then stepped up to the windowsill.

Stone crossed his arms as the man pressed a button. The window slid open enough for the perpetrator to show himself. Lekan turned his head away from his tablet as he looked up and saw the man holding his wife hostage.

The hostage-taker appeared to be a man in his mid-thirties. He was well dressed in fine office clothes that Stone took note of. This was not an impoverished area of the continent, but Stone had seen enough to indicate whether an area was a ghetto on Oshun. The dark complexion was commonplace, but the man was almost bald. His eyelids showed strain and exhaustion that Stone could clearly see.

“Hey!” the man yelled out of the window.

“Baraka!” Lekan called out. “Are you Baraka?”

“Yeah…….” The man called out as he brandished his pistol. “Don’t you dare come up here!”

“Baraka, we're here because we've heard the disturbance that happened in your apartment. Is it just you and your wife?”

“Yeah…..” the man replied with some hesitation. He was looking at the scene, shaking his head.

“Is your wife hurt? Does she need medical attention?”

“No!” he snapped at him. He pulled his pistol as Stone could see the red outline of the gun being aimed inside the home. “She will be, though! The bitch won’t stop yelling at me.”

Lekan was ascertaining the situation to the best of his abilities. Even the marine was carefully noting everything. It appeared to him that Baraka was irate.

“We're here to have your wife released,” Lekan said.

“Fuck no! I can handle this……..I can handle this until you showed up!”

“You have demands then? Let us try to talk it out. What is it?”

Stone looked at the team. They were holding positions, but they were too far in the open. Any movement that they made, and the husband might gun down his wife. Stone, however, was a little bit closer to the front entrance of the apartments. He was biding his time carefully while he continued to clench his hands to his muscled arm.

“I want all of you to disperse now!” Baraka yelled out. “I….just got in an argument with my wife. It's just a simple, stupid argument.” An internal commotion was coming through inside the place that caused the man to divert his attention away from Lekan. He screamed at her to shut up.

“We can’t leave, and you know that,” Lekan explained as he lifted up his hands. “We can try to listen to your demands and try to help you out.”

“Shut up!” Baraka screamed at his wife as he aimed the pistol and pulled the trigger. A gunshot could be heard as Stone listened to more screaming inside. The red outline briefly showed a gun going off. His augmented vision allowed him to track the activity.

“Lieutenant,” the sniper called out on his tablet. “I was able to see enough of it from here. The suspect fired his pistol, but it wasn’t aimed at the hostage.”

“Can you see the hostage now?” Lekan asked her.

“Just barely. My scope can briefly track her heat signature from this angle.”

“Listen here!” Stone yelled out at the window. The voice was enough to pull Lekan away from his tablet. The hostage-taker turned his head to look directly at the marine.

“Stone!” Lekan’s eye went wide. “I have this! Shut your mouth.”

“Baraka!” Stone ignored the Lieutenant and pointed his finger at the suspect above him. “Lay down your gun and walk away from this. We have you surrounded. Surrender the hostage and yourself, and we promise a fair trial.”

Lekan was not too pleased that Stone was taking over on this part. His lip curled as he tried to let the scene pass. The suspect, however, was not budging.

“I don’t want to go to jail!” Baraka replied. “I’m not going to jail over this.”

“You know that can’t be stopped,” the master sergeant continued. “It's the responsibility of the police to protect and restore order.”

“What are your demands?” Lekan asked, almost blurting out at Stone. He was doing his best to salvage the discussion.

“I want my job back!” Baraka exclaimed. “I want my fucking job back. Call my boss at Ulrex Industries. Tell him that he made a mistake.”

“When did you lose your job?”

“Today……Fucking……today,” Baraka tried to say as he pressed the handgrip of his pistol to his forehead. “I didn’t……I was going to be promoted, and instead, they laid me off! I can’t afford to lose this job. I don’t…..” he shook his head, unable to finish the sentence.

Stone was well aware of the situation. It was a familiar story, one that could lead to this result. Those who didn’t work in the tourist industry in this city had few alternatives. The industrial complex, which wasn’t oriented toward war, could barely sustain its growing population. Layoffs and mismanagement happened more and more in the following years. A simple petty dispute with a loved one could set a person off. Even with that said, the marine seemed to show little care. He wasn’t thinking about the suspect and was thinking about the hostage. She was simply too buried in the apartment for him to see her present state. He needed to be closer.

“Would us contacting your boss make you feel better?” Lekan tried to appease the suspect.

“Ye…..yes,” Baraka replied. “I want to have my job again. That was all that I want. It's all that I had left to support…….”

Lekan nodded his head. “I'm doing a favor for you. In turn, can you release your wife into our custody?”

Stone already knew the answer as he briefly shook his head. This was not a typical petty dispute. While he might have met what he said, he already pulled the trigger of his pistol twice. The marine could track something in the faint outline of his augmented eye. While holding his gun, the suspect picked something up. Most likely, he was near a table. His fingers were holding onto something small. There was a pause in his movements as if he was completely distracted from everything in the known world. Baraka then placed the small thing back down before he got closer to the window.

“Yes……yes……I…..need to hear it from my boss, though,” the suspect explained. “If I get my job back, then I'll let my wife go.”

“Alright….” Lekan said as he began to tap his tablet.

“This is pointless,” Stone angrily explained to the Lieutenant. He kept his words low to ensure that Baraka couldn’t hear. “Even if you get a hold of his boss, he knows he'll still go to jail.”

“What do you propose?”

“One, you take the shot and take him out right now. The sniper has a good enough vantage point. It might be possible even to shoot his own gun.”

“What’s stopping him from having another gun, Stone?”

“He could have another gun, but we throw in the stun grenades and storm the location anyway.”

“I can do it, sir,” the sniper replied in the comms of the tablet. “Next time, he walks up to the window.”

Lekan was unimpressed. “No…..we can’t risk it.”

“Fucking idiot….” Stone remarked.

“What was that?”

“I said you were a fucking idiot. The suspect is clearly distraught right now. He's discharged his firearm twice on two separate occasions. He lost his job, and a petty squabble threw him over the edge. Right now, he's making up his mind, knowing that he's at the end of his road. His movements even suggest a murder-suicide. If he doesn’t get his job back, then he is going to kill her and then himself.”

“You're out of line, marine,” Lekan finally snapped back at him. “You can’t keep your anger issues in check, and it's endangering the life of that woman up there.”

“You're going to fucking complain to me right now? Do it after this shit. Right now, your options were extremely limited from the very start. We go in right now, and I put him down. I'll do it. Just give me the word.”

Lekan looked up at the open window. He could see that Baraka had a look of fear and anger on his face. Even for a man with a dark complexion, it was as if his skin was going to become pale from the emotions that poured out of him. He was no longer emotionally stable.

The Lieutenant, in his heart and mind, almost seemed convinced of the marine’s words. He was ready to contact the manager of Ulrex Industries. The news of the company was one that even spilled out in the local media. It was threatening to become bankrupt and was on the verge of doing mass layoffs. Before his finger pressed the call button, he hesitated. He knew that everything was going to be a lie from that point forward. Baraka was never going to get his job back and was going to face jail time and psychiatric treatment.

“Baraka!” Lekan called out to him. “I’ve called your manager. I….let him know of your situation. He says that it was a misunderstanding and that he wants you to come back. Oshun is promising a stimulus package to help support your company. They're rehiring their workers.”

It was a lie that was partially effective but not delivered with the best tone. Stone himself did his best not to shake his head in disbelief. Perhaps a bluff was the only way for him to let his wife go, but if it didn’t seem convincing enough for him, then it might have been the same for the suspect.

“....You did?” Baraka replied as he paused for a little bit. “You managed to get a hold of Kagiso? He told you that I could have my job back?”

“Yes, now will you release your wife for me?”

Baraka’s face contorted in anger. “You fucking lied to me! That isn’t my manager’s name. You made it all up!”

Lekan’s bluff failed immediately. The risky ruse of his was utterly dashed, and Stone himself could see it. Caught in a lie, he was completely discredited as the lead negotiator, which put him in a weak position against Baraka.

“Listen here!” Stone jumped in as he pointed his finger at the suspect. “I know what it is that you are afraid of, and I'll put it all up to you right now. You kill your wife, and it'll only guarantee that you will go to Dragon’s Eye for all of this. You have no hope of winning this. Surrender now, and we'll make sure you get the proper help you need.”

“No……no……I can’t,” Baraka explained back to him.

“You're completely outmatched right now. Think of what it is that you're doing and what we have to do in response. You wanted a job to take care of your wife. You care for her, but it can’t work out that way if you kill yourself or her.”

“It’s too late……It’s……”

Stone could see that Lekan was angry at him, but at a loss as well. He didn’t care about the Lieutenant’s feelings as he remained focused on the suspect. His attention was instead diverted to the problem at hand.

“We're giving you one chance and only one chance to think this through,” Stone sternly told him. “You have a hostage. Surrender yourself right now, and we promise that you'll live, your wife will be taken care of, and you won’t go to Dragon’s Eye.”

The marine was different in how he spoke when compared to Lekan. His words had a more direct and even threatening visage to them. It conveyed the message perfectly to him. Even Baraka was the type of man who could see Stone's sheer muscle and strength from above him. If this man came barreling at you, then it meant that you were in deep trouble. He looked like he could rip a tree in half or even arm wrestle a Shal’rein on almost equal ground.

“Stone….” Lekan whispered to him. “This is above me. You're going to get the hostage killed….”

Stone ignored him as the other police officers looked at Lekan and Stone. The intimidation and persona that the marine established were enough to cause a vast majority of officers to look helplessly at the Lieutenant. It was as if Stone was drawing the leadership directly from him. Meanwhile, the marine would simply watch the suspect above.

From his eye, Stone could see that Baraka was withdrawing from the window. He once again put the handgrip of his gun to his temples while cringing. He tapped the button as the window closed behind him and then walked up to his table. He could see the faint red outline as if he was looking at something more important than anybody there.

“You just fucked this all up,” Lekan mouthed off to Stone.

“Sir, I'm still tracking our suspect,” the sniper from the opposite roof called on the tablet. “He’s stepped away from the window and isn’t looking down at you. He's confused and seems to be pacing again. Still can’t see his wife.”

“Do you have a clear shot?”

“Negative.”

“Rifle round is too weak to punch through the heavy concrete wall anyway,” Stone countered, looking at Lekan. “Even a valued, trained police officer such as you should know that. He needs to be back at the window if she's going to take him down.”

“Alright….” Lekan tried to reassert himself. “In that case, tell the team to get ready and head in. We already have Officer Delu and Gero ready at the apartment door. We'll get the rest of the team to go and storm in. If we're fast enough, we can save the wife.”

“No…..” the marine replied as he shook his head. “There is only one way to resolve this. Officer Leredi, if the suspect walks to the window, take the shot at your discretion.”

With that, Stone proceeded to walk into the building. Lekan clenched his fists in anger as he watched the marine continue forth like a one-man army. He called out Stone’s name once, but the marine ignored him.

Stone was moving at a hurried pace. He couldn’t afford to have Baraka turn to see him missing or heading into the building. The quicker he got this done, the sooner this would be resolved. The main entrance of the apartment slid open. He ran in to see a receptionist who had kept herself hidden in her office. The main lobby was antiquated but pretty, consisting of two large couches. There was a set of stairs and four elevators ready to operate. One of the elevators was wide open as the master sergeant walked into it.

“Second floor,” Stone called out to the elevator. Suddenly, the doors of the small lift closed as it began to rise. There was barely any feel to it as his tablet made a gentle beep and vibrated. He knew that the Lieutenant was trying to get a hold of him. A slight elevator song of former Africa and a happy melodic tune accompanied it as it began to rise.

Stone ignored the phone call and instead looked at his holster. The heavy-duty pistol was quite large, even though it looked like an ordinary handgun. Stone was so large that it made the gun look smaller than it actually was. He knew that the gun’s magazine was full and ready to be used at a moment’s notice. He checked his left pocket and made sure that his switchblade survival knife was ready to go if he somehow needed it. He then went and fished two small audio devices out of his pockets. He proceeded to put the hearing protection snugly into his ears as he could feel the elevator come to a stop. The slight tug underneath his legs and feet indicated that he reached the floor. He had to ensure that the hearing protection was put on appropriately. This was going to be very loud.

“Fucking civies don’t know how to get shit done…..” Stone said to himself as the doors opened up. He stepped out into a clean hallway. Multiple entries lined the entire area with a black and blue carpet on the floor. He knew exactly where to go, and it was pretty easy to tell what his destination was.

As he stepped out, he could see the two officers who were by one of the doors. He already seemed to know both of these two. One named Gero was decked with gear, a police shield, and a pistol. He had his helmet on and was in position. The one behind him was a woman named Delu, a rookie cop who had a pair of plasma cutters, grenades, and a shotgun holstered behind her back. Both of them looked at Stone as he approached them.

“Stone….” Delu called out in a whisper.

“Ensure that you have your hearing protection on,” Stone responded to both of them.

Almost as soon as they heard that, Gero began to tap his ears. He already had a set of headphones on but was making sure that they were correctly set. Delu gave a confused look but could see what Gero was indicating with his hands. She slapped the cutting tools to her side and was prepared to put her gloved hands to her ears.

“What are you trying to do?” Delu asked him, but Stone walked around them.

The marine was looking at the door and then stepped to the side. His augmented eye activated as the lens was rotating and zooming in on the wall itself. His vision was so incredible that it provided a vague, colorless outline of the interior. Stone was looking inside the apartment where the hostage situation was taking place.

He ignored Delu and simply turned his head slightly. Even with this vision, there were natural obstructions that were in the way. It appeared that denser materials made it hard to see inside exactly. Heavy-duty metal struts between the hallway and the apartment would completely block out the outline, but as he turned his head, he could see it. There were gaps between these struts where Stone observed a red silhouette of a man. Compared to the much thicker outer walls, it was much easier to see Baraka through the thin interior walls. He was still brandishing his pistol. At the moment, he was not pointing at her, but he was simply looking at the woman. Stone also spotted the hostage. The woman’s heat signature was much easier to track at this range. She was in the corner of the kitchen. She had her arms wrapped around her legs as she was huddled in fear.

There was one bullet hole that Stone could track that was near the woman. It was clear that Baraka was deranged. He would continue to wave his pistol around, aiming the barrel in her vicinity. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be both the man's and the woman’s mouths that were moving. They were clearly arguing with each other.

“When I shoot, Delu, you will cut the door. Gero will storm in and secure the hostage,” Stone quietly ordered her.

“Aye…….,” Delu quietly replied with slight trepidation.

“Ready….” Gero replied as well.

She unlocked the two extensive tools from her hip. Gero was taking a deep breath as he was lifting the shield up. The robust metal slab with a see-through window looked like it could deflect most things shot into it with ease.

Stone unholstered his magnum and lifted it to the wall. He took careful aim at the suspect. The red outline would move but remain stable. Unfortunately, he could see that the pistol was moving around too much. Technically, the marine’s gun was aimed directly at the wall. However, the master sergeant was calculating in his head the density of the wall combined with the power that his sidearm had. It didn’t take him long to conclude that it would be accurate.

There was no hesitation in the marine’s face. Cold and calculating, Stone went and aimed the sights of his gun at Baraka’s forehead. There were no struts that would absorb the round when it would discharge. He disengaged the safety, and his finger found its way to the trigger. He would only need one shot if this were done correctly.

Suddenly, a powerful explosion occurred from the end of the barrel the moment that he pulled the trigger. The blast of the discharge was so insanely loud that it echoed through the entire hallway. Even the hearing protection was barely enough to protect Stone’s ears from ringing. The recoil was heavy but easily contained by Stone’s immense grip and strength. A 50-caliber caseless penetrating AE magnum round was expelled as it quickly punched through the wall.

Baraka never stood a chance. Stone watched as the bullet was slowed down, but only by so much. The round was so powerful that it went clean through and straight into the suspect’s forehead. It was a direct hit, and the augmented eye showed a red outline of a man’s head being torn open. The suspect crumbled to the ground dead before even hitting the floor.

The explosion was the cue for Delu to use the two-pointed laser tools. She immediately started with both ends as she activated them. The cutting tools emitted a bright light as they began to slice into the material of the door. Using both tools, she did a large circular sweep of the locked door. They cut quickly.

Stone was watching the scene through his unique eye. He could clearly see that Baraka was dead. The woman was shaking in fear from the sudden shock of the blast. She was heading in the direction of the door to get away from the room she was in. There was nobody else in the space of interest as Stone reengaged the safety on his gun and holstered it.

“Target is incapacitated, Gero,” Stone told him. “The hostage is safe when you get that door open.”

“Roger……damn, that was fucking loud,” Gero replied.

“Almost got the door,” Delu said as there were clear signs of slits drilled through the door. She was going in an upward pattern.

In less than twenty seconds, the door was cut clean through. Delu disengaged her tool as she stepped to the side and slammed her fist to the busted door. It crumpled to the floor, leaving burnt orange edges. It quickly cooled down when it was exposed to the air.

“Moving!” Gero called out as he stepped in with his shield. He stepped into the living room to see the former hostage waiting to be rescued. “One person, unarmed, in the living room. Moving into the next room.”

“Oh, thank god,” the wife replied upon seeing the police. Her accent was very thick and somewhat hard to understand, even if she was speaking English.

Delu snapped her tools into place as she stepped into the breached door. She pulled the shotgun from her back and marched in.

“We're here for you, ma’am,” Delu replied to her.

“Thank you…..he……my husband…..he went crazy……God…..”

Stone stepped into the door next and very briefly looked at the woman. He didn’t even know what her name was, and it didn’t matter in the end. She was wearing a yellow dress, but there were signs of blood. It had to have come from her now-deceased husband. There were no signs that she had been shot.

“Room is clear. Suspect is down,” Gero answered. It caused Stone to follow the sound.

Upon stepping into what was the kitchen, there was a particularly gruesome scene. The bullet that was discharged from Stone’s gun went quite far. If the wall didn’t slow it down, it would have clearly gone straight through him and out the other side of his head. Instead, blood pooled out from the front left side of his temples. The tile floor was becoming covered in solid red that even Gero was trying to avoid walking on.

“Damn, sarge,” Gero replied in a sarcastic tone. “I think you got him.”

“Hmph…..” Stone responded. He didn’t say anything else as he was looking around the room.

The kitchen did have the table where Baraka originally stood. It was a clean table except for one thing that was on it. Not far from the window was where he was initially looking at everyone below.

Stone’s curiosity was getting the best of him. He stepped over the body as some of the blood and possibly brains splattered against the end of his boot. He had no care as he approached the table. He could see something that was on it.

The metal table had a single card on it. Stone stepped up to the window as he looked through. He could see that Leredi was looking at him from the opposite rooftop. He gave a simple nod to her. The sniper gave a nod in response as she lifted the rifle and disengaged her scope. The hostage crisis was over, but Stone’s focus was diverted to the table.

His fingers struggled to pick up the card. It was shaped like a business card as he finally lifted it and looked at it closely. On the object, it had but a single icon. This was the object that Baraka was looking at over and over again before his subsequent death. Stone knew it was of grave importance.

A small drop of blood from Baraka’s gunshot wound was on the card. An icon on the card depicted a drawing. It had three slashing red marks that marked the background. In addition, there was a blue circular dot with a red reptilian eye in the center. Stone’s face grimaced. It was as if he had seen this image before. Without further thought or regard, he went and stuffed the card into his pocket and proceeded to leave the room…..

Chapter 2: Partnered Part 1

It was less than an hour after the whole event had transpired. Using the little time that he had, Stone was evaluating the card that he picked up earlier. He was busy in his office cubicle of the police precinct. Using a makeshift keyboard connected to the quantum computer, he was busy evaluating and searching for data pertaining to all known criminal activities in and out of Oshun.

The sounds echoed with those of typing and talking beyond his location. The precinct was busy as ever. Paperwork was a never-ending process throughout the day. Most staff members and other workers simply walked carefully past the cubicle, knowing to avoid disturbing the overbearing marine.

Stone was a man who seemed to barely fit in his own cubicle due to his mass. Music was being played for his own benefit. The odd combination of Aphadus music was played at low volume, almost as if it were serving as auditory background noise. The colony world’s music spanned several genres. Stone was listening to swamp rock with singers from former India combined into it. Occasionally, there would even be full-blown singing and Indian instrumentals added along with the rock music.

From his chair, the marine was looking at the projection screen with due diligence. Numerous three-dimensional images would show up depicting gangs, gang signs, iconography, pictures of arrested individuals, and their accompanying reports.

The screen’s lights were recording every single detail of the card. The computer core was working overtime trying to piece things together, but yielded no results.

“Come on…..” Stone said under his breath. “Second time I've seen this one.”

He ran an image on the first card that he uncovered recently. Found before the day’s incident, the card was damaged by the constant footprints that landed on it. However, unlike the first one, this card was in far better condition, even with the bloodstain it bore.

“No results found,” the computer responded in text on the screen.

“Damn it….” Stone said under his breath. His whisper hinted at the voice of pure aggravation. “Got to be something there.”

He shook his head as his hand scratched his chin. He was in deep thought as he considered everything. He had to pause as the day was getting away from him. It was closing in on 1500. His work shift was nearly over, and even the day’s events were chipping away at his mind. His lip almost curled in on itself as he went and took the card and stuck it back into his pocket.

“Probably just some new fucking gang anyway….,” he tried to tell himself. It failed to calm down his agitation.

Instead, Stone checked the final report he submitted ten minutes ago on the day’s incident. Nothing would be hidden from the truth. He was reviewing everything with due diligence to ensure nothing was missed. He was mainly focused on the explanation report. The events flashed through his mind of the man that he shot dead and the wife who was rescued. He did realize that he missed something, which caused him to audit the file report. As the box highlighted, he began to type a new sentence.

“Baraka’s widowed spouse, Penina, reported that he was of sane mind before he tried to take her hostage,” he quietly read to himself. “Admits that he snapped at her due to an argument exchanged with her. Former spouse lost his job three hours prior to returning home. Long-term stress, sudden changes in the individual's employment, and arguments are blamed for the cause of the incident.”

Finally, he decided to tap the audit button to add additional comments.

“It is under my personal belief that there were other causes for the now-deceased suspect to take his wife hostage, but the lack of evidence prevents further disclosure of information. Penina reports that she commemorates the police officer's actions in her rescue. She holds no remorse for the death of her husband. I believe that further psychological evaluation is needed for her benefit to help explore this incident further.”

He clicked the send button. More information and details were there, but he was feeling the exhaustion hitting him, even for one who was physically fit as he was. His mental fatigue was apparent.

A beeping sound erupted near the projection screen. Somebody was trying to call him, and he knew who it was. An audio-only channel was trying to be established as Stone’s finger hit the respond and talk switch.

“Master Sergeant, Stone,” the chief’s voice echoed in his cubicle. “I need you to report to my office now.”

“On my way,” Stone replied. He closed the call as he went and stood up from his seat. He started to walk down the long line of cubicles to his intended destination. The marine held no fear or apprehension of what was going to happen. If anything, he was almost expecting this call. He could only imagine what the chief was going to complain about. To him, it was a waste of energy.

“Sarge…” A woman with a dark complexion waved and saluted with one of her fingers to her head. He recognized it as the sniper Leredi with her short, curly, buzz-cut hair.

“Hmph…..” Stone replied gruffly. It was enough for Leredi to smile back at him as she almost brushed up against him. But, for her, it was naturally difficult to avoid the towering behemoth.

*******

Stone reached the entrance of the chief. He had been here many times before as he stepped up to the slide doors. For a brief moment, the marine looked at his boots and saw the dried blood he stepped in earlier. He noted that he would have to clean them up when he got home.

The office was located not far from the reception area of the front entrance. The front lobby was not entirely busy, but random people would show up to bring in reports, file new ones, address issues, and possibly haul in the few troublemakers who persisted in the streets. While Stone was perfectly aware of his location, he knew that he stood out amongst the other police officers. Even his clothing was just different and didn’t follow the traditional red, black, and blue police uniforms that the staff wore. He was the foreigner amongst the people who had full knowledge of their home and terrain. His nonchalant attitude even reflected that in how he viewed everyone.

The enclosed door had the words “Police Chief Zuri, Johnson, Oshun Police Precinct 8,” written in both English and Chinese. The marine touched the side panel to notify the chief inside that he was ready to enter.

The thin door separated the two locations. One of the two receptionist staff members sitting by their desks turned his head to see that Stone was heading into the chief’s office. A deep sigh could be seen on his face as the receptionist looked at the other one.

The chief’s door slid open as Stone walked inside. The moment that it closed, the receptionist whispered to the other.

“I bet three mard that it ends in a screaming match again,” one of the two men said.

“Make it two, and you’re on,” the other receptionist happily said.

Inside the chief’s office was a place that was lavish but decadent at the same time. It consisted primarily of blue colors from the carpet and chairs. Each chair was hardened metal that seemed like it hadn’t been cleaned in ages. The cushions were flattened and never replaced. Several displays showed the layout of the police station, with one on the local Oshun news channel. Several awards adorned the location dedicated to the precinct, but even Stone knew that these were just commemorative certificates and nothing more. There was a bookshelf with actual books. However, most of them were covered with dust like they hadn’t been touched in a while.

The police chief was dressed like the rest of the Oshun officers, sitting comfortably behind his wooden desk. Much like many of the individuals, he had a fairly dark complexion, but he was also quite fat. He had his hands perched behind his head like he was too relaxed. There was a fanciful picture display that Stone saw, depicting the chief. This showed the chief as much younger in a former glory shot, holding his carbine after stopping one of the few gang wars in this precinct. He was also much thinner in appearance. The medal that he received for it was on a display gathering dust on the very desk. A large smile developed on the chief’s face as he gestured his hand to the marine.

“Ah,” Chief Zuri happily said in a thick Oshunian accent. “Master Sergeant Stone, have a seat. We have much to discuss.”

“What is it?” Stone replied with annoyance as he sat down on one of the chairs. “I don’t have all day.”

“Ha, ha,” the chief laughed. “As always, the rough and tumble marine makes his way to me. Why is that? Why are you always here? Why do I have to call you to my office every time an event occurs?”

Despite the joviality in the chief’s voice, there were clear hints of annoyance in his voice. Even his hands momentarily left the back of his head as he spoke. Stone’s reply was to simply fold his arms while he dominantly stared at the chief.

The chief briefly lowered his head beneath the desk. His eyes fell on Stone’s boots. He was looking at the dried blood that was caked on them before the chief nodded. He took a deep breath and resumed his comfortable position.

“I finished the report,” Stone replied dryly.

“Yes, I read the report and everything that happened,” Zuri happily said. “I just read the update you added to it, too. It doesn’t take much for someone like me to notice everything that happened just now. You…..are on the news.”

“If you're here to scold me, then get it over with. I don’t care what’s on the news.”

“Scolding?” he chuckled. “You're like this every time. You expect the worst every…..time.” He stood up from his chair to look down upon him as he rested his hands on his desk. “Why did I expect this to happen today? Why did I expect a bloodbath?”

“I would hardly call killing one man a bloodbath…” Stone sternly replied.

“Of course…..and the fact that you ignored Lieutenant Lekan and his orders? And…..I expected that to happen. Why did I expect that to happen?”

“He holds no jurisdiction over me.”

“Technically, that is true, but I still hold some control over you. That is why I told you to follow his orders.”

“Which he failed to accomplish.”

“Which answers the question of why you are here,” Zuri said as he made a deep sigh. He began to walk around his desk. “Stone, why did I bother having you as a part of the team when you don’t follow my orders?”

“Because, if I followed Lekan, then there would be a dead woman today.”

“A dead woman, maybe. Yet, there might have been no need to kill the husband either. He would be treated and taken care of, instead of being…..dead.”

“Then what would you expect me to do?” Stone’s voice picked up. “Walk into the room and sing happy songs till he stopped?”

“If it means seeing you do that and ending a hostage situation, I would pay a lot of money to see that.”

“Hmph…..”

Zuri laughed a little bit as he slowly walked around the marine. “Do you know that I managed to stop a gang war?”

“Yes, too much.”

“I shot two men in that picture before they gave me a medal. You know what? I never killed anyone that day, either. No stun rounds……live bullets. I shot their legs and made them kneel to each other. Nobody had to die. Unlike…..you, Stone.”

“I ended a hostage situation. Nothing more needs to be said.”

“Hmmm…..and I expect to hear more filed complaints from Lekan in the meantime? Stone, let me tell you something. You know how many times that I filled a complaint about you to the UHN Oshun command here? None. You know how many times that I hear complaints from the others you scuff here? Too many…..and you realize that I continue to never file a complaint.”

“That’s their problem, not mine,” Stone defiantly replied.

“Yet, I have you here. Everybody who is here is part of my family, but you are a stubborn little child. If that door never opened, you would simply crash through it. I have known you for three years since the UHN assigned you here. Most of the sailors and marines barely come to this portion of the precinct, and yet…..they still needed a Master of Arms marine to help enforce their rules in case their sailors and marines got out of hand.”

Zuri continued to walk around his desk at a slow pace. His jovial personality had shown a severe tone more than ever. Stone simply kept a slight scowl as if he was trying to keep his emotions in check.

“Stone,” the chief continued. “You do your job very well. I tolerate you because you do your work better than anyone else. I ignore the complaints because you get the job done. If I need to have a warehouse of armed aliens to be wiped out, I know that you can do it, but we are not fellow marines, and you are not fighting invaders. We are civilians trying to live a life like mine. I…..want to be fat. I….want to be happy. I want to go home and be with my wife, thinking of good things, before coming back to work and hearing about something else that you did that angered somebody else. I know you and my people so well that I know they are probably making bets on us right now.”

“So does this mean that I’m not joining with the officers the next time there is another non-related UHN crime taking place?”

“If there is going to be another big one, then you will be there, but I will have to reconsider those complaints when they continue to come……and I know that they will continue. Even I still hold some weight to you, even if you are officially working for the UHN. I would not have you reassigned because I dislike you, but because I would encourage your command to find help for you. Maybe a nice retirement. As they would say, 'you never use a hammer to fix a glass window.'”

“No…..but sometimes you need to use a hammer to break a few toes.”

“Ugh…..Stone……,” the chief said as he walked back to his chair. He stood over him again as he gestured his arms wide open. “Stone……Stone……in a way, you are closer to me than any person here at this police station. You are my age, and at the same time, you try to make people think you are older than me with that….gray hair of yours.”

“I'm only two years older, and what I choose to dye my hair gray is none of your business.”

“One day, I will see you smile, and when it does, I will pass out from the shock alone……I know, though, that it will happen even if it takes years to do so.”

“Like the typical Oshunian…..” Stone remarked as he shook his head. “You take things so comfortably. You pretend that everything is great and swell when the others have nothing.”

“There isn’t that much poverty, Stone. Oshun is my birth home.”

“There is more here than the other colonies have combined….” Stone’s voice rose. “It’s a fucking joke…...the government actually tried to hide the fact that in the 24th century, there were orphans walking on the street. Finally, a random street kid walked up to Gabatrix during a ceremony before he found out the truth. Oshun brought its problems with it and tried to pack itself onto two tiny islands. There are plenty of planets and land everywhere. Even on Aphadus! So much fucking land that we have shooting competitions from the tops of mountains. Instead, they choose here. Nothing works. Things don’t function as they should be. I know the goddamn truth! The New Olympians even make regular trips to adopt kids to take away from the people. This is what your home is, Chief! Why is that? Because the fucking tourist industry hates to see a crying child on the street. They didn’t do it because they cared for the kid. They did it because they wanted to impress the tourists who come here.”

The chief nodded. “I know, Stone. Those gangs I stopped were because two rival gangs were using children to beef up their groups. I was in the front line, just as much as you were....”

“Well……” Stone continued as he fished out of his pocket the card. “I have something to add to the pot now.” He slapped the unknown card he recovered earlier onto the desk. “I recovered this from Baraka’s apartment.”

“What is this?” The chief commented as he sat down in his chair. His vision was glued to it.

“Some sort of card identifying something. I can’t figure out what it’s supposed to represent, but I've seen it before.”

“You recovered a piece of evidence from a crime scene and didn’t tell me about it?”

“Do you recognize this card in any way?”

Zuri shook his head. “No. What is so important about it?”

“I was watching him during the hostage situation. He was eyeing it a lot like it was more important than his own wife.”

“Hmmm……” the chief put his hand to his chin. “I don’t know this. Could be anything. It’s possible that it is gang-related, but gangs can come and go. They get swallowed up by new ones and disappear the following week. When did you first uncover the other one?”

“It was lying on the street in an alley.”

“Do you have it?”

“Yes.”

“Stone……I might recommend checking out Baraka’s past,” Zuri remarked as he put his hand to the table. “Past employment history.” He tapped the card on the desk. “I am sure that this is nothing, though.”

The marine was not convinced this was anything but nothing, but he did need to evaluate Baraka’s employment history. Unfortunately, most of what he had was just a brief summary with little time to consider it further.

“Hmm…..” Zuri said with a yawn. He put his hands behind his head again. “I very much need to go home tonight. Today has been another fine police day.” The sarcastic tone was evident. “We will discuss this further tomorrow when we have the time.”

“I'll use the remaining time to check it out further,” Stone said as his eyes narrowed on the card. He retrieved the card from the desk and stuffed it back into his pocket. He stood up from the chair and proceeded to leave the room.

“Oh, and……Stone?” the chief called out to him.

“What?” the Master Sergeant asked in an aggravated tone. He stopped to turn his head in Zuri’s direction.

“Here you are, ready to hop out of the room, and I hadn’t even dismissed you yet,” Zuri explained with a smile. “Looks like we are getting an added member of the family. It actually pertains to you.”

“What?......” Stone turned his body to look at the chief. There was a scowl on his face as if he was not amused.

Zuri went and pulled out his tablet and placed it on his desk. “Seems that I received a message this afternoon from Oshun UHN Command. Apparently, they are stepping things up in the T’rintar clan alliance. They are wanting to assign members of the clan to work with us. More specifically…..you,” he said as he pointed at him.

“What are you talking about?” Stone’s face grimaced.

“I’m saying that you are getting a partner. Your command apparently feels that this is a cozy enough job to have her work well in.”

“I don’t need a partner!”

“Ha, ha…..” Zuri laughed. “Stone, you do realize that most of the officers in this precinct are partnered up with someone? We have to back each other up.”

Stone walked up to the desk as he clenched his fists. The scowl deepened as he gave the chief a dirty look. A part of him even wondered if this was a joke that he was pulling, but he was far from laughing. To him, the idea of working with an Itrean or another human was a slap in the face.

“I don’t want a partner!” he raised his voice to the point it left the closed doorway. “She'll get in the fucking way!”

“Aww…..Stone…..Stone…..” Zuri said as he shifted his chair back and forth. The severity in his tone was gone, replaced by raw amusement. “Let me tell you this…..we don’t always get what we want. You need a partner more than anything. I would do it with my team…..assign Leredi to you……maybe…..But I have a feeling that even she wouldn’t last long with those outbursts of yours.”

“This is an outrage!” Stone screamed as he slammed his fist onto his desk. His powerful arm hit the piece of furniture so hard that the chief’s medal bounced in its case. Yet, the chief remained composed and jovial.

“Your assigned partner’s name is Ioren, and she will be coming to the beach right here,” he tapped his tablet, passing along the data to Stone’s computer tablet. “She was originally assigned to the T’rintar clan submarine patrol unit here, but she will be assigned to the UHN Oshun unit for this precinct. I think that she will make a good friend……maybe.”

“Have her work somewhere else here! Don’t hand her over to me to fucking babysit!”

“Stone…..let me tell you this…..” he clasped his hands onto himself. “I have you because the UHN tells me to. I have Ioren because the UHN also tells me to. It wasn’t my choice to have you here, but now you have no choice in getting her. Take up your issues with the command…..although…..I don’t think it will be that bad.” He started to laugh a little bit again.

“Fucking son of a bitch!” Stone said to himself as he walked out of the room. The chief simply smiled as he watched the master sergeant exit the door.

As Stone exited the Chief’s door, the two receptionists pretended that they didn’t see him leave. From their peripheral vision, they could see him clenching his fists while he was cursing under his breath. He walked away and back to his office.

“You owe me two mard,” one of the receptionists said with a slight sense of victory.

“Yeah….” the other one agreed as he prepared to pull out his tablet.

*******

It had been a long day as Stone walked into his apartment. The small makeshift room only consisted of a basic kitchen, living room, and restroom. The living room and bedroom were both one. Unfortunately, the amount of space available limited the local residents of Oshun. If anything, it was so small that it was actually comparable to his office cubicle. The living room consisted of a large single twin bed, a small cabinet, a wall-mounted moderate-sized computer display screen, and a green two-person recliner. The couch lay next to the restroom and the kitchen. The kitchen was just big enough to have a computer desk, appliances, and a small refrigerator.

“Son of a bitch…..” Stone remarked quietly to himself as he entered the apartment. As the door slid closed, he walked up to his cabinet. He pressed a small button as it opened itself up. Inside were a number of items, including folded clothing, picture projectors, memorabilia, and a box.

He plucked the small box that was used to store ammunition. He opened up the cardboard to reveal two of the 50 AE rounds that were left inside.

“I need to get more ammo…….” Stone told himself in a grumbled voice. He sighed as he looked up. Above him were plaques dedicated to medals and UHN awards. He didn’t pause as he continued forth.

He then unholstered his magnum and ejected the magazine. He took one of the rounds from the box and snapped the hardened caseless round into the magazine before shoving it back into the mag well of his gun. He then put the box back into its place and was just about to close the cabinet when something caught his eye.

Stone was looking at one of the picture projectors. He was undoing the holster on his belt while he stared at the small disk-shaped device. Then, he walked over to his made-up bed and stuffed the gun and holster underneath his pillow like he always did.

He had but a single destination after work, and it seemed to be a constant for him. Only with the fact that he needed to fully reload his gun was that cycle altered for the late afternoon. The fact that the cabinet was open made him reach in and grab the disk projector. He then closed up the cabinet and walked into the kitchen. With one hand, he opened up the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of beer. The Cebravin brand alcohol was particularly strong, even for beer, and was made from ingredients that only grew on the planet.

Stone closed the refrigerator door with a hard thud as he proceeded back to the couch. He plumped himself down like a rock. Even the furniture almost seemed to groan, having his weight and power plunged onto it. He gently pressed the projector on top of his knee as he reclined the couch back. His attitude was only calmed the moment his feet and boots were stretched out. He hardly showed any relief, but it only seemed to relax once he used his free hand to snap the bottle top off without barely any effort.

Stone tossed the cap onto the carpet as he began to down the beer at an average pace. The moment the burning liquid hit his throat was when he showed genuine relief, like he had been separated from a beloved friend. His eyes closed as he relished the thoughts of the day.

When he reopened them, he could see the dried blood that was still on his boots. He took another chug of his beer before he finally concluded that he would have to clean them.

The master sergeant then tapped the disk-like projector. A three-dimensional image popped up from the emitter. It showed a still shot of a group consisting of three people. One was himself, who was slightly younger. The red star of Aphadus glowed overhead in the background. In the picture, he had a slight grin on his face.

He took another swig of his beer as his eyes fell on the two other individuals in the photograph. Both of them were women, with one looking similar to him. This had to be a person who was related to him due to his similar pale complexion and facial features. However, unlike Stone, this woman was smiling.

The other woman had a brown complexion. Her hair was long and black, and her facial features were similar to those of a woman from former India. However, she had a wonderful smile on her face. Her beauty was forever stunning to Stone, and she had her arms wrapped around the massive muscle of the marine.

Stone took another swig of his beer. “Where are you, beloved?” he asked the photo image. “Where are you to stop me?”

For a moment, his lip curled on itself. He looked at the bottle and considered hurling it at the wall as hard as he could. Instead, he just downed it all. With the empty bottle, he let it fall to the carpet as if all the strength left his body.

“I miss you, Gagana……” were his only words as he tried to rest his back against the couch.

A part of him considered looking at the tablet to plan for the next day. Still, in his work clothes, it was as if they were the only clothes that he wore at all. He knew that he had to meet his partner the next day. He was thinking about looking at the tablet to learn more about this Ioren, but it disgusted him. Instead, his thoughts went to the picture of his beloved Gagana. The man closed his eyes as he felt the need to sleep...

Chapter 3: Partnered Part 2

The following morning consisted of vague dreams and the monotony of everyday life. The marine was parked by the beach, not far from the precinct, in his small electric police car. The car was nothing extravagant to look at. It had the same colors as most of the Oshun police officers' uniforms, with black being a dominant color. It had enough room for a person, a passenger, and an enclosed barrier back seat for arrested individuals.

The day was beautiful as it always was. Blue sky, white clouds, and a bright sun almost disguised the fact that this was not Earth at all. By now, even Stone was used to this type of environment. The crowds of surfers, beachgoers, humans, and the occasional Itrean aliens were coming and going. The great ocean was beautiful to look at, and in the vast distance, Stone could see one of the cruise liners that was sailing the waters.

Not far from the beach was a small dock for ships and vessels. With his extraordinary vision, the marine could scan the entire area to the smallest of details. His car was parked along a row of other cars. Technically, only those with special permits could park in this area, but he was also in a police car, which exempted him from those rules. This was official police business, and working for the Oshun police department had its advantages.

From here, even Stone would feel that Oshun was an illusion of itself. From this spot, one would think that the planet was lavished with luxury. Even the tourists wore bikinis, swimwear, and other attire that was relatively hard to create and obtain. This wasn’t just typical everyday swimwear but things that cost thousands of mard to make. The ships and vessels that were coming and going consisted of luxury yachts that only the rich could afford. Not far from the beach was a casino and high-star hotels. He knew, though, that the factories were struggling to keep up with financial troubles beyond those high-class buildings. The further one got from the beach, the more reality set in.

For the Itreans, Stone knew that they came from different backgrounds. Some were soldiers who were part of the local assigned defense forces to help protect the planet. Their attire was obvious, consisting of the green and black semi-tight uniforms. Others were vacationers, potential or existing wives to the men and occasional women of the planet. Their background was a mystery for many, but the worlds were apparently similar and beautiful. By now, most of the population was fully aware of the Itrean existence. The idea of a race of nothing but reptilian or shark-like women appeased most human bachelors. Even if not all of them were aesthetically pleasing to the eye, the fact that more human men were single and looking for a woman was more than they could ever desire. In so many cases, the Itreans were compatible with humans and held a generally similar personality trait. The loss of the Itrean male population due to a dreaded disease naturally drove the T’rintar clan to ally with the humans in hopes of acquiring bachelors. Human genes introduced resistance to the disease, allowing male Itrean children to be born again.

Of course, the concept naturally disgusted Stone to some degree. Even with a seemingly perfect alliance, it wasn’t one without question. The Itreans were prone to violence and engaged in genocidal wars with one another. Even with similar personality troupes to humans, that alone put the marine in a state of unease. If they were similar to human beings, the Itreans would be just as guilty of performing crimes and misdemeanors as anybody else. Was the alliance just a farce where the Itreans would turn their claws and blades on their husbands the following day? Only time was the true answer to that question, and at the moment, it seemed unlikely that the T’rintar clan were lying. Pregnant Itreans were a sign to many skeptics that the alliance was here to stay and validated the noble claims. The marine was fully aware of this as well, but the idea of having a partner sat in his stomach like the mild hangover that he was undergoing. The one thing he did was clean the boots of the blood he had gathered the previous day.

It was not that far after breakfast. The marine sat in the driver’s seat with a mild annoyance. The music of Oshun was the only hint of him trying to keep himself composed as it played in the car. Most of the piece consisted of former African themes, but mixed with modern-day aspects. This would often create hybridized instrumentals, with some being rock, electro, dance, or even slow country styles to fit every person’s desire palettes. It clearly reflected that in the tourist industry, even if some famous Martian and Cebravin music naturally worked its way into the radio stations.

Stone could internally control his augmented eye’s vision at will. It showed as he scanned the ocean surface. The splashing waves would come to and fro. The eye was trying to go further in its sight. The red outlines would only appear if they were beyond the visual spectrum of the average human eye. Just below the surface of the crashing waves, the marine could even see some of the fish-like marine wildlife that swam around, but it wasn’t enough to see the bottom either.

“I regret not sending my complaint to the UHN command yet,” Stone said to himself in a quiet, angered tone. “Make me the fucking babysitter…..”

His words were interrupted as he could see the outline near the dock. The T’rintar clan attack submarine, which was similar to shuttles, including size, could operate at extreme depths. The cylindrical silhouette appeared in his vision as it moved near the surface with perfect precision. It produced no wake to them and had a hydrodynamic drive and pump-jet configuration. It moved surprisingly fast, like a shuttlecraft, but only coming up from the surface. Stone could even see a Shal’rein soldier outline that was part of the patrol as it was coming up to the surface. The aquatic race could easily breathe in and out of the water without any problem. It was apparent that this soldier was a part of the patrol unit.

The submarine reached the dock as it surfaced. The greenish hull poked its head out of the water. A bridge in the center was the first thing that could be seen, but a top bow-mounted light railgun turret appeared, not including the torpedo tubes that adorned the bow section. The Itreans were used to war, and fighting on all terrains was paramount. A few onlookers even had a chance to remark upon the aesthetic beauty of the ship.

It didn’t take very long as the water ran off the metallic organic hull of the vessel. Once that happened, a hatch behind the submarine opened up. A small elevator rose from the inside carrying a single passenger. From a distance, Stone could see her perfectly. The Itrean woman looked at the dock and leaped off the submarine onto the slab of concrete. Even with her small belongings, it didn’t impede her progress in moving around. Nor did the dock need to extend a platform to the vessel.

Ioren appeared to be, at first glance, an Aksren with feathers, but that was with a quick scan. Even Stone’s eyes widened as he scowled.

“An Aksren?” he said as he gripped his hands hard to the steering wheel. “They're assigning an Aksren to me? The same people who conquered Cipra? I'll have more to add to the complaint now……” his scowl came to a stop, though. “Odd……for an Aksren, she doesn’t have the same features…..”

Suddenly, the marine had a mild regret in not reading the profile of his future partner the day prior. Instead, he continued to note her looks and appearances. This, Ioren, should have been Aksren but looked more and more like a Yutilian now. The Aksren typically had the prominent cranial head crest or nose crest that covered the top section of the snout. This ridge would protrude upward, giving a look that followed the ancient descendants of oviraptors. Ioren did have a similar ridge on her nose, but it was shorter. Her snout was slightly longer but didn’t end in the sharp downward beak that most Aksren had. Her appearances also had a Yutilian-like appeal. She had feathers like the Yutilian that covered her top head just past the crest that went down the back of her head. They also existed on her arms and tail. Most of them were a myriad of green and red. She even carried a similar Yutilian light-scale feather pattern as well. Generally, she was a brownish color. She wore human-style civilian clothes, as if she were prepared to be out in the open environment. This consisted of a black and red shirt that covered her breasts and green and blue shorts with a neatly cut hole for her tail to wave around freely.

Her talon feet neatly scraped the concrete dock as she walked forward. Her reptilian eyes were scanning the landscape. She had a bag that consisted of her belongings. It wasn’t much, and even Stone’s augmented eye could tell that she only had so much.

“Damn. I'll have to help her find shit too…..” Stone said to himself as he shook his head. “Although…..I do spot something that I won’t have to get for her.”

In her belongings was an outline of a gun that he recognized. For a partner, she already had her own sidearm. This alone appeased the marine and impressed him. It only made sense as she was part of the military unit. Sidearms were allowed on Oshun but regulated to concealed carry only in public. That was, of course, excluding the police and the military. He also recognized other gear that might prove beneficial in the worst of conditions.

There was no sense of anxiety or fear in how she walked. She walked with a stride, but the marine was studying her inflections to the best that he could. Her reptilian eyes naturally scanned the area looking for him. Her eyes would slant slightly in the way she looked, but perhaps this was caused by the bright sunlight. She wasn’t that far from his car now.

The submarine began to dive again as the hatch closed up. It was going in complete reverse as it was heading back into the water. Meanwhile, Stone knew that it was time for him to tell her that he was there.

He pressed the car horn, producing an acoustic sound that grabbed Ioren’s attention. He kept his face with a slight scowl.

“Come here!” Stone yelled from his car at her. “I don’t have all day...”

Evidently, the Itrean woman heard him, but she didn’t move at a hurried pace either. Instead, she simply walked to his car. He was studying her reaction carefully. First impressions were important, but only in telling the person’s personality.

The passenger car door slid up to give her entry while she climbed in. Her small stature naturally made getting in and out easier. Her being the average height of a Yutilian or Aksren of four to five feet gave her room to place her belongings down beneath her feet. She only had to adjust her tail as it brushed her side.

“Hmph…..” Stone remarked as he looked at her. For him, it was the first time he really spoke to an Itrean face-to-face, but he seemed against the idea. Regardless, he had to say something to her. He didn’t have a choice in this partnership.

Ioren saw the door slide closed as Stone started up the car. The electric motor quietly powered up as the marine muted the radio.

“Ugh…..my name and rank is Master Sergeant Richmond Stone. Your name is?….” He reluctantly questioned her.

The tone of his voice spilled over onto Ioren as she turned her head away. Any form of curiosity was gone from her face. Her eyes even showed a discouraging look. She didn’t say anything and folded up her arms.

“Hey! I told you my name,” Stone raised his voice at her. “What’s your name?”

She gave a mean look at him and remained quiet. It only seemed to aggravate the marine.

“Ugh……fine……we're assigned to be together anyway,” he partially relented. “I’m your new partner. The clan assigned you to the Oshun police precinct. The UHN assigned me to work for the police here, and the T’rintar clan assigned you to be here. So the UHN feels that it's best for both of us to work together.”

She turned her head a little bit as he noticed his voice gave a very slight, friendly tone to it, but she was trying to tell if he was mocking her. Her head tilted up as her left eye scanned his face closely. She dropped her folded-up arms as Stone could see the clawed fingertips of her four-digit hands. She remained quiet.

“Going to be the strong silent type……whatever…..” Stone remarked. “You won’t gain anything from acting like that in front of me.”

Her head once again tilted a little bit as she was analyzing him. It seemed to have dawned on her what he was doing. It caused her to reach down and pull out a pair of large metal strips from her side pocket. The marine recognized them as the Itrean tilons, the human equivalent of computer tablets. She pulled the two strips apart as a projection screen appeared from the separated pieces.

A digital keyboard appeared on the screen, showing the Itrean alphabet. She was busy typing as the words went downward and then to the right. The complexity of the language baffled humanity. It was so difficult to decipher that it almost didn’t make sense in how it worked. Letters typed would merge into singular, more complex characters somewhat similar to Japanese or Chinese, but the fact that they would also go to the right at the same time was where the similarities ended. The Itrean woman pressed a button on the lower right.

Suddenly, the Itrean words changed in shape. The computer of the tilon was shifting the language into English while translating it almost instantly. The Itrean words were read aloud from the device from which Stone could hear. It was in the form of a computerized reptilian-like voice.

“My name and rank is Lesser Centurion Ioren,” it reported. “Hello, Master Sergeant Richmond Stone. My clan has assigned me to serve with you in joint UHN operations. I am very proficient in English, so I ask that you don’t treat me as an Itrean that doesn’t know the language.”

“Hmph…..” Stone noted with skepticism. “For an Itrean that supposedly knows English, you certainly rely on a tilon to do your work.”

Ioren gave a dirty look at him the moment that she heard it. Even her feathers rose up a little bit. For Stone, he didn’t care about her reaction. However, even he knew he had to carry on with the conversation despite it all. So he decided to be nonchalant and start driving. The vehicle began to move forward as it left the parking spot and entered the main driveway. Ioren began to type more words onto her tilon as the marine’s attention was focused away from her. After writing her sentence, she pressed a new button as her device spoke out the translated text.

“Did you find a place for me to live yet?” the tilon stated. It was enough that Stone turned his head slightly to see that the alien woman was looking in his direction. He knew the device was speaking for her.

“No,” Stone replied to Ioren. “What do I look like? I’m not your fucking quartermaster. That’s your problem...”

The tone once again did not sit well with Ioren. Her dirty look at him persisted as she resumed typing a new sentence onto her tilon. The vehicle was leaving the parking lot as it reached the main road. The traffic was surprisingly not bad in this region. The electronic hum of the engine was so quiet that only moving tires and the outside activity could be heard.

“What are we going to do today?” the tilon stated.

“What do you expect?” the marine replied with a scowl. “God damn paperwork for your ass to sit down with me.”

Ioren frowned as she began to type heavily on her tilon.

“Do you have a problem with me?”

“Why the fuck would you care?” he asked.

“I’m your partner,” she typed frivolously. “It is your responsibility to help make sure that I adjust to the new environment.”

“Who said anything about that? I'll take care of the paperwork like I’m supposed to, but the rest of it is your shit to take care of. Knowing my luck, I'd get nothing for my trouble in helping you. Like most of you, Aksren, you'll just whine and bitch about it anyway.”

She hissed at him the moment that she heard that. It even caused her to stammer in her typing before she resumed.

“Why do you accuse me of that? The Aksren do not act that way. I find that discriminating.”

“Oh…..I know the Aksren of the Aksren clan,” Stone continued to assault her verbally. “They can act like pretentious, arrogant sons of bitches. Fucking Shìlì de xīyì…..”

It took her a second for her to translate the Chinese words he said before they registered in her mind. She didn’t enjoy the conversation and continued typing on her tilon.

“You don’t know me, and it seems that you didn’t read about my profile at all. Aksren of the T’rintar clan don’t act like that, and I am not fully Aksren either, stupid human.”

“You’re not fully Aksren…..” he replied with a scowl. “What are you, some sort of freak?”

The words were said in a derogatory manner as she typed. “My mother was Aksren, and my father was Yutilian.”

It confirmed to Stone what he needed to hear. Her features tended to add up, but it was an odd look. Such appearances, even in the Itreans, were not commonplace.

“So you're some sort of…..Yuksren…..” he concluded.

Ioren hadn’t considered the word usage. She didn’t know whether to consider it an insult, but she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. She nodded her head to him in an attempt to appease him.

“I see……” he said as he waited for the traffic light to turn. One of the drivers refused to continue moving forward, being distracted by something else. Ioren watched as Stone began to bang his car horn to get the driver’s attention. He lowered his window as the marine lifted his head out to yell at the driver.

“Hey! Fucking move your ass!” Stone screamed at the driver. Before the car moved forward, the driver gave an angered, surprised look at him. He pointed his finger at him. “Yeah, stop looking at your tablet and MOVE!” the marine continued to scream at him. Finally, the driver shook his head, held his hand up, and continued to drive forward.

“Fucking rip your arm and shove it down your throat!” Stone continued as he moved his head back.

Ioren had seen her share of humans before, but she was fully convinced that Stone was not a happy individual. It caused her almost to close up her tilon, knowing the type of individual he was. She had a scowl on her face that almost seemed to rival Stone's. For a brief moment, the marine turned to look at her. He could see the same look that he knew he had. He huffed from his nose as the vehicle continued to move forward.

“I notice that you have an AKT-1 pistol,” Stone remarked as he kept his attention on the road. “It's a good firearm to have.” He said it in a tone that was less hostile and demeaning to her. It caused her to hesitate for a bit, until she finally resumed typing on her tilon.

“How much do you know about Itrean firearms?”

“Enough to know that you have an excellent sidearm,” Stone explained. “Your AKT-1s were introduced just after the Emphra Wars as a unity-based pistol that the Aksren and Yutilians could both fully use. It was such a good design that both clans still use them even if the Itrean United Government fell apart. It’s a solid design equipped with fifteen 7mm rounds and an under-slung mini-grenade launcher for launching decoys to lure away seeker grenades. I can go further, but I'm sure that you already know about them.”

This seemed to impress and surprise Ioren. Even for such an attitude that he had, it was as if Stone fully knew about guns, including the alien variety. Even the tone of his voice gave the slightest of inflections that he enjoyed talking about it. She knew enough about his background from the report that indicated that he didn’t come from Oshun, but the planet of Aphadus, a known world where there was the absolute minimum of gun laws. This hinted to her that if she were going to try to break the ice with him, she would have to find an equal ground. She decided to hold her scowl and look at his sidearm. The large handgun he had was tucked nicely in its holster, pressing against the seat's fabric. She tried to identify it, but it was challenging. The holster itself completely enveloped the firearm, but she could tell that his gun was far more significant than hers. She started typing on her tilon as it spoke her words.

“I can’t tell the gun that you are using. It doesn’t look like a UHN sidearm.”

“That is because it's a TT-50 Desert Falcon,” Stone explained in a neutral tone. “The UHN uses the M70 and M81 Pistols. Good designs, but not effective enough against heavy armor like the Shal’rein armor. This gun is powerful enough to punch through their armor or most UHN infantry-based equipment.”

She paused as she considered it and resumed typing. “The UHN should consider using your gun in warfare.”

“The UHN is usually a bunch of fucking morons not to know the difference, but in this case, they have an argument. The TT-450 or MF-5 model is being used more and more by some marine commanders due to the war. The problem is that these guns only hold eight rounds compared to the nineteen-round 9mm M81s.”

Ioren could see the variety of buildings as she remarked on it. For a brief moment, the marine looked over to her. He could see that her clawed fingers were tapping her side. The man seemed convinced he was doing something that led him to take a right at another street light. The Itrean woman had a discouraged viewpoint. It was as if Stone’s towering size and vibes were drawing all life away in the car. She still needed to learn about her terrain as she resumed typing on her tilon.

“What is the crime rate here?”

“Bad enough...,” Stone briefly answered with a mild frown. He looked over to Ioren as she sighed before he added to it. “This continent and Palora have the highest crime rate percentages when compared to the UWA. 90% of homicides are solved each year. Most crimes are theft, but we do get murder, homicide, and foul play cases that we have to work on. Most crimes are gang-related, theft-related, kidnapping, and arson. Murder rate was 295 last year on Oshun. The detectives usually work on them, but our job reflects mostly on the UHN crimes and misdemeanors.”

“Yes,” she nodded as she continued typing. “UHN marines or sailors that commit crimes, Itreans that commit crimes are to be apprehended by us.”

“It looks good on paper, but the police are sometimes overwhelmed by their tasks. Expect us to help them out when things get out of hand or when a major event takes place. Likewise, expect them to help us out if things get out of hand.”

“Expect anything?”

“Expect the worse each day,” he replied. “Sometimes there is no crime at all for months, and sometimes there is rampant crime that occurs all at once. I've been here long enough to know that we're due for a series anytime now.”

“They come in waves?” she typed. Her head tilted to the side as she listened intently.

“Yes.”

A part of her seemed to think as she considered it. It was as if she were trying to see a pattern that caused it. She continued to type.

“It is possible to find a cause and prevent future crime sprees because of that.”

“That sounds good and all, but if that were the case, then 99% of the crime wouldn’t even exist at all,” Stone responded with a slight fluster. His head shook. “No…..you have to deal with the political climate that is Oshun itself.”

She gave a puzzled look to him. It was enough to hint to the marine that she didn’t understand.

“Oshun has annual elections,” the marine tried to explain. “Every time it builds up to an election, the crime rate explodes. You'll find that it conveniently drops after the elections have concluded.”

“You have seen this?” she typed it out.

“Yes.”

“When do the next elections happen?”

“The next set of elections is in three weeks. Going to be mayoral elections too, so expect it to be big.”

“Why does it happen? Do the police prepare for this?”

“Corruption and politics. It's easier for the bastards at the top to convince the population that the next person running for election can fix crime when it is out of control. Once they're elected, they can call their groups, which call their groups, and slowly work their way to the bottom. The tourists are impressed, the population is impressed, and new bastards run for the next term until the next bastard can do the same thing. It's a perpetual cycle that results in the worst of the worst.”

“Have you said anything about this?” The look on her face showed concern.

“I have, and they don’t like me very much for saying it either. I even provided evidence that the crime rate never increases among the UHN sailors and marines during those election processes. They just come up with convenient excuses or ignore them and shove them away. We also have to deal with the fact that the police force can also get bought up too.”

Ioren shook her head as she heard all of this. She hadn’t gained trust with Stone. To her, the concept seemed somewhat crazy, if not outright ludicrous. For all she knew, the marine was just some lunatic. But then again, she had to take the idea lightly. Stone was here longer than she was.

The car began to pull over on the side of the road. The Itrean woman barely had time to take in her surroundings before the conversation died down. This location in the vast city still featured towering skyscrapers, but the sidewall décor was a bit worn. It was far away from the tourist-covered beaches. Here was the place where more workers came and went. A small plaza was located not far from the passenger side of Ioren. A little bit of curiosity showed on her face as she tilted her head a little bit. She was in the process of typing the words down when Stone interrupted her.

“Alright…..” Stone said as he parked the car and shut off the engine. “Time to head in.”

Ioren was trying to ask, but didn’t have a way to say it. She looked at the area intently. This plaza consisted of three stores, with the biggest being appropriately called “Tarone Arsenal Emporium Shop,” written in both English and Chinese. The other one was a small restaurant and a small clothing store.

Stone got out of his car and had little patience for the Itrean woman. She had a look of confusion as she closed up her tilon and opened up the car door.

“Come on….and bring your pistol,” Stone lightly smacked the roof of the car. “We're heading in.”

Ioren was watching the marine intently. It was here that she could see the sheer height of the man. She was utterly dwarfed by him, being taller and more massive than most humans she had seen before. His size and mass admittedly took her back a little bit, but the marine didn’t care. She was not necessarily afraid of him, but she wasn’t going to test her luck by pissing him off. By now, she was getting the hint that he was only going to say things louder if he had to repeat himself. She reached into her bag and pulled out her pistol.

“You’re on duty,” Stone told her. “It's our job to make sure that you're fitted to be on duty. So don’t expect me to give you any other form of charity for all this.”

She put things together quickly as she checked to ensure the gun was on safe. She held it close to her side as she closed the door of the car. When she turned around, she could already see the marine was walking towards the store.

Ioren hurriedly moved to catch up. Her tail waved a little bit as her digitigrade legs drove her at a fast pace. She could see a couple of construction workers who eyed her on the walking path. They took a quick glance as she quickly moved up to the side of the marine.

The Armory Emporium doors slid open as the rush of new gun smell littered her senses. The scent went to the marine’s nose as he momentarily closed his eyes. It was a nostalgic scent that only seemed to bring pleasant memories.

As they walked in, a couple of customers were browsing the wares but not paying any attention to the two. This place was clearly a gun shop. It was stunningly beautiful, consisting of multiple clear cases displaying guns of various types, gun kits, locks, firearms tools, survival gear, ammunition boxes, bulletproof jackets, holsters, and more. This place was armed to the teeth, even having sentry gun turrets mounted on the side corners of the store. If anybody dared to try to rob this place, they would be dead before they even thought twice about their mistake.

Three staff members were present, with one who looked directly in Stone’s direction. A gigantic smile appeared on his face. He wore a long yellow-and-black T-shirt and baggy black pants that reached his knees. He had the typical dark complexion, dreadlocks that flowed down his shoulders, and a big black beard on his face.

“Ah…..” the man said with a hint of a former Central American accent. He held his arms out. “My favorite customer, mon.”

Ioren showed a hint of curiosity. This man spoke English, but the accent was so unusual that she barely understood at first.

“Tarone, I have a couple of things that I need from you,” Stone addressed him as he slapped the palms of his hands to the counter.

“Stone, why do you always have to be so strong towards me?” Tarone noted as he waved his hands to the counter. “I love your fixation on my wares and merchandise, but I'm afraid you'll break my things too.”

“Hmph…..” Stone replied. Ioren walked up naturally, looking at the variety of items. It caused the storeowner to look down at the Itrean and her pistol, enclosed in her hand.

“Well…..I’ll be…..” Tarone said as his sights went to her. “I saw you walking into my store openly carrying that, lady. Of course, I saw you both walking in together.” His eyes narrowed as he looked at the marine. “Stone…..you didn’t, right? I knew it!” as he pointed both his fingers at him. “You found an Itrean woman to be your wife….”

He gave a cold, hard stare at Tarone. Even Ioren momentarily looked at both of the men. She gave an equally stern look at the man, but it was easy to tell that he was joking by now.

“Ah…..relax, mon. Who is she?” he gestured and tried to whisper to him. “Maybe I can give you a special discount to help you out, but I need to hear you say it.”

“Argh…..” the marine relented. “Fine…..she's my new partner for the precinct. Her name is Ioren.”

Tarone snapped his fingers. “Ha….oh, I feel sorry for you, Ioren. Let me tell you something, though. Talk guns, and you talk with him for life. He puts my staff to shame. If he ever lost his job in the UHN, then he'll be my favorite worker.”

“I would sooner buy this store than work for it,” Stone noted.

“Even better! Now you know why I like him, Ioren. Welcome to my gun store, one of the best in this area. I supply guns of all types…..at least the legal ones on Oshun. I wish I could move my store to Aphadus…..ah….why did I not just try to stay on Batrice?”

“Because they're idiotic enough to ban all firearms,” the marine explained. “Leaves it perfect for an oppressive regime or some other power to come and reign supreme. Take away the guns and ensure that only a few have them, and before you know it, those few will rule the planet. Their word is law, while the rest of the good people suffer, wishing that they had the guns to fight back for their freedom.”

“Spoken like a true person from Aphadus.”

Ioren was curious enough to ask questions. She pulled out her tilon again and pulled the two strips apart. The projection screen appeared as she held the backside in one hand. She used the other hand to type her words as fast as she could.

“Your partner is not the talkative type, isn’t she?” Tarone said.

“No…..” Stone replied. “She prefers to use something else to let her talk….even if she's supposedly fluent in English.”

“Relax, mon. Everyone is equal in my store…..especially if you have the mard to keep the humble establishment from collapsing on itself.”

“Are you from Batrice?” the tilon stated.

“Nope. Well…..I had a store there a year ago, but word got out on the…. ‘reforms’ that were coming in. I'm actually from Palora. Before that…..my family came from the island of Jamaica on former Earth long ago.”

“Your accent is pretty,” she replied, typing the words as fast as possible.

“Ha…..well, you won’t find many people like me speak like this anymore.……replaced by the Martian and Cebravin accents. It's….more of a trued and tried imitation that I won’t let die.” He happily splayed his hands outward with a gesture of a serene grin to accompany it.

“Ugh… enough of this past shit,” Stone grumbled and impatiently tapped his fingers on the table. “Tarone, we need some things for my……partner.”

“Of course. Of course,” Tarone replied as he held his hand out to the Itrean woman. “May I see your gun, Ioren?”

Tarone’s personality and work ethic easily swayed her to hand her pistol to the former Jamaican individual. The marine watched as he lifted the gun up and looked at it closely.

“Ah…..beautiful,” Tarone said.

“I agree,” Stone added.

“An AKT-1….” Tarone continued with pure passion in his voice, marveling at the gun. “Such elegant beauty in such a piece. You Itreans should feel a sense of pride in your firearms. Don’t let the Shal’rein bully the Yutilians and Aksren into thinking that they can’t make their own guns. I know…..because I see them enough.”

“You work with Itrean guns?” she typed.

“Well, I wouldn’t be a good gunsmith if I didn’t. Even the Itreans assigned to Oshun need to have a place to take care of their guns. Some sell their guns, and some want to have certain modifications to them. Hell…..I might even have a Shal’rein come and work with me in the following weeks if all things go right.” He pressed the magazine eject button as he went and looked at the rounds in it. “Fully loaded too.”

“Unfortunately, those 7mm rounds aren’t as effective as the 9mm,” Stone added.

“Ehh….I wouldn’t be so quick to say that, my marine friend. True that the penetration from these rounds isn’t as good. These guns make up for many other things. The gun is small enough that some smaller-handed individuals prefer them. Like most of the Itrean guns, the organic metallic components can even regenerate.”

“They can fix themselves? Even I didn’t know that.”

“Mostly…..mostly, it can. Certainly helps in the maintenance compartment.”

“Our people used disease and biological warfare on everything,” Ioren typed on her tilon. “There were even diseases that could target the guns. Our own weapons had to be enhanced just as much as we were.”

“Hmm…..the fold-up RMR scope is working alright. You know I am getting a modification kit in the next couple of weeks that can turn this into the TRN-1. I could modify it into a silenced pistol.”

Ioren smiled briefly and did a quick nod upon hearing that.

Tarone shook his head, satisfied with what he was looking at. “These are the best smaller brand pistols than even my OCP-3Ps that I have.”

“And those guns are shitty as it is,” Stone added.

“Ah….here he goes again. I already sell Aphadus brands if you don’t like my Oshun variety. I take pride selling Oshunian made guns on the planet that makes them.”

“And what gets cleared out quicker in your stores?”

“The Aphadus brands,” Tarone answered while he busted out in a laugh. It was said so well that even Ioren displayed a brief smile from it. While Stone didn’t find it funny, he did give a neutral look to the Itrean that seemed pleased from hearing it.

“Hmph…..” Stone remarked.

“Hmmm…...” Tarone continued. “I have some nice accessories for your pistol, Ioren. What is it that you need?”

At first, she seemed to think about it, which indicated to Stone that he needed to say something. He knew immediately what was required.

“She needs a holster for open carry,” the marine jumped in. It was enough to cause the Itrean to nod her head in agreement.

“I do have holsters for smaller guns, but it wouldn’t be anything specifically oriented for this specific pistol. Usually, these guns are simply just magnetized to the Itrean wrap armor of soldiers if they don’t have their Y-6 assault rifles, but I do have ones for the two barrels.”

“Get the best one you got.”

Tarone was quick as he looked at his stock. He was looking at an area that had a small belt-like holster. These were ones that were more suited for children or shorter adults. It wasn’t Ioren’s fault, as her shorter stature naturally had to make do with what worked. Finally, he plucked out a simple but effective belt design. It had a high-quality polymer design with a couple of pouches that lined the sides.

“One of the best,” Tarone said with pride. “Tenix small size.”

He handed it over to Ioren as she placed her tilon on the counter. She immediately began to wrap the black holster and belt around her waist. The Velcro went on quickly while she worked on the harnesses to get them adjusted. The store owner nodded in agreement.

“Perfect,” Tarone said as he handed the pistol back to her. “Try it out with your pistol.”

She took her gun back and holstered it to her right hip. Pointed away from the other customers, she quickly drew out the small pistol and pointed it at the wall before she reholstered it again. She gave the nod to him.

“Hmmm….the question is body armor?” Tarone asked while she picked up her tilon again.

“Yes,” Stone questioned as he thought about it. “I saw the wrap armor disks that you brought with you. They won’t be needed for this line of work.”

“Are you sure?” Ioren typed.

“Yes. Even you won’t see me walking around in marine power armor as much as I'd want to. Police prefer more subtlety. The same goes with you.”

“I can buy them off of you…..” Tarone insisted.

“No. Keep it until you need it.” Even as Stone had said it, Ioren was inclined to do her quick nods in agreement.

“But what you need is something more fitting…..” Tarone wondered as he headed over to the closed room. “I'll be right back. I might have something for you that might work.”

Ioren gave a satisfactory nod as she looked over her belt. Even Stone had a nod to go along with it. His eye, however, became quickly distracted as he looked at the variety of firearms that covered the store. Even the Itrean was looking at the area with a similar interest. Most of the guns, however, were small brands. There were subcompacts, pistols, submachine guns, magnums, antique guns, revolvers, laser pistols, and scatterguns, but nothing more significant than rifles. This wasn’t to say that they didn’t exist. Amongst the largest in the stocks were a couple of rifles and shotguns, but it was clear that this was an Oshun civilian gun store and not some military arsenal.

The reptilian woman now had an easier time using her tilon since she had a holster. Her free hand allowed her to browse the wares as Stone felt inclined to do the same thing. The clear cases depicted guns, and his face almost showed a smile. Like a kid in a candy shop, the marine was in his element.

“He has an antique Vektor SP1 pistol made in the 1990s on Earth and the old original bullets before we ever used caseless…..” Stone remarked. “Still in good condition, but the price is too high. Hmph….” His eyes befell a series of revolvers, but he quickly moved along. “Even an original MP5, but the extendable stock is not functional. Shame…..if I were back on Aphadus, I wouldn’t mind buying that and getting it to work.”

“You collect guns?” Ioren typed on her tilon.

For a brief moment, the marine hesitated in answering that question, but he partially relented. “Not on this planet.”

There were the cheap OCP-3Ps made in different styles and colors, including various kits to go along with them for home defense. Ioren had little interest in them except for their naturally small size. But, as she was walking down the series of guns, they naturally got bigger. Her tail wagged a little bit as her eyes spotted a small section specifically labeled novelty and rare firearms.

Stone picked up what was labeled as an “Aphadus SW-SH40 Scattergun.” The handheld double-barreled shotgun was made with a shiny gray and black polymer. The caseless shells would be loaded in the back after you popped open the loading chamber. It allowed the user to fire one-handed before having to reload it again. It was cheap and viable for home defense, but the price was too high, so he placed it back on the rack. His head turned to look at Ioren, who was standing next to the rare/novelty section. His brow lifted, knowing why she was there. It caused him to walk beside her.

This section consisted of other historical guns, but it also had a few Itrean firearms. There was an AKT-1 available, but there were also laser pistols. Her open hand picked it up as she looked at it. It had a similar style grip to the AKT-1, but the firing chamber was much broader. The magazine was replaced with a battery that went into the magazine well.

“An AKL-32,” Stone noted. “Used during the Emphra Wars. Surprised that this one is here. Ugh….. I hate laser weapons.”

Ioren went and placed the gun back as she hurriedly typed on her tilon. “These are the type of guns that saved my parents.”

“True….but against people, laser weapons are shit. You might as well tell the target to stand still as you try to fry them. Long-range and against unarmored targets, you might have some luck, but a caseless sniper or anti-material rifle can still work and do it better. Of course, railguns…..”

His eyes went to a rifle with a unique look. It was shaped like an elongated polymer cannon. It had a barrel on one side, a magazine in front of the trigger, and a scope on top. On the back section was not a buttstock but a narrowing venting chamber.

“A Chinese QBZ-520 Recoilless Space Rifle….” Stone said. “Made before they introduced the cheaper magnetic boots. Always wanted a chance to fire one of these guns. These were used long before we ever used the Rocket Propelled Sound Suppressor systems we use today. Even then, these guns were perfect for firing in space. Zero recoil when you fire them. Even the modern RPSSs struggle to achieve that.”

“My people used similar guns, too,” Ioren typed. “Very long ago.”

“Yeah, not exactly the types in treating it as a normal rifle either. I know some fucking moron on Aphadus would treat that vent as a buttstock and mount it on their shoulder. When they fire it…..well…..better be ready to get an augmented shoulder. No wonder the gun is deactivated.”

“Why are some of these guns deactivated?”

“Laws on Oshun. Wouldn’t have to worry about it on Aphadus. Every Aphadus person can buy military-grade firearms without a license. So even with a military there, the civilians make the second army.”

She seemed to give a look of intrigue as she considered it.

“It works,” he continued. “On Oshun, though, the citizens do a good job following those rules, but the criminals don’t care. Tarone is taking a long time in finding that item…..”

His impatience was replaced the moment that Ioren reached up and grabbed another Itrean firearm. This was larger than the pistol she had. It had more organic features with spiked vents near the rear section. The collapsible buttstock would fold into the gun, and it had a similar foldable lens scope on the top. It carried similar green and gray colors and had a larger top to it.

“An AKT-2 submachine pistol, one of the replacements for the AKT-1,” Stone said. He didn’t even have to look at the label to know what it was. “Damn, it's expensive……I might recommend getting that, but your holster wouldn’t hold it.”

She looked at it closely. The gun was indeed an excellent design, but it was bulkier. It might have been just as good for her profession to stick with something that she already had. She placed the gun back on the display before she resumed typing.

“Maybe later I can buy it.”

“Surprised your people didn’t just give you one," he said. "The AKT-2s are just as common as those AKT-1s.”

She shook her head as if she had nothing to comment about it. Tarone finally appeared from his backroom as he carried something of particular interest. It was a vest, but not shaped like the traditional bulletproof vests. It was thin and had a black weave with slight tinges of gray.

“Finally…..” Stone said under his breath.

“Ah, it took some digging, but it finally showed up,” Tarone explained as he walked up to the counter. “The latest in Tenix hardware that might work for our little friend here.” Both walked up to the counter to look at it.

“A bulletproof vest?” Stone asked.

“Ah, it is, but much better, especially for somebody like her. Might end up replacing the Mclevar bulletproof vests eventually, but these guys are practical and not practical.” He stretched the material out for her to see. “Tenix Mclevar Elastic Armor. It can handle most rounds except the high-powered rifles and armor penetrators.”

“In other words, most small arms fire on this world.”

“Yeah…..it wouldn’t stop your hand cannon. Check it out,” Tarone gestured for her to feel with her scaly fingers. “This armor is designed to flex on the skin with almost no profile to it. It can be worn over clothing, but they look silly when it does, compared to the original McLevar vests. It is designed to be worn underneath the clothing. It will cover your chest, torso, and stomach area.”

“It almost seems perfectly meant for Itreans, especially her,” Stone added.

“I agree, but I recommend that she find a restroom to try it on first.”

“Do you have one here?” Ioren typed on her tilon.

“Yes, down the hall here.” He pointed in the direction that she needed to head to.

“Thank you.” With that, she began to head away with the folded-up vest and tilon in tow. She had left the area before Tarone looked at Stone.

“She is quite interesting,” Tarone told him. “I've seen my share of Itreans. She knows perfect English, and yet she uses a tilon to communicate.”

“Ugh….” Stone remarked. He looked away in disgust.

“Ah, cheer up, Stone. Even in my store, you bring bad juju to my customers and staff.”

“I don’t care.”

“Maybe that Itrean will knock some sense to you…..besides the rather large bill that you'll get from all the purchases today.”

“It doesn’t matter. The UHN will be paying for this.”

“Hmmm…..true…..true, then again, maybe I can tempt you with something.” Tarone reached down and pulled out something. It looked similar to Stone’s impressive firearm. The rather large pistol chambered with magnum rounds had a similar shape and design. Parts of the barrel and handgrip were slightly different. It had a mini foldout lens scope near the top end of the slide. Along the bottom of the slide were additional components and attachments as well.

“A TT-450……” Stone remarked.

“Yes. I still have this guy on sale.”

“I can’t buy it.” There was a hint of hesitation in his voice.

“Are you sure? Technically, I can’t sell military firearms, but these guys are civilian guns, though. Very close to the MF-5 with only two slight modifications. This guy has the RPSS built in, just like all the other guns, and much quieter than your TT-50.”

“Hmph……no. My gun is good enough.”

“I can even make a trade for your two-hundred-year-old model TT-50 to reduce the price for this, too.”

“No.”

“Hmm…..alright….have it your way. It will still be sitting in my rack waiting for you to come and get it.”

“I will take some ammunition, though,” Stone said.

“Of course, I have two 45 caseless 50 AE round packs sitting on the shelf. 90 rounds sound good?”

“Yes……and……get me some ammo for the AKT-1 and some spare magazines.”

“Magazines I got, but Itrean ammo is a little hard to come by at the moment. I do have one case of a hundred, though.”

“That will be it on the shopping then, assuming that Ioren is satisfied with her vest.”

Tarone smiled. “You do know how to make a storeowner happy now, don’t you?”

Ioren returned as she walked back into the room. There was a slight hint that she was now wearing the new vest. Her demeanor was different. Her clothing showed the hint of black spandex underneath her neck. It did little to nothing in impeding her movements, just as the vest was designed to do. The holster fit snuggly on her waist. Compared to what she looked like minutes ago, the Itrean woman looked like a detective or police officer ready for duty. Her tilon was still open as she gave a series of quick nods to Stone.

“How does it feel?” Tarone asked.

“It is comfortable,” Ioren typed on her tilon. “Will this chafe my breasts?” The marine noticed that she had one of her clawed hands pressed to her right breast momentarily.

“It shouldn’t,” Tarone answered. “The vest is rated for Oshun’s temperatures as well. Of course, your skin should be able to get the right amount of air circulation as well, but I wouldn’t be running around in hot deserts with them either.”

“Then I am satisfied with this. Thank you.”

“Alright then,” Tarone commented as he tapped his left arm. Revealed to be an augmented arm, a projection screen appeared as the store owner began to calculate the total purchases made. Stone went and grabbed the ammunition boxes for their guns and placed them on the counter.

Ioren was impressed. Her clawed hands felt the material press against her scaly skin. It was perfectly elastic and reminded her of the wrap armor that she used. Even the belt and holster were simple but effective. She found that the marine was looking at her as she was swinging her tail. She was testing a little bit to feel for any possible resistance with the belt and armor. She put her hands on her hips with a sense of readiness.

“I have it billed to the Oshun UHN treasury,” Tarone explained. “Clicking send. I have the receipt sent to them and your computer tablet.”

“Good,” Stone said as the severity in his tone picked up. “Then that leaves for the final matter of the day.” The marine went and fished a card out of his pocket. “I might wonder if you happen to know anything about this?”

He placed the card that still had the dried drop of blood on the counter. Tarone turned off the projection of his augmented arm, squinting at the drawn image. Ioren was curious about it as she looked at it as well. As Stone was observing the store owner, he could see apprehension build in the man's face. Ioren was confused as to what it was, but it was apparent that Tarone might.

“Ummm....,” Tarone replied as he shook his head. “I don’t know much about it, but bad juju. It's a rumor…..I honestly don’t know.”

“Do you know it or not?” Stone pressed his questioning.

“It is something that I heard. Some……” he whispered to him. “Criminal syndicate….please…..I don’t know any more than that.”

“Who told you that? Is it who I think it is?”

“Yes…..my cousin said something about……military guns being sold, but I don’t know.”

Stone gave a single nod. “Happen to know where he is right now?”

“Same place that he always hangs out,” Tarone said with some regret. “He never changes, mon. Even after he was released from prison.”

“I'll go and talk to him,” he remarked as he began to head out the door with his ammunition in hand. Ioren gave a wave to him as she closed up her tilon and prepared to grab her ammunition case and spare magazines.

“And Stone…..” Tarone tried to tell him, causing the marine to pause in his walk. “You can do whatever you want to him, but don’t kill him. It would break his mama’s heart.”

“No promises,” Stone continued with a stern look.

“Please….. ‘Avalanche’ Stone.”

“That nickname doesn’t hold any more meaning…..” he said, scowling as his eyes narrowed. The marine left the store. Ioren gave a surprised look upon hearing it as she hurried out the door to keep up with the marine.

Chapter 4: The Rimbastar Jewelry Heist

“I hate the fucking paperwork…..” Stone said as he drove his car. He maintained a steady pace in his car, his one hand gripping the steering wheel. The look of disgust and anguish was obvious.

It was later that afternoon. The introductory tedium of arriving at the police station was compounded by having to sit behind a computer and wait for hours. Meanwhile, the marine had to type in all the data pertaining to Ioren’s transfer and the status of the previous day's encounter.

Ioren was busy loading the last of the two spare magazines for her pistol as the vehicle moved forward. She was gently placing the small rounds over the other, each making a satisfying clicking sound. When the last one was put in its place, she closed the case and stuck it with her belongings. She placed the magazine in the spare pouch of her newly acquired belt. By now, she was getting used to the nuanced outbursts that the marine was making. She was careful not to make any gestures that would anger him further and instead tried to diffuse it partly. She pulled out her tilon, started to type, and let the device continue translating her words out loud.

“The people at the police station seem friendly. I like the police chief.”

“Ugh…..” Stone grumbled. Ioren decided to change the topic.

“Thank you for everything today.”

“Hmph…..” was his only response.

She paused as she seemed hesitant in writing it. She could see that the Oshunian sun was just past afternoon. Finally, she had to bring it up as she resumed her typing.

“I need to have a room to sleep in.”

“So?" he said. "It’s not my problem.”

She sighed as she briefly closed her eyes. “Please. Can you help me find a place to sleep?”

“Why are you asking me? You expect me to give you some luxury apartment?”

She hissed a little bit as her clawed fingers typed. “Not this again. I need to find….”

“I know goddamn it,” he snapped at her. “What? Don’t you have any friends you can sleep with? No family or spouse?”

“No friends. No family here. No mate. I have nothing here but what I had in the submarine.”

“You can’t find anybody to help you?”

She shook her head. “Nobody will help me here.”

Stone gripped the steering wheel hard. He gave an agitated scowl at the thought of having to help some alien find a room and board. The idea of having to assist his partner simply bore into his mind. He turned his head to see that Ioren’s feathers were drooping low. She gripped her hands and claws to her sides for a short while. She was not sad, but he could clearly see that she looked rejected.

They had been driving for thirty minutes since they left the precinct. The traffic was much less since it was past lunchtime. The marine observed the environment as they were closer to the mountain ranges while still in the center of the great metropolis. There were no skyscrapers in this location. Instead, it consisted of low-rise apartments and stores. Ioren herself was observing the place. The streets showed signs of wear and tear, as if they were poorly maintained. Walls of back alleys were covered in graffiti, with no signs of effort to clean them. There were individuals making deals in the back alleys that she could see.

There were no Itreans in this area at all, with the exception of one or two Shal’rein here and there. Ioren even noticed that the humans here had unusual augmented ligaments. The typical person might have had a mechanical-looking arm or leg. Occasionally, a few of them might have had an augmented nose, eyes, ears, or even a mechanical-looking throat. It was a stark contrast to those who lived near the coastline or any other human being seen so far that had augmented ligaments but easily blended into their own bodies.

“Why do these humans not have normal augments?” Ioren asked on her tilon.

“Price,” Stone answered. “It costs more to have the augments that a majority uses. These people either have no jobs or are poorly paid. The cheaper augments tend to show more easily.”

“One person only has one arm and a leg,” she remarked.

Stone turned his eyes to see the person she was talking about. A man was limping on one actual leg and only had one real arm. It was as if his body had been gutted out with just enough for him to walk. He didn’t look like he was in the best condition as he moved with crutches.

“That person violated the 10% rule,” Stone answered.

It dawned on Ioren of some of the human rules and laws. The man they drove past was a person who clearly violated that rule. Human beings who decided to have more than 10% of their bodies augmented without special permission or some catastrophic accident could have their bodies stripped of them. In this case, the man was literally walking on one leg and had one arm.

“It is a harsh rule,” Ioren typed.

“No, it's necessary and none of our business to say so,” Stone explained. “If people were allowed to continually augment their bodies, they would overpower and outdo the people who don’t have them or don’t want them. It's our responsibility to watch for it. For us, we don’t hold the position to enforce it, but I can report it to other police units that will go and apprehend the people that do.”

“Understood,” Ioren replied from her tilon. “Where are we?”

“It had two names. It was originally called L’Accra when the city was made, but everyone now calls it L’Kibera.”

“The people seem to have less here than what I saw earlier.”

“Yes. L’Kibera is a fitting name. I think it was called that because there was a slum that existed back on former Earth with a similar title. This is a poverty-stricken region, one of the poorest in Oshun.”

“This place….” Ioren stopped typing as she looked at the place some more. Finally, she shook her head and resumed typing. “Do the people choose to live like this?”

“The tourist industry ensures that the poverty stays away from anything that can taint their precious image. The government promises to help these people, but only keeps them here and gives them scraps to survive.”

“War distracts it, too.”

Stone looked at her momentarily, but it seemed his eyes were transfixed on the alleyways. “Yes,” he simply replied.

“It is disgusting,” Ioren typed. “I would prefer to be away from here.”

“Is that the spoiled, snobbish side of you trying to come through?” Stone snapped at her.

She responded by giving him a dirty look.

“Don’t try to lie to me,” Stone continued. “Better get the fuck over it. Our job reaches this precinct. Two powerful gangs rule this area, and it's prone to urban warfare that gets out of control. Media would cover this spot more often, but it would hurt the tourist industry even more. When it comes to violence, this is one of the deadlier locations on Oshun.”

There was no sense of fear in Ioren’s inflections. If anything, she kept track of Stone and his thoughts on the area. Despite the location's mess, it could have been far worse. It was evident that the people were living in impoverished conditions. The buildings could use improvement. People had fewer smiles on their faces as if they were forced to live here. Even the fact that there were so few Itreans amongst the many humans here seemed to show where everyone wanted to go, which was away from here. If things got out of hand, though, the Shal’rein were strong enough to handle themselves against a lawless human.

“Where is that piece of shit?” Stone said as he continued to look. “I don’t see him!”

Ioren hesitated in asking it when she typed on her tilon. “Who is he?”

“A person who breaks the law, but one that I know clearly breaks the law. He has information, one that pertains directly to us.” He shook his head as he smacked his hand against the steering wheel. “He isn’t at his usual spot. Coward thinks he can hide?”

His augmented eye scanned every person, clearly looking for the exact facial features that matched his intended target, but it was clear that the person was not here. The idea of driving this far not to find him only seemed to agitate the marine. Even Ioren folded up her arms almost as a sign of boredom.

Finally, after what seemed like a minute, a beeping sound was heard in the car's interior. The marine’s eyes narrowed as he knew what the audio queue was.

“What the fuck now?” he said as he tapped the button by the steering wheel.

An audio-only channel had been established between Stone’s car and the police precinct headquarters. The speaker sounded like a male, most likely one of the receptionists who was near the chief’s office. His voice gave a slight sense of urgency.

“Master Sergeant Stone, do you read?” the caller said.

“What is it? I’m fucking busy,” he replied. Ioren’s attention piqued, looking at the source of the audio and the marine.

“We have received a code 10-65, location at the Rimbastar Jewelry Store.”

Stone’s hand seemed to crush the handles of his steering wheel. “It begins….,” he said. “An armed robbery in progress.”

“Yes, our teams are responding, but they could use your help.”

“Like yesterday? They can’t handle the shit?”

“We have twelve armed suspects and a hostage situation in progress. Please respond.”

Stone looked over to Ioren. Even she knew the urgency of the situation. An armed conflict was coming down the tubes, and they were about to be put directly into it. The supposed criminal event that her partner told her might be the beginning of a new crime wave. A jewelry heist was in progress.

“Damn it....,” Stone said. “Copy that precinct. En route to Rimbastar Jewelry store, ETA fifteen minutes.”

“Copy that, Sarge.” The voice on the other side ended as the channel closed. Ioren kept her hand on her tilon as she began to type readily.

The marine slammed on the brakes and did a complete U-turn. The inertia could be felt as the car's police alarm was turned on. Nevertheless, Stone was determined to get to his destination as fast as he could. The electric car was quick and responsive as the quiet hum of the engine revved up.

“Do you know this place?” Ioren typed.

“Rimbastar Jewelry is the largest jewelry store in the area,” Stone explained. “It imports much of the rare gems mined from Batrice and other areas. It's been hit once before. Looks like we'll be testing out how good your new body armor is going to be.”

“I’m ready.”

“Better be.....”

*******

The great Rimbastar Jewelry store was located amongst the endless blocks of buildings of the great metropolis. It had a slight rectangular appearance with the great words of “Rimbastar Jewelry” highlighted in neon black, yellow, and purple lights. This area might have been interesting to behold at night, but it was still mid-afternoon, with clear blue skies and a slight purple hue.

Despite the appearance of such a place, the location had blocked off traffic. Alarms from police were being echoed throughout the entire region. Pedestrians and excess vehicles had vacated the scene except for two blue electric-powered vans parked next to the store. Four police vehicles had created a perimeter that surrounded the main front entrance of the store. Police officers and armed teams were located in various areas to keep anyone from coming or going. Much as it was the previous day, the only difference was that more police were present. This was more than just a single gunman who had become deranged. This was a significantly larger event.

Stone’s vehicle would become the fifth as it pulled into join the perimeter. There was plenty of room for the car to come to a stop. The marine quickly powered down the vehicle. The doors on both sides opened up as the marine got out. Ioren had less knowledge of the area but could see the towering human walking up to the set of officers. Her eyes tried to evaluate the place the best that she could.

By now, most of the police officers had seen the lone Itrean that walked amongst them earlier in the day. Her unique facial features simply made her more distinguishable and recognizable, not to be ignored. The few who hadn’t seen her yet could see that she was not far from the marine working with them. However, most of their attention was not towards her but the closed-off store they kept secured.

Ioren noted that the jewelry store had a series of sizeable clear panel windows. This would allow the browsers from outside to clearly see the contents of fine apparel, rare metals, and hard-to-find gems that humans found so beautiful. Unfortunately, she could not see the interior as the windows had been sealed shut. An array of heavy-duty blast-resistant panels had overlapped these windows to secure everything that was inside. It was like a fortress consisting of highly dense materials that would require the most sophisticated or powerful equipment and weapons to penetrate. There were back alleys on both sides of the building structure, with tall apartment rises that littered the background beyond it.

“Stone!” Gero called out to him. “Catch!”

One of the police officers tossed a McLevar bulletproof vest to the marine. Stone caught the vest and gave a stern nod to him as he started to put it on.

“Does she need one?” Gero asked, pointing at her.

“No, she has body armor on,” Stone responded. The severity of the situation was apparent, and the threat was genuine. But unfortunately, it also meant talking to someone the marine was not in good relations with.

Lekan’s attention was directed to a set of other police officers. His tablet was perched on the hood of his car, showing a digital 3D layout of the area. Everyone was decked out in combat gear, ready for war. The police lieutenant was briefing the others until he heard Stone’s voice call out. There was a slight grumble in the man’s face as he turned around to look up at the pale-faced marine.

“Damn it, not you again,” Lekan said to Stone as he towered over him. The marine, however, didn’t care about the comment.

“Another shit show, I suppose,” Stone remarked with agitation. Lekan’s face of annoyance only seemed to deflate a little bit as he saw the apparent Itrean newcomer that followed Stone.

“Alright, here is a quick briefing of the scene of events,” Lekan explained as he pointed at the projection. “At 1347 today, we received a call that the Rimbastar Jewelry was being robbed." He pointed at it. "Two vehicles pulled in unison and disembarked twelve armed suspects. Camera footage transmitted from the store revealed them to be armed with body armor, guns, and other stowing gear.”

“Uniformity….” Stone considered. “They'd been training and preparing to do this.”

“Precisely. It's believed that one of the workers might be one of the suspects and was marking out the entire scene for the future robbery now in progress.” The layout projected from the tablet changed, showing a diagram of the store's interior. “The suspects went straight into the front entrance. Gunshots were heard from the inside from the pedestrians outside."

“I see two entrances to this place,” Ioren’s tilon stated. Lekan’s attention was diverted to look down at her.

“Yes,” Lekan continued. “The moment that the robbery took place, one of the workers hit the panic button. It caused the blast-resistant shutters to activate and seal everyone on the inside. There is a left side entrance for employees and the main front entrance for customers to enter. These entrances have shutters as well, but they aren’t as strong. Our first goal was to secure these entrances in case they tried to escape, but so far…..nothing.” Two orange dots appeared near the layout diagram. “We have two recon drones flying overhead that are pointing out anything unusual. I have Leredi on the roof on point for sniper position.”

“What about the guns they're using?” Stone asked.

Lekan seemed to pause a little bit. “The footage makes it hard to identify all of them. The suspects’ faces can’t be seen too well with the gear they have on. However, most appear to be armed with submachine guns or pistols. Five staff members were working inside the building, but it sounded like from the recordings that there was a gunfight inside. According to the owner, Rimba, one of his workers was armed and might have tried to fight back.”

“Is Rimba here?” Ioren typed.

“He's in one of the cars. He was outside when the whole event took place. From his explanation, the shutters were a recent installation to help beef up his security. It's designed not to be opened unless it has a code. Most of the workers didn’t even know about it yet.”

“It's possible that the suspect worker….” There was a brief pause as Ioren was hurriedly typing as fast as she could on her tilon. “Might not know about the new security measures.”

“Exactly,” Lekan remarked. “Suspects were most likely trying to do a quick in-and-out heist.”

“But the fools didn’t know they were going to get locked in either,” Stone interrupted him as he folded up his arms. “Cornered, they only have hostages to save them.”

“Yes. I have the codes to open up the shutters and launch a full-scale raid to apprehend them, but it risks hurting the workers.”

“Have you contacted the suspects yet?”

“I've tried three different times. Last ten minutes, I spoke with one of them. They want free passage out with their stolen goods, and they'll let the hostages go.”

Stone lifted up his hands and momentarily stepped away before he almost slapped his hand on the vehicle's hood. “They can’t expect that they'll get away with that,” he iterated to the lieutenant. “I say we just go ahead and open the shutters. Full barrage of stun and gas grenades, and none of the hostages will be hurt.”

Lekan shook his head. “The gear they have consists of filter masks and stun-resistant armor. I will keep it in mind, but only as a last resort. However, I won’t bargain with them on their terms. I’m trying to stall them for now, but our primary goal is to secure the workers before we go in. Any action on our part will endanger the hostages.”

“Is this all that you have?” Ioren typed.

“I’m a little low on manpower. I summoned reinforcements, but it'll take time. It’s twenty of us against twelve of them. I have our main team here ready to launch the raid, but I'll have you a part of the team with your partner, Gero, and Delu.” He paused as a beeping sound came from the tablet. “Excuse me….”

Lekan gestured to Stone towards the car. The marine seemed more interested in the coming call directed at the commanding officer. Ioren, however, saw the vehicle that Lekan had pointed at. She looked and saw a man in the backseat. She proceeded to the car as Stone turned to see where she was heading.

His augmented eye could easily distinguish a man with unique features on his face. Unlike most people of Oshun, the passenger in the backseat of the car was more mixed with former Chinese features and a dark complexion. Moreover, he was well dressed, like he was a manager of some sort. It was enough for Stone to follow suit and check the passenger. This had to be Rimba, the store owner, or at least what he thought it was.

Upon reaching the car, the older man turned his head to look at Ioren and Stone. With a hard tap, the marine’s fingers made a preverbal thud on the car. It startled him as he hit the button to lower the window to talk to the two. Ioren noted that this person was well used to seeing Itreans by now but seemed more nervous with Stone’s physical appearance.

“Are you Rimba?” the marine asked the older man.

“Yes, I am,” Rimba replied with a hint of fear in his voice. His accent had a gentile tone sounding snobbish but professional at the same time. “This is my store.”

“What can you tell me about the shutters you use?” Stone asked him.

“I don’t know. I'm just a jewelry store entrepreneur,” Rimba explained. “I wanted to make sure that my store was ready against another heist.”

“We have word that one of the workers might be a suspect. How many of your workers knew about the new security measures you installed?”

“A few did…..” Rimba lifted his pointer finger and tapped his lips. “I did get a new worker last week. She wouldn’t know about the new measures. Cindy Adamma is her name. Yes….she seemed interested in the non-branded gems and wanting to work there…..”

“What is non-branded?” Ioren asked with her tilon.

“All my gems and metals carry a brand label etching to them,” Rimba explained. “I think the suspects might be interested in those gems.”

“Why would they be interested in them?”

“Branded gems that are reported as stolen can be picked out in any jewelry or pawnshop easily. It's designed to help stop these sorts of heists and revelry unless they have rebranding machines, but the non-branded gems are easier to pawn off in time. We always have my workers branding the gems around the clock when new shipments arrive.”

“How much value do you have in there?” Stone asked.

“About seven million mard, with a quarter of that is in the uncut and non-branded gem shipments.”

“Did you happen to make out the suspects?”

“They were…..thugs dressed in riot gear…..masks, gas masks, gloves. I saw the vans come rushing in unison and pull off the road. All at once, they came running, going straight in. Honestly, if I were there, I would have just surrendered to them. Never had I seen so many rousers in my life.”

“Well, it seems you caught them perfectly in something they didn’t prepare for,” Stone remarked.

“Not like this…..” Rimba put his hand to his head. “I have the codes to have it disabled at any time, but I have been instructed not to yet. My workers and livelihood are in danger…..”

“We will save your people,” Ioren typed.

“Thank you. I fear for my associate. The gunshots…..I think Oyoo might have fought back….” He closed his eyes as he paused. A great sense of regret filled his emotions.

“What can you tell me about the back of the store?” Stone asked.

“Offices mostly, with the lounge in the middle rear. The branding and cutting machines are in the right rear section of the store. Storage is further past that. No doubt the thugs have already pillaged the storage area.”

Stone backed away from the car without giving any further attention to Rimba. He tried to look into the store's interior, but it was proving to be challenging. His augmented eye simply couldn’t penetrate through the thick walls due to either the range or the density of the materials. As a result, his vision was merely obscured. Only very faint thin red outlines would appear but disappear before he could make anything out.

Ioren watched as the marine gave a mean look towards the store. He turned his head towards Lekan, who was still busy talking with someone else. He stepped forward as the Itrean woman followed him.

“I think it would prove beneficial if you released one of the hostages as a sign of good faith if you wish to have any leeway,” Lekan said towards his tablet. The projection indicated an audio-only communication between him and the store's interior.

“No!” an angry man called out on the comms. “We've made our demands, and you must follow it. In fifteen minutes, we'll execute one of the hostages. Let us go, and we'll release them!”

“Listen! Whoever you are!” Stone jumped in on the conversation. It caused Lekan to cringe, knowing that the marine might make things worse. “My name is Master Sergeant Stone of the police force. You attempted to rob a store, and now you hold the workers as hostages. If you want this to go peacefully, then I suggest that you let them go.”

“We are the ones with guns aimed at their foreheads, cop. You have fourteen minutes to comply. Joe, patch them in. Let's remind them how serious we mean it.”

There was a brief pause as they could hear a channel change. Suddenly, the sound of a woman came through the line. It sounded severe and distraught. The woman was apparently crying as the microphone was most likely brought to her face.

“Tell them your name,” another male voice could be heard.

“Sa…..Samantha Ife…..” a female voice said. It was apparent that Lekan, Stone, and Ioren were listening to one of the hostages talking, but were cut off.

“Ife…..would you like to go home today?”

“Ye……yes…”

“You can tell them what I'm holding. What's in my hand?”

“A…..gun……he has a gun……aimed at me…..please…..please let me go.....”

There was another channel click as the original male voice returned. Stone and Ioren were carefully noting everything that was happening.

“You have thirteen minutes, or that woman dies first,” the man said. “No more negotiations. No more warnings.”

The line was disconnected while everyone seemed to focus on the scene from the audio alone.

“There was a clicking sound,” Ioren typed on her tilon.

“Yes,” Lekan remarked. “The hostages are in a different location than the place that the leader was calling from.”

“The rear section of the store consists of offices, cutting and branding room, and storage,” Stone noted as his eyes narrowed. “According to Rimba, he feels that the storage areas are fully cleaned out.”

Lekan pulled up the diagram. “Here is what I propose. I can’t abide with their demands.”

“I agree,” Stone sternly replied. “We'll just invite more of this in the coming weeks if we let them escape.”

“What about the hostages?” Ioren typed.

“This is what I want both of you to do,” Lekan said as he pointed at the building. “In about twelve minutes, I'll have no choice but to use the codes and open the shutters. There we will engage them. We'll fight the criminals if we have to, but I need you, Ioren, Delu, and Gero to go into the side left entrance. Your goal is to rescue and secure the hostages. I have to take the gamble that they're back there. Do this silently and get them out of the building. Once the hostages are secured, then we'll take the next step and deal with the criminals.”

It could have been considered a desperate action, but one that still seemed to make sense to Stone.

“Understood,” Ioren replied through her tilon.

“And here I thought you didn’t have a backbone, Lieutenant,” the marine scolded him. “Fine, it sounds like a plan.”

“I try…..” the lead officer replied as his eyes narrowed at him. He tossed a small earpiece to the marine and Ioren. “Go!”

Stone and Ioren didn’t have to hear it twice as they began to run towards the left side of the building. Ioren closed her tilon momentarily while she kept one hand on her sidearm holster. She was fast in how she moved. Compared to the towering human, the smaller Itrean could run much faster than most humans. Her tail would straighten out a little bit like a running raptor. The feet would cut into the concrete hard, propelling her to impressive speeds. She ran ahead of the marine as Stone was shuffling to pull out hearing protection to fit in one of his ears. Ioren already worked the piece over her right ear hole. He knew that the possibility of armed conflict was getting closer.

The marine was indifferent to the scene while he made it to the left side of the building. He placed the hearing protection in one ear and the headpiece microphone in the other. It would have to do. With Ioren, he already knew enough that Itrean physiology was relatively resilient to any damage to their hearing. He could see that Gero and Delu were already in position by the door.

The back alley was fenced, preventing people from walking to the buildings behind the jewelry store. The entrance to the store had a similar shutter to the ones in front. Delu was already preparing her plasma torches while Ioren was the first to reach them. Stone was not that far behind her.

“Sarge…” Gero responded to his arrival.

“Have you already been informed of the plan?” Stone asked them.

“Lieutenant has briefed us on the layout and operation,” Delu explained.

“Our time is short,” Stone explained. “Delu, begin cutting through the door. In less than ten minutes, the leader inside is going to start executing hostages. As soon as the door is cut, you'll move the door and place it to the side. We have to be as silent as possible while we try to find the hostages and get them out. Once the entrance is open, Delu and Ioren will remain out here to keep the location secure. Gero, you will be with me when I go in.”

“Roger,” Delu replied.

Ioren was not pleased with the idea of Gero and Stone going in. She gave an angered look at Stone as he could see her facial reactions. She even hissed at him to get his attention. Delu stepped forward and pulled out her twin plasma cutters. She stretched them outward as the faint sound of metal being burnt could be heard.

“You have an issue with the plan?” Stone asked her, his eyes narrowing at her.

She waved her hands at him, but then reactivated her tilon. She began typing again as the system translated for her.

“Why am I staying?” the tilon stated.

“Because you're useless in there,” Stone said, almost snapping at her. He kept his voice down but showed his anger at the same time.

“I am your partner.”

“You won’t even fucking talk. I can’t have someone in there that won’t respond to my commands. Besides, I gave you an order.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You don’t overrule me.”

He almost stabbed his finger into her chest. “I don’t give a shit about how you feel about this. Too many people are going in and will alert them. So stay the fuck here.”

Ioren almost snarled when she finally relented. “I'll stay, but I should be with you.”

Gero gave both of them a disturbing look while at the same time trying to keep away from it. He himself already seemed to know the mean streak of the marine, and if an argument came into play, it was probably best to stay out of it. Delu remained focused on her work.

The plasma torches were slowly cutting through the walls of the shutters. Unlike the first door of the day before, the tools had to work harder than before. The material was denser, but Delu was making steady progress. In less than a minute, she had made a clean precision.

The group knew this was a risky move. Nerves were a little high as Stone considered that somebody on the other side could see the cutting incisions in progress. If the criminals saw this, then it would bring full alert to the four and possibly endanger the lives of the hostages inside. There was no going back on this. Silence was crucial, and even Stone tried to imagine everything that he needed to do. He pulled out his marine switchblade knife. With a simple click, the blade unsheathed itself with a slight metallic thud. Keeping it in his left hand, he wanted to be ready in case he needed to unholster his Desert Falcon. Ioren unholstered her pistol and gripped it with both of her scaly hands.

Stone’s augmented eye could briefly show the interior section past the door of the building. The shutters blocked most of it and limited his sight range significantly, but he could see a small passageway that might have led to other rooms. There was no hint of red outlines that may indicate people on the other side. Of course, a two to three-meter range was not enough to see what lay deeper.

“Almost….” Delu whispered. Her torches made a perfect elliptical incision into the door. She almost dropped the torches as she pulled out a suction cup device from her belt. It made a soft clunk onto the neatly cut shutter and door. This would prevent the door from falling down inside to make any noise.

“I need some assistance,” Delu asked one of the team members as she tried to muster her strength. The device she was using was not meant for a multi-layered door and shutter combination. There was a threat of the metal sheet falling down as Ioren stepped forward and grabbed the remains of the shutter. Summoning her strength, she assisted Delu before they gently placed everything on the sidewall.

With one hand on the grip of his gun and a knife in the other hand, Stone was the first to enter. Gero was right behind him with his stun baton ready. There was barely any sound created as the two men were careful not to stomp their boots into the ground.

The interior had been confirmed to be a makeshift tool and equipment storage room. It had two enclosed sliding doors, with one several meters to the right and another that went to another room ahead. Both of these doors were closed.

Unfortunately, both Stone and Gero would behold a man who lay on his stomach in the center of the floor. The well-lit room depicted a pool of blood on the marble-like tiles. A small OCP-3P lay beside him after it had been emptied. Gero was the first to step up to the body as he used his fingers to check for a pulse. Meanwhile, Stone walked up near the corner of the room to get his bearings and observe through the adjacent rooms. His left boot made contact with the pool of blood as it gently splashed, coating the bottom heel of the footwear. The marine had concluded in his mind that this might have been Oyoo that Rimba had mentioned earlier. Nothing could be done. He was already dead.

There was enough sight range that Ioren pointed her pistol at the right side interior door. Even from her position outside, she was trying to help provide cover just in case the door would open up. Her reptilian eyes were glued to it, waiting for any signs of trouble. Gero was quiet as he saw Stone gesture to him with his head to come up to the door ahead. He stepped around the body and got on the other side, adjacent to the marine.

Stone’s augmented eye began to penetrate through the interior walls. Unlike the outside, the inside was less thick. It was much easier for his vision to penetrate the layers of adjacent rooms. He could see a brief dark outline that matched the diagrams of the interior structure. It was enough that he could see the main store that led to the vast open area where the jewelry was typically sold. From here, he could see the red outlines of at least six people. His vision was still partially limited as he couldn’t see more than half of the area. All these individuals had something on them and carried guns of various types. Each of them was not in a state of alert or alarm.

When the marine turned his attention to the closed room in front of him, his vision began to show a smaller layout. Unlike the vast interior of the storefront, he could see everything on the other side. There were also six people, but it was vastly different. This smaller room looked more like a lounge where people could sit and take a break. Supposedly, there was a table in the center of the place and several chairs. Unfortunately, it had been upended and shoved to the sidewall. Four of the people were lying flat on the floor in the center of the room. The silhouettes were not enough to display emotions, but Stone could quickly tell that these were the hostages. The other two people had to be the suspects. They were shown to be in a similar gear layout and had guns in their hands.

Gero didn’t have the same ability that Stone possessed, but there was something that he could do. He looked at the police officer and whispered the plan to him.

“We got two hostiles and all the hostages in there. Is it possible that you can mimic the leader’s voice with your augmented vocal cords?”

“Yes,” Gero quietly replied. “It won’t be perfect since I only heard him once.”

“Good. I’m going to knock on the door quietly. There, you'll ask them to report to the store. When they walk past us, I'll take one down, and you get the other.”

The words were just enough for Ioren to hear them. She made sure to get away from the open doorway. This had to be done carefully. Any sound would alert the others, and that would put the hostages in danger. There was just enough room space for Stone and Gero to get in the far corners. If they could do this perfectly, the criminals could essentially walk past them and ambush them on their way out. Stone holstered his gun but was ready just in case he needed it.

The time was now. Stone reached his hand and tapped the door twice. From his vision, he could see the red outlines of the two criminals looking towards the entrance of the coming sound. One, in particular, came up to the closed door.

“I need you two to come to the storefront,” Gero said as his voice tone changed. It was just enough for the audio to go through the door and for the man to hear it. There was a deviation in how it sounded compared to the original demands spoken on the call prior, but voice distortion was partially expected from a different location.

“Ummm……are we just going to leave the hostages, boss?” the criminal replied. His voice carried enough to go through the door.

“Did you hear me? Let’s go.”

Gero got into the corner as Stone continued to observe through the wall. The two suspects looked at each other as they were contemplating leaving. One of the men shrugged and even hoisted what looked like a pistol to his collarbone. It was convincing enough. Both of the men were proceeding to leave. The door slid open as they stepped out.

Stone was waiting for this moment. Both of the men came out, but they were almost unaware of Gero and Stone’s presence. One of them was even wearing what looked like goggles that limited his peripheral vision. They were intimidating to look at when one first saw them. Their body armor and masks almost hid all facial feature recognition. They had padded gloves and firearms. One had a pistol, but the other was armed with a submachine gun. They were almost in a relaxed state at first. But, of course, that all changed when one of them saw the cut-open entrance on the side.

“What the?” one of the men replied when both Stone and Gero practically jumped on the two instantly. The ambush was quick. Stone went after the rearmost person when Gero went after the lead man in front.

Stone used his muscle strength to grab the man from behind. The chokehold strength of his arms was incredible. The man immediately began gasping in sheer surprise. The marine was making sure that he would lose the will to fight back. His other hand went towards the man’s mouth to prevent him from screaming. There was seemingly little that the struggling man could do. The marine was simply using sheer strength to overpower him.

At the same time, Gero was having similar luck using his stun baton to do a hard blow to the side of his target’s head. A preverbal thunk sound could be heard as the suspect recoiled back. Gero was not giving the man a chance to say anything as he pressed the attack, using his hand to cover the suspect’s mouth. Completely dazed, his target was not in the best position to fight back.

To Stone, however, a new problem arose quickly. His augmented eye revealed that the suspect he was fighting had an augmented right arm during the headlock. It looked grossly mechanical and had many types of artificial attachments in the ligaments. He had little time as his target tried to fight back. A knife blade popped out under the elbow and jutted outward. It was almost as if the criminal was expecting this form of attack and even had an answer to handling it. The suspect lifted his arm forward and back, trying to stab Stone with the elbow blade. The marine barely had any time to move his stomach away, just enough that it nicked the edge of his body armor.

On the other hand, Gero took the tip of his stun baton and stuck the cattle-like prod into the neck of his target. Electricity went into his adversary's nervous system. The man was frozen solid as the police officer then wrapped the baton around the neck in a chokehold. The suspect dropped his gun before it impacted the ground.

The marine’s power was his saving grace. Even if the suspect he was fighting had a bladed elbow, Stone was using sheer strength to pull the man down. Keeping a firm grip on the suspect’s mouth, he then released his rear chokehold. Here, his knife was at the ready. He lifted it up and brought it down directly near the top of the criminal’s forehead. Even with gear on, the razor-sharp tip quickly pierced through it. The survival knife went straight into the man’s brain, killing him instantly. With that completed, Stone pushed the dead man to the ground to quickly assess if Gero needed help. He could see that he didn’t need it as the suspect was almost incapacitated.

Ioren poked her head to look in. Her pistol was at the ready, but she held her fire. She could quickly see that the two suspects were wrangled to the ground. She retrained her gun on the right interior door entrance. Even with the attempt to be quiet, there was still noise being made in the ending fight. It wasn’t loud, but there was a risk it could flood into the adjacent rooms.

Stone ran into the room to see that the hostages were startled and scared. They were aware of what was happening. He gave a stern look and practically went and picked the people off the ground in a hurry to get them out immediately.

“Go, go, go,” he practically berated them. However, he wasn’t loud as they quickly shuffled to their feet. “Get your asses out of the cut entrance. I won’t repeat myself.”

Unfortunately, the marine could see that his time had run out. The hostages were moving as fast as they could, almost tripping as they got up. The two men and two women were aware enough that the police were trying to save them and that they needed to get out as soon as possible. Each second could mean their death or someone else’s.

It would take less than five seconds at full sprint for the hostages to run through. By now, Gero had fully incapacitated his opponent. As the last hostage had left the lounge, Stone turned to look towards the front section of the store. There was a commotion. His augmented eye pierced through the walls at about a few meters in. The red silhouettes showed up, and he could see that one of the men was near the wall. The outline was enough to indicate to the marine that this particular suspect on the other side had an augmented ear. It was mechanical-looking, and his ear was almost pressed to it. The suspect was turning to look at somebody else, shouting at the top of his lungs.

“I heard a commotion in there, boss!” the man yelled. Stone and Gero were right behind the hostages in their escape. If need be, the marine would pick up the escapees and throw them out of the exit if he had to.

“Go in there now!” yelled another person. It was enough for Stone to hear it through the walls and the closed door.

Thankfully, the last hostage had made it out of the room just in time. Ioren had to move her gun out of the way as the four escapees had reached safety, getting out of the store. Delu was leading them away from the alley and towards the police perimeter. Gero had just reached the exit when the closed door to the central portion of the store opened up. Stone was not that far as he could see the red outline of a single lone gunman just about to come into the room. He unholstered his huge pistol and pointed it at the open door.

Stone paused, almost slipping on the puddle of blood. Ioren could see the suspect come in. The suspect appeared to be a woman decked out in gear and holding a submachine gun. The glare of the outside light distracted her, but she was at the ready. Her eyes went straight towards the towering marine. She hastily tried to aim towards him with the intention of shooting him, but she wouldn’t get the chance.

With one hand on his powerful TT-50, the marine pulled the trigger as an enormous bang echoed in the room. It was insanely loud, causing Stone’s right ear to ring as the rest of the audio reverberated inside and outside the store. Aimed at the suspect, the magnum round was expelled directly into her chest. Fired at almost point-blank range, the marine showed ferocity while he could see the bullet pierce directly into her bulletproof vest and blowing a hole on the other side.

“Ahhh!” she screamed as she fell to the ground. Her submachine gun fell to the ground as her body crumbled to the floor.

“Ioren! Provide cover fire!” Stone yelled as he made the daring run towards the exit. The loud gunshot took the criminals off guard momentarily in the interior of the store, but it would take less than a second for them to regain their bearings and begin shooting at the open entrance. Finally, leaping through to the exit, the marine had gotten to safety.

Suddenly, Ioren pulled the trigger of her small pistol the moment that Stone got clear. The small rounds traveled into the interior but missed whoever was inside. She kept it pointing downrange as she kept pulling the trigger two more times. The gun was much quieter than Stone’s, but she knew that she would be in the line of fire very soon.

“Stone, report!” Lekan called out on the earpiece, but the marine was too busy to respond.

“Let’s move now, now!” Stone yelled, trying to make sure to continue and body-block the hostages. Instead, they were being directed away from the store and away from the police perimeter.

There was an actual possibility of the criminals coming through the exit. As Ioren moved as fast as she could away from it, Stone trained his pistol towards the entrance, just in case this would happen. He was ready, but it proved that it wasn’t needed. He backed away, keeping his gaze glued to them.

It had worked. The hostages were safely away from the store. The marine almost showed a look of satisfaction at the moment, but it quickly faded as he knew that they were not done yet. He directed Delu, Gero, and Ioren towards the police perimeter.

“I have you in my sights, Stone,” Leredi informed him in his earpiece. “Keep moving. I got you covered.”

The marine looked up momentarily to see the sniper rifle that the female police officer was holding. She was perched adequately on the rooftop of the building, overlooking the jewelry store.

Stone didn’t even bother responding with his microphone as they reached the curved row of cars. Lekan could see that the hostages were utterly safe now. The first part of the mission was, for better or worse, a complete success.

“We……engaged the suspects to get the hostages out,” Stone informed him, quickly catching his breath. “I can confirm that two of the suspects are dead. One is incapacitated but may need medical attention. There were five workers. One of them was dead when we arrived. The other four are safely away.”

“You didn’t have to tell me about gunning down the suspects,” Lekan replied. “I could hear it from out here. Excellent job in saving the hostages.”

“Don’t compliment me. We're not done yet.”

“Team Delta!” Lekan announced. “Keep an eye on the left side entrance. Apprehend any suspects that might flee from it.” The lieutenant tapped his tablet and pressed a couple of buttons as the phone icon appeared on it.

“I recommend that we finish the suspects off,” Stone said.

“I still want to negotiate for their surrender. This could end peacefully.”

“I doubt that.”

There was a small phone communication signal being given off. The commanding officer was trying to contact the remaining suspects inside. He waited for twenty seconds before somebody picked it up, but didn't answer.

“This is the police,” Lekan announced to whoever had picked up the line. “We have you surrounded. You've lost your bargaining chips. Surrender yourselves, and we promise you a fair trial.”

There was no response on the other end, even if somebody was listening. Stone already knew that their answer was going to be no. Fair trial or not, the evidence was conclusive on their actions. They were going to see jail time or worse. Armed robbery of this magnitude guaranteed only one thing.

“Come and get us cops. We aren’t going to Dragon’s Eye…” the criminal leader replied. The message ended abruptly. His statement only meant one thing as the marine went and pressed the button to retract his blade. He stuffed the knife handle into his pocket as he got behind a police car. Ioren got the gesture as well as she got near the hood and prepared to use it for cover.

“I want stun grenades at the ready!” Lekan yelled out. Ioren turned to see that one of the police officers carried a grenade launcher. He was preparing a fist-sized charge round as he popped it into the loading chamber. Next, another pair of officers pulled out disk-shaped grenades and began programming the sequence that was needed to produce a concussive/flashbang.

With that, Lekan tapped the code sequence on his tablet. Given to him earlier by Rimba, he began interfacing with the store's main computer network. It was still operational as the numbers were put in. He pressed the button and overrode the controls. The shutters activated and retracted upwards. The criminals were immediately exposed, almost taking them by surprise.

“Now!” Lekan ordered his officers as two of the police officers hurled their disk-shaped grenades. They spun in the air, producing a satisfying whirring sound. They hit the glass and made a satisfying click, sticking to it. At the same time, the grenadier fired his launcher at the mid glass section of the store. The round flew and went clear through the glass into the interior area.

Stone and the rest of the cops looked away. Even Ioren got the hint as she momentarily averted her eyes. A sudden flash and explosion echoed throughout the vicinity. It riddled the windows and interior as most of the glass completely shattered from the concussive blast. The flashbang followed suit, radiating into the interior. The grenade that punched through the glass also had its effect as it began to expel gas in the interior as well.

Upon looking back at the inside, the grenades had a minor effect on the suspects. Their protective gear did its job, keeping them safe from flying glass shards and flashbangs. Even the gas was having little impact as the masks filtered it. The gas was just making it hard for them to see.

Stone’s vision clearly marked all the suspects inside the store. Red outlines appeared with utter clarity. There were nine standing in all. Most likely, the other one that was still alive was still unconscious in the rear rooms. The dead female suspect that he had shot was still on the ground, not far from the left side.

“Drop your weapons now!” Stone screamed at them. Lekan joined in, but his voice didn’t carry as far. It almost seemed to work for a very brief moment as the marine could see a couple of men turn their heads to the leader. He couldn’t tell their reactions, but their adrenaline was up. His pistol was aimed at one of the men as the other police were at the ready. Shotguns and pistols were all directed at the suspects. Even Leredi was keeping a close eye on them.

The marine’s eyes widened momentarily as he could see something that the leader had. However, it was so brief as he lifted up his carbine and aimed it at the police officers. The extendable scope lifted up as he took aim.

“Kill them!” the leader said as he fired a PDW-20 into one of the police officers. The powerful caseless gun was set to burst fire as it sent three rounds hurling towards the unfortunate officer. Two of the armor-piercing rounds struck the officer, causing him to collapse to the ground. Stone had little time to react as he took aim and pulled the trigger of his Desert Falcon. The gun exploded with a loud bang as he sent a magnum round into the leader's stomach.

A battle erupted immediately as police officers and suspects began firing at one another. Most of the suspects who weren’t momentarily dazed from the grenades returned fire at the police. They used desk counters and countertops to help provide cover while the leader was out in the open. Bullets showered the police cars as gunshots echoed throughout the area.

Even if he was shot, the leader still tried to fire back at the police. A hole could be seen in his stomach as he bled from it. He was partially staggered but regained enough footing to keep pulling the trigger. Stone was determined as he pulled the trigger of his gun, expelling another round into him. This time, the bullet hit him square in the chest, causing him to collapse backward.

Most of the police were okay with their cover as the submachine guns had difficulty penetrating them, but the rifles were different. Some of the suspects that the marine saw indicated to him that they were using non-Oshun rifles. The carbines utilized more powerful penetrating rounds that would easily punch holes through the thinly lined police vehicles. It was an extreme scenario. Some of the police were using their semi-automatic shotguns to try to gun down the suspects. While they were hitting them, the armor they wore was absorbing most of the impacts. One of the police officers, Delu, was armed with electric stun rounds, which she managed to hit a suspect in the face. The suspect fell to the ground, feeling the energy surge through his system.

Ioren had a proper aim on one of the suspects as she unleashed round after round from her small pistol. She had good focus on where the gun was pointing, but the AKT-1’s stopping power was not enough to punch through the armor. In turn, her smaller profile made her harder to hit. The suspect she shot must have been struck at least seven times, only causing him to stagger back a little bit while returning fire with his submachine gun. She had to get back down to eject her magazine to load in a new one. The Itrean saw that the armor was too strong and pulled out a small red-tipped grenade. She packed it into the bottom barrel of her pistol.

Meanwhile, a sniper round would fly into the interior of the store. From high above, Neredi was not showing any mercy to these suspects. She would take careful aim and fire her rifle into each of the suspects’ heads. Blood would splatter the moment that they got hit. If they were wearing helmets, it wasn’t enough to stop the sniper. Only by trying to move around could they hope to slow down the sniper’s line of fire.

All of this fighting had happened in less than fifteen seconds as the battle ensued. Three of the suspects were down as another officer took a hit from the rifle rounds. A rifle bullet punched clean through the police vehicle, penetrating the police officer's armor that hid behind it. Stone knew that this was a significant problem. He noticed that these guns had huge magazine wells, and they used burst fire or semi-automatic shots to conserve ammunition, but the pistol he had was more than adequate in the fight.

The marine aimed at another suspect and fired. This suspect was trying to target Stone as he sprayed his car with submachine fire. The marine’s intense magnum round echoed in the fight like a cannon going off. Even if the suspect was behind cover, the bullet punched clean through it and straight into his armor. He went to the ground screaming in pain as he took another shot and fired, ending his torment.

Another rifle round hit a suspect clean in the head as he went down to the ground dead. Stone knew that Neredi was providing excellent counterfire to the scene. The fight was clearly in the hands of the police. Now it was a matter of ending it as soon as possible. Lekan struggled to take down one of the suspects, as his pistol couldn’t penetrate the armor.

A satisfying beeping sound could be heard from Ioren’s pistol as she properly dropped the small grenade round into the bottom barrel of her pistol. She lifted her head out of cover as her feathers rose up. She saw the same criminal who was targeting Lekan as she aimed at the suspect. She tapped a button and then pulled the trigger of her gun. The small grenade fired from the bottom barrel and went straight into the suspect’s chest. The grenade was not exceptionally powerful in any way, but it produced an explosion large enough that it engulfed the suspect in a burst of flames. The armor could not save him in any way as he toppled over. A portion of his chest had been reduced to a charred red paste. She then tapped the button again and resumed firing normal shots to provide cover to the police.

Stone would have been impressed, but he took aim at another suspect and fired. This time, the shot missed but just barely grazed the gunman’s cheek. By now, the fight was not in the criminals’ favor. The ones who were using rifles were gunned down. Three suspects were all that was left. Two of them seemed determined to continue the fight to the very end. Another one, a female suspect, ran for her life, even tossing her pistol to the ground. She ran to the rear room away from the fight.

“I have one suspect fleeing,” Neredi reported.

The marine took aim and continued firing. One of his shots hit another suspect in the leg, causing him to crumble to the ground in pain. The adrenaline was high as he started to reload his submachine gun. He wouldn’t stop as Stone fired his shot again, hitting him square in the head, killing the man instantly. The last suspect continued to fight as the marine ducked behind cover to reload. A combined series of pistol and shotgun rounds riddled the suspect until he finally went down. Even the armor could only do so much in repelling so many shots against it.

“I have the last suspect,” Neredi continued to report. “She fled to the left side entrance. The suspect seems unarmed and is getting on her knees.”

“Cease fire!” Lekan ordered. “Delta team, go and arrest that suspect. Medical teams tend to the wounded. Rest of the team, move in and secure the building.”

Stone could clearly see that the battle was over now. The remaining gas had filtered out into the open environment. Medical triage groups hustled in to check on the downed police officers. It was a mess at first, but one that could be quickly taken care of.

“I see no opposition. Move-in!” Stone yelled. His vision told him what he needed to see as he got closer to the building. There was one thing of particular interest that he wanted to check out. He kept his pistol up. He wanted to see the body of the group's leader. Ioren kept both hands on her pistol as she looked all around her to note everything.

Another gunshot went off. It was partially distant and not coming from the store. Stone and several officers stopped in their tracks. They looked around, trying to figure out where it was coming from. The marine felt a sense of familiarity at the shot heard. He felt a slight sense of apprehension as if he knew exactly what it was. The sound came from his left, possibly toward the alleyway.

“Hold position!” Lekan ordered. “We still hear gunfire.”

“Lieutenant,” Leredi called out on the comms. “We just lost one of the recon drones.”

“GET OUT OF THERE!” Stone yelled at the top of his lungs. It even startled Ioren in how loud he got.

“Leredi, take cover!” Lekan commanded, heeding the marine’s advice.

“Rog…..” Leredi tried to say when another gunshot went off. It was all that she said as her voice was utterly cut off.

Stone recognized immediately at the sound. It was an anti-material rifle that went off. The unique noise it generated was harmonic in tone. Both Ioren and Stone turned to the sudden halt in Leredi’s voice, but it was too late. The police officer’s head exploded while her body fell limp to the roof. Blood and remains dripped down the wall to the street below.

“Leredi!” Lekan yelled out, but nothing could be done. Leredi was dead. It was jarring as medical teams almost scattered, taking care of the other wounded police.

“God damn son of a bitch!” Stone yelled out in pure hatred and aggravation. Ioren watched as the marine began to head in the direction of where the gunshot went off. She could see nothing but a fit of developing anger that almost turned his bulging muscles into solid red. The Itrean woman had a look of shock, but was questioning what her partner was doing. She watched as he used one hand to press the ejection button for his pistol. The empty magazine fell to the pavement with a clunk as the marine pulled out a spare magazine and slammed it into the empty magazine well.

“Stone, come back here!” Lekan told him, but he ignored him. The marine walked out with his pistol and aimed in the gunshot’s direction with no fear at all. Ioren walked up to the edge of the building as she peeked over. Her reptilian eyes could see a police officer who was busy holding onto the suspect in the midst of arresting her. Meanwhile, both of them were kept towards the fence, trying to remain behind cover.

Stone, on the other hand, didn’t care that he was in the open. His augmented eye scanned the rear building beyond the fenced area. The apartment had several windows, some open and some closed, to take advantage of the natural cool air.

“I'm right out in the open!” Stone yelled out with rage in his voice, hoping the shooter would hear it. “What are you waiting for!?”

His teeth were clenched as he knew that at any time he could be dead. The anti-material rifle was extremely powerful and could easily punch through his body armor. His vision searched and searched for signs of the sniper. He held his Desert Falcon at the ready. There were only faint red outlines that appeared near the windows. He was looking for a specific signature that would indicate somebody who was holding a rifle.

“Show yourself!” Stone yelled at the top of his lungs. “Face me in battle! One on one!”

Nothing…..People who lived in the apartment were not showing their faces. Even with this, the shooting that could be heard from the jewelry store would have naturally caused people to not reveal themselves in fear of getting shot. Ioren would be busy looking around in his direction while keeping her focus on him.

“Easy target…..” the marine explained. “Show your face right now!”

“Stone, get your ass away from there!” Lekan told him, but again, he ignored him.

Ioren felt powerless. Each second that went by felt like a minute for some of the others. She reached her hand towards the marine’s direction to indicate to him to follow her, but there was such intensity in his stature that she might as well have been convincing a mountain to move. He was shaking not out of fear but because of the sheer rage depicted on his face.

For a brief split-second, Stone’s eye picked something up, but it quickly vanished. It looked like a man holding onto a large rifle, but it was gone. The visual range was far, and it wasn't enough to reveal the shooter, even with the ability to penetrate through walls. Only the slight hint of movement might have been a clue. It originated from the right side of the third floor, but it was gone. It wasn’t enough to convince him that it was who he thought it was. He held his stance, waiting for the shooter to gun him down. A minute went by, and finally, Stone had to continue.

“COWARD!” Stone screamed with all his might. He walked away from the open area of the back alley as the other officers and Ioren saw his behavior. The Itrean woman had to step aside from him or risk being run over by the man as he moved.

The marine was beyond furious as he ignored every single human being present at the former crime scene. He walked into the store as Ioren followed behind him.

“Any additional reinforcements head to the opposite side and try to secure the apartments,” Lekan ordered from his tablet. The commanding officer could only observe where the marine was heading.

Stepping over broken glass and dead bodies, the master sergeant approached the dead body of the former criminal leader. He holstered his pistol as he almost spat on the body. His rage was so high that it was best for everyone to avoid him. He bent down and quickly shoved the body to flip it onto its back. Blood was everywhere and soaked into the clothing and armor.

Stone’s hand was searching for something. He pried the armor off and began to explore the pockets. Ioren was careful to step away from the blood as she continued to remain quiet. She holstered her pistol, seeing that there was no further threat.

“Stone…..” Lekan said, realizing that he was tampering with evidence. At the same time, he could see that there was nothing he could do. The marine was determined to find something.

And it finally showed itself. His fingers fished into the front right pocket to pull out a single card. His eyes scanned it carefully. It was an exact match for the card in his right pocket. The familiar blue dot, red scaring lines, and eye were all present.

An ugly smirk resided on the marine’s face as he took the card and pressed it into his jeans pocket. He then went and took the rifle that belonged to the former leader. The standard military carbine was pristine and beautiful to look upon. The scope was still extended. Stone’s nostrils flared as he switched the safety back on and pressed the button to retract the scope. He stepped forward and walked up to Lekan. He held the carbine so he could clearly see it.

“Under Article 103-2 of the UHN, I declare this evidence as mine to be analyzed by myself,” Stone told him, trying to keep his anger in check. “The bullets used from it will also be analyzed to confirm that they're UHN issue.”

“Alright,” Lekan replied with no resistance. “Be aware that I'll have it noted for the Chief to analyze.”

“You do that,” Stone told him. With that, he turned to look at the car.

“Come!” he exclaimed to the Itrean. It was the only thing that he would say to her. The day had become a warzone but had finally ended. Only the sounds of footsteps to the car were any indication that the two had been through the worst. Ioren was flexing her fingers a little bit as her tail didn’t wag. She kept a firm grip on her tilons but decided it was best to say nothing, in fear of incurring the marine's wrath. She knew that her partner was emotionally perturbed. The scene was filled with more police who were coming while others were steadily heading towards the other adjacent street in hopes of finding the sniper……

Chapter 5: A Nearly Forgotten Language

The rest of the afternoon had become a slog. It was quiet in the office cubicle with only the sounds of fingers pressing against buttons. Ioren could see that her partner’s anger and resentments had naturally diffused in the following hours, but only to a point. Stone was busy analyzing the carbine from the jewelry heist and came up with a valid conclusion. He needed to bring word of it to the police chief and passed the information in an email to his chain of command.

The station was rattled after the battle. Two officers were dead, and one was seriously wounded. It could have been worse, but it only seemed to drive the marine’s ambitions in getting his work completed. It had long passed overtime now. It was 1700, but Stone didn’t want to stop.

For Ioren, she wanted to ask questions, but doing so would only agitate the man. It was clear to her that even with the shootout, this was not helping her situation at all. She was trapped with a partner who was both fearless and full of rage. At times, the marine would just type and grumble under his breath like he hated the world and everything that existed. Report after report was being filed from the suspects he shot at and the hostages that he helped save. Pictures and profiles were being typed up, like the marines were somehow ideally used to it. The computer was nothing but an obituary of dead suspects. There were simply too few things to do in one day because of this jewelry heist scenario. She knew that Stone was cozy with the fact that he killed several humans, but he might have been too comfortable with the situation as well. Even the moment with him walking into harm’s way, waiting to get shot, hovered over her head and didn’t go away.

Stone’s tablet ran a scan over the carbine again. It highlighted that there were still two full magazines in the top front and near the handgrip, excluding the third, which was partially depleted. He was fully aware that the gun was one of the best designs to exist for what it is intended. The question was, why was it in the hands of criminals?

Ioren knew a little bit of the PDW-20. It was bulky and heavier than most Itrean assault rifles, but it made up for penetration and specific technological capabilities. Other UHN weapons still outmatched it, but it wasn't one to be ignored either. They were pretty common to see, but only in the hands of humans in the military. She could see that, to Stone, it felt as if he became obsessed with finding answers. This had become personal.

Meanwhile, the alien reptilian woman had no choice but to continue taking care of things once she finally got the day off. Her fingers were scouring the Oshun web on her tilon in hopes of finding a home to rest. So far, there has been no luck. Oshunian laws were finicky at best. This miniature continent consisted of cheap apartments, for which reservations had to be made far in advance, or expensive hotels that stood on the coastline. There was no middle ground, probably because there was so little space available. She debated with herself whether she would have to go ahead and try living in a hotel room until an apartment became available.

Finally, both physical and mental exhaustion and hunger were taking their toll on Stone. He had no choice but to submit the reports to their intended recipients. After hitting the submission button, he grabbed the rifle and stood up.

“Come...,” he told her, seeing that he was moving. Ioren closed up her tilon and slapped it to her belt as she stood up.

Ioren had become acquainted with this process earlier in the day. However, it seemed like some of the energy had been sapped from the place. Officers were busy submitting reports and cataloging evidence. Once again, everyone avoided the towering marine like they were afraid of him. The fact that he was carrying a military carbine only seemed to add to that fact. It was one of the most significant pieces of evidence gathered from the crime scene and was clearly noticeable to everybody. But, no…..Ioren could see now that it was fear towards this gun…..this one was a cop killer.

*******

Stone walked into the office and slapped the military carbine onto the chief’s desk with a loud thump. The leader of the police precinct barely had anything to say, but even he felt some trepidation upon seeing the towering figure and rifle. He gave a loud sigh as he simply rested back onto his chair and waited for the marine to give his report to him.

Ioren was first to enter. At first, she debated whether to take the only other available chair, but Stone showed no signs of wanting to sit. If anything, he preferred to stand.

“Stone…..” the chief tried to talk to him. Unfortunately, even his cheeriness was sucked out by now. “I wondered when you were finally going to come back into my office.”

“I've submitted my reports…..” Stone tried to explain, but the chief raised his hands.

“I know, I know you did. I would have expected no less after everything from today.” He pressed his hands to his chest. “The loss of Neredi and Chibi will not be forgotten. Good job, at least in trying to save the workers in there. I even heard that you, Ioren, helped out in that job too.”

Ioren remained quiet before she pulled her two tilons apart. She accessed her screen as she finally decided to go and have a seat. Stone didn’t care as he remained quiet. She typed in words, letting the tilon translate for her.

“Thank you, Chief,” she typed.

“So…..tell me about the evidence you picked up,” the chief asked, gesturing to the gun.

“Do you know what this is?” Stone asked.

The chief sighed. “It's a rifle…..a rather bulky one.”

“This is a PDW-20a carbine. It's UHN and was used to kill Chibi during the fight today.”

“UHN? That isn’t possible.”

“It was found and used by the leader who tried to rob the jewelry store today,” Stone remarked, wrapping his hand into a fist.

“That……” the chief shook his head. “The civilian population laws forbade having access to that sort of equipment. Criminals shouldn’t have access to them.”

“I also know that the gun used to kill Neredi was a UHN Berresons M136 Anti-Material Rifle.”

“Another UHN gun? Do you believe this? We still haven’t even found the bullet yet.”

“I've fired it many times before and know its sound well. They're used as sniper rifles since nothing else beats their penetration power. This rifle is strong enough to penetrate even our power armor or Shal’rein body armor. We're dealing with a severe threat growing in the criminal population of Oshun this year. I have reason to believe that military firearms are working their way into the Oshunian population in perfect timing to the recent elections…”

The chief put his hand to his head. “Shame we failed to capture that sniper. Stone, I don’t know how to believe this. I just lost two of my officers today. Without you two, it would have been worse. What is it that you believe happened?”

“I ran a cross-check on the gun. According to the log of the serial number, it belongs to the armory post near here. The problem is that their inventory shows that this gun is present in their stock. I have an armorer at the base who is running a second check to verify this. It’s possible that it was stolen and never reported or.....” he stopped as he didn’t seem to have an answer at first.

“What is it?”

“There are other possible events. Data is being continuously changed around me since I've been stationed on this planet. Things that I’m unaware of. Surplus guns that arrive here can easily have duplicated numbers put into the gun or have falsified data when inputted. It was why, under Article 103-2, that I've confiscated this. I would like to have it, the bullets used, future autopsy reports, and other related material used for it to be transported to the Oshun UHN department.”

The chief couldn’t ignore the present evidence, but he was well aware of what he just said. He shook his head. “I wouldn’t get paranoid just yet. This is probably just some UHN member who grew disgruntled and lost something that they shouldn’t have. You have the right under Article 103-2 to take this from our hands, but you are aware of Article 103-5 under that same pretense?”

Stone’s lip curled a little bit. “Yes, I am,” he replied with his lip furled.

“Then, under that law, I can still keep this gun under our roof. It resulted in the death of an officer…..a member of my family. You may have the right to keep the evidence, but under the circumstances that it was used for, you can’t take it with you out of this building unless ordered by an executive chain of command.”

Ioren could see that Stone put his fist to the desk upon hearing that. He was not too pleased to have the chief use a similar rule to limit the rifle's movement. A part of the alien woman wondered why.

“Then you leave the possibility that the very perpetrators will regain their evidence,” Stone said. “The very people that authorized this behind our backs will live comfortably knowing that they'll get their equipment back.”

“That same argument can be used in the case of the UHN. This is what I see right now, marine.”

“He has a point,” Ioren typed.

“Not you too,” Stone snapped at her.

“No, she sees reason,” the chief defended her. “I give you my word that this gun will stay here to the best of my abilities.”

“That isn’t all,” Stone continued on his report. He fished out of his pocket another card and tossed it on the desk.

“You…..showed me this card yesterday,” the chief questioned until the marine pulled out the other card of the same type and tossed it down.

“That is the one yesterday with the blood. This is the third time that card has come up. It was found in the leader’s pockets.”

“Again, Stone, this may mean nothing. It could just mean some gang that is coming into power.”

“Not from what I've heard so far. One store owner recognized this. Supposedly, this syndicate may be getting a hold of and selling military firearms to the general public.”

“I can confirm that,” Ioren stated on her tilon.

The chief picked up the card and looked at it closely. “This blue dot looks similar to Dragon’s Eye.”

“Dragon’s Eye?” Ioren wondered. “What is that?”

“It….” The chief paused as he didn’t want to answer it. Stone wasn’t going to hesitate, however.

“It's a penal colony,” Stone explained. “It's the third island in the northern hemisphere of Oshun. It's much smaller than the other island continents, but still suitable for people living on it. I only know so much about its history, except the recent history.”

“I know more about it,” the chief relented. “It was the ‘solution’ to crime on Oshun. Anybody convicted of a major crime would be banished to live in the Dragon’s Eye prison. Major crimes like murder, foul play, rape, and so forth. Thousands were sent there. Eventually, once the prison was filled to capacity, they decided to open the doors and let the prisoners free to live on the island. It was……a complete disaster.”

A questioning look was seen on Ioren’s face as she tried to understand it. Finally, she typed. “I don’t understand. They let the prisoners free?”

“The original idea was that Dragon’s Eye was going to be used similar to past places on former Earth. In the beginning, many of the UWA transported their worst criminals to Dragon’s Eye to keep them confined. Eventually, the cells were filled up to capacity. Then, the government changed, and so did the idea of how the island should work. It had its own port, facilities, homes, and places for the prison staff to work in, but it was falling apart.”

“The tourist industry was to blame again, wasn’t it?” Stone asked as he gave a scowl and mocked the events. “‘Oshun is beautiful and pretty’…..as the companies say. ‘There is no crime here. No major crimes happen at all. Everybody is happy!’ They don’t want the truth be known that could scare their precious tourists.” He waved his hand in the air. “Meanwhile, they send the worst offenders to another island. Eventually, they just give up on these prisoners and let them fend for themselves.”

“If they're free, can they come back to here or the other continent?” Ioren typed.

“No,” the chief explained. “The island is carefully guarded with surface vessels that patrol the coast. Any attempts to escape from the island and the boats are destroyed. Submarines and satellites also mark any attempts too.”

“You should know about this already,” Stone added, looking at her.

“My submarine patrols the deep waters near this continent. We're not enforcers.”

The chief watched the word discussions between the two. He could see that Stone was aggressive and snappy with Ioren. He decided to try to change topics.

“You have the right to ask about this,” the chief told her. “Don’t let Stone berate you too much. The fact is that ships go to drop off prisoners to Dragon’s Eye, and they are never allowed to leave.”

“It solves nothing,” Stone explained angrily, waving his hand out. “All it does is give an incentive to every criminal that it's best to fight to the death rather than get arrested. Even that woman we arrested will be tossed there to fend for herself. Only the strongest and worst survive.”

“Ugh….I didn’t come up with the policies, Stone. I agree with you, but we’re the ones that have to enforce them.”

“Which is why I wish to interrogate the suspects arrested in today’s heist. I believe that it will help provide more insight into this syndicate and their intentions.”

“Hmmm…..your attitude scares me at times, Stone,” the chief carefully explained to him. He put his hand to his forehead. “I don’t know about that idea.”

“I demand it!”

“I know you do. Your voice carries throughout the station all the time. Plus, you are probably going to quote some rule at me, but in the end, I have to deal with a report of your actions at the heist today.”

“What about it?” Stone replied, folding up his arms.

“You decided to stand out in the open and ask the sniper to shoot you. Yes, Stone, you stopped the bad guys, but I have to ask about that sort of personality that's going to go and question two arrested criminals. I worry that they won’t even get a chance to have a trial before you are finished with them.”

“I think that we need to question them,” Ioren defended him. She continued to type. “I ask to interrogate them.”

Stone’s brow lifted up momentarily upon hearing that, but it quickly left.

“Hmmm…..tomorrow,” the chief finally relented. “I want to see my wife today and tell her that…..I had a good day. It will allow you, Stone, to also cool off.”

“Argh….,” the marine replied.

“I agree,” Ioren typed. “Tomorrow.”

With that, the chief waved Stone and Ioren to leave the office. The marine scowled as he picked up his rifle and cards before leaving. The end of the shift was there, and it was time for people to head home to tend to themselves and their well-being. Ioren followed close behind the towering man. For Stone, he felt like the job was never done. More needed to be completed, but even his stomach was growling. There was nothing more that he could do for the day.

*******

The drive through the city in the approaching night was beautiful. The orange star was setting, establishing the closure of the typical shifts of the day. It was here that the true beauty of the city could be seen. All the lights would start to turn on. Every building had some shade of blue, green, orange, and purple neon colors. Digital displays were lighting up, filling the sky with advertisements, billboards, and other signs to attract the would-be customer. Even some of the cars had a neon hue to them as the electric motors produced a satisfying hum of movement. If the vehicles moved any faster, they would leave a trail of light to fool the eye.

Ioren was silent in almost all her actions, like any move would cause a tidal wave from Stone. Meanwhile, she would observe and enjoy the sights. The flooding lights into the car interior would even radiate from her feathers, which she seemed to delight in. She could only imagine what the other continent must have looked like in this form of glory, the one that was even more oriented towards tourism.

Stone was quiet after they had just finished eating. They had just finished their dinner at some fast food joint, in which Ioren had to pay for her own meal. In the inflections of the marine’s face, she could see that this was the best time to ask her question that wouldn’t induce his wrath. She decided to pull open her tilon and resume typing.

“I don’t have a place to stay,” she typed.

“What am I supposed to do about that?” Stone grimaced. “I’m not going to go all over the fucking map to find some hotel for you.”

She sighed. “I have no home. Everything is too expensive.”

“What? They don’t have any barracks for your kind?”

“They do, but not for me.”

Stone gave a confused look in her direction. “What do you mean by that?”

“They don’t want me.”

“What? You piss in their soup or something?”

The reptilian woman didn’t understand what he said by that but simply typed. “They won’t let me stay with them.”

“How the fuck did you serve on a submarine if they didn’t like you?”

Ioren's fingers typed. Her feathers lowered down as if she had the answer, while briefly hesitating to answer it directly. “They prefer I was somewhere else.”

“Instead, they plop you on my lap like anything else……fucking pieces of shit.”

“I don’t have anywhere to go. Please help me.”

“Urgh…..” he looked at every building. He began to imagine having to call and spend enormous amounts of time trying to help her, let alone lend money to her. Yet, the towering buildings only seemed to peer down upon him. He gripped the steering wheel so hard that his hands turned white. Finally, pure exhaustion would be the determining factor.

“Please….” She typed again. “Help me.”

“Goddamn it!” he exclaimed as he turned on his turning signal and started a new course on his drive. “I’m taking you back to my apartment. You can sleep on my couch until you can find yourself a new home.” He pointed his finger at her. “Don’t get any fucking ideas. Don’t expect this to be some romantic stay. I’m not interested in you. You're my partner, nothing more.”

The news at least gave her a sigh of relief as she typed. “You are not my mate. I have no interest in you either.” She turned her head to look out of the window. She could see that he was shaking his head in disbelief.

“Good…..” he moved his hands to maintain his driving.

“Thank you,” she typed. Stone’s only response to that was a huff from his nostrils.

Ioren’s thoughts began to think considerably on her next set of moves for the following day. Regardless, she could feel the fact that she had been in a battle. She needed to rest. She knew that even he had to be exhausted. A part of her wondered if it was wise, actually, to be with this man in his home. The gesture of goodwill on his part seemed to be genuine, though. Her reptilian eyes could even tell that his grip on the steering wheel had let up somewhat, as if he was relieved that he wouldn’t have to go anywhere else. She would say nothing else to avoid agitating him further…..

*******

Stone’s apartment door slid open as he stepped into his home first. Ioren stepped somewhat cautiously behind him. She could see the couch and the occasional empty beer bottle lying on the carpet. There was a particular odor from the lack of cleanliness, but she did her best to ignore it.

“Don’t expect any special treatment from me,” Stone told her as he walked up to the cabinet and set his box of ammunition down. He popped open the box and unholstered his pistol. He set the gun down, ejected the magazine, and pulled out the empty magazine retrieved from the fight before setting it down.

“This is the couch that I will sleep on?” she asked with her tilon.

“It’s the only one in here. What do you think?” he scolded her.

Ioren said nothing as she began to take off her holster and gun. She placed it by the couch and looked at herself. She could hear the sound of bullets being loaded into the empty magazine. Tired, she had almost forgotten about the fact that she had a bulletproof vest that was still on her. She placed her tilon on the couch.

Stone was quiet, focusing on the same pattern that he had been doing the day before. He clicked the last bullet into place and then removed the holster from himself. He let it fall near the bed as it tapped another empty bottle.

The Itrean woman began to take her shirt off. She felt the need to get the vest off her. The moment that she did, she revealed the black spandex-like material that stretched over her chest. She started to reach behind her to undo it.

“Go take care of that in there,” Stone told her. He pointed his finger at the bathroom door, hinting to her if she were going to take off her clothes, it wouldn’t be in front of him.

The alien woman did a quick nod and could see that he was serious. She began to walk towards the restroom. Her tail accidentally hit the couch as she walked on the soft carpet. The door slid closed behind her as he walked over to the small closet. He pulled out his tablet and set it down on the bed. He loosened his shirt a bit and considered using the opportunity to evaluate his attire. He noted the red bloodstain that once again covered his boot. This time, the stain was more prominent than before, a testament to the day's battle.

The struggle and fight…..it reminded him of something that he wanted to do. Instead of heading to the closet, he turned to the kitchen and headed towards it. It was a regular cycle for him. He looked at the empty bottles and began to pick them up. He brought them to the counter and set them down to at least keep them in some particular order. The refrigerator awaited his arrival. Nothing was holding him back as he opened it and saw another set of fresh beer waiting for him. Without any further regard, he plucked three of them and proceeded back to his bed.

He could still hear the sounds of running water. It was evident to him that she was taking a shower. Before he sat down, he stepped up near the door and tapped it.

“Hey!” he told her, knowing that she could hear him. “Don’t leave a mess in there, and don’t expect me to clean up after you! The electric dryer requires two button presses to work, and the towels are below the sink.”

There was no response from her as he had expected. Stone looked at the tilons on the couch while he began to pop open the cap. The sound of air escaping in the bottle was a musical rhythm he couldn’t ignore. He almost walked to the couch but decided to head over to his bed.

Stone gently placed the bottles on the bed sheets, ensuring that they wouldn’t bang against each other. He sat down and began to drink his first beer of the day. His eyes went to the awards and memorabilia that were on the wall. Then, his hand went to the cabinet, knowing that the pictures were still there. The alcohol felt nice to have, though, as he relished every drop.

It was like he lacked the strength to reach over and grab the small device that had the pictures in it. Instead, he closed his eyes as he put his hand to his head. Occasionally, he would lightly smack his forehead while taking a swig after swig of the bottle.

“Go away……go away,” he told himself while his teeth cringed. He said nothing more and could only hear the sound of running water. Nothing felt right at all. The routine had been significantly altered. He couldn’t sit down on the couch, and the former empty bottles couldn’t keep him company. There was another person present, and she was on the other side of the bathroom door. Her very presence was confounding.

He rested his back on the bed as the full bottles clunked against one another. Meanwhile, his hand began to shake. At times, he would clench his fist open and close, but he couldn’t stop drinking. Within a minute, the bottle's contents were gone.

Stone looked at the bottle and thought of the day that transpired. His boots touched the edge of the bed before he was reminded that dried blood was on it. He breathed hard and reached down to them. He hurriedly tried to get them off.

The man knew that Ioren was using this time well, but he didn’t care. Submarine life might have limited her ability to take regular showers, and she was finally getting a chance to clean herself. For Stone, though, part of the routine was being reestablished as the boots fell to the floor by the bed. He resumed lying down with the bottle clenched in his hand.

“Gagana…..” Stone quietly said to himself. “Where……are you……beloved?”

He let the bottle drop to the floor as he picked up the next one. He popped it open and started to chug it down. His thoughts went to one thing over and over again. He could feel the exhaustion creeping upon him. His mind turned to the one person who meant more to him than anything. He placed the cap on the bottle and took a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling through his nose. There was no sense of tears on his face, but he acted like it was challenging to breathe at times. Only the sound of the running water gave any indication that something was different. It was…..calming and comfortable to hear, not wanting the sound to end. Finally, with his eyes closed, he collapsed to sleep.

*******

“Stone……” a distant voice could be heard. It was a female voice, and it felt incredibly soothing to listen to.

The marine opened up his eyes to see nothing but a white light all around him. He was sitting down on a recliner chair, still dressed in the same clothing from the day. Even his augmented eye failed to give him any information.

“Stone…..is that you?” the female voice echoed in the expanse of white light. Stone heard it, and a part of him felt a tremendous sense of relief that any person in his position could feel. It was a unique accent that only came from Aphadus. It was similar to the former people of India, a sense of nostalgia that made the marine immediately recognize it.

“It can’t be…..” Stone said, his voice echoing through the surrounding area. He was breathing hard while a small, gentle smile developed on his face. “Please…..it has to be you.”

The white light fluctuated momentarily as a silhouette appeared. It was difficult to tell as the light was focused in her direction. The echo of her voice would come in and out as if it were difficult to understand. There was almost a sense of joy and laughter in her voice.

“There you are…..” the female voice flooded his hearing. Stone knew it had to be her. His hands raised in delight as the blackened silhouette walked towards him, coming closer to him.

“Gagana…….” he remarked. “Come to me……come to me.”

Finally, the bright light began to submerge a little bit, revealing the whole silhouette. It appeared to be an adult woman who was in her twenties. It was both jarring and a joyous one to see.

The woman had a brown complexion, similar to many people of Aphadus. Her hair was black and flowed down below her shoulders. She had a blackish-red dot painted above her eyebrows. She wore no clothing, revealing a fully naked body to him. Her breasts hung freely, consisting of dark brown nipples and smooth skin. She was skinny and elegant in how she stood before him. For her crotch, she had a fine line of black pubic hair, almost hiding the vaginal slit in between. Her bare feet would happily press to the white surface producing small waves of light all around her. He knew it was her, but there was something slightly different.

“Gagana…..” Stone said to her. “How…..I've missed you…..so much.”

She walked up to his chair and kneeled down next to him. It was clearly the woman he loved. A small tear ran down her face upon seeing him. She reached out her hands and gripped his. The warmth was incredible to the touch, as if he could melt into the furniture.

“It is good to see you again, husband,” Gagana told him.

“You……you look so young,” Stone said with a smile.

“I’m how you picture me…..are you unhappy with that?” The voice would fluctuate in and out.

“You are always so beautiful. I remember now…..this was how you looked the day……on our honeymoon.”

“And dived into the purple lakes of Aphadus together. I remember when you squirmed from the cold water that hit your body.”

“How much I miss those days….” He almost whimpered to her.

“Oh, my sweet husband,” Gagana remarked as she entwined her fingers with his. “You have gotten so old.”

“Fifty-one is not old,” he happily argued back. “You should be my age…..and not so naked either.”

“You want me to wear clothes again?”

He shook his head with a big grin. “No, I don’t.”

She laughed a little bit upon hearing it. “We're all born naked, and when we die, we rejoin the great beyond, shedding our manmade skin.”

“Fair enough, Gagana. Fair enough…..”

She let go of his hands as she stood up and sat down on his lap. He happily embraced her. His great muscles easily engulfed her petite frame, and the familiar warmth was welcoming.

“I see that you still have that frame of yours,” his wife commented. "So strong.....so demeaning...."

“The recruits need to fear me.”

“But I know better,” she argued back. “I know what is here,” she pressed a finger to his chest. “And…..so much pain resides.”

“I can’t live without you. I can’t…..” he struggled to say.

“You can……I know you can……you are ‘Avalanche’ Stone. Of course, you've always been a hero to me.”

“I wish they forget that name.”

“Oh…..my poor husband……my mighty husband can’t take a name and embrace it.”

He said nothing in response to that comment as he could feel the smooth warmth from her body. His hand naturally caressed her breasts and down to her stomach.

“You have a new acquaintance now, don’t you?” Gagana asked.

“Acquaintance?” Stone quietly asked her.

“Your new reptile woman partner of yours. She is cute.”

“Tsh….” He almost snickered. “Don’t get me started.”

“Oh, I will get you started. She is more like your sister than you realize.”

“What do you mean?” his voice picked up.

“You know what I mean. I can feel it from you. You're closing her out so early. You're not even giving her a chance.”

“I gave her my apartment, didn’t I?”

“That isn’t what I mean, husband, and you know that. And…..I know who she reminds you of. You miss her, too.”

“God……give me strength,” Stone remarked as he could feel his wife’s grip grow tighter.

Suddenly, the area shifted a little bit. No longer was Gagana happily wrapped around his arms by the couch, but she was standing by a large white glowing box to his left. She was still naked as his eye looked at her beautiful frame.

The white box revealed a series of clothes that hung in the air. His wife was looking at all of them almost as if she was feeling a sense of nostalgia.

“I see that you still have some of my clothes,” Gagana commented. She plucked out a silk, sleeveless, white dress. This simple dress was designed to fit over the head and pulled down to cover the body. It had two straps that rested comfortably on the shoulders. A smile could be seen clearly on her face.

“I saved your favorite dress,” Stone said.

“May I wear it?” her voice distorted a little bit.

“Of course,” he replied. He felt inclined to say something else, but simply watched her don the dress. She put it over her body. The white dress naturally fell, covering her breasts, torso, crotch, and most of her legs with a simple light tug. She spun around in place as the edges of the dress rose up a little bit. The sense of genuine happiness could be seen on her face.

“I could never forget…..” he said. Then, the light began to distort more and more. He could see that she looked at him, but looked confused, like she didn’t understand what he said.

Suddenly, her skin began to turn a dark gray. It was as if her life was being drained. Her body began to harden, turning to rock and stone before him. Yet, the same look on her face remained as the marine felt a sense of fear and dread for the first time in a long time. He was speechless as he tried to get out of his bed. He had no strength and couldn’t move.

“Why? Wha……” Stone raised his hand in her direction. “What's happening?”

The dress remained as it was, but Gagana stopped moving. The sense of happiness was still.

“No…..no…..Gagana!” Stone called out to her. His hand reached out in her direction, but nothing was happening. Instead, the white light of the environment began to fade into a darker and darker background.

It was here that he realized that this was just a dream, a desperate act of his imagination that ran amok. Any sense of happiness that the marine had was gone as the light grew darker and darker. The silhouette of his wife hauntingly vanished before his eyes. Darkness resided until finally, his eyes revealed what he truly saw.

*******

Was he asleep, or was he partially intoxicated? Stone’s eyes opened up to reveal the living room where his bed resided. He was lying on his back, feeling groggy and tired. The half-drunk bottle and the other untouched beer bottle had shifted a little bit to the other side of the bed. How much time had passed? He had no answer to that, but the sound of running water was silent. His head turned a little bit to his left to see something that shocked him.

Standing on the other side of the bed, near the closet, was Ioren. She was not wearing her typical clothes but something else. Her feathery head was not aimed at him but herself. The Itrean woman was wearing a white silk gown. She was checking out the fabric as she was careful not to scratch it with her claw-like fingernails. Unlike her prior clothing, this showed more of her womanhood, even as a reptilian. Her breasts pressed out against the fabric, and the gown covered most of her long tail.

At first, Stone’s eyes fell upon this sight. As he realized what was happening, he started breathing harder and harder. His adrenaline began to build up like lava ready to burst from a volcano. The calmness he seemingly had converted into deep-searing anger, prepared to explode at any moment.

“Wh…..wha…….WHAT!?” he tried to say, but his words were nothing but solid rage. His voice automatically alerted Ioren.

The Itrean woman spun around to see an absolutely infuriated man gazing upon her. Her green and red feathers retracted back as she pulled her arms back towards her chest. She said nothing, and her tilon was on the couch.

“Why…….WHY ARE YOU WEARING HER DRESS!?” Stone’s voice screamed, echoing in the entire interior of the room.

There was a look of surprise on Ioren's face. Her feathers returned to where they came from, but she still showed a look of pure confusion. She could see the man hoisting himself up and out of bed. She had no idea why he was so angry. It caused her to look at the couch where her tilon was.

“Answer me! Answer me, goddamn it!” he yelled as he started walking towards her. He clenched his fist as his head began to turn solid red. If his blood boiled from sheer anger, it would do so already.

Ioren quickly darted back to her couch, trying to avoid the man before she picked up the open tilon. She hurriedly typed as fast as her fingers moved. The tilon translated for her.

“I asked you, and you said yes,” the tilon stated out loud.

“You’re……you’re…….wearing her dress. I gave you no such permission, you fucking bitch!”

“I got out of the shower,” she continued to type as quickly as she could. “I told you that I needed other clothes…….”

Stone could see that she was trying to spit words out with such great haste that she was continuously pressing and correcting her text. She was breathing heavily as her adrenaline surged. She wasn’t completely terrified, but she was keeping a close eye on his inflections.

“You told me to check your closet and pick something to wear,” she continued. “I found it and asked if I could wear it. You said yes.”

“LIES!” the marine screamed at her. He raised his hand back and slapped the tilon on her hand at the same time. While not aimed directly at her body, the force of the shove was enough to knock the metal tilons loose from her hand. It flew a short distance before hitting the carpet near the wall.

Her feathers rose from her head and arms as a whole show of her force and intimidation against him. Even if he towered over her, she hissed, letting the air escape from her throat. She showed a look of anger in self-defense.

“Go ahead. I'll snap your neck like a twig,” Stone told her. “Attack me…..ATTACK ME!”

Ioren tried to keep herself composed even against such a rough situation as this. Instead, she let her feathers return to what they were and backed up a little. She did turn her head to her gun but looked down as a form of submission.

“Well? Say something!” the marine continued as he pointed his finger at her. “Why the hell did they assign you to me? I didn’t need any help. Instead……you come to here…..I didn’t want any of this.” His teeth cringed as he kept his hands balled into fists.

Ioren had no answer to this. She sighed as she felt somewhat helpless towards him. She turned her head so one of her reptilian eyes would look up at him. She displayed a form of mental exhaustion. Perhaps this was a way to express another form of submission or a way to calm him down from his irate state.

“You’re proficient in English…..you understand every single fucking word I say…..yet you don’t say a thing,” Stone continued to criticize her. “You let that…..thing talk for you. It fucking annoys me.”

Ioren’s response was to throw her hands up and down towards the ground as she hissed a little bit in pure aggravation. “Hai…….” she struggled to say. It was only the sounds of escaping air from her throat. She put her hands to it as if she was summoning every ounce of energy to manipulate them to put a word out. “Hai………nt……..ta……….”

Stone remained quiet while he continued to show a strong hint of disgust upon seeing her. He could tell that she was struggling to talk. Finally, she shook her head and walked over to her tilon. She picked it up as she began to type again.

“I can’t talk,” the tilon translated. “I don’t have vocal cords. I can’t talk,” Ioren repeated, almost as if she was trying to reiterate it to him.

“You…..could never talk,” Stone realized. “You weren’t choosing to speak. You actually had no control over it at all. Why the fuck?” He refused to go any further in his question, but his anger started to diffuse slightly.

She did her quick nods. “I thought you already knew,” she continued to type. “I was mistaken.”

“I’m not angry about that,” he told her while keeping a scowl. “But the fact that you're wearing something that you shouldn’t. You shamed my wife by wearing that.”

“Would my apologizing for this make you feel better?” she typed.

The marine paused for a while as he could feel his anger disperse more and more. He saw her in a slightly different light now. The white dress reminded him of the woman he cherished more than anything. Even if it wasn’t his wife, the sense of familiarity was there standing before him. He began to concentrate on the dream that he had while she observed him. He remembered it as clear as day. It felt so real and brought such joy to see her again, even if he only considered it a pitiful dream of something that would never return. What would his wife want? He thought about it more and more. He could see that Ioren was harmless despite this action of hers.

“Just…..get out of that dress,” Stone told her. “Wear that other thing she was planning on giving to the family before…….” He refused to go any further on that statement. He turned away and walked back to the bed. “Get the other one, in that closet…..now.”

Ioren wasn’t going to be told twice on this. She knew what he meant when it came to the clothing. She started to calm down while she walked into the small closet. She reached for the coat hanger, the other fangled set of clothes, if one would call it that. It consisted of a light blue t-shirt and petite dark blue denim-like jeans. It was actually smaller than the other white dress. A part of her wondered if the clothing was meant for a teenage human, but it looked like they would fit.

She turned to see that Stone was looking in the exact opposite direction from her. His attention was towards the wall and the kitchen. He had his hands to his head, almost as if he was repressing some sort of deep pain. She decided to get changed there in the closet in relative haste so as not to disturb him. The half-drunken beer bottle was clenched in his hand as she could observe that he was thinking about going back to it.

Stone was in and out of his disturbed mood. Finally, he popped the cap open and took two short swigs. A part of him wanted that dream again, and another part did not. To see ‘her’ again felt more important than anything, but the pain was to see it as a dream. Instead of him downing the drink this time, he was slower, though. The swigs were very light, as if he was trying to ensure that there would be plenty for another day. The sound of running alcohol running back and forth inside its container could be heard clearly. It felt like it was soothing for his mind to listen to it. Maybe he could trick his mind into thinking that he was trying to get drunk without actually going through with it.

“Why did they give me an alien partner?” he whispered to himself. “I didn’t need this…..I didn’t…..” he tapped the bottle to his forehead. He started to look at the disk device picture projector. He reached into his cabinet and pulled it out. He tapped it on as it projected the photograph from Aphadus. He looked closely at both his wife and his sister. Despite eyeing his wife at first, his gaze began to shift to his sister in a deeply profound way. The words spoken by his wife weighed heavily as he began to think of his sister. Ioren was looking at the picture from a distance to see the two different human women.

Stone took a deep breath. His anger had entirely resided as he finally turned to look at Ioren. She had just finished pulling the shirt down, covering the yellow and orange waist that she had. The jeans and shirt fit comfortably enough, and she started to hang the dress back up before neatly returning it to the rack. For some reason, the blue shirt seemed to highlight her red-and-green scale pattern on her brown arms better than her previous set did. It looked more comfortable than her last set of clothing, but she had to make some adjustments. She lifted the back of the shirt to allow enough room for her tail to swing freely in the air. This also meant that she needed to lower the back of her pants to give space. This might have been the reason why she avoided this set of clothing when she was eyeing everything. The dress would be less constricting, but she would have to go with it. If needed, she could simply cut a hole in the pants to solve this.

Ioren checked her digitigrade legs. The pant legging rode up some, but it didn’t matter. Her talon-like feet could be seen clearly while she wiggled each set of clawed four-digit toes.

Stone had briefly looked at her. While he didn’t display any appreciation on her part, he didn’t have the anger in his face either. It was a sign that all was momentarily well. He paused as she walked back to the couch. She was in the process of sitting down when Stone looked at the photograph of his sister one last time.

“Why can’t you speak?” Stone asked Ioren. She resumed typing on her tilon in response.

“I don’t have vocal cords. I was born without them…….”

“No,” he almost interrupted her. “That isn’t a valid excuse. I’ve heard enough about the Itrean perfection. You bioengineer yourselves to handle most environments at will. You have mechs, tanks, and warships with organic components. Yet…..you were born without the ability to talk?”

“I am mixed. I'm both Yutilian and Aksren.”

He shook his head. “Among the trillions of your kind, you’re telling me that all hybrids like yourself can’t talk?”

“Mixed children or between species of Itrean are rare.” She paused, struggling to find the words while she typed. “Deformity. I was born imperfect.”

“I know. Are all children born from mixed couples born with deformities?”

“I know few, but they don’t have my problem.”

“Yet, they can’t help you?” he asked as he turned his head toward her. “Not one sense of help for you?”

“My people won’t help me. They don’t care.”

His eyes narrowed. “What about doctors in the UWA? They might be able to help with your inability to talk. Augments, prosthetic vocal cords, something.”

She shook her head. “I tried. My case is very rare. Spoke to human doctors.” She paused as she struggled to type as quickly as possible. “They promised something, but it would take a while.”

Stone considered it, but it made sense. UWA’s alliance with the T’rintar clan impacted everything, but it had only gotten so far. He knew that medical technology in helping other alien species was something that progressed generally, but didn’t cover the cracks that were still there. In time, Ioren could get augmented vocal cords to allow her to talk, but it could take months to even years before something was specially made for her.

“Of course…..” Stone said as he shook his head and showed a disgruntled frown. “Your situation would be low on the priority list when it comes to getting something that could fix your life.”

Ioren looked down, acknowledging what he said. He sounded indifferent with his tone, but carefully noted everything. The marine looked at his sister in the photograph before looking at Ioren. He snorted through his nose.

“Alright…..fine, Ioren, come here,” Stone told her, gesturing for her to come and sit on the bed not that far from him.

This took Ioren by surprise at what he said. For a little while, she gave a confused look, even tilting her head a little bit, analyzing his inflections.

“I said, come here, damn it,” Stone gestured, almost smacking the bed sheet to where she would sit.

Ioren wondered as to what the marine was getting at. She wasn’t going to keep him waiting, but she pondered if this was some prelude to an attack or if he was just crazy. She got off the couch and walked over to him, carrying her tilon with her. She sat down cautiously, getting within a meter of him. She let her tail flow off the bed, feeling the comfortable sheets. She tilted her head and looked up at him.

“What I’m going to show you is something that you can take or not,” Stone explained. “I don’t care, honestly, but…..it might help you. I know it helped my sister and me greatly long, long ago.” He took a deep breath as he remembered the movements. He lifted up his hands for her to see. He went and started by saying and placing his hand flat on his chest, “My,” then he took each hand and put his index and middle finger together, and then tapped the one set of fingers over the other set of fingers, “name.”

Ioren was at first watching Stone talking, but not understanding what was happening. That was until her reptilian eyes fell upon the moving hands. The hands were positioned in wild gestures for her to see and acknowledge. He was solemn as he always was, but articulate when it came to passing this information to her.

The marine then took his pinky finger, put it to his chin, and swept it to the left ninety degrees, pointing away from his chin. “Is.” He finally began spelling each letter in the hand language according to his name, “S.t.o.n.e,” all in front of her.

As each letter was being shown, it was slowly dawning on her what was happening. No longer was she watching what he was saying, but focused on the gesturing, moving hands. Her small jaws almost gaped as her feathers slowly began to rise. She was not in a state of alarm but of curiosity. Stone could see that she was partially intrigued.

He then displayed the next series of words. First, he said and pointed to himself, “I am,” and then started spelling out the word “S.t.o.n.e” in front of her. Then he pointed to her and signed and said while pointing to her, “You are,” and then spelled out the word “I.o.r.e.n.”

It was like he was casting some magic spell on her. Stone must have figured that she had never seen this form of communication before, but it was only a hunch. She had been relying on her tilon to speak for her. Regardless, her feathers continued to rise upon watching the gesturing words. She started breathing harder and harder, in sheer realization of what he was doing. Finally, she reached her clawed fingers down to the tablet and typed in words.

“I have never seen this communication,” Ioren typed. “Each word and letter is done in a specific way.”

“It makes sense…….” Stone remarked as he shook his head. “Such a perfect society would have no need to have this language at all, but it does happen, and people like you are to suffer because of it.”

“Your….” She struggled to find the words for it. “…..hand language. What is it called?”

“It is called Unified Sign Language or USL,” the marine explained. “It is the final version of what we call sign language.”

She almost shook her head in disbelief. Her feathers lowered down again. “USL,” she typed. “You know this language?”

“Mostly. It has been some time since I used it.”

“I have never seen this before.”

“I’m not surprised,” he remarked with agitation. “All thanks to our modern miracles, the very few that can’t get augments or replacement damaged ligaments are treated as invalids.”

She momentarily looked away while she sighed. She looked at her fingers and compared hers with his before looking at the tilon again. She started to type as her tilon translated.

“Can you do it again?”

Stone repeated the same two sentences with sign language. This time, he didn’t say anything but only mouthed the words. She already recognized and carefully observed every movement and action.

“I.o.r.e.n,” he signed every letter. When he reached the final one, Ioren reached her hand and touched his arm. He stopped and only looked at her with little skepticism.

“I can teach you this language, but it has been a while,” Stone told her, almost pulling her hand away from him. “Don’t expect me to be some master teaching a young student the fucking alphabet.”

She continued to show a form of exacerbated breathing, watching and hearing the news. The idea of learning something that she didn’t even know existed was a hint of wonder and joy. It was like seeing the tiniest form of hope in a worthless scenario. She used her free hand to type the word “Thank you.”

“It'll be up to you to learn it, not me,” he said.

“Thank you,” she pressed it again. Tears began to well up in her eyes. She slightly convulsed a little bit. Then, without any further control, she leaned her body against his. Her arms let go of her tilon as she pressed her head and feathers to his side. It was clear to the marine that she was crying.

“Hmmph……” Stone remarked. For a moment, he considered again whether he was going to push her away, but he could see that she was actually happy upon learning about this new revelation. It was like a great relief had been lifted from her. Perhaps the mental and physical anguish of the fight of the day also added to it. Even the marine looked at the beer bottle one last time. He figured that it was enough for now....

Chapter 6: Scouring the Back Alleys Part 1

Stone’s vehicle had returned back to L’Kibera. The few pedestrians would make eye contact with the police vehicle as if it were a common occurrence. It was just past the early morning hours, allowing the marine to drive slowly through the streets. The droplets of rainwater would drip across the pavement, but not serve as a hindrance to anyone.

Inside the car, Stone was keeping his eye out, looking for his intended target, while the windshield wipers would occasionally sweep the water off the windshield. He knew that remaining in one spot would cause the person not to show up, knowing who he already was. At the same time, the marine was able to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.

It was raining today, but not heavily. The weather report showed that the “Great White,” the powerful cyclone that circled the southern hemisphere, had just passed southward by the continental island. The storms that resided in the central equator had been pushed upward as a result, throwing their downpour upon everyone.

Stone would be occasionally and annoyingly distracted by the Itrean woman who sat in the passenger seat. Her reptilian eyes were attuned to her tilon, showing the different hand gestures and terms of Unified Sign Language. She would take her hands and create other notions and movements mimicking the words that nobody would hear, yet see. There was a particular confident smile that seemed to partake when she did this. It was as if she had been given the keys to enter any building. The gift of sign language still resided, even if it was barely utilized. For Ioren, it simply didn’t matter. To her, it was genuine hope, an alternative to the tilon that she had become so accustomed to.

The marine would not show any sign of happiness on her part and would only be reminded of last night in her attempt to learn sign language. He remembered being awoken by the lights emitted in the darkness from her projection screen while she rested comfortably on the couch, studying USL to its hilt. How long she spent learning it was a mystery as he tried to get some sleep. For the most part, she had been quiet as she always was, but the slight movements and her elbows scraping against the fabric of the couch created a mild noise in waking him up. The lights and his mere presence further made his night a hard one. Instead, he would have to bite his tongue and be patient.

“I hope you're looking for a place to stay and not just studying USL,” Stone told her while he kept his attention mainly on the road.

He turned his head momentarily to see that she lowered her tilon and raised her pinky finger to her chest. Then she placed the tips of her clawed fingers to herself to gesture the comment “I have” as an acknowledgment of what he just said.

“Hmph…..” he scowled. “Just make sure that you don’t make the same mistakes that I did when I learned the language. USL is the combination of Chinese, British, and American Sign Language into one system. The original word for ‘secret’ is very similar to ‘father.’” He said this while he made a very slight sweeping motion with his thumb near his chin and lower lip. “When they adopted USL, they had to change out ‘secret’ to another gesture to prevent confusion.”

Ioren nodded quickly to understand his few but very relevant teachings, even though knowledge of prior human history was not exactly a strong suit for her. However, Stone acknowledged the concepts of how sign language functioned relatively well, which only seemed to surprise Ioren further. How this marine, who was seemingly mean to her at times, had been such a vault of knowledge on something that proved so interesting was a mystery she wanted to resolve. He appeared to know it well, but only briefly mentioned why.

“Another thing that you'll have to keep in mind is the fact that you have four fingers instead of five,” Stone added. “They didn’t exactly anticipate Itreans learning this language, so don’t complain if they didn’t accommodate your needs.”

This was something that Ioren already knew but didn’t bother to respond to. It didn’t seem that much of a setback, however. She had thumbs, a pointer finger, a pinky, and the middle finger to utilize. Most sign language words didn’t really need the ring finger that humans had, but anything that did would have to be substituted or adjusted accordingly. It seemed the concept of sign language was designed more as a means of communication between two individuals who knew each other well, rather than necessarily the entire group. The fact that he already acknowledged this observation was more of a benefit for her to hear.

They continued their drive together as Stone kept his eye on the alleyways of each building on the block. The man had to be here. It was his favorite spot. Each building would move across the right side of Ioren continuously. The Itrean woman was not even focused on the road but on herself and learning to the best of her abilities.

Finally, Stone saw him. He practically slammed on the brakes, causing the car to come to a sudden halt. Even Ioren felt her body jolt forward, losing her focus. She gave a stern look at the marine momentarily.

“There's that son of a bitch,” Stone said as he tapped a button on the steering wheel. The vehicle’s omnidirectional tires activated, immediately pushing the car sideways towards the side away from the main road. He powered down the police vehicle and activated the door.

Ioren had little time to say anything as she watched the doors open up on both sides. She closed up her tilon as she watched Stone get out of the car. She undid the seatbelts and got out.

A stern and defiant look on the marine’s face as he found who he was looking for. It was apparent that this man hadn’t seen him yet. Ioren was looking at this particular back alley. Stone was not going to let this person walk away or escape.

The alleyway was nothing spectacular to look at, but something that Stone only paid so much attention to. It connected to the rear entry of another store from the seemingly endless number of city blocks. The graffiti on the walls was painted with a spear and an oval shield. It was yellow and orange with iconography representing current or past prior gangs. A man and woman were looking at each other with looks of sexual desire and want towards each other. Ioren at first thought this stranger was part of this couple, but the marine’s walk and gesture indicated that he was going to pass the two.

Ioren hurried up in her walk. The couple almost paid no attention to the two as they slipped past them. Stone was moving at a hurried pace. Even the way he walked indicated that his anger was steaming up. In some cases, she was happy not to be in the front line of his walk. His hands were clenched into fists.

This man that Stone was closing in on had long, straight-out hair. It was set up in a particularly buzz-cut way and dyed yellow. He had a long black beard and wore a long, solid yellow shirt over his blue denim shorts. The man was a young adult, looking and laughing at something on his small tablet-like device.

The marine moved with haste, but it was a matter of time before this man spotted him. A look of fear filled his eyes. He almost dropped his tablet right at the spot and started to turn in preparation for running. Was this Tarone’s cousin that Ioren had heard about?

“Don’t you fucking run!” Stone yelled at him. The alleyway’s potential peacefulness had ended then there once he commanded the other to halt.

“Ah shit!” the man said.

The suspect in question was fleeing, moving as fast as his legs could push him. Ioren could see that this person was important as she darted forward. Her digitigrade legs propelled her to faster and faster speeds. She could see that Stone was running hard, but she was quicker. He didn’t unholster his gun yet, but she kept her attention towards hers just in case she needed to use it.

Stone could see Ioren run past him and towards the suspect. Within less than ten seconds, she was already on the suspect. Her speed was incredible as she quickly grappled the man’s leg, tripping him to the ground.

“Hey! Hey….omph!” the man yelled out as he smacked the pavement hard, causing his tablet to be knocked loose from his hand. The man was in a state of alarm as he flipped over onto his back.

“Good…..” Stone said as he caught up to the downed man.

“Hey…..what the fuck……ah……” the man commented as he held his hands up. Ioren walked around him, almost smacking her tail against his face. She looked at him with his eyes darting up at her and then to the incoming marine. The rain picked up slightly as the water dripped across his face.

"Jahmar, why am I looking at that ugly face of yours!?” Stone angrily remarked as he stood over him.

“He……hey, hey, Stone….ah….ah,” he stammered nervously. “Looks like you have….ah….a….a….friend there.”

“Is that how you are going to greet me?” Stone, with his rage, went and kneeled over and grabbed the person.

The marine’s strength was evident when he used both hands to grab Jahmar's chest, sides, and shirt to lift him off the ground before planting him onto the wall, surprising Ioren in the process. The towering size of Stone was domineering. Ioren could simply watch as this Jahmar was shoved into the hard side of the building with a preverbal thump. Even the couple that was there saw the scene and hurriedly scoured away.

“Why……why, why, are you holding me up here?” Jahmar asked him. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Nothing, huh? Really?” Stone cringed his teeth at him. “You get done serving six months aiding and abetting criminals in the area, and you think that I don’t forget?”

"Yeah…..yeah, I served my time. What about it?”

“Then why did I just get done fighting a bunch of armed robbers at the bank yesterday!?”

“Bank robbery?” he started to laugh nervously. “What bank robbery?”

Stone pulled him away from the wall and slammed his back right back into it hard, momentarily dazing Jahmar.

“Oh…..oh yeah, that bank robbery,” Jahmar replied. “Rimbastar…heh, heh. How could I forget? Come on, Stone. Why hurt a poor man like me?”

“Because I apprehended you twice for the same shit every single time. Why do I know that you were involved in the one yesterday?”

“Rimbastar Jewelry? I…..I wasn’t involved in that at all! I…..”

Stone went and quickly grabbed the man’s throat. The immense strength of Stone was enough to squeeze it more and more. Ioren watched to make sure he was careful in keeping him propped against the wall, but at the same time, preventing him from suffering permanent damage. Regardless, Jahmar began to choke in light panic, even swatting his arms to no avail. Finally, he lessened his grip just enough to let him talk.

“Are you so sure of that?” Stone asked him.

“Ack…..um…..ah……wait……did I say that? I meant that I heard something…..but….”

“Jahmar, I’m only going to tell you this once. Your cousin isn’t too happy having to bail you out every time you get involved in every little scheme around this part of the city. He wanted to make sure that I promised him not to break every bone in your body.”

“Heh…..good ol cous……he always good man…..”

He squeezed a little harder. “I disagree with his idea, though.”

“Stone, what are you…..” he coughed. “What are you talking about? I never got anywhere involved…..”

“Ioren, go and show the pictures from your tilon to him,” Stone ordered her. “Show him the evidence we got yesterday. Maybe it'll help jog his memory….”

“Heh……heh…..I….I, I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Ioren went and pulled the two strips of her tilon to bring up the projection screen. She accessed her menu and went to the gallery section of the recently acquired pictures from yesterday’s heist. She found a picture of the military carbine and showed it to him. His eyes peered down to look at that.

“What is that?” Stone gestured his head to the picture.

“Beats me,” Jahmar tried to say, but felt his body get jolted hard against the wall again.

“Talk!”

“Oh…..that……yeah……that is a PDW-20…..ha, ha…..my memory is not so good. It’s just a UHN gun……what’s the big deal about it?”

“It was used to gun down a police officer during the heist. Apparently, the criminals had access to something that they shouldn’t have around here. Ioren, show the next picture.”

She switched over to the blurred-out, rather gruesome picture of Neredi’s remains after she had been shot. The purposely blurred picture still hinted enough of the blood and mess that was made after she had gotten killed.

“See that?” Stone maintained his grip. “She was another officer killed by a Berson Anti-Material rifle. Another example of something that criminals shouldn’t have. Yet…..I think you know more about it.”

“I……I only know so much,” Jahmar struggled to speak. “I swear, I swear, I….” he coughed again. “I swear it on my momma’s bed.”

“I’m listening…..my patience is wearing out.”

“Ok! Ok……” he coughed some more. Stone lessened his grip even more. “I……I was getting oriented with the Boer Numbers Gang again……you remember them, right? Good group and all. Heh…..heh well…..the second in command……Johnny…..eh…..yeah, that’s his name! He started mentioning something about some new group…..a gang……a syndicate…..I, I think. They said that this group had access to high-grade material. The……best guns out there. I thought they were joking. You know? People like to sell cheap knockoffs of everything these days. Heh…..before you know it, Johnny entertains the idea. He agrees to have a small shipment to verify it.”

Stone lowered his grip but made sure that he wouldn’t start running. He kept a careful restraint on him. Ioren was keeping detailed notes while pressing a couple of buttons on her tilon. Despite all of this, Jahmar was looking around the alleyways, feeling the sense of nervousness of being watched.

“Ioren, pull out the card from my right pocket,” Stone ordered her. “Keep going, Jahmar. My patience hasn’t been fulfilled.”

The reptilian woman walked around and reached into the pocket of his jeans. She found the strip of cardboard cards and took them out. She kept them clutched to her hand.

“Yeah……yeah, yeah,” Jahmar said. “At first, we saw the crate arrive….then we opened them up, and we were like ‘WOW,’ it’s real! We had like two military rifles and four pistols to go along with everything. Before we knew it, we totally believed this group that sold us the goods. So Johnny placed a BIG order for more.”

“How much more?”

“Beats me.”

Freeing himself one hand, Stone lifted up his arm and produced a sizeable fist. He seemed ready to deliver a powerful punch to his face, but Jahmar freaked out and closed his eyes.

“No! No! I really don’t know,” Jahmar replied. “I swear it…..gods……I swear it on my momma’s bed.”

“Show the card to him, Ioren,” Stone ordered.

Ioren did as she was told. She presented and showed the card for his eyes to look at. Jahmar looked at the image.

“Do you know this card? No fucking lies either!”

Jahmar nodded his head. “That’s them! That’s the people that sold us the goods.”

“What are they?”

“They only call themselves the Syndicate……I…..I think. Supposedly, they don’t even work on this continent at all.”

“Faces? Descriptions? I want it all.”

“We never saw their faces. Hired intermediaries delivered them to us…..at least I think. They like secrecy for some reason….heh…..just sell us the good shit, I suppose.”

“That’s it?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know, Stone…..I don’t know! Please, please. I only worked with them so long.”

“I want to talk to Johnny. How about I go give him a visit?”

“Ah….no, no.”

“Location of the hideout?”

“They’ll kill me if I squeal! Besides….heh…..they change locations frequently.”

“Ioren, go break one of his fingers,” Stone ordered. Ioren looked at one of the man's fingers and very briefly considered it, but it was hastily interrupted.

“WAIT! Wait!” Jahmar confessed. “It is five blocks. Abandoned apartment building right next to Nell’s Repair Shop.” A tear started to run down his face. “You…..can’t miss it.”

Stone released his grip on his throat and held the man’s shoulder. Even if Jahmar struggled, he still couldn’t get away. Instead, the marine went and pointed his finger at Jahmar.

“Now, I’m going to offer you some word of advice,” Stone told him. He lightly tapped the man’s chin. “Think you can listen like you always do?”

“Yes…..yes….Stone,” Jahmar replied. There was a slight hint that he was calming down.

“I think that you should get the fuck out of this town,” the marine lowered his voice. “Go and work for your cousin, Tarone. I think he cares a lot about his family. I put in a good word for you. You get yourself employed and work for him. You get a nice place far away from this area. Get yourself situated. Think you can do that?”

“Heh….heh…..yeah, I might be able to do that.”

“Might or never!?” Stone yelled. The intensity of his voice bore into Jahmar.

“I’ll do it! I’ll do it!”

“Good…” the marine continued, resuming his tone. “Because when I confront Johnny, I might tell him all about the fact that you betrayed the location of his hideout. Might motivate you to get out of this spot and stop getting arrested. And…..if I hear any bad reports from your cousin. If I hear that you're stealing, let alone stealing his guns and selling them on the street corner, I'll come searching for you. If the police don’t find you first, then I'll find you. When I do, I’ll make sure to start breaking every finger on your hand. Then…..”

“Alright!....... Alright, I get it…….I……I understand.”

With that, the marine let go of Jahmar. For a short moment, the figure put his hand to his throat to feel for any pain that still resided in himself. He made a brief nod and then trotted away. Ioren had a look of intrigue as to everything that happened. She handed the card to Stone, which he promptly put away. Then, she started typing on her tilon as it translated for her.

“What did he do to get himself arrested?”

“Selling information and abetting criminal activity,” Stone said as he started to walk towards his car. “Come….He served his time…..what little it would do to dissuade him.”

The water splashed against his boots while he moved. The rain was picking up, and the streets were getting soaked. The Itrean woman shook her head a little bit to knock some of the water that splashed against her feathers.

“Do you think that he will comply with you?” she typed.

“That’s his choice…..” he coldly responded.

They walked to the car as the doors opened up. By the time that rain became a deluge, they had gotten back inside. They sat down in their respective seats while Stone seemed to be thinking of his next move. For a short moment, Ioren was seeing the rainwater and how it affected her feathers. There was a look of disgust on her face, causing her to sigh from her nostrils. Even the marine noticed it.

“Hmph…..” he remarked. He put his hand to his chin, resuming his thoughts. Ioren resumed her typing on her tilon.

“Did you really want me to break his fingers?”

“Whatever it takes,” he answered. He said nothing else of comment, and she wasn’t going to proceed any further in that regard.

The sounds of rainwater hitting the roof of the car began to pick up more and more. Ioren could see that pedestrians were starting to empty the streets and seek shelter. She turned her eyes and could see that Stone was pressing a couple of buttons, turning the car’s radio on. There were two settings where a video feed could be shown or just audio-only. The marine preferred the old-fashioned approach with just the audio queued in. She listened quietly while she considered studying sign language more.

The radio channel called “Oshun-12 News” was queued to fill the sounds of an anchorwoman speaking in the car. She had a very fluent voice that was nothing like the typical Oshun accent. Perhaps she was just hiding it, or she was born somewhere else. Nobody knew. All they knew was that the anchorwoman was already discussing a topic on the news.

“….According to Fleet Admiral Baxton, he does promise to continue pledging his support in future campaigns for the UHN. Prime Minister Chanvatey has also assured to maintain his support for the UWA. Despite this, critics such as Ambassador Kane and Ambassador Ifra have raised concerns over the continuing widespread reforms in the Batrice government that can threaten the potential alliance made with the T’rintar clan.”

“Hmph…..” Stone remarked, saying nothing else further on the matter.

“In local news,” the anchorwoman continued. “The current mayoral elections between former candidate Chipo Halen and newcomer Arjana Lesenda are in full swing. Early voter turnout is higher than expected, and both candidates are neck and neck in the polls, with Halen in the 50.5% lead and Lesenda in the 49.5%. Halen has condemned the current voting system as fraudulent despite two full investigations from the UWA elections committee and OFC that have proven his claims to be false. Lesenda assures the public that the election system will not be hindered and will continue as set forth. Supporters of Halen claim that Lesenda is trying to rig the election. At the same time, Lesenda’s supporters have countered, claiming that Halen’s accusations are just a smokescreen to hide the current rise of crime throughout the continent. We encourage everyone to get out and vote. We'll have more updates on that in the next hour.”

“You were right,” Ioren typed down on her tilon.

“Hmm…..” Stone replied.

“In other news, the Rimbastar Jewelry Store located in 64th Condis Street was robbed yesterday. Local authorities responded to the scene and apprehended the suspects. The police chief assures that the store owner is fine and that all the jewelry and wares have been properly secured. We will be back with other news as the current day continues with a word from our sponsors…….”

Before the music started to kick in of some impending advertisement, Stone hit the mute button on the radio. He shook his head as Ioren gave a look of surprise. For a news feed, it was incredibly short and vague.

“That’s it?” Ioren typed.

“Yes,” Stone answered. He seemed to give a grumbled sigh.

She seemed flustered as she took her right hand and formed a fist. Then, she went and produced her pointer finger before tapping her left shoulder with it. This was the USL symbol of “Why?” that Stone understood.

“Why does anything make sense on Oshun?” the marine commented. “Of course, they don’t want to go into detail about the other police officers who were killed. Of course, they would fail to tell about the suspects or what really happened. Each criminal event here gets a brief passage, and that’s it. Most don’t even get reported at all…….”

“What about the elections?” she typed. “Wouldn’t reporting it help Lesenda’s campaign?”

“How should I know?” he shrugged. “Probably go to her UWAN websites and supporters, and I’m sure that they would provide more detail on that, but any news station except outside worlds has to be non-partisan affiliated. Besides….you know how much crime reports can hurt the terrorist industry anyways.”

Ioren wasn’t going to say anything else on the matter. Instead, she shook her head in disbelief.

“No glory,” she typed on her tilon.

“Yeah…..no glory for the actions……no memorial for the fallen,” Stone said. It was the first time he genuinely showed disappointment for Ioren to see. But it quickly faded before he started up the car.

A ring could be heard. It was another telephone call that Ioren recognized immediately. Stone tapped the button of his steering wheel to answer the call. It was audio-only.

“What is it? I’m busy,” Stone answered.

“Master Sergeant Stone,” a male voice explained. “You're being summoned back to the precinct. UHN Oshun command called and needs to have additional reports submitted after yesterday’s heist. They tried to contact you earlier, but your car was shut off.”

“Urgh……” the marine replied. “Fine! I’m en route.”

Stone tapped the button to hang up. He closed his eyes as he showed an agitated look.

“Don’t think that you're going to get away with this either,” he told her. He looked in her direction. “You’re going to be filling out some of that paperwork, too. Price for being under my roof.”

Ioren sighed, almost rolling her eyes at him. Instead, she decided to keep studying sign language to the best of her abilities as the car pulled out of the side road before driving away in the falling rain.

*******

The rain had started to calm down after three hours. It was still pouring, but at a much slower rate. It was reduced to a drizzle by now, but it could return to a full deluge at any time. Even at the precinct, except for some vacationers and tourists who were dressed for swimming at the beaches, the area was primarily devoid of individuals who preferred staying dry.

Ioren might as well have been one of those individuals. She walked out of the main entrance of the police station. Her thoughts knew that the water could hit her feathers again. It was a mild annoyance that was reserved only for bathing. Even then, the concept that she had to shower in her partner’s apartment and not have access to a hairdryer was an insistent reminder to her. Humans, Shal’rein, and most Aksren didn’t have to worry about the water at all.

By now, Ioren was more accustomed to the grumbling and constant agitated mood of her partner. It was just past lunchtime, and both had already eaten. Nevertheless, the atmosphere and environment were still quiet in the precinct. The deaths of two officers loomed, but there was good news that the wounded officer was expected to make a full recovery.

The sidewalk by the precinct was primarily empty except for the occasional vacationer or worker. A Yutilian was in the walking path heading toward her and Stone. She had a distended belly that was a clear sign of pregnancy. She walked past, giving Ioren a look of utter disgust. Ioren simply bared her teeth as a sign of anger, while Stone caught a tiny glimpse of it. At first, he said nothing but took careful note of the event. The Yutilian was nothing remarkable, and he didn’t care what her feelings were toward Ioren. He hadn’t seen enough of the scene to make a judgment on it.

Stone pulled out his tablet and began reviewing the city map and weather reports. The police reports had been taken care of, but they had worn him down a little bit. Ioren had even shown some signs of annoyance towards it as well. Regardless, there was a very brief instance that Stone might have been in a good mood that even Ioren barely noticed. Perhaps the knowledge of where to go next might have been the only hint of why he felt that way.

Ioren, however, only shook her head as the Yutilian continued walking forward towards her intended destination. For a brief moment, the woman flashed her tail and tail feathers up in the direction of Ioren. It caused Ioren to hiss, which finally caught Stone’s attention.

“Hmmm…..” he turned his head to see the gesture of the pregnant Yutilian. The lifted tail and display of feathers, combined with inflections and movement, were all signs that she was giving a somewhat derogatory statement towards Ioren. Even Ioren’s hissing finally gave it away.

“Ioren,” Stone told her, pointing at his enclosed middle finger holding the tablet. “When I call out to her, you will raise this finger to her.”

Ioren actually didn’t know what the gesture meant, but had a hint of what it might be. It took less than a couple of seconds for the marine to call out to the walking Yutilian.

“Hey!” Stone yelled. It was enough for the pregnant Itrean to turn around hearing the human’s voice.

Ioren kept her angry gesture towards her as she extended a middle finger. The Yutilian looked at the angry Itrean momentarily but seemingly didn’t understand what it meant either. She simply scowled, turned, and walked away.

“Hmph…..” Stone remarked as he continued looking at his tablet. For a brief moment, a small smile appeared on his face before it quickly disappeared. Even Ioren barely noticed it, but she shook off the thought.

“What does that mean?” Ioren typed.

“I’ll let you look that up,” Stone told her. “Knowing the other Itrean, she will too.”

For a couple of minutes, Ioren was looking at her tilon, researching what the sign language word meant. She was waiting for Stone to finish up on what he was looking at, but she found the proper definition of the sign language word for the extended middle finger. It caused her to give a short series of hisses reminiscent of laughter in response.

Before much else could be said, a human woman approached the two. It was unknown if she had seen a little bit of the altercation, but she seemed occupied with something else. Ioren could see that she was more than just a passing pedestrian, but a woman who had a general inquiry to bring up.

“Excuse me…..” the woman’s voice said. “I was wondering if you two happen to know where the Oshun Adoption Agency building is located?”

“Yeah…..” Stone turned to look at the woman. Even though he looked at her briefly, she had a noticeable appearance. Her accent was nothing like the Oshunians, being almost former French or even Haitian-like. Unlike most of the dark complexions of Oshun’s population, this woman had a more mixed light brown complexion. She was a bit lanky when it came to her build, even walking barefoot. She wore short blue jean shorts and a rainbow-colored tie-dye shirt that covered her chest but not enough to cover her belly button. Even her personality seemed jovial for the most part.

“It's a couple of blocks down that way, just past the Golden Triplet Hotels,” Stone directed her. He seemed more preoccupied with his tablet device than anything else. However, Ioren had noticed something that caused her to start typing on her tilon.

“Ah, thank you, two,” the woman said. “I get so lost at times around this big city.”

“You are glowing,” Ioren’s tilon translated.

“Ah….what?” she reacted to hearing that. Stone looked at the woman again, but he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary about her. He shook his head.

“You are glowing,” Ioren pressed the repeat button and resumed typing. “You have an aura of light around you.”

“Aww, thank you for saying that. People say that every once in a while. My name is Kapela Kacela. I work for New Olympia’s Adoption Agency here on Oshun…..or at least just got assigned to it.”

“Is it Kapela or Kacela?” Stone remarked. He felt that he regretted asking that, knowing it would drag the conversation longer, but he decided to look at her again.

“Both. My parents decided both names were good for me. Anyway, thank you for helping me. Take care of yourselves....”

Ioren waved goodbye to her and watched her turn around and leave. Her reptilian eyes continued to see this endless array of light that illuminated her. It was not an intense brightness but something that still persisted all around her. Nothing on her clothing seemed to be causing it that the Itrean could see. She thought nothing more about it and simply looked back at Stone.

Stone, on the other hand, saw nothing unusual. This light that Ioren claimed to see was false. Something did briefly appear that he saw from his augmented eye, but it was just a mere split-second out of the ten seconds he looked at her. It was like seeing something larger but shapeless. He quickly disregarded it as an optical glitch and looked back at his tablet. If anything, he might need to make adjustments to his eye later on.

“New Olympians……figures…….” Stone remarked, shaking his head. He started walking to his car. “Come on, let’s go.”

They both started to head to the parking lot to get back to their respective police vehicles.

*******

“I don’t understand,” Ioren’s tilon stated to Stone. “Why are the New Olympians interested in adopting Oshunian offspring?”

“Ugh…..” Stone was not interested in explaining it, but the trip to their destination would still take a few minutes. Traffic was moving at a languid pace. He decided to go ahead and indulge her curiosity.

“I don’t know…..” he explained. “I just know that each one acts weird in some way or another. A while back, some Oshunian orphan walked up to Gabatrix during one of his big speeches. He pointed it out to the rest of the UWA in the growing issues in Oshun's economy. Afterward, a massive campaign was put out to eliminate orphans and impoverished children that live on the streets. New Olympia decided that they would take the children to their planet to raise.”

“It sounds nice that they are doing that,” Ioren typed.

“Hmmm…..perhaps. Nothing was going to be done about it until the little incident happened, though. This is just the tourist industry sweeping something under the rug to prevent the planet from looking bad.”

The car in front came to a complete stop, forcing the vehicle to come to a halt as well. It started to make Stone get impatient. Ioren could even see that he pressed a button to lower the window down.

“Where are we going?” she typed.

“Something along the trip to the gang hideout,” he answered. “I need to confirm something.”

The traffic started to pick up, but it soon came to a complete stop again. The small two-person electric car in front was taking its time to get up to full speed. Vehicles in the other lane were continually moving to cut it off, reducing the flow of traffic on the street that Stone was on. As the car in front slowed to a stop, it finally provoked the marine into action. He moved his head to the window and raised his fist, showing an angry look.

“HEY!” Stone screamed at the car in front before slapping the left side of his car. “Learn to put some lead into those shoes! At this speed, I could walk to work!”

The driver in front lowered his window, causing both cars to come to a complete stop. Vehicles behind Stone were honking their horns due to the lack of patience. The male driver waved a hand at him. Ioren was pretty much used to this by now, but was careful not to shake her head in disbelief.

“Yeah! You hear that honking!?” Stone continued yelling from his window. “Everyone can’t wait for your fatass car to get out of the way. How about I pull you over and repossess that clunker!”

The driver in front shook his head and started to speed up. The marine’s face was almost solid red for a moment. He lifted and showed a middle finger to the man out of pure malice. Ioren, on the other hand, looked at her hand and fully understood its meaning now. This, in turn, made her make a slight amount of hissing chirp sounds in response to seeing the course of events. She made sure to keep her chuckle down so her partner couldn’t hear it.

It didn’t take long for the vehicle to come to a singular white-painted building. A familiar Red Cross with a blue star was etched into the center of the side of the structure. This was the human symbol that Ioren knew as the medical facilities or hospital. It was not a large structure, being the size of two stories high and having a smaller layout than the Rimbastar Jewelry store. However, its prior hotel interior was heavily renovated to be especially attuned to one thing…..Itreans.

“Here we are,” Stone said as he pulled the car to the side. Despite the traffic, the parking slots on the side were barely used up.

“Why here?” she typed.

“I already answered the question.” He powered down the car and opened up the door. “Let’s go.”

Ioren already felt some level of disgust even being at this location. Stone still offered no reason as to why he was here. This, in turn, made her wonder more than anything else. Despite this, the idea of being in the presence of dozens of other Itreans wasn’t too appealing. She had no choice but to entertain her partner’s odd choice of coming to such a place. A slight hint of what he was planning only seemed to be dashed by her experience. No help was waiting from this place. She had been here before, but it was best to let Stone see it for himself. She continued to type almost in anticipation of his actions.

“You’re wasting your time. They won’t help me.”

“We'll see about that,” Stone replied.

The car doors closed as they proceeded along the narrow, grassy path that led to the structure's front entrance. Visitors were coming to and fro. A few of the ordinary pedestrians were obviously Itrean. Most ignored Stone and Ioren, and the few that did showed dirty glances at Ioren. Stone still didn’t care too much about the personal feelings at first, but he was starting to get the hint that most of the alien women were not looking at him but at his partner.

They reached the doors to see it slide open. The vast interior was beautiful, being that of a prior hotel. There was a receptionist counter that they went to. Most of the Itreans inside were comprised of the Yutilian variety. Some humans were here primarily as spouses, mates, or friends.

Again, the eyes of several Itreans continued to fall on Ioren. Stone noticed it more and more. Even the receptionist, who turned out with a happy look, soon turned to a frown upon seeing her.

“How…..may I help you?” the receptionist replied with an odd but easily recognizable accent. The mixture of tones in her words, much like the other Itreans, would blend from French to Japanese to the occasional other languages that most people never knew were possible.

“Yes, I’m looking for a doctor that works with speech,” Stone said as he considered the terminology.

“Yes…..medic Ik’Ik’tal is here. She is available.” The receptionist’s eyes were attuned to Ioren, who was busy looking away from the counter. “Or do you wish to schedule an appointment?”

“Right now. I demand to talk to her right now,” the marine emphasized. He could see that there was hesitation in her voice.

“Nnn…..very well. She is in the third room down by the window….” Her voice clicked a couple of times as her scaly finger pointed in the direction that they needed to go.

Both of them began their short walk down the hallway. The marine was starting to feel a sense of lingering distaste rising within him, the longer he persisted in this place. A part of him still wondered if this was necessary, but something that might work out in the end. He could see that Ioren was actually more annoyed than he was.

They were in the area that was oriented towards audiology, otolaryngology, rhinology, and other terminology that applied to the head and throat. Finally, they reached the door labeled in Itrean, English, and Chinese, with the label Ik’Ik’tal. He tapped the button to call upon the doctor.

The door slid open as Stone walked inside, while Ioren was close behind him. The interior was like that of a small studio hotel room and featured various gadgets, both human and Itrean. There was a single table, desk, operating bed, and chair that resided. Despite the locale, this place could efficiently serve as an operating room. The thin marble-like tiles on the floor could be easily cleaned. Even Ioren’s clawed feet tapped the floor the moment she stepped in.

“Yesss….” The doctor replied as she got out of her chair and looked at the two. Ik’Ik’tal was pristine in appearance, which even took the marine aback a little bit. She had bright white and light blue feathers that protruded from her head and arms. She wore a white lab coat, but it was nothing like what human doctors wore. They were very loose-fitting in some spots and tight-fitting in other areas. It even partly revealed her stomach and sides to the person who saw them. It consisted of several pockets as well. Unlike the other Yutilians, her feathers were much more extensive and more prolonged.

“I’m assuming you're Ik’tal?” Stone asked.

She slightly hissed at him. “It is pronounced Ik’Ik’tal. Yes, you are speaking to her. What’s your issue? If you need to be helped, I recommend going to the medical clinic that is not that far from here.”

There was already a little bit of hostility in her voice. Stone’s natural voice had a way of encouraging malice out of some individuals. Perhaps it was also for the fact that he mispronounced the name as well that already started to set the conversation on a sour note. Regardless, the doctor wasn’t entirely antagonistic towards him and wanted to keep the conversation civil.

“I came here to learn about the way the Itrean throat and voice works,” Stone said. Even Ioren was wondering where this conversation was going.

“Why, do you ask?”

“You're a doctor, aren’t you?”

“What is your name, human?”

“Master Sergeant Stone of the UHN.”

“Stone,…..Yes, I am. I’m sure you know enough about the differences between our people.” The doctor explained as she began walking around her table.

“I see enough that there isn’t much at all. We come from the same planet, don’t we?”

The doctor gave a couple of quick nods. “Similar….yes, but there are some differences. We are much more resistant to harm than most humans realize. We could handle almost any disease, bacteria, or harmful gene-manipulating compounds with great resistance. We are also capable of regeneration, even better than you humans.”

“Masters of biology, masters of gene manipulation, masters of genetic engineering, correct?” Stone’s voice almost sounded like he was mocking her.

“Correct.....” The doctor put her hands behind her back. Her feathery tail swung a little bit the moment that she looked at Ioren. Ioren crossed her arms and looked away from her. A smirk developed on her face.

“Sounds like to me that you don’t even need doctors or medics at all.”

“Oh, we do. We can still be hurt by bullets, laser wounds, and enough physical punishment. We are strong, but you humans are still physically stronger than we are in other areas. Your bodies, however, require more attention than ours….” There was a short clicking sound in her voice. “For example, I work in this department, but I can easily perform operations on the leg, stomach, or arm just like the other doctors here.”

“Sounds like you have a perfect system here, doctor. You have a small makeshift hospital. I’m assuming most of this is attuned to helping human beings be able to make babies with the Itreans, right?”

“This hospital is attuned to ensuring mated couples are capable of producing offspring with one another. I’m sure you are fully aware of the alliance between our people?”

“Yes…..your Zilik’s Disease that kills off the boys before they're born, yet the humans conveniently have the cure.”

“And…..are you wishing to be able to produce a child with your…..mate here?” the doctor implied. Ioren’s feathers momentarily rose upon hearing that.

“She isn’t my wife. She's my……” he stopped on that sentence before going any further. “No. I’m here because I need to have help for my…..associate here.”

“Nnnn…..” there was hesitation in her voice. “What is it that you need help with, Stone?”

“Ioren, she has a condition that prevents her from talking. I want you to give her a new set of vocal cords.”

The doctor shook her head. “....No....”

“No? That’s all you can give me?” Stone’s voice began to rise.

“No. If you need treatment, I can try to help you, but I don’t have to help her.”

Ioren gave a scowling look at the doctor. This seemed to confirm what Stone needed to hear. It was the final piece of information that he wanted to acquire. Unfortunately, it did nothing in quelling the developing anger on the marine’s face.

“What do you mean by that!?” Stone asked.

“I don’t have to help out a….‘Golarren.’”

Ioren gave a hiss as best she could in response. The doctor gave her a scowl in return. Instead of snapping at her, Stone decided to pull out his tablet and begin typing in the translation of the word he just heard. He spelled it out to the best of his abilities, and the translation was given to him. The word Golarren was Itrean derogatory slang and applied word meaning “freak/mixed or freak/born with defects.” There was additional history and information to the term, but he had to respond quickly. He gave a stern look at her before stuffing the tablet away.

“Looks like to me that you have plenty of resources here,” Stone’s voice became accusatory. “Tools…..vats to regrow damaged tissue and organs…..”

“Yes. I wouldn’t be able to help my patients otherwise.”

“Yet, you have an Itrean right here that can’t get medical treatment to allow her to talk?”

“Yes.”

“Ioren, do you have the money to afford paying for this sort of treatment?”

“That is irrelevant, Stone,” Ik’Ik’tal explained. “I won’t offer medical treatment. Law allows me to refuse treatment, and I doubt the other doctors here would offer it too.”

“Your laws! Not Oshun laws!” Stone criticized her, pointing his finger at her.

Ioren was actually becoming more and more surprised at this course of the event. She could see that Stone was trying to stand up for her. Yet, despite this, she knew the situation was hopeless on her part.

“In this hospital, Itrean laws apply as part of the T’rintar clan/UWA alliance laws,” the Itrean woman responded. “It overrides this planet’s rules.”

“Hmph….” Stone remarked. “Isn’t your whole clan about embracing different species, or is that just for show?”

“The T’rintar clan accepts the Yutilians, Aksren, and Shal’rein that live in its worlds. We don’t abide helping disgusting Golarren.”

“Sounds like to me that you’re just a racist prick.”

“Leave,” the doctor’s feathers rose. “Go find a….human doctor.”

There was nothing else that Stone could do in this manner, but he wasn’t going to forget this situation. He showed a disgusted scowl on his face before proceeding to walk out the door.

Ioren, on the other hand, showed a similarly disgusted look on her face. She raised both her hands up in unison, displaying her middle fingers in a double gun salute to the doctor. Then she turned and left the room, leaving the doctor to figure out its meaning.

As the door slid closed behind him, Stone proceeded to leave the hospital. He had seen enough and had a complete understanding of the cultural ideals of an alien civilization. Ioren could feel the emotions ride through her. For a moment, she carried an angry look every time she saw another Itrean. She gripped one of her arms as if somebody had slashed her arm with a knife. She couldn’t figure out if she was mad or sad. All that she knew was that her partner tried. For a fleeting moment, she actually felt more comfortable beside him than her own people, if one could even use that form of terminology.

Chapter 7: Scouring the Back Alleys Part 2

Ioren sat in the passenger seat as she was loading up her magazines. The familiar clicking of bullets going into place was the only sound that filled the car. The rain was drizzling outside, but not in a deluge either. Even the raindrops made little noise.

Stone stayed quiet while he continued to drive his car. The sour look seemed to remain, as if it was chiseled into his face. He kept his eyes on the road, being primarily patient. The vehicle was getting closer to its destination. The ghetto neighborhood was quite apparent as they reached the onset of L’Kibera.

“Surprised you didn’t load up before getting in the car this morning,” Stone told her, trying to make at least some small talk. His eye briefly looked at her.

Ioren didn’t have her tilon out, but she used her available scaly hand to raise her pinky finger up to her chest. The Itrean woman then made a flat palm before pressing it to the side of her snout. The USL meaning for “I know” was correctly understood by Stone. She placed the last bullet into her magazine before stowing it on her belt.

“Your sign language is at a good start,” the marine commented. “My sister would've been impressed.....”

Ioren took her hand to her chin before lowering it down as if she was about to receive something, the word for “thanks.”

“If you wish to thank me, get yourself a place to stay,” Stone said.

The Itrean woman pulled out her tilon. She activated it and began typing to help translate for her.

“That wasn’t what I meant," her device translated. "What you did earlier. I thank you....”

“Hmph….the bitch deserved it.”

Ioren was going to type something else as she thought about it more and more. The event at the hospital was something that she considered. Even after the man attempted to teach her the basics of sign language, most of the learning came from her researching it rather than anything else. Stone had his way of being outright dismissive of her. Perhaps there was another reason for checking up with the doctor and standing up for her. Regardless, the event did tell her that there was something about her partner that she hadn’t considered.

Everything that had happened so far, including yesterday, was still taking its toll on her. The remainder of hatred and prejudice was degrading. It didn’t break her spirit, but it was like an old scab that wouldn’t heal. To see Stone confronting the doctor brought a sense of happiness, though. She wanted to capitalize on it as she typed.

“I wish you punched her,” Ioren typed.

“I can say the same for you. The Itreans really hate themselves for liking the humans so much....”

“Where are we going?”

“Gang hideout. Make sure that your pistol is fully loaded before we go in.”

“Just us?”

“Yes. Be ready for anything.”

“Why not call backup?”

“As much as I want to, it's best to come in small. The police force is only so large enough as it is to go into a full-scale assault on this group. We need more information on this syndicate that's developing, and any large numbers will only provoke them.”

Ioren could see the building that was not far from Nell’s Repair Shop. She quickly unholstered her pistol and checked to make sure that a round was loaded. She holstered it and patted the bulletproof vest that she wore. Even Stone wasn’t foolish enough to forget his vest. She remained relatively calm while Stone was like a statue.

There were no cars in sight, with only the occasional pedestrian walking around. Finally, the abandoned apartment came into view. It was a two-story, rundown complex. The brown paint was flaking off, and the lawn was in complete disarray. It must have existed for eighty years and had received no care. A number of windows were barred entirely closed, and the front sliding door was utterly broken down and removed. The entrance was instead replaced with a yellow plastic tarp that hung from the top edges. A single individual stood at the door, clearly armed. Other buildings had similar appearances as well. Despite this, if it weren’t for Jahmar’s guidance, it could have been very well possible that Stone would have missed the place.

While Ioren’s attention was diverted to the front entrance, Stone reached for something in the glove compartment. He pulled out a small device and clutched it in his hand. He then pulled the car over and began to power it down.

“Whatever you see, let me handle this,” Stone told her. “Can’t have you fucking this up....”

Ioren looked at Stone as the doors opened up. The arrival of the police vehicle, which came to a stop near a gang hideout, was not a reassuring sign for the guard. Stone was the first to exit his car while he looked upon the man. This guard was a fat but muscle-bound guy armed with a pistol and an augmented mechanical arm. His short, ruffled afro hair tended to dance around as he turned his head.

“Hey!” the man called out to the two. “What are the police doing here? What’s your business?”

Stone seemed to be measuring the area and making his decisions quickly. The guard even saw Ioren but gave little reaction. He did seem confused, though. The police typically didn’t wear the style of clothing that Stone had on, and the arrival of an Itrean further added to the mystery. Regardless, it was best for Stone to act cool for now. He was threatening to stir a hornet’s nest, and he had to make sure that his moves were made correctly.

“I don’t directly work for the police,” Stone firmly answered. “I’m here to ask questions for one of your own. I came to speak with Johnny or one of your representatives....”

As Stone and Ioren were approaching the front steps, the guard held his hand up to ask them to come to a halt. He didn’t raise his pistol at them, or at least from what they saw. He was partially tense, but the request only seemed to discourage the fat man. The guard scratched his trim beard as if he were thinking. Ioren was careful, making sure not to provoke the guard. This was all on Stone to make this scenario work. By now, he could hear a form of Oshunian rap-rock that was being played. It was coming from inside the building.

“Ehmm,” the guard explained. “You seem to be mistaken. Johnny? What the hell are you talking about?”

Stone already knew the man was trying to mislead him. No person would remain at the front door to guard some building in this particular fashion, let alone a seemingly abandoned place. Upon looking at the pistol closer, Stone immediately recognized the gun. It was an M81 UHN pistol. He was definitely at the right spot. This alone almost set him off, while the guard was getting more anxious.

“I want to talk to one of your representatives.” Stone’s voice got severe. “I won’t repeat myself again.”

“Get out of here, old man,” the guard told him. “You won’t find what you are looking for here....”

The tarp began to lift as another person decided to come to the entrance to investigate the disturbance at the front door. The plastic material bumped the guard’s face, and Stone seized the moment.

“Don’t fucking move!” Stone yelled, lifting the device in his hand. He got close to the guard.

“Ah, shit! It’s the cops,” a male voice came from the tarp. It fell back down as the person shuffled to get back inside, leaving the guard to fend for himself. Ioren could see that the guard was lifting his pistol. She responded in kind as she raised her pistol to aim at the man. She was pretty quick, and the guard finally could see the small gun aimed at his torso.

“I said don’t fucking move!” Stone exclaimed. “Are you fucking deaf?!”

That was enough for the guard to almost drop his gun upon seeing the device in Stone’s hand. Even Ioren turned her reptilian eyes to see what he was holding. Her jaw was agape as she realized that Stone had a disk grenade in his possession. The beeping sound could be heard as the marine tapped his finger on one of the buttons. It was the arming sequence. He was close enough to the guard but maintained a correct distance at the same time.

“I want to talk to a representative, NOW! If you don’t, all I have to do is let this grenade hit the ground, and we all go with it!”

“Holy shit!” the guard replied. Even Ioren’s eyes were wide, seeing the event. She could see the guard lower his gun and give a calming nod to him. Even the Itrean lowered her weapon, but she didn’t holster it yet. She felt that Stone might have gone crazy. Her heart was pounding, but she had to trust where this was going....

Stone began to move forward as he stepped towards the tarp entrance. The guard stepped aside as Ioren carefully stepped around him and followed close behind Stone. She had to protect him, but she knew that it was an almost impossible task to complete.

Upon the lifting of the tarp, Stone and Ioren stepped into a large open room. The former glory days of the complex were long gone. Most of the interior had former rooms with completely cut-down walls to make the entrance into a much larger space. Essentially, the place had been converted to a bar or saloon, depending on how one would look at it. There were numerous chairs and tables packed throughout. A bar table was located right next to the staircase leading up to the rooms upstairs. The walls were battered with signs of neglect.

“What the fuck is going on?” another man called out in the interior. The place was filled with gangsters. Men and women, people of different shapes and sizes, comprised the area. Ioren must have counted at least thirty individuals alone. Everyone who was busy talking to one another stopped to look at the two arrivals. Most were pulling out various firearms, all pointed at Stone and Ioren. Ioren herself knew that this could end in a shooting match then and there. She remained at the ready but didn’t aim her pistol at any of the individuals.

“You see this!?” Stone yelled at everyone. “My name is Master Sergeant Stone! In my hand is an MC-20 grenade, a high-explosive round. If you shoot me now, this will fall to the ground and detonate! My hand is on the trigger. All I have to do is press it, and I'll send shrapnel all up in your ass!”

“What's the meaning of all this?” a female gangster called out. She shifted a mechanically augmented leg that held onto a small pistol. “You realize you aren’t walking out alive for all this shit?”

“Aphadian, judging from his voice,” another man commented. He held onto a submachine gun and was checking to make sure that the safety was off.

“I want to talk to Johnny!” Stone yelled. “Is that clear?”

The tension in the room was immense. Ioren knew that there were too many people to fight if they opened fire. All it took was one individual to pull the trigger by accident. Lights were being given off from the disk grenade. Stone even put his hand to his desert falcon. He banked everything on this possibly suicidal move.

“All of you lower your guns…..” a light male voice came out from the top of the stairs. “Master Sergeant Stone, is it? That includes you and that…..Itrean?”

Stone’s eyes went towards the top of the stairs where the voice originated. Most of the people inside the building began to lower their guns, with the exception of two of them. Instead, Stone lifted his free hand away from his pistol and pushed Ioren’s arm down. The gesture snapped her out of it, causing her to holster her pistol. The two gangsters replied in earnest by putting their weapons away.

Two individuals walked down the stairs. One was a big man who had a lot of weight and muscle. Ioren swore that this guy looked very much like the guard who was upfront. The only difference was that his augmented mechanical arm was on the other side. The man seemed to be escorted by, or was escorting, another person. This other individual was a boy or a young teenager. He had the typical dark complexion, but had a large lit burning cigar that hung from his mouth. He wore an oversized yellow T-shirt with the letter “J” on it, hanging neatly over his blue jeans.

“You came looking for Johnny? You found Johnny,” the boy said, walking down the stairs and gesturing to himself.

Ioren was somewhat confused as to what she had seen and heard. Even Stone gave a slightly surprised look upon seeing the child. His grip on his grenade lessened as he could see that the tension in the room was starting to go down. A boy who appeared to be at least ten to twelve years old seemed to have full control over everyone in the area.

“Not possible…..” Stone remarked with much skepticism.

“You obviously came here for a reason, marine, or you would have used that bomb on us by now,” Johnny said. “You’re not part of the Forsaken Panthers, although you still might be a part of Black Star.”

Everyone but a few began to resume talking to one another like nothing happened. The guard at the front came in and looked at Stone and then Johnny.

“Sorry, boss,” the guard said. “I couldn’t stop them. They wanted to see you.”

Johnny reached the bottom of the stairs. He took his cigar out of his mouth and waved at the man.

“What's the name of your Itrean friend?” the boy asked.

“Ioren,” Stone answered.

“I'll answer your questions, Stone, but you have to do something for me as well……or at least two things for me. One, go and slap my guard, Tim, for me, will ya? Doesn’t have to be hard.”

The other man looked at Johnny briefly and gave the nod to Stone as a go-ahead. The marine lowered his grenade before turning around to face the guard. The fat man seemed to give a discouraged look before Stone used the palm of his hand to provide a slightly painful, hard slap to the cheek. It echoed in the room for a brief moment as the marine gave no discourse of regret in his actions. Ioren could see the guard recoil a little bit before he gave apologies to Johnny.

“Good,” Johnny said. “Now…..if you wish for me to help you out, then you need to turn in your tablets and…..I think the Itreans call them tilons? Give it to Tim.”

Ioren gave a look of horror upon hearing that. Her feathers rose as Stone seemed to think about it as well. There was little room to negotiate on this. They were in their territory, and the Boer Numbers Gang seemed quite intimidating as they were. The marine could see all sorts of tattoos embroidered on the skin of the people with hate speech, racist iconography, and the familiar logo of the gang. Everyone had a number on them as if it were some sort of ranking system. He could even see the number 2 that was on Johnny’s wrist, his status as second in command.

“I’ll do it, but we’re not handing our guns over,” Stone told him.

“Never asked for them. See my friends here?” he waved his hands outward. “They have them, and so can you.”

This was enough to convince the marine to hand over his tablet to the guard. He looked at Ioren, who pulled out her tilons. She didn’t want to give them away.

“Ioren doesn’t wish to hand over her device,” Stone said for her. “She uses it to communicate. She can’t talk.”

Johnny was unfazed. “Don’t worry. You'll get them both back once you leave. I don’t trust you not to use them to record anything that would be used against us.”

“Do it, Ioren,” Stone told her. She had no choice but to hand the tilons over to the guard. A part of her knew that she only had her little knowledge of sign language to help her communicate now.

“Good,” Johnny said as he waved them both to the bar. “Come and have a seat beside me. Now we will talk.”

Stone kept the grenade firmly in his hand but had it perfectly enveloped so that the others couldn’t see him threatening them. He still didn’t have enough trust in every single person, and he still didn’t know if Johnny was completely trustworthy in that manner. The tall barstools were nicely arranged, but there was no bartender on duty. Johnny was happily enjoying his cigar as he blew large amounts of smoke into the air. His escort picked him up before depositing him on the barstool to sit on, even making sure that his shirt wasn’t ruffled in the process.

The marine was the first to sit to the right of Johnny. Ioren thought about it and went to sit on the boy’s left side. This would allow the perfect opportunity to convey any sign language to Stone to help translate for her. Not far from the boy, the fat guard protecting Johnny hovered over like a protective but silent mother, seemingly ignoring any type of comment. The smell of the burning cigar was beginning to pick up.

“Talk….” Johnny said as he smoked his cigar, facing the bar. The boy snapped his fingers, and a person raised the Oshunian music in volume to help drown out any potential listeners to their conversation.

“I came here to acquire information,” Stone explained. He went and put his hand into his pocket as the guard watched him closely for any sudden movements. He pulled out the cards and slapped them on the bar table with a light thunk.

The boy had not yet looked at the cards. “How did you know about my hideout?”

“I had a little help from one of your own. He told me plenty before he skipped out of town…..assuming he has made enough progress on that.”

“Jahmar…..fucking weasel,” the boy commented with some mild anger. “You do know how to be blunt and straightforward, though. I do like that. That’s why you two will be allowed to walk out of here alive after our nice conversation.” He began to look at the cards as the ashes of his cigar fell onto the table.

“Do you happen to know about this group? The people that made this card?”

The boy didn’t hesitate. “You don’t know what any of this means?”

“None, including Ioren.”

Johnny nodded. “Take a look at the blue symbol of the Oshunian flag in here. What do you see?”

Stone and Ioren turned to look at the black flag proudly hanging not that far from the staircase. It consisted of the nations of Africa before the great floods. It consisted of the many stars of every nation that worked together as a unified continent. Two large disk-shaped objects went up and down, colored in red and green. There was also one smaller one beside the two larger ones. This small-looking shape looked familiar to what was on the card. Ioren was the first to use her clawed finger to point to the flag and then the card.

“Yes, silent lizard,” Johnny told them. “All three represent the different continents on this side of the planet. One here, one Girinhi Kinshasha, and the other…..”

“Dragon’s Eye,” Stone answered, interrupting him.

“Yep,” the boy made a quick pause as he took a brief drag from his cigar. “They simply call themselves the Syndicate. We have a bunch of those cards already.”

“What are they?”

“Arms dealers straight from the penal colony itself.”

“How the fuck is that possible?” Stone shook his head upon hearing it.

“They just do,” the boy said with almost a smile.

“You're carrying illegal firearms in your possession, then.”

“What of it?”

“It's illegal to have them.”

“Oh?” the boy seemed unfazed. “Tell me, Aphadian man….is it illegal to carry UHN copies in your everyday household?”

“I believe in the right to bear arms, including the best you can have.”

“So do I,” the boy snapped his fingers as the guard moved the ashtray straight to him. Johnny began to tap his cigar ashes into the tray.

“On this planet, it's illegal, though. Even if I personally disagree with the concept.”

Johnny nodded as he tapped the card. “I see….Both the Forsaken Panthers and the Black Star have also received contact with this group.”

“Do you know anything about this group that's operating in Dragon’s Eye? How do they get the goods here? When did you first hear from them?”

“Roughly a month ago was when they contacted us. They didn’t bother to send a direct communication. I spoke to one of the messengers, and they received some supposed hazy image and audio message that they'd be paid handsomely to deliver the cards and contact information to every group that operates here in L’Kibera. They have a lot of resources. I didn’t believe them, but I put a small order after making contact with the same hazy image of the person. The voice was purposely distorted to disguise itself. I admit…..” Johnny looked a little way to his left. “I was quite surprised that this Syndicate actually delivered. They said the time and place, and boom…..the shit came to my men. Made me wish that I put a larger order……now the prices have doubled.”

“Doubled?”

“Yep…..Forsaken Panthers bought a shit ton of equipment, and don’t even get me started on the Black Star. UHN firearms…..” he looked at Ioren. “I even heard some of it is Itrean goods too…..”

Stone’s eyes widened upon hearing it. Ioren gave a somewhat similar reaction. She got interested as she lifted up both her hands. However, she didn’t clench her fingers into a fist and instead pressed the tips of her fingers together. This was the word for “How?”

Johnny briefly looked in her direction but didn’t understand.

“She's asking, ‘how is that possible?’” Stone filled in for her.

“I don’t know. All I know is that this group has its own resources at its disposal and is working with every group out there. I have no choice but to get some of these cool guns.”

“Why?” Ioren asked in sign language. Stone translated it for the boy.

“Let me help you out. The assholes that compete against our territories here constantly make moves that become a greater and greater threat against my gang. I have no choice but to buy from this Syndicate if I’m going to be able to fight back. Look at us, silent lizard. Really look at us. Oshun doesn’t give a fuck about me or my people or L’Kibera.”

“They only care about their tourist industry…..” Stone said as he briefly added, turning his head away.

“Yeah.” Johnny paused as he took another drag from his cigar. “My only regret is that I only have two rifles and a few pistols when compared to whatever the Forsaken Panthers have. Black Star is even willing to offer some of their people, and I have no choice but to hire them in turn.”

“They're thugs and mercenaries….” Stone explained. “They won’t hesitate to kill anyone or their own group if they're paid enough to do it.”

“Which is why I want them. Black Star is good at their profession. Quick clean killers. With UHN gear…..they would be a force to be reckoned with. Not even the police force could have any hope in stopping them.”

“Is there any way that I can contact the Syndicate? Any way that I can meet them in person?”

“You have their card. I don’t have much that I can help you with on that part. I can tell you this….maybe the best course of action is to wait till tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? Why?”

“Rumor has it that the Forsaken Panthers are going to launch an all-out attack on my territory tomorrow morning. They're using the opportunity to wipe us out with their new hardware. They might have Black Star helping their numbers as well.”

“There hasn’t been a gang war turf since a couple of years ago. It's probably a false rumor.”

Johnny shook his head. “Nope. They got the better gear, numbers, and resources. They see the opportunity, probably knowing that I’m at a disadvantage. They will attack. I only have terrain advantage to save us from getting wiped out.”

There was a look of disgust on Stone’s face. This was a grave problem that had him looking at Ioren. Ioren, on the other hand, could see the fact that Stone was in the slightest bout of being rattled.

“Tomorrow…….are you absolutely sure of this?” Stone confirmed.

The boy gave a sigh and a nod.

"You want to stop this Syndicate, then, by all means, Stone…..Ioren…..maybe you will get lucky. I have nothing else to comment on that. I will not answer any more of your questions.”

Stone turned his head to see the boy’s escort give the nod to him. Ioren understood the gesture as well as she hopped off the seat. The marine decided to get out of his chair. He had enough information, even if he was still reaching a dead end on his quest.

“Thank you, by the way,” Johnny added, seeing the two leave.

“For what?” Stone asked.

“Letting me keep my newly acquired merchandise. For a moment, I thought you were going to be stupid enough for me to hand them over to you.”

“I want to confiscate the guns, but it’s going to prove fruitless,” Stone said. “I’m completely outmatched, and the fact that this gang is going to need it for tomorrow’s battle is pointless in me asking.”

“Good, then I'll add some free advice on my part for the gesture,” Johnny replied as he flicked the burned-out cigar into the ashtray. He turned to look at the two as they were about to head out. “Rumor has it that the Rimbastar criminals had a merc, maybe a Black Star, help them out in the robbery. I’m sure the police already encountered it, correct?”

Stone froze the moment he heard that. He had a mean look to his face and stood like a statue as if he perfectly knew what he meant. Ioren could see that the more Black Star was mentioned, the more it put the marine in a state of unease.

“Yes, they did,” Stone answered.

"Expect to see more of them tomorrow, including that sniper I so wished was working for me. I know the cops are coming once the turf war starts. I know that you work with them, too. Understand that I will fight the Panthers and Black Star to the end. I won’t hesitate to gun down any police, you, or your lizard friend of yours that gets in my way. Is that clear?”

“Yes…..I do,” Stone said as he scowled. His eyes narrowed the moment he turned to look at the boy.

“Have fun out there,” Johnny said with a wave and slight grin. With that, the boy turned his attention away from them.

“Come on, let’s go,” the marine quietly told Ioren.

It didn’t take long for the two to exit the hideout. The smell of fresh air was more fulfilling than the smell of cigars and smoke. The guard handed the tablet and tilon back to Stone and Ioren. The moment that Ioren got it back, she opened it up and began to type.

“Where are we heading next?”

“Back to the precinct,” Stone said. “The sooner, the better.”

*******

The police chief sat in his chair as he was talking to Delu. He gave a couple of nods to her before the door slid open. Stone barged in with an Ioren following slowly behind him. The chief gave a deep sigh, as if he was expecting the worst from the man.

“Ahh……there he is,” the chief replied with a smile. “Not even a knock this time. Delu, what am I going to do with this man?”

“Stone, are you coming to the memorial service tomorrow for….” Delu tried to ask, but it was quickly cut off.

“Not now,” the marine simply answered coldly. “I need to talk to the chief…..just us three,” gesturing to Ioren behind her.

Delu gave a dejected look, almost as if she were utterly disappointed in the marine. Ioren noted it while the chief gave a solemn nod for the female officer to leave the room. Stone waited for a very brief moment as Delu left the room and the door slid closed behind her. Ioren didn’t hesitate to go and have a seat with her tilon at the ready. Stone tried to say something first, but the chief beat him to it.

“Stone…..why?” the chief gave a look of disappointment while slightly waving his hands to him. “Why……do I expect the worst to come out of you right now? What is it now that has you destroying the nice vibes of my office?”

“You want to know why!?” Stone replied as he gave a stern look at him. Then, he went and grabbed the chief’s picture and flipped it around so that he could look at it. “I need this!” he exclaimed.

Stone was pointing at the image of the younger chief holding his shotgun in the ghetto area of what is L’Kibera. The marine maintained a firm stance and a meaningful look, which caused the chief to sigh. He went and sat down on his chair as he gave a brief, composed but agitated smile to Stone. Ioren could see that Stone was not interested in sitting down as the chief went and got himself comfortable.

“What is it that you need to tell me, Stone?” the chief asked.

“A turf war is going to break out tomorrow at L’Kibera,” Stone was blunt.

“L’Kibera? You make it sound like you just heard of this. L’Kibera always has turf skirmishes. The Boer Numbers Gang and Forsaken Panthers struggle for dominance every single day.”

“No. There will be a full-scale battle tomorrow morning,” Stone remarked as he pulled out the card and slapped it on the table. “I spoke to the second in command of the Boer Numbers, and they confirmed what I was researching. Them, the Forsaken Panthers, and Black Star are making purchases from a growing syndicate organization on Dragon’s Eye. This Syndicate has full access to UHN military weapons and is selling them en masse.”

“What?” the chief replied with some skepticism.

“It is true,” Ioren typed. “They also might have Itrean weapons too.”

“Heh…..” the chief looked down and away. “Why would there be a full battle tomorrow?”

“The Forsaken Panthers are enlisting Black Star mercenaries and have more military firearms. They believe that they can wipe out the Boer Numbers Gang in a full swoop. Knowing that, they'll probably succeed....”

Black Star…..Ioren noted that even the police chief had shivers that went up to his spine. Despite how composed he was, it seemed even the most hardened of humans had been nervous to hear about this group.

“That isn’t all,” Stone continued. “Neredi was murdered by a Black Star, possibly a mercenary armed with a UHN anti-material rifle. I think that Black Star is getting more emboldened now that they have greater access to equipment. They can score the best kills for the highest bidders. Zuri, I believe that we have a very serious problem on our hands.”

“I hate to burst your bubble, but I have a hard time believing this…..both of you. Ioren, you know that Stone can get a little….overboard at times.”

“No!” Stone said as he shook his head. “It is true.”

“Johnny confirmed it,” Ioren reaffirmed it.

“Johnny?" the chief seemed surprised. "How the hell did you manage to talk to him?”

“We managed to do it. We walked out alive.”

The chief sighed. “I can tell by looking at you two. Johnny made his first kill at ten years old and is the boss’s son of the Boer Numbers. But, there is one little problem to your whole story….”

“What is it?” Stone asked as he folded up his arms. He scowled at him.

“Let us be blunt. I think you did a wonderful job at the Rimbastar Jewelry Heist…..both of you. Stone, you have a tendency to be……overbearing at times.”

“Overbearing!?” the marine’s voice rose significantly to the point it was leaving the room.

“Chief Zuri,” Ioren typed. “I’m still learning the process of how crime is handled on this planet…..” she paused as her fingers were working as fast as she could. “Do you let gangs do what they want here?”

“Yes/No,” both men answered at the same time. Stone replied, “Yes,” but the chief said, “No.” Stone decided to let the chief explain it first.

“The gangs of L’Kibera are not allowed to assemble,” Zuri said. “It is a…..public outlaw that they're not allowed to operate there.”

“It doesn’t work, and the police don’t care,” Stone added. “They simply let them operate anyway. It's Oshun’s business decree that the streets be cleansed of anything that makes it look bad without giving a damn about…..”

“That gets back to the point, Stone,” the chief stopped him. You realize that our workforce is somewhat…..lacking. If both of you are correct….then what? I’m supposed to take my force of twenty and confront how many that might oppose us?”

Zuri had made a very valid point on what he just said, which even confounded Stone to a certain point. The marine knew that Oshun was a place with very little crime. Its resources to handle significant scale dilemmas were almost mute, negligent, and insufficient to counter them properly.”

“I estimate…..ninety to hundred……depending on if they throw their full force into it,” Stone answered.

“A hundred gangsters? That’s all…..heh….” the chief laughed and shrugged. “I have an armored car and twenty people to stop that.”

“Then call more police from other districts!”

“Even then, it still wouldn’t be enough. Ioren…..” the chief looked at her. “What if we call upon the Itrean defense fleets to provide soldiers…..”

“No!” Stone stopped him. “We have to prove that we can handle our own shit without the aliens' help!”

“I might have an argument with Itrean weapons in the hands of the gangsters,” Ioren typed. “I can try to convince for help….” She paused before she continued. “But, I have to agree with my partner.”

“What about the UHN? Call the military to send marines…..” Stone stopped as he was reconsidering his own idea.

"And you see the problem with that idea as well, Stone,” Zuri commented. “Police handle civil problems and enforce the law. UHN is to protect us from the enemies of the UWA. There is no way that declaring martial law and having the military here will make things better. If I do that, then every politician will have my head and career on a spear. Stone…..I sympathize with you.”

“No, you don’t. You know what I see here? I see another empty newsreel. L’Kibera has always been a fucking stain on Oshun’s prosperity. Now a turf war will break out. Why not? Let the bastards kill each other. I’m sure that’s how some feel. So what if a few bystanders get killed in the process? Then so what? None of them cares because it’s a ghetto neighborhood. If I had it my way, every individual out there would be armed with the best UHN firearms out there to protect themselves from the next alien invasion to their next-door neighbors. Instead, we try to limit what they have, even if the police aren’t going to be out there to stop them! Now you have the very thing that the politicians were trying to avoid. One side has trained killers and the best equipment against another that has fewer people and fewer resources. With success, the criminals will even start hiring Black Star to pick us off one by one.”

“You know what, Stone?” the chief said as he slapped his hands together. “You’re right, but only by so much. I have this precinct. Crime is so-so. If only I had a few more of you, then maybe the tough liners would think twice before robbing a store. Unfortunately, I have to be realistic. I have two choices here. I can let the event transpire and sit and wait for the dust to clear. The news media ignore it and give a… snippet for the politicians to deal with. The other choice is that I go in outnumbered and try to establish some peace. There is also the other fact that I want to bring up too…….”

The chief sighed as he tapped the tablet on his desk. The images of the PDW-20a showed up in a three-dimensional image that splayed out. Stone and Ioren carefully looked at the picture.

"The gun is not a true UHN firearm,” Zuri explained. “Analysis by the Oshun security has declared that the rifle is a forgery of the real thing. It was manufactured with substandard parts, making it an unlicensed production model.”

“What!?” Stone reacted. “What the fuck? That rifle was real! I've handled my share of rifles, fired every gun that ever existed in the UHN, dissembled and resembled thousands of times over. That was an actual rifle and not some knock-off.”

“That is what the people over my head say. This Dragon’s Eye Syndicate that you are talking about…..” the chief shook his head. “Even Ioren wouldn’t have anything to back her people on. It’s just thugs building crappy guns. Is it still an issue? Yes, but less so than…..”

“I guess Leredi’s brains getting splattered all over the rooftop don’t count, right?”

“With a powerful enough rifle, anything is possible, Stone. Even you didn’t have all the information yet.”

Stone shook his head as he began to pace the room. He gripped his hands so hard that he could crush a metal bolt into powder. Ioren felt powerless in the situation as well.

“Send me in…..” Stone told the chief. “I’ll kill every gangster that gets in my way and restore order alone if I have to.”

“I honestly believe that you could do that…..But I have to be realistic. My forces will be in danger.”

“It's possible that a show of force can slow them down or make them stop,” Ioren typed.

"I agree,” Stone jumped in. “We're not asking about making arrests. We're punching them in the nose to make them turn around. That’s all we need.”

The chief seemed hesitant, and Stone saw it. He walked up to the desk and pointed at the younger image of Zuri.

“I need this,” the marine said. “I need you out there and make a show of force. We engage in the outer boundary of their engagement zone and slowly push in. Show me that young version of yourself that put an end to a conflict in that same neighborhood.”

“I agree with my partner,” Ioren added from her tilon. “I won’t let them use Itrean firearms to hurt innocent people.”

“Hmph…..” Stone said with a nod. “I have nothing else to say.” He left the card on the desk as he started to back away.

The chief looked at the card. The blue icon in the center had its peering eye that seemed to gaze into Zuri’s soul. Things were happening behind the scenes, and resources were stretched thin. Yet, the picture was a reminder of his past achievements that he couldn’t ignore. He felt a sense of glory and nostalgia, going above and beyond in saving innocent lives that were almost doomed to be eliminated by the other.

“One of the boys I saved in that picture later contacted me…….” Zuri said. “He had a gun aimed at another boy…..I saved everyone. He grew up and works on Orsa…..happily married with a child on the way…..working with the UHN defenses.” The chief was holding back the urge to shed a tear. “I gave him a better life…..all of them. Oshun cares for its own, marine. Never forget that…..we will do it. I will make sure to have the M10 checked over to ensure that it is ready to drive in once the shooting starts. I will also contact the other precincts to send in more personnel.” Zuri pointed at Stone. “I will personally lead the teams myself. I expect everyone…..and that means you primarily, to follow along. Remember that you are UHN working for me. It’s funny……because I don’t have to tell Ioren that, even if she has only been here for over a day.”

Ioren smiled as Stone turned to look at her. The moment that the marine looked at her, the smile disappeared, only to be replaced with a solemn nod to her.

With that, Stone proceeded to leave the room. Ioren typed on her tilon as she got out of her chair.

“Thank you, Chief Zuri.”

The door had opened up as Stone left. The chief gave a sigh as he stretched his arms back.

“I know you spoke primarily out for his benefit, Ioren,” Zuri told her. “You make a better partner for him than he does for you.” His body tilted forward onto the desk as if he was going to whisper something to her. “But…..” he told her. “Don’t let ‘Avalanche’ Stone tell you that he doesn’t care about the others. It’s there…..he cares for others in his own way….even if hate is his disguise.”

“I have my own problems, unfortunately,” Ioren typed.

“We all do,” the chief smiled. “I just tell my wife the same thing every night……that I had a good day.” He pointed to her. “And so do you. You will realize it sooner or later.”

Despite the severe tone that was exchanged earlier, the hapless happy voice of the chief was contagious. Even Ioren gave a smile before she left the room. Her tail was wagging on the way out.

*******

It had reached the end of the work shift as Stone arrived at his apartment. The door opened up as he stepped in, with Ioren not far from him. She had her tilon at the ready to communicate with him, but didn’t do anything. Instead, she breathed a sigh of relief that the day was over.

Even if it wasn’t her home, it didn’t matter. She stood there, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths, as the complexity of the day had been concluded. This would allow her to do her homework instead and be ready for the following days.

Regardless, she could observe that Stone’s first place of importance was straight to the kitchen. The refrigerator door opened up, and immediately he grabbed a bear bottle. The Itrean woman, removed her holster. She placed it gently on the couch before she got curious and checked the kitchen.

Upon reaching the small room, she could see that Stone was gripping the bottle hard. His eyes were transfixed on the half-drunken bottle that he saved from the day prior. He held a stern face and a look of disgust. Ioren could see that he was just a statue stuck in a mode of non-movement. Occasionally, his hand would tighten over the bottle so hard that his arm began to shake. If he gripped it any harder, there was a risk that it would have shattered, spilling its contents over the sink and floor. Her observations told her one thing, and it appeared that he was in severe mental anguish.

“Are you alright?” she typed on her tilon.

“None of your business,” he angrily replied without looking at her. His eyes continued to stare at the bottle.

“You managed to convince the police chief to march into L’Kibera. You did well.”

“It doesn’t fucking matter. It doesn’t matter if we help the pedestrians or if we simply let the fight happen. In the end, the outside of Oshun will applaud the violence… more fewer mouths to feed that they have to fear in taking care of.”

She looked down and typed. “I saw those humans and the gang. They are like Shal’rein, ready to fight even if it leads to their death. I stand by you.”

“You know what I recommend? Get the fuck off this planet. Go to Earth or Itrea or whatever you want to call it and find some human to bang. Better than to die in this world. Black Star won’t hesitate…..I've seen their skills at work.”

“You don’t have to hurt yourself by drinking. I know that humans can become easily intoxicated…..”

“Let me fucking decide!” he snapped at her. He practically slapped the counter.

He breathed hard and slammed the bottom of the bottle to the counter with a hard thump. She quickly got out of the way as he decided to leave the kitchen and head towards the bathroom.

The moment the door closed, she shook her head and heard the distant sounds of him using the toilet. A look of disappointment and sorrow had entered her mind. At the same time, Stone's pessimism and cynicism were affecting her. She was well aware of his personality and the downward spiral that he was trying to fight against. To her, he was slowly losing this battle, even if it was years in the making. The words of Zuri were the final tipping point. The marine was fighting his own demons, and they had to be the most powerful ones that any human could ever encounter. Yet…..she still remembered what happened at the hospital. She knew that she had to do something to help him.

Ioren considered it then and there. She would only have a short time. To her, nothing else mattered. She had to help him in whatever way she could. She stepped forward to the counter and picked up the beer bottle. Using her free hand, she gently opened it up and brought the scent to her snout and nostrils. The alcohol smelled foul to her, and she knew that he was deliberately slowly poisoning himself. She couldn’t let this happen. She lifted the bottle, tilted it into the sink, and started to pour the remaining contents down the drain.

She could hear the toilet flush as Stone was about to come out. The deed had been done, and she had to anticipate the actions of her partner. She made peace with herself and contemplated what was going to happen. The door opened up, and Stone stepped out. He turned his head to walk back into the kitchen. The moment that he saw the empty bottle in the hands of the Itrean made his eyes go wide in pure shock and utter anger.

“What THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?” Stone screamed at the top of his voice. The intensity of his voice was so loud that it naturally shook Ioren a little bit. The towering man came barreling towards her. His fists were clenched. She was quick to respond when she placed the bottle on the counter and started typing as fast as she could.

“Helping my partner,” Ioren’s tilon translated. “You were deciding to hurt yourself. I could not let…..”

Stone’s teeth clenched hard. His hand reached out and grabbed the Itrean’s neck like a vice. The powerful strength of the giant human was more than anything Ioren could handle. The marine might as well have been a Shal’rein she was struggling against. There was nothing she could do but type.

“I let you into my home!” he explained. “I let you sleep on my couch! I could have let you be on the street instead. Instead, you come in here…..wear my wife’s clothing! You come in here trying to ruin my life! Give me an excuse for me not to snap your punny pathetic neck.”

“Do it…..” she typed. She struggled to use her fingers and pressed repeat. “Do it. My people don’t care. They would prefer me dead.” A tear ran down her reptilian eyes as it fell to the floor.

His anger was stilted the moment that he heard that. He didn’t lessen his grip, but he started to give hints to Ioren that she was getting through to him. She kept typing and struggled to breathe at the same time.

“You’re in pain. So am I. My kind hates me……they put me in a submarine to get rid of me. Crew members spit on the deck where I walk. Because I’m of both species and imperfect. You care.”

He lowered his grip on her. “You never…..pour a man’s drink down the sink,” Stone told her. “It's the only way that I can see……her again.”

With that, he let go of her and showed a look of stern remorse. Stone stepped away and proceeded to leave the kitchen. It was as if the Itrean knew that she won a battle against the towering giant even though she was trying to recapture the last several breaths of air that were taken from her. She had to capitalize on this and learn more about her partner. Answers were needed, and it was time to sit down and talk. She resituated herself and started to head into the living room and bedroom.

“Why did you stand up for me?” Ioren typed.

Stone went and sat down by the couch. He began to undo his boots as he let them fly to the wall. He at first tried to say nothing as a valid response, but Ioren was going to hammer this down. She repeated the word “Why?” by using sign language with her free hand.

“…..You know……you remind me so much of her….” Stone grumbled. He still refused to look at her.

Ioren responded by taking her pointer finger and doing a circle near the tip of her snout. It was the sign language word for “Who?” He just got the gist of what she did, so he responded.

“Delilah Stone… my sister,” he continued, saying by turning his head away and undoing the belt that held his holster. Ioren responded by typing on her tilon.

“Tell me about her.”

“Agh…..what is there to talk about?” he started to relent. “She and I were close as any brother or sister could be. We grew up on Aphadus…..nothing like this planet…..wish I were back there. Delilah was everything that I wasn’t. She was almost the polar opposite of me. I didn’t normally have friends because I had the tendency to…..scare them away.”

Ioren briefly smiled a little upon hearing the last sentence, imagining that event. With her, she could imagine that he purposely pushed people away rather than the opposite of her case.

“Anyways….” He continued as he slapped the holster and gun on the couch. “Delilah was smart and could see right through me at times. I was the big brother, and she was the little sister…..then we were approaching the ages of ten when we had the break-in.”

“What?” Ioren silently gestured in sign language to him.

“It happened in that one stupid day. Person broke into our home. Parents were out with the neighbors, talking with them when the whole event occurred. I don’t think the crook ever intended to terrorize us, but just steal things that were there. Unfortunately for both of us, we were there. The criminal had a small pistol and found my sister playing with her dolls. She screamed for help the moment that she saw the perp, and I ran to grab the family heirloom….”

Stone pointed to what he meant. Ioren could see the large handgun. She was still unfamiliar with the design but could see that it was crude overall despite its great power and size. It was nothing as high-tech as the current human-constructed guns.

“My family’s Desert Falcon pistol….” Stone quietly explained. “That gun was so huge that it barely fit in my hands, but I was determined to protect my sister. The perp saw me pointing the gun at him and tried to take my sister hostage. I pulled the trigger…..it was so loud our ears rang. I killed the man then and there…..but he managed to pull the trigger on my sister in return. It wasn’t a direct hit, but it did hit her on the lower-left portion of the brain. Needless to say, my sister had problems for some time.”

“I’m sorry,” Ioren typed.

“Don’t be. What is done is done. Maybe I should have just stayed out of the way and let the criminal escape. He wouldn’t have shot her. I swore never to leave my sister’s side. Amazingly, she fully recovered at the hospital in a month, but….there were consequences. She was deaf.”

“Don’t you humans have treatment for that, though?”

He nodded his head. “Of course there was. My sister had to wait, though. It would take her about a year before she got augmented ears and the ability to have them restored. She cried though…..that first month before…..” he shook his head. “She thought her world was closed up. She couldn’t hear our mother sing, music…..all gone to her. Then……it happened. We discovered something that would help us and help her overall. Sign Language became her miracle. We started with an American Sign Language book….an actual hard copy book made hundreds of years ago. She could see that I was grief-stricken, so she made it our goal to learn the language. It became a game for us, learning and practicing with it for each other. By the time she got her augmentations, we were genuine brother and sister again. My debt for her suffering had been long repaid to her.”

A smile appeared on Ioren’s face. She felt a sense of happiness in learning about his past, even if it was just the tip of the iceberg. She pressed forward with her questions.

“I would like to get the chance to meet your sister,” Ioren typed. “She sounds great.”

Stone’s face showed a deep scowl, and he shook his head. “No….you’ll never will,” he told her. “Unlike her…..my sense of justice took me to enlist in the UHN Marine Corp. My sister grew up and joined the UHN officers’ academy. She ultimately worked her way up and became a Captain. She commanded the UHN Nimitz……and fought to her end at the Defeat of Cipra. Killed by the Aksren sons of bitches.”

Ioren felt a sense of remorse upon hearing the story. Now she was starting to understand more and more about him. The Aksren nose crest on her snout might as well have been a constant reminder to the man about his sister’s killers. Stone felt no remorse at the explanation.

“Then you show up….” The marine said, almost as if he could spit on her feet. His bitterness remained. “The T’rintar clan are laughing at me. I almost thought it was a joke by them. They hate you, but oh…..I happen to know sign language…..Maybe I can take care of their people that they think of as garbage. What a fucking coincidence. I know what they're doing. They drop their problems onto mine. Yet……”

“That’s not true,” Ioren typed. She pressed the repeat button again and hesitated. “I don’t know if they did. You tried to help me at the hospital when nobody would help me.” She felt a tear run down her face. Her feathers drooped down to the lowest as her fingers ached from typing. “I hate them.....I hate them......I hate them.” She paused before hitting the button again and again on repeat.

“Hmph…..” Stone remarked. His lip curled. “Then that's something we have in common, at least. That'll be our strength too. I admit…..” he seemed to hesitate. “You fought very well at the Rimbastar Jewelry Heist and did well today at the gang hideout. If it means anything…..it was wrong that I doubt that you couldn’t hold your own out there. But, that'll be the last time I’ll make that mistake.”

Ioren held her arms together and tightly wrapped them around her chest. She was breathing hard, trying to regain her composure. Stone got out of his seat. He approached her and seemed close to putting his hand on her shoulder blade, but resisted the urge to do so. He instead walked to his bed and began to take his socks off. The man felt more and more tired. He had to adjust to the idea of avoiding alcohol for the night.

The marine put his hands to his head and closed his eyes. He lay his back on the bed and tried to keep his own composure. Outright exhaustion was pulling him toward sleep. His brain had to defuse. His memories instead focused on the few people he cared for the most.

For a long while, the Itrean had no choice but to try to regain control of herself. She decided to start doing what she was supposed to do. She picked up the holsters and moved the guns closer to Stone. This freed everything up on the couch to lie down on it and begin looking things up on the UWAN internet services, much as she did the night before. Lying on her back, her tail would naturally flow off the cushions and to the floor. Her talon-like feet were perched upon one another. She started to relax while keeping herself concentrated on learning. Her attention resided in sign language and understanding it more and more. Eventually, she could feel exhaustion begin to set in.

*******

Ioren’s eyes opened up as she felt herself stir on the couch. Her reptilian eyes could still see that the lights were on. How long had she been asleep? She hadn’t known. Her tilon was still open and resting on her shirt while she began to consider resuming her studies.

She felt the need to use the bathroom. She could hear the light snoring of Stone, who was passed out on the bed. By now, the towering human was asleep. Ioren got off the bed and placed the tilon down when she walked up to the light switch. She gently lowered the illumination.

Her Itrean eyes allowed her to see in the dark perfectly. As she slowly lowered the light, she began to see more shades of gray than colors in the entire room. Her pupils adjusted, and she can see everything, but with just a little less color.

A part of her looked at her shirt and pants. At the moment, she wanted to change her clothes. She was thinking of wearing her original set of clothes again to slow down the need to wash both sets at once. However, she still realized that her bulletproof vest was still on. She had to get it off of her.

She was just about to do it when she saw something glint in her eyes. The window still provided a little bit of the city lights that radiated into the interior. She could see a flash from what appeared to be a medal that hung up on the wall. Curious, she walked up to it. It was not far from the bed where Stone was sleeping. Quiet as she ever was, she stepped up to the hanging case and could see it. It featured a golden circular star pin with a large silver dot on the outer edge, with the colors of red and blue. Underneath the medal was the label “UHN Medal: Hero of the United Worlds Alliance.”

This prompted Ioren to continue looking around the room. Another medal could be seen in a different hanging case. This one had 20 tiny dot-star pins circulating around a golden triangle. The familiar red and blue colors resided. Much like the other medal, both could be proudly placed on the uniform. The label was transcribed as “UHN Medal: Twenty-Year Marine Service Distinction With Honors.”

Curiosity was driving the Itrean more and more. She wanted to go ahead, change, and get ready to study more, but after what happened that day, she had to do more research on her partner. The awards were telling her something, and it was best to seek out the information. The problem was that her tilon only revealed so much of it. Generic military service information was accessible to a point, but when it came to the detailed information, it wasn’t always available on the UWAN. She needed access to this data on Stone.

Ioren turned her attention to the tablet that was resting by the bed. Stone had placed it there before falling asleep. She debated with herself whether she was going to do it, but decided that a peak wasn’t going to hurt the situation if she remained quiet. She gently reached over and plucked the tablet device. Then, she walked over to the couch and quietly activated it. There was no security lock on it, which might have indicated that there was not much that he wanted to keep hidden. She promised herself that she wouldn’t look into things to use against him, but she had to know. What was driving this human being?

There were a few files on the main page. She was meticulous with what she was looking for. She activated the keyboard application and typed up “service record.” The tablet searched its own hard drive and quickly found it. It consisted of a single file folder. She used her clawed finger to tap the file icon. Most of the scanned and recorded documents were just common signed papers recognizing Stone’s service for the UHN. According to the information, the marine had served in the Marines corp for twenty-nine years. There were at least twenty citation awards, and whatever was hanging on the wall. He had been in the service so long that there was nothing higher for his enlisted rank to go short of becoming an officer. The documents continued to show what areas he had been assigned to from the first years, as a weapons engineer and a master at arms. By the time he had reached his seventh year, he was the rank of Staff Sergeant. She continued to read as it showed his primary assignment was that of a marine drill instructor to overall head drill instructor at Mars and Palora for over sixteen years. He went on to do other tasks after that before his posting on Oshun.

Ioren paused for a moment as she considered that. While she was unfamiliar with the whole process of how the UHN did the drilling, she did recognize the fact that this was a person who instructed the first line of marine recruits for the entirety of the Marine Corps. She looked at the files a little bit more and saw the name pop up. Past documents showed that he was married to a woman named Gagana.

She had seen enough from his tablet. It was best to be prompt and return it to where it came from, let alone have him wake up to see her using his tablet. She closed everything down, deactivated it, and placed it on the bed perfectly, as it were. Stone was still fast asleep. If there were any other information, she would have to look it up on the UWAN. She sat down on the couch and began to type up a search query on her tilon. She did a basic search for “Stone” and obviously got too many results. She then typed up “Richmond, Stone,” and a series of several different results came up. Again, it was too much, but then she saw it.

She began to read up on an old UWAN article that prompted her to read it. It depicted the world of Palora, the ice-covered colony planet, and another picture of several human marines in winter-based clothing and lots of snow all around them. She read the article in her head and summarized the article to herself.

“On March 14th, 2341, tragedy befell on Palora when a division of marine recruits was caught in an avalanche near Mount Huanboy. The trainees, led by drill instructor Gunnery Sergeant Richmond Stone, were almost caught completely unaware of the event. The falling snow engulfed all but two individuals of the division. Stone later clawed his way out of the snow and began emergency efforts with the other two recruits in trying to help dig through the hard snow to rescue his division. It would take fifteen minutes before the first emergency team would reach them, but another hour before more teams would arrive to help in pulling the people out. Despite his injuries and denying treatment until the last recruit was saved, Stone continued to spend the entire day assisting the teams in pulling out recruit after recruit from the snow, promising that ‘these are my sons and daughters that I trained to fight. God willing, I will save them all if I were out here by myself.’ Stone promised never to leave until the last recruit was extracted from the snow. Sadly, despite the efforts, eleven of the division died from the great snow collapse. Military media reports indicate that Stone was to be placed on trial for failing to recognize the pending avalanche but was pardoned when it was confirmed that a faulty constructed sensor device failed to report it to him and his division.”

Avalanche…..Ioren noted. She already heard the term used before. She continued to read in her head. There was another picture of a younger Stone with brown hair. In his hands was one of his recruits, whom he carried over to one of the vehicles. His great strength quickly carried the individual to safety.

“Instead, the governor of Palora and UHN marine commanders recognize Gunnery Sergeant Stone as a person who wouldn’t give up on trying to save his division from certain death. For his efforts, Stone is to be awarded the UHN Hero of the United Worlds Alliance medal, one of the two highest medals that can be received in the Marine Corps. The other two recruits will also be awarded respectively. Stone promises that his division will finish and graduate to become the marines that they had more than earned.”

Ioren had to keep going. She altered the search and added “Avalanche” to Stone’s name. The tilon began to show more articles in the UWAN with the full name. This caused a few new articles to start appearing. One depicted Stone in his fancy white, blue, and red military uniform. Highly decorated and at the rank of Gunnery Sergeant, the article was titled with a brief summary. “Head Drill Sergeant Richmond ‘Avalanche’ Stone creates a fundraiser: ‘Shoot to Save,’ raises hundreds of thousands of mard to the poor.” Another article was listed with a brief summary as “Marine Gunnery Sergeant celebrated after fifteen years of service by donating one of his eyes to a child who couldn’t afford a replacement augment.” Another article was titled with the summary “‘Avalanche’ Stone volunteers himself and thousands of fellow instructed marines to build new homes/volunteering on Oshun during the twentieth year celebration of his service.”

The articles kept going and going on nothing but praise for Ioren’s partner, including the few mentioning attempts to stop crime on Oshun. There had to be plenty, but these were the few that even bothered to mention the actions of the police. She started to hold a new light on how she viewed Stone. A part of her still tried to put it together. Why was he like this now? This was a marine who was known enough by his own people, and now he became this. What happened?

It dawned on Ioren to alter the search. She typed up the new name, “Gagana Stone,” and one article appeared. It depicted a photograph of a beautiful woman who was in her late forties. The same woman appeared in the digital photo projector that Stone held in such high regard. The Itrean knew that this was his wife, but this was not really an article. It was an obituary. It reported that on January 19th of 2347 on Aphadus, Gagana Stone, the wife of the head drill instructor on Palora, was killed in a car accident during a vacation trip to see her family. They had been married for twenty-five earth years.

This was the last thing that Ioren wanted to look at as she closed up her tilon. A great sense of remorse filled her thoughts. The loss of a mate was utterly significant, perhaps even completely devastating. It must have marked the end of his career as a marine drill instructor, and why he was working at Oshun. She could imagine everything that the man had gone through. It had occurred to her even more than the dress that she accidentally wore the night before was Gagana’s dress. It was clear why he was not in the right frame of mind when he screamed at her.

Ioren stood up from the couch. With such a loss, Stone had to rely on other individuals. Close family members would naturally comfort him, but even that wasn’t to be. A couple of years later, the Aksren Siege of Cipra would cost the life of Stone’s sister. Another sense of support was gone. It was just another knife wound. It reduced the great man to almost a shell of what he once was. She could feel nothing but pity and respect for the human.

She approached the bed and looked at the sleeping human. Seeing the pain the man had gone through, she lifted her left hand, feeling the temptation to hold his. It hovered so close to his free hand that the clawed fingernails lightly tapped the hairs on his arm. Naturally, she began to pull her hand away slowly. A small part of her showed a strange resistance. The Itrean couldn’t do it but simply kept everything carefully noted.

Ioren decided to go ahead and take care of everything that needed to be taken care of. She gripped her hands together while she walked to the restroom. She knew that the next day could be nothing but severe trouble……

Chapter 8: The Turf Battle at L’Kibera

“I’m telling you that Neo is going to win that next race at Oshun Street Challenge 500 in the following weeks,” Officer Gero commented as he kept his steps in check. He was speaking to another officer who was not far from Stone and Ioren.

“Ehh…..are you sure that he isn’t going to get distracted from those shark rider wives of his?” the other officer replied.

It had been the following early morning. The sounds of traffic had become completely devoid the moment that the police appeared. Ioren watched the events unfold. There were at least twenty officers who were walking together by a large moving gray armored car. The clear blue sky above had shown that the rainstorm overhead had finally dispersed.

Ioren and Stone were marching together along with the cops. Each officer was outfitted with the best gear that they could acquire. The marine could see that some were armed with heavy-duty armored vests, much like what he was wearing. Some had riot shields and pistols on hand. Others had shotguns armed with stun rounds and grenades. Some had fully laden SS-30 carbines in preparation for an all-out war.

The armored car was the most impressive sight amongst the swarms of officers. The M10 was little more than a decommissioned military APC retrofitted for police duty. Yet, it easily towered over the men and women, consisting of eight wheels over a gray frame. It carried a single turret on the top front that held an assortment of stun weapons, firehoses, and a minigun in the absolute worst of scenario riots and societal mayhem.

The column continued to move forward for what seemed to be ten minutes. The police had long abandoned all but four of their cars that slowly moved forward. They were providing an escort to the armored car. The rest of the police were marching together down the streets of L’Kibera. By now, every pedestrian who saw this group had vacated the area immediately to seek safety. The roads were devoid of people except the very few who wanted to see what was happening. The antiquated and dilapidated buildings were constant reminders that the ghetto neighborhood may see action as of this day.

Stone and Ioren clearly stood out amongst the other police officers as they had before. Ioren was the only Itrean present, whom most people had long been used to seeing by now. Stone was the only towering figure who had a pale complexion at the same time. The car took the center of the column while the squads were divided into both sides of the moving vehicle. Stone could overhear a little bit of Gero talking with another officer about things that didn’t concern him. He turned his attention to look at Chief Zuri, who proudly walked with his fellow officers. Even with the weight that he had gained, the combined equipment he carried consisted of both a shotgun and a carbine that weighed upon his back. It helped identify him amongst the others and the lead role that he had. Lekan led the other group on the other side of the vehicle.

Ioren would tap her makeshift helmet. It was a little bit big for her and couldn’t cover her entire head and neck, but it would have to do. The wobbling movement of her head naturally chaffed and pulled on the head feathers, but she had to do with what she got. Her right earhole even ached a little bit from the jutting earpiece and microphone that she knew she couldn’t speak through. But, unlike Rimbastar the day prior, this could be far worse. Even Stone was wearing a helmet in preparation for the absolute worst. His gloved black hands were always at the ready near his holster. He would carefully monitor the road ahead.

“Neo won’t win against Meifen,” the other officer continued to talk to Gero. “She upgraded her MAR-476 to drive circles around his modded Bandigara. Not to mention Neo’s wife tuned up her SMalery too.”

“You might be right, but Neo still has the experience to win out,” Gero commented.

“I still think it is funny to see him in porn shoots with the whole porn propaganda thing,” another officer jumped into the conversation.

“That’s right,” Gero added. “He still has a kid on the way, right?”

“Kids….” The man corrected him.

Ioren didn’t understand half of what was spoken as her eyes looked up to Stone. She signed the words “Don’t understand” to him, which he comprehended.

“I don’t keep up with sports, so don’t ask me,” Stone sternly told her. “Just a waste of time if you ask me.”

The marine remained focused on the street ahead. His augmented eye was scanning the entire surface. He could see brief glimpses of hidden pedestrians, but he was looking for any signs of a potential ambush. There was a slight hill that helped block some of the views ahead. It was dead quiet except for the police that was talking.

“You think that they'll still come?” Delu asked. There was a hint of nervousness in her voice.

“I’ve been scanning the area,” one of the officers replied to her. “Nothing yet.”

The police's morale and tension seemed pretty good, but Stone was well aware of the situation. They were coming, and it could be at any time. Ioren seemed more distracted by the random conversations of some of the police.

“So…..Ioren?” Gero asked her. “You happen to know any Itrean friends of yours that are single?”

The Itrean woman replied by quickly pulling out her tilon. She began to type as the program translated her words.

“I don’t know any. Check the UWAN T’rintar dating services sites.”

“Ah….well….that's true. Just preferred to meet one in private before jumping to some other world.”

“There are plenty to choose from,” she typed with a sigh.

“Yeah, Gero, go find some Itrean girlfriend here,” Delu added.

“Contact….” Stone said. He saw it as clear as day as another saw it as well. It didn’t take much for things to become clear. A large squad of people was coming over the hill. Their silhouettes were quite obvious.

“Confirmed, I read thirty-five individuals heading our way,” another officer stated.

The marine’s eyes became clear to him as the rest of the police were looking at a large number of people walking in their direction. Most of them were men, with a few women trotting along with them. Each person was dressed in either brown or black and white. Those dressed in brown were most likely the Forsaken Panthers gang. These individuals usually had pistols, the occasional rifle, or a shotgun in hand. A couple of them even had crude machetes that came with their firearms. Their equipment was mediocre, but enough of them could quickly become dangerous in large numbers. Their faces were hard to tell, but knowing the Boer Numbers Gang, the Panthers had their own way of dealing with their neighbors.

And then there was the other group that was part of the incoming gang force. Stone could see them all. Black Star… they didn’t make the full number of the group, but it was far easier to tell them apart. They walked like soldiers even if they clearly weren’t. Their faces showed a sense of order and absolute terror. They would use their dark complexions by painting the top part of their forehead with white paint and then leaving a black star imprint for each of their members to see. Unlike the Forsaken Panthers, these Black Star mercenaries were better equipped. The lead person in the center, however, was something that made the marine’s eyes go wide before he turned to the chief.

“I count twelve Black Star,” Stone explained. “The rest are the Forsaken Panthers. Most of the Black Stars are armed with SS-30s and PDW-20s that I can at least see from here. It appears that the leader is armed with Mark 4 Power Armor and carrying an M18 Light Assault Machine Gun.”

“What?....” Chief Zuri remarked. He looked at the scene. He could see one of the towering men ahead. Equipped with UHN marine body armor, the power armor suit made the person a walking tank. Like most Martian power armor, it was typically color-coded as brown, but the Black Star individual had done his own coloring. He had painted it with mostly black paint and placed white slashing marks across the chest piece. A skull and white star above it was painted on the top helmet piece. As he walked forward, the suit’s environmental system would keep the interior comfortable for the wearer.

Stone was well aware of this type of system. The armor and strength were unrivaled. On the right side of the armored individual was a long machine gun rifle that was partly connected to his suit. The computer system and camera on the gun were directly linked to the visor inside the helmet. It was designed for raw power, with the belt-fed 50-caliber rounds fed from the wearer’s back in a disk-shaped ammo magazine. It was generally heavy, but the armor suit’s drive system easily allowed it to be held by two hands.

“I suggest we continue forth,” Stone recommended to the chief. “They're well equipped, but the leader, the one wearing the power suit, is the greatest threat. He has the power to do significant damage to the armored car with his gun alone.”

Ioren, who had only been observing, could clearly see the dilemma. These individuals were using a show of force, walking in straight morning daylight as if they didn’t care. In the right environment, they could have quickly decimated the police response at Rimbastar Jewelry. But, while she knew that the police were generally better equipped this time, the opposition was just as significant.

Despite this, the tension was suddenly picking up. Stone held firm as he usually did, but the gang’s attack force relied on sheer numbers. Most of the police force was mentally prepared, but hoping that an event like this wouldn’t take place. Both sides were in the wide-open, walking down the street to face one another. The armored car certainly helped, as did the four police cars, but even that was questionable in how long it could survive in a one-on-one duel. Even the police cars lacked the armor to block most bullets and only appeared superficially as a show of strength.

Stone continued to look around. They had just reached a street area where there were back alleys to the police team’s left and right. The chief himself even noticed this and raised his hand.

“Team’s halt!” the chief announced in his headpiece. The comms echoed in everyone’s earpiece as everyone came to a complete stop. Even the armored car and police reached a sudden stop.

The approaching gang force walked up and reached within about 60 feet before the lead armored individual held his hand up. Everyone came to a halt and stared at the police force. A few were already flashing their blades and guns, even if the marine knew they were impractical in a fight like this. The Forsaken Panthers were more willing to do this, but Black Star was a different matter. They would give cold stares at the police. The Panthers would flash their tongues and make threatening gestures, but Black Star acted like they knew they could kill everyone who was there. Stone felt unhindered by the sight. He knew the biggest problem that was there. The only thing that bothered him was that the numbers seemed small.

Ioren was not stupid. She was keeping a careful eye on the back alleys. If the shooting started, she and the other police would need to take cover. Shooting in the wide-open was suicidal without cover. The police vehicles and armored car could work, but how many others would be able to do it before she wouldn’t have room?

“Attention Forsaken Panthers and Black Star!” Chief Zuri announced. “You have committed a show of force in L’Kibera and intend to bring violence here. You are to vacate and return to your homes immediately. Failure to do so, and I have the authority of the Oshun law to engage you! Deadly force will be authorized!”

The Forsaken Panthers began to chant in unison. They didn’t step forward but began to bang the butts of their pistols and guns to the road’s surface. The tips of some of the machetes began to tap against the surface, making a metal clinking sound. The words spoken were reminiscent of ancient African tribes of former Earth. Black Star, of course, said nothing in response.

“I will not repeat myself again,” Zuri called out. “Your actions are a gesture of hostility and disruption of peace in L’Kibera! Vacate immediately.”

UHN firearms…..Stone could see more and more of it in his vision. Black Star mercenaries had most of them, but the idea infuriated him more and more. The police had good equipment, but even he knew that the UHN guns were simply better, and they were in the hands of people that only intended to bring harm to another. It was expected in his mind that people would come down to this concept. He wished that one of the military carbines were in his possession so that he could eliminate these thugs.

Ioren, on the other hand, could see something that was in one of the hands of the Black Star mercenaries. It caused her feathers to rise a little bit as she carefully drew out her pistol and pulled out a gray cylindrical device from one of her pouches before inserting it into the bottom barrel of her pistol. The rest of the police had their guns at the ready. The Itrean was no different. She could hear the satisfying hum generated from the weapon, as she knew that she was ready just in case the opposing force was going to do it.

“Police…..” the central person in power armor spoke with a deep, tuned, gravelly voice. “My name is Commander Nkechi of the Black Star mercenaries. I speak for the mercenaries and the ones that employ us. We are here for one thing…..the complete annihilation of the Boers Number Gang. You currently stand in our way. Step aside, and you will walk away with your lives.”

“Black Star....!” Stone screamed out loud. It caused Zuri to look at him before briefly shaking his head in response. “You have one opportunity now. In the name of the UHN, drop your firearms and walk away…..while you still can!”

“We are here because the Forsaken wish us to be here. Our duties circumvent all of your threats. For that…..” the armored individual gave a sign to the others. It caused one of the brown-shirted Panthers to step around the leader. The man had a mechanical-looking augmented hand. He had what looked like a hostage. It was a young woman of some sort, and she had a machete pointed at her throat. Terror had filled her eyes.

“Let us negoti……” Zuri tried to say, but it was interrupted.

“This woman’s name is Penina Rachela,” the leader continued. “She lives in the territory of the Boers Numbers Gang before she was caught hiding in her car. They….are all a threat to us…….kill her.”

It happened quickly that barely anybody had a chance to respond. The Panther lifted up his machete and did a quick swipe of the sharp blade. It was buried deep into her shoulder and back before he kicked her to the street. She tried to scream, but only a small amount of it left her mouth. The woman was tossed to the pavement, but wasn't killed instantly. The horrifying cut was only to torment her. Blood was leaking everywhere as the brown-shirted individual only smiled before backing away.

“You see….” The commander explained. “We are here because we are the ones that complete our tasks.” He gave a nod to one of his fellow mercenaries. This male, armed with a military shotgun, stepped forward next to the man who had blood dripping from his machete. With great surprise, the mercenary butted the person, dazing him before grabbing his machete. Then, with the blade in hand, the mercenary stepped toward the woman who was crawling toward the police. Blood was all over her and the street. Without any care, he stabbed the woman in the back of the head, killing her instantly.

As per tradition, the mercenary left the blade embedded in the dead woman. He used the black gloves of his hand and dipped them into the blood while pulling out a cutout of a paper star. He pressed the star to his forehead before using the blood to smear it across his head. When the cutout was pulled away, his head showed red with a non-painted star silhouette on it. He then returned to the group. The police witnessed the horror of the event. Even Zuri was outright shocked. The barbarity of the scene didn’t faze Stone, however. He wanted to take them all down.

“For the Forsaken Panthers, they wish that any adversary be dead,” the commander continued. “Leave and let us accomplish our task, and you will be spared.”

“Who did you buy the guns from?” Stone asked him. “Was it the Dragon’s Eye Syndicate? Tell me who hired you?”

The man in power armor turned to look at the marine. He could see the face that hid behind the visor and helmet.

“Our sellers and commissioners wish to remain anonymous,” the commander coldly told him. “We do not break our contracts.”

“Do you expect to win this? Your numbers are small,” Stone demanded. “You’ll be dead…..ALL OF YOU!”

“We will fight until we die. You assume that this is all of us. Another team of my soldiers is heading to their hideout,” he turned to look at the chief. “Leader of the police….your time has run out. I will not warn you any further.”

“Everyone, stand ready!” Zuri called out. His shotgun was aimed at the crowd in front.

“Then so be it…..Kill them!”

Ioren could see it. Two of the mercenaries pulled out their stick-like grenades. They pressed a button as the mini propellers jutted out. Then, in tandem, they both did an underhanded throw. The instant they were tossed, the propellers spun, and the lobbed grenades began homing in on the police.

She could confirm it. These were Itrean seeker grenades. She immediately pressed the button to activate the bottom barrel of her gun and quickly aimed her pistol into the air. She pulled the trigger as the small device loaded in the barrel was ejected high into the air. The decoy grenade, as Stone recognized, was designed to emit a false signature for the seeker grenades to lock onto. Both of the grenades went high up into the air before detonating safely away from the police. Ioren had saved the men and women then and there.

It happened quickly. So much happened…..The Black Star mercenaries immediately aimed and opened fire. The Forsaken Panthers followed suit. The police opened fire in return. Ioren took aim while running to the back of the police car as fast as possible. Stone stood defiantly, raising his powerful handgun, taking quick aim, and pulling the trigger. Most individuals were in the open, with only a few police officers using their armored cars and vehicles for any semblance of cover. The gang seemingly didn’t care, but a couple of them ran towards another back alley to grab cover.

Nkechi and the armored car virtually opened fire on each other immediately. The armored car’s turret was armed with a minigun but carried additional weapons. Its gun unleashed a torrent of withering fire onto the Black Star leader. Rounds were splashing against the armor, doing no damage. Meanwhile, Nkechi’s targeting computer had a lock on the center portion of the armored car as he pulled the trigger. Fifty caliber armor-piercing rounds were unleashed from the cannon, producing a light show onto the vehicle's front section. The bullets were threatening to tear into the armor plating of the armored car.

Stone’s gun fired a decisive round, killing one of the gangsters instantly. Meanwhile, another had aimed a UHN pistol at the marine and was opening fire on him. Two of the rounds struck Stone square in the chest, but the bulletproof vest held. He staggered momentarily, swinging his handgun at the shooter before taking down the next suspect. Seeing that he was in the wide-open, even he knew that it was best to seek cover.

It was pure chaos. The battlefield was set. Police officers were having trouble from the beginning stages of the shooting. While better trained than the suspects, the gang had considerable firepower. Two of the officers went down from the military carbines within the first two seconds. Black Star were the ones who were scoring the hits. The police, on the other hand, were taking out the other gangsters.

Ioren had reached cover using the alleyway corner as makeshift protection. Delu was not far behind her. She had a shotgun at the ready and was unloading into the left portion of the gang lines. The Itrean was using her pistol under her and providing cover fire. She managed to score a hit on one of the Forsaken Panthers that wasn’t armored, hitting him on the shoulder to recoil in pain. In another one of her shots, she swore she hit one of the Black Star, but the armored vests were holding. Unfortunately, she couldn’t shoot down the mercenaries. Her gun was simply too underpowered.

“Code 2A! Under attack! Need assistance now!” Zuri yelled out on the comms. Stone could hear him calling for help or reinforcements. He could only hope that somebody was listening.

The armored car did manage to use its other weapons. The other barrel opened fire, unleashing two gas shell canisters straight into the gang lines. The shells detonated, producing a powerful concussive shockwave and heavy concentrations of vision-impairing smoke and teargas. The LRAD, a loud sound-emitting device near the vehicle's rear, was pointed at the gang. It was activated as it produced a high-pitched screech into the enemy’s ears. The Forsaken Panthers were the worst hit. They scattered in different directions while firing almost blindly at the police. The mercenaries were another problem. They were far more prepared and equipped with a variety of protective gear.

At the moment, five of the gangsters were on the ground, dead or dying, but another officer got hit. Struck in the leg by one of the mercenaries armed with a military carbine, the bullet went from one end out the other into the pavement. The handheld shields were almost useless in stopping the armor-piercing rounds.

Stone had managed to get to the right police car to use as a makeshift cover. He joined with at least three other officers who were continuing to fire into the gang lines.

“Attention, everyone!” the marine called out to the police. “Those armed with pistols, fire at the brown shirts! Those with shotguns aim for the mercenaries' legs! Those with rifles, their chests!”

He lifted his head and looked at the lines. The teargas was working for the most part. The one catch was that it was making it hard for the police to acquire targets. The mercenary leader was strafing while still concentrating fire on the armored car. He was aiming for any portions of the armor that were getting weaker. He must have fired at least fifty rounds by now, successfully hitting and knocking out the LRAD device. The minigun of the M10 was impressive, but the rounds were not strong enough to penetrate the power armor. Moreover, it could only fire in short bursts as the bullets would fracture and richocete into random directions.

Stone knew that was his most important target to take out, but his opponent was on the other side, and the car was in the way. If only he could get a clear shot. For now, his augmented eye was able to see through the gas cloud. Red silhouettes would show up routinely. However, he could see one glaring problem. While the Forsaken Panthers were scattering more and more, the mercenaries were barely budging, even stepping forward towards the officers. The marine could see it. They were prepared for an all-out war with the police. Equipped with numerous augmentations, one of them was a special mechanical-looking gas mask that flipped from the bottom of the jaw over the lips, nose, and mouth. Some already had eye augmentations to allow them to track through the gas. Even the pain was something they were enduring quite easily. Stone took aim at one of the mercenaries and fired two shots. Both hit near the center portion of the armor and penetrated well enough that the gunmen went down.

Chief Zuri had enough. Gunfire was everywhere, and he did his part. He had his shotgun and was taking aim at one of the mercenaries who came out of the gas cloud. His OSG-5 had plenty of rounds as he kept pulling the trigger, firing round after round. The stun shots hit the armored vests and administered enough shock to completely taze one of the gang members.

Ioren pressed the magazine release as the empty magazine fell to the pavement below. She pulled out a fresh one and loaded a new magazine into the gun before the slide went back forward. As she peeked around, she could still see the continuous shooting taking place. Her reptilian eyes were having a hard time seeing through the smoke, but the unarmored gangsters that fled in her direction were the ones she had to take down. Her pistol did quick work as she fired three rounds into a bald woman who was armed with two UHN pistols. She crumpled to the floor without ever seeing who was shooting at her.

“Armor integrity down to 20%!” the armored car driver yelled out.

“Drive into the bastard!” Stone yelled in the comms. “Even the power armor can't hold that back!”

“No! Don’t do that!” Zuri replied.

Nkechi was seeing the areas that the armor could no longer hold. One of the .50 caliber rounds finally punched through the frontal armor, causing the bullet to bounce inside the interior, injuring or maiming anything that got in its way. His own power armor did take a slight amount of damage, but was still holding. The driver had little choice to make. In a panic, he slammed on the accelerator pedal. The eight-wheeled vehicle drove hard, trying to go straight into the mercenary leader. The damage on the inside, however, seemed to take its toll. There was almost no response in steering, and the leader was already at the edge of the driving path. He narrowly got hit by the vehicle as it plowed into the gang lines. By then, most of the Forsaken Panthers had gotten to a fair distance, but one of them got caught square in the bottom hood. The tonnage of the vehicle was more than enough to crush the person into the pavement altogether.

The armored car that was used for cover had now turned into a runaway vehicle plowing almost straight forward down the street. It was apparent that it was out of control. Perhaps the driver had been gravely injured, or something inside was damaged. Nekchi was still keeping his focus on it. Zuri and two other officers who were exposed ran to use the other police cars as cover.

Stone had a clear view of the mercenary leader as he emptied his powerful handgun into another mercenary. He ejected his magazine and inserted a new one while now focusing all his attention on him. He wanted this man dead. He was the most dangerous person present.

Suddenly, a powerful blast erupted from the back alley ahead of the police. It could barely be seen from the smoke and scattered gang members that were still trying to hold up a fight. Stone saw it, as did Ioren and Delu. A shockwave of blue and purple particles erupted from something as a hypervelocity round flew and hit the armored car square in the rear-drive section. It was so powerful that the shell blew in the interior compartment and went clean through the other side into the building. Shrapnel and debris from its wall flew in all directions. The armored car went sputtering out of control, screeching and driving headlong into a store. An explosion sent flames and debris showering in all directions. The sound generated was not loud, but something that Ioren clearly knew what it was.

“A railgun…..” Zuri said.

“They have a Shal’rein portable railgun established on the other side of that alleyway!” Stone announced.

This was precisely what Stone knew could happen, and now it was more than evident as he could now see the red silhouette from his position. While the Forsaken Panthers were a glaring threat, the Black Star was even more dangerous. The enemy had heavy-hitting firepower and had declared war on the civilian population of Oshun. Ioren could now note that the gangsters did indeed have Itrean firearms and other weapons accompanying these mercenaries. From their angle, however, she did know one glaring weakness in the Shal’rein railgun. While they were extremely powerful, they were cumbersome as well. They only had so much time to get it set up. A human would have a hard time even picking them up, let alone establishing a clear angle of fire against the police. Regardless, the police needed to avoid going past that area or risk getting blown to pieces by this incredible weapon.

The marine could see it in Nkechi’s eyes and small visor. The leader had destroyed the most significant threat that the police had against his men, and his focus was on the burning wreckage of the former armored car. Perhaps there was a sense of utter invulnerability with the ongoing weapons fire that was going on. Maybe it was the sheer indomitable will of the mercenaries. The occasional bullet would hit his armor, shrugging off everything that the police had. Black Star would never stop in their contractual obligations. The Forsaken Panthers could clearly see that this battle was questionable at best, even with their superior numbers, but the mercenaries didn’t care. Even with a third of their group shot down, they just kept going. A fatter Black Star mercenary individual had in his possession a military auto shotgun. He got on his knees and proceeded to aim at the legs of the police officers who were holding their shields. Set to burst mode, the heavy-duty shells cut down two officers to the ground as their feet were littered with metal slugs. It would be a few seconds later that the shotgunner would take a bullet straight to the head. Zuri’s rifle clearly made the kill as the chief only gave a nod before finding another target.

In reality, the battle was only a couple of minutes long. So much was happening that every individual was doing at the same time. Stone lifted up his left arm while resting his right arm and handgun on it to get a steady shot at the mercenary leader. He now had a clear shot at the leader with the armored car out of the way. Meanwhile, nothing would stop Nkechi as he turned his body and gun towards the police. The targeting computer picked out at least fifteen police officers who were still standing. It would choose the first cluster of police, which was the police car with Chief Zuri. The marine would not let this happen.

With a pull of the trigger, the Desert Falcon erupted, sending a bullet into the armor. It wasn’t enough to pierce it, but it actually made a sizeable dent in the chest piece. Even the mercenary leader momentarily recoiled a little bit as Stone fired again. This time, the 50 AE armor-piercing round hit in the lower-left area near the hand. Again, it failed to pierce it, but it caused Nkechi to refocus on the marine shooting him. A targeting lock was being made as it squared in on the towering man.

Stone had two areas that he knew he could hit as he continued to pull the trigger. Another shot barely missed, but the next shot hit its mark. The ammunition belt that fed into the M18 was struck, blowing the cartridges and ammunition to the street. Even if the mercenary leader still had rounds to fire, there were no additional rounds to feed into the gun system either. Emergency alarms were spilling inside the visor. This caused Nkechi to look at his machine gun.

The marine wasn’t going to stop. Instead, he pulled the trigger again, hitting the head and lower right cheek of the armor just through the visor area. The bullet barely pierced it, but it wasn’t enough to severely maim the mercenary leader. Instead, Nkechi felt the pain that hit near his mouth while blood flowed down his chin. He held a bold stance as if he knew that he was going to die.

With that, the marine pulled the trigger one last time. Stone’s round punched through the visor near the top center of Nkechi’s head. He crumbled to the ground for everyone to see.

At least eleven of the Forsaken Panthers had seen enough and were now fleeing for their lives, with the rest that defiantly stood with Black Star. The battle had not been won yet. The tear gas was starting to wear off, and the smoke was clearing away.

“Ioren, Delu!” Stone called out to them. “You have a better vantage point to try to take down that railgun emplacement. Take it down!”

“Everyone, continue firing!” Zuri called out. “We can win this.”

Black Star didn’t care even if they stood in the wide open. They got into kneeling positions and began to focus fire on the police vehicles. The cars themselves were getting shot up continuously now that the armored vehicle was eliminated. The SS-30 rifles and PDW-20s could easily punch through the thin walls of the cars.

“Copy that!” Delu announced.

Ioren and Delu were watching the railgun emplacement, but they could barely see it even from their angle. It was on the other side of the street, and part of the corner wall blocked almost everything but the long barrel. Neither of their guns was adequately meant for long-range shooting, either. Despite this, they began to open fire together. Delu was aiming her shotgun down range as she made a few shots. The buckshot, while usually condensed, would splinter into a broader and broader cone. By the time it reached the railgun, a few pellets would hit the barrel but not do enough damage to incapacitate it. Ioren was not having much luck either. The Itrean pistol was meant for close to medium ranges. Most of her shots were hitting the walls, even though she was taking precise aim at the railgun emplacement. Regardless, for the people who were there tending to the railgun, they must have seen the bullets ricocheting near them. It would, for now, at least discourage any further attempt to see the gun being used.

Stone watched as another police officer took a bullet in the chest. The round had traveled through the car door and straight into the unfortunate person. However, the marine didn’t flinch and continued to fire at the mercenaries. He managed to hit another Black Star, the one that had the blood smeared on his face. It wasn’t enough to kill the guy, however, as it only grazed the shoulder.

The marine needed to load another magazine into his handgun as he was trying to regain cover. It was his last one. He ejected the empty one and inserted a fresh one. Suddenly, he felt something sharp hit his left hip.

“Argh!” Stone yelled out. He could see that it was a makeshift machete that was thrown at him. It barely punched through his body armor, but he swore that he could still feel a little bit of the sharp metal trying to penetrate his gut. It was one of the Forsaken Panthers, a berserker that was charging straight at the marine. This woman came at him like a screaming banshee. She was responsible for throwing the blade, and she had another one ready to cut into him. The marine was prepared for this as he already used his left hand to pull out the switchblade knife. The only catch was that the machete would have a better length to slash into him, and he was fully aware of it.

A gunshot rang out as the woman’s head took a direct hit. She crumpled to the ground. It was another shot made by the chief, seeing that the marine was in trouble. Stone wasn’t going to let such an event go unhindered as he pulled out the machete, lifted it over his head, and threw it at the blood-smeared mercenary. The flying blade went straight into the neck of the unarmored section. The guy didn’t even have a chance to scream as he fell to the ground, choking in his own blood. Even the mechanical augment couldn’t save him.

Ioren continued to fire a couple more shots as she felt one of the pistol rounds from the gang hit her in the upper right chest. The bulletproof vest held, but she could tell that the odds were still stacked against her and the police. It was an even-numbered fight while the streets were being paved with blood. The Itrean only had one chance. She pulled out of her pouch another red-tipped grenade and slipped it into the bottom barrel of her pistol.

She poked her head out and took careful aim at the railgun, even lifting the gun, hoping that the arc would be enough to reach it. She prayed in her head. It was a difficult shot, and she was well aware of it. It was very likely that it would hit the wall rather than the barrel or emplacement that it was being held on. Meanwhile, the occasional bullet would slip past her or hit her cover. Delu could see it and silently tried to give her her support.

Ioren pulled the trigger as the small grenade round was launched. It flew in its arc-like pattern over some of the remaining gang members. Ioren pulled back a little bit as she watched the shell land, grazing the corner wall before missing the barrel of the railgun. Stone could see the outline of the explosion. It wasn’t big, but Ioren had succeeded. The blast was enough to rip one of the support legs off the railgun emplacement. It caused the gun to topple over onto the pavement, knocking out the entire device. The two people who were there were startled by the blast and began to flee.

“You got it, Ioren!” Delu called out. “You….”

The police officer suddenly took a bullet to her right hip. It was a rifle round that managed to penetrate her armored vest. Blood was trickling down her side, and she began to scream in pain.

Stone saw another mercenary and took aim. One of the Black Stars, however, was providing constant semi-automatic fire in his direction. Nevertheless, the mercenaries knew that he was a significant threat and did what they could to bear down on him.

It was coming near an end. The chief, despite his courage, could see that his force was getting slowly whittled away. As soon as the mercenaries ran out of ammo, they would run down and grab a fallen member’s weapon. They were so determined to win that they would fight to the bitter end. The flaming wreckage of the armored car……the twenty bodies that littered the pavement……the police cars that were getting ripped apart bullet by bullet…..nothing more could be done……

“We received your call, precinct 8,” a male voice came over the comms. “Precinct 10 is here to help you!”

Stone could see it and knew exactly what it was. The sounds of two vehicles came directly ahead. Flying over the hill from where the gang originated, they moved with incredible speed. They were both motorcycles, ex-former UHN Bandigara class military recon bikes converted for police service. These powerful vehicles formed the heart of Oshun’s sports pride. It consisted of two large multi-terrain omnidirectional flex tires, one in the front and one in the back. In the center was a black and gray pod-like frame that had red and blue lights. The central control allowed the driver to lie on his stomach while the pod perfectly protected them from outside elements and environments. On the sides were PDW-20c rifle turrets modified into the sides of the frames. The tires were large and naturally adjusted as they impacted the pavement. The unique electric hums that they generated were pleasant to hear, especially to Zuri, the moment he heard them.

It was a complete shock. Ioren knew that her shot also made a difference. The bikes were in no danger of getting gunned down by the railgun, and in turn, the neighboring police precinct’s motorcycles were coming to render their aid. The gang lines shattered the moment that they saw reinforcements. To continue fighting was suicide. All but seven remained as the Forsaken Panthers were running for their lives.

“Authorization of deadly force is granted,” Zuri called out to the motorcycles. “Engage the gang lines at your discretion……glad to have you here.”

“As are we,” the driver replied.

The motorcycles, nicely labeled “Precinct 10,” zeroed in on Zuri and Stone. They closed the gap immediately. Inside, the pod’s targeting computers gave an excellent list of the threats in the area. Half of the remaining mercenaries could see that they had been wholly outmaneuvered. Three turned around and began to open fire on the motorcycles.

The armor on the bikes easily withstood any rifle fire that hit it. The tires, which seemed vulnerable, actually self-sealed the moment that a few bullets hit them. Naturally, the motorcycles slowed down to give the precious seconds for the drivers and computers to gain a lock. Located on both sides of the bikes, the gun turrets aimed at the assessed threats as the police pressed the triggers on their bike controls.

The bike’s rifles opened fire on the suspects. Set to full automatic, the rifles unleashed a torrent of bullets into the mercenaries. They crumbled to the ground. Both bikes did a quick dip and turn to the center of the police formation. They flew by the police at great speed. Gero began to hold his hand up in cheer.

Stone could see that there were two people still left. It was finished. The remaining police were pouring their bullets into the ones who were struggling to fight back. Stone got out from behind cover as he picked up the other machete from the fallen gang member. His handgun was in the other. He started to close in on the last mercenary. He kept his gun aimed at him, but the fighter was taking hit after hit. Finally, he fell to the ground.

“Cease fire!” Zuri called out, seeing that the battle was finished. Stone continued to close in on the suspect.

“We need him alive, Stone!” the chief yelled.

“Any available paramedics respond to our location immediately!" Lekan called out the comms. "We got numerous casualties on both sides…….” Ioren could see that the Lieutenant had gotten out of cover with not even a scratch. His pistol, however, was completely empty of bullets. Other officers were tending to the wounded. Even the Itrean quickly holstered her pistol as she checked up on Delu.

The marine kept the machete ready, but he could see that the last survivor couldn’t fight back even if he wanted to. The towering man finally stood right next to him.

“Tell me about the Syndicate….” Stone said to the marine. “Who sold you the guns? Tell me, and I'll end your suffering……you won’t even have to go to jail.”

“Stone! STONE!” Zuri was calling out to him. “It’s over!”

By now, the motorcycles had left the area and began to drive around to the nearby streets of L’Kibera. The sounds of their electric dragster-like engines could be heard as they began to increase speed.

“Tell me….” Stone said to him with no sense of care in his voice. He could see that the last mercenary was bleeding from two spots on his body. He simply gave a cold stare at the marine at first.

“No…..” the mercenary replied as he bit something that was positioned near his back right rear molar. It dislocated quickly as he immediately swallowed it. The acting poison that the mercenary ingested began to activate instantly. His heart and breathing started to stagger.

“Argh….” Stone cringed as he angrily looked at the man. “Fucker prefers death….” He walked away from the dying man to go and check on the other downed gang members.

Ioren was doing her best to help lower Delu to the street. The pain she had clearly shown that she had been wounded, but was doing her best to keep herself steady. The sounds of distant medical vehicles coming to the area were getting louder slowly. Help was coming as quickly as possible.

“Precinct 10…..precinct 9…..” Zuri called out on the comms. “Beware that we haven’t secured the area yet. Send whatever help you can. Our forces have taken heavy casualties. Another force of gang members is closing in on the Boer Numbers’ hideout. Unfortunately, I don’t have the resources to go in.”

“This is Alpha Team from Precinct 9,” a female voice came in through the comms. “We're closing in on the nearby street. If you can, send whatever you have to assist us.”

“Beware…..we engaged Black Star, and both the Forsaken Panthers and the mercenaries have UHN and Itrean firearms in their possession.”

“Roger that…….beware that if resistance is too strong, we'll withdraw. We can’t afford to lose too many.”

“Understood….thank you both for your help.”

With that, the chief half-collapsed to the car. His hand gripped his shotgun as he tossed his rifle to the pavement. With one hand on his other gun, he walked out into the open as he observed the entire scene. The dead and dying were everywhere. Blood covered the area. The fires from the destroyed armored car were starting to die down. His eyes watched the marine. He didn’t show any exhaustion on his face and looked like he was ready for another round of fighting. He knew that he couldn’t afford to go any further with his police. The street was at least secured, but the distant threats remained.

Stone was looking at the Forsaken Panthers and then the mercenaries. His Desert Falcon was ready if an injured gang member decided to make the wrong move towards him. There was a slight amount of blood he took the machete slash from, but it didn’t appear bad.

The marine walked over to the downed mercenary. This was the one that had the military shotgun. He holstered his handgun and bent down to the body. He picked it up and began to inspect the firearm. He had seen his share of guns and flipped it over to look near the trigger guard. The augmented eye began to scan the serial numbers closely. The internal parts all showed it precisely what it was to him. It could be clearly verified that these were actual UHN firearms. These were not knockoffs claimed by the district. There was a harness on the gun. He decided to go ahead and keep the shotgun, shouldering it over the right portion of his back. He then looked and saw two large shell magazines for the gun. He started to strip the body of the harness used to hold these and added it to his holster. The weight of these magazines, while considerable, didn’t matter to the marine. He had plenty of ammunition for it now and knew that he could easily fight heavy firepower with heavy firepower.

“Stone!” Zuri called out to him, seeing him stand up. “I know that I can’t control you, but I might have a mission for you.”

The marine turned to look at the chief. “I know....,” he replied. “I heard the chatter on the comms. I'll go in there and flush them out.”

“The other police precinct can’t restore order to this area….”

“You don’t have to give me the whole spiel." He turned to the lone Itrean. "Ioren, we're heading to the other block!”

Ioren was looking over and tending to Delu’s wounds. It didn’t look too bad, but she needed to be treated. The police officer could hear the marine’s call for her partner. Ioren’s feathers rose up a little bit in response. Her tail shifted as she turned her head to look at him.

“Don’t worry about me, Ioren,” Delu commented as she cringed from the pain. “I can still…..ack……move…..go and be with your partner.”

Ioren gave her quick nods as she got up. Delu summoned her strength to start moving, heading towards the other police. The medical teams were slowly starting to arrive. The Itrean walked towards Stone, who didn’t give a glance at her. The marine’s focus of attention was the back alleyway to the right.

“Stone,” the chief called out to him. “Be careful. You’re not exactly invincible. You can cut across that alleyway to get to the other street, but you two will be on your own. Normally, I wouldn’t send my people through such a dangerous area.”

“Hmph…..” the marine replied. He began to walk forward. Ioren was not far next to him as they began to head into the alley. The first of the medical triage electric vans pulled into the area. Ioren could see the carnage that was behind her. Very few struggling sounds could be heard. There were far more dead among the gang than the police, but even they still took casualties. Everyone felt the loss of a single officer. Even Lekan briefly looked at the Itrean before giving the nod to her.

“Keep your handgun at the ready,” Stone told Ioren. The Itrean didn’t need to be told twice. The towering buildings made the alleyways go only in two directions: forward and back. In some cases, it was both an advantage and a disadvantage. In a hostile environment, it was easier to control the scene if things got hectic, but at the same time, if a gunfight broke out, they would be trapped in a death funnel.

Ioren didn’t have her tilon at the ready. She instead used her clawed fingers to grab the armor and the right side of the marine. It caused him to turn and look down at her.

“What?” he asked with a sense of mild agitation.

She pointed at the buildings, noting the area. She then used the sign language of “why?”

“We have to secure the military firearms. You already know why.”

Ioren shook her head and gave a stern look at him. She then used the sign language word for “dangerous...”

“We've already been in a fight just now. You have no room to complain…..especially since they were using Itrean weapons as well…..”

She pointed to the police. Then she used her hand to give the sign language word for “many.” Afterward, she pointed to him and herself before pointing in the direction they were heading. She then repeated the word “many.”

"I know we had fucking backup,” he told her. “We're heading to meet up with the other precinct force.”

“I know,” she signed to him. “Dangerous.” She gave a strong emphasis with her hands to him.

The marine sighed as he began to move forward. Ioren could see him move without her being next to him. By now, she knew that Stone was a boulder that always moved. He was more stubborn than anything. She gave an expression of aggravation as she sighed and continued to move by his side.

They began to hear the distant sound of gunshots. It was a diverse mix of gunfire, including pistols, shotguns, and rifles. It was coming directly ahead of them, perhaps a few buildings away.

“Police Chief Zuri, this is Lieutenant Bapoto leading District 9’s police team.” They overheard on the comms. “We're already seeing shooting erupting. Expect possible violence spillage to your area.”

“I copy,” Zuri replied.

“The Forsaken Panthers and Black Star still have one more team heading to that area, Bapoto,” Stone replied to her on his mike. “Boers Numbers might be fighting you. I’m en route to your location.”

“Roger,” she said.

Ioren slapped the side of the marine. It wasn’t hard, but it was enough for them to pause their walk briefly.

“What?” he asked her again.

The Itrean used the sign language word for “We, not I,” while she kept her focus and gun at the ready.

“Hmph…..” the marine replied. He kept his attention forward as well. It seemed that some of that got through to him. They started to reach a cross alley ahead of them. Straight ahead was the apartment complex structure. They could only go left or right. The marine got to the edge of the corner and poked his head to look.

“Not bad shooting back there....,” the marine replied to her.

Ioren felt complimented by the statement. She gave him a brief smile, but knew there was no way she could thank him immediately for him to see it. Instead, she checked her pistol to see how many rounds she had left in her magazine as Stone remained focused on the area.

The marine was looking at the complexes that towered over some of the alleys. To his right was another building with seven sets of windows. To his left was another apartment complex, but consisting of five. He was looking to the best that his augmented eye could see. The occasional red lines of silhouettes would appear, but it could have been anything. Most of them appeared to be individuals who were in hiding or seeking refuge, while the neighborhood had heard the distant sounds of gunfire. To his right, he saw a brief outline, but it quickly vanished.

“We cut through to the right alleyway,” Stone said. “It's the shortest route to the other side of the street. There we can rendezvous with the team there.”

Ioren acknowledged as she remained close to Stone's left side. She kept both hands on her gun while they walked. The marine kept his attention focused on the high buildings. The red silhouette felt familiar, and he wanted to keep looking in that direction. The Itrean herself knew that they were in a precarious location. The distant gunfire persisted, and they knew they were getting closer to the place. Her mind was aflutter with the different scenarios that could occur.

"We're meeting resistance,” Bapoto called out on the comms. “I got an officer down. Precinct 10, can you send your bikes to the other side of the street to help secure our area?”

“Roger that, en route,” an unknown male voice called out in response.

Danger……..

Ioren felt as if something in her head was telling her something important. Her feathers began to rise. She didn’t know what it was, but she felt as if something horrible was watching her from behind. She turned her head around while she kept heading forward in the same direction. She felt tempted to turn around completely, but Stone was increasing his movement. He knew that the other team needed assistance.

The Itrean’s heart began to pump harder and harder. She was looking at the building behind her, and it was there that she saw it. It was an elongated rifle barrel that was protruding from the second-floor open window. The scope on top was providing a perfect picture of both Ioren and Stone. The barrel was aimed directly at them, most likely at the biggest target.

Ioren had no choice. She only had a mere split second to decide. They were under the sights of a powerful gun aimed directly at them that could go off at any minute. She had to respond quickly. She could turn and shoot, hoping to hit a target at a problematic range or do something else. She turned her head to the right and flung herself into Stone as hard as she could. Her digitigrade legs and tail could only adjust so quickly to such a move. Both characters were simply too far away to get any genuine cover. The enemy had a significant tactical advantage, and she was well aware of it.

Stone felt the sudden impact of a small body upon him. Technically, Ioren was pretty light. Even with the full force of her frame onto him, it only jolted him to the right by at least half a meter. It caught him off guard, but then…..it happened.

Before the marine had a chance to respond, a powerful shot occurred from behind him. A heavy-duty round flew at breakneck speeds. It took mere split seconds before the bullet missed the intended target. The one catch was that the shooter couldn’t anticipate a fast-moving Itrean at the same time. As a result, Ioren would be the one to receive the bullet.

The shot was most obviously an armor-piercing round. It went clean through the top right portion of Ioren’s chest. The bulletproof vest she had was far from stopping such a weapon as the bullet went in from one area straight out the other side, into the pavement below. Her handgun was damaged as the powerful round grazed it. Blood shot everywhere as Ioren was sent flying forward.

Stone immediately recognized what the gunshot was as he resituated himself. He rapidly turned to face the shooter. He knew he had nowhere to run and would only get shot in the process. This wasn’t just a typical sniper rifle. This was an anti-material rifle. He had his handgun aimed in the direction from which the shot originated. The marine only had half a second to make a shot before the sniper would try again to gun him down.

His augmented eye could see it. Second floor, third window to the right, long rifle poking its barrel out the window. The very faint sign of a mercenary holding onto it. The black glove was just about to pull the trigger again.

The marine barely got his sights onto the silhouette when he pulled the trigger. A powerful round echoed in the alleyway. At almost the same time, the sniper felt the sudden jump of being shot at. The bullet didn’t hit him exactly and barely grazed him. However, the shock and awe of being shot at jostled his aim just as he pulled the trigger. The anti-material rifle went off, and the bullet was sent sputtering, landing a foot away from Stone’s feet. The marine wasn’t going to let this mercenary get away. His mind told him this might have been the same sniper at Rimbastar. He now had a better aim and pulled the trigger again as another round was sent flying. It was a difficult shot to make, but the handgun was accurate and true. It struck the scope as the bullet kept going. Shattered lens pieces were sent all over the shooter as the bullet penetrated the right portion of his temple, blowing into his head with deadly effect. Blood oozed out of him before he collapsed to the window.

A brief sense of gratification could be seen on the marine’s face, knowing that he finally got the shooter, but his spike in adrenaline wore off the moment he looked down at the ground. Ioren had been shot. Blood was pouring out of her front as she lay on her stomach.

“No….. NO!” Stone said as he immediately holstered his handgun. He jumped down to her to assess her wound. He flipped her over and could see the blood that covered her chest.

“Why did you do that!?” The marine screamed at her. The anger filled his tone. He began to look at the bullet wound as he was feeling a new sense of adrenaline run through him. Ioren was shaking a little bit. There was a sizeable hole that bore through her body. She was struggling to breathe as the shock of enormous pain had hit her.

“H………p……” Ioren tried to say. Her lack of vocal cords could only form a partial word.

“Losing too much blood,” he commented. She was draining quickly. Her body was beginning to slow down more and more. It was clear to Stone that she was going to die unless something was done immediately.

Ioren managed to do one last thing with her draining strength. She lifted her pinky finger to him. He saw it and understood it. She then dipped it to her body and acted like she was picking something up from her chest with her thumb, pointer, and middle finger. She then used the last ounce to point to him. Finally, her hand collapsed to the pavement, her vision going in and out.

“Godammit it!” Stone exclaimed as he scooped up her body. “DRAGH!” He got up and quickly hoisted her with both of his hands. He even grabbed her small pistol while carefully holding her. He started to haul her away from the scene as quickly as possible. His goal was to reach Chief Zuri. The upcoming battle was over for him then and there....

*******

Darkness……..

Blurred vision.....

Ioren could hear the distant sounds of the background. She felt like she was lighter than air. Something enormous was carrying her, but it was difficult to tell.

She opened up her eyes. She had no strength in her and felt powerless. A human was carrying her, as much as she could tell. Her tail was being flung about as the heavy foot folly below her was moving her body as fast as possible.

“It should have been me!” she could hear his words. She couldn’t tell if Stone was yelling, screaming at the top of his lungs, or simply just quietly telling her. It felt as if nothing in her body was working right. Her staggering breathing was the only sign of any functionality in her. She was threatening to black out.

“Oh no…..” another voice could be heard, but Ioren couldn’t tell what it was. Her vision was going in and out. For a moment, it looked like everything went white. Then, the pain would come and go.

“I’m taking this car!” Stone’s voice could be heard.

“Alright, go ahead……” was it Zuri’s voice? She couldn’t tell. She blacked out.....

*******

Darkness……It was everywhere.

Ioren was somewhere. Was she dead? She didn’t know, but a voice could be heard. It broke her out of her partial unconsciousness.

“Don’t you go fucking dying on me, you hear!” Stone’s voice could be heard.

The Itrean’s eyes could hear the sounds of a police siren. Was she inside a police car? She couldn’t tell. How did she get there? Her mind didn’t comprehend everything. Her breathing was staggering in and out. She could feel her back getting wet. Was it blood? It had to be.

“I'll fucking kill them all!…….” The voice could be heard. “I'll hunt every one of them down….A bullet for every head!”

So much pain……it was too much. Ioren could feel it. Her body refused to move. Surprisingly, only the raw rage of an individual seemed to be the single guide post to the living. She didn’t know.

“H………p………” she tried to say again. Stone seemed like he heard it, and he turned his head and ear slightly towards her direction. Meanwhile, his attention was focused strictly on the road.

She tried to breathe, but it was difficult. Buildings were turning into different colors from the window as the vehicle was moving as fast as possible.

“Get out of my fucking way! GET OUT OF MY……”

Ioren blacked out again. The marine was in the greatest hustle of his life.

*******

The darkness was everywhere again. There was a brief form of light. Ioren didn’t know if she was alive or dead. A part of her felt like going towards the brightness. She reached out her hand to the image and heard a voice.

“Good…..I hope she dies…..” a female voice called out. It was an Itrean voice.

“We don’t need her kind around....,” another Itrean voice said.

The bright light started to seem like a brick wall. If Ioren gave up, she'd let them win. For now, the darkness was her companion, just as it had in the past.

Suddenly, she felt the wave of emotions and pain in her body. It was the voice of the marine, or was it? Again, her brain wasn’t fully working. She was being carried again.

“They'll take care of you,” the voice of Stone came into her thoughts. “I know exactly who will!”

The pain in his voice was sharp. Nothing but anger and hatred. Hatred towards his environment, hostility towards the majority society, and hatred towards himself. There was no middle ground and only the absolute.

Ioren was doing her best. She had to let that voice continue even if he wasn’t the most appealing of individuals. It was that or let the others win.

Her reptilian eyes opened up. She could see the hazy image of the hospital. No…..it was the same hospital that she had gone to twice—meant explicitly for Itreans. Why was he doing this? They would not help her. The doors slid open.

“I need help!" Stone’s voice could be heard. "Somebody get ME SOME GODAMN HELP!” It jarred her awake a little bit, but her strength was feeble.

Safety…..Ioren could feel it. Was it her time to end? She didn’t know. She briefly saw the looks of the other Itrean women. Most were surprised faces…..a casualty of battle. Others showed disgust. Others simply ignored the blight of existence. She only knew how they felt. If only she had the strength to raise her middle finger at them…….

*******

Darkness…..it returned. The light was there, but Ioren shook her head at it. It would grow brighter and brighter at times. She tried to push her hands at the image, hoping that it wouldn’t take her away.

“Please go away…..” her innocent voice came out. It was the first time Ioren could hear her own voice, and it was beautiful. The moment absolutely surprised her, but she knew that this wasn’t real. It was the promise from the light. If she went into it, maybe she could be speaking with a voice. She had to turn it away. Tears ran down her face.

“Go away!” Ioren screamed at the light. “Help me……”

Suddenly, Ioren could feel the great hand embrace hers. She couldn’t see it when her eyes finally opened up. It wasn’t darkness or the light that she saw, but a room. Her brain was starting to understand, but she only felt confused. She had been shot…..at least that is what she remembered. She was in the same room that belonged to Doctor Ik’Ik’tal.

“H……….p……….” Ioren tried to say again with the absence of vocal cords. That fact alone at least drew her to the current reality. She at least knew that she was still alive. She was lying on the bed. Blood was still dripping from her back. She could briefly see the great figure of master sergeant Stone. The doctor only seemed to have a look of outright disgust.

“YOU WILL HELP HER!” Stone angrily yelled at Ik’Ik’tal. He was as loud as ever.

“Bring her to a human hospital,…..human,” Ik’Ik’tal replied. The voice had a clicking sound as her agitation increased. “I’m willing to contact them.”

“I brought her here so you can specifically work on her. She got shot, you feathered brain alien piece of shit!”

“I noticed….” She coldly replied. “We don’t help her kind.”

“Listen….” Stone got right next to her. The doctor’s feathers lifted up as the marine almost drove his finger into her neck. “She got injured in the line of duty, and if you don’t get to work on her right NOW. She WILL DIE!”

“Get your finger out of my face!” the doctor complained. She bluntly refused to help her even though she clearly had the ability to heal her.

Stone’s finger curled up into a fist. His teeth showed signs of outright anger and utter disgust at how everything went. Ioren was well aware of how the environment worked. Sometimes doing nothing would get you nothing. Sometimes doing something would only gather a reaction. Sometimes doing a little, however, was more than enough.

The marine took a step back and reached for his holster. He pulled out his Desert Falcon and pointed it at the doctor’s head. Even Ik’Ik’tal showed a look of utter surprise and shock. She was staring down the end of a barrel of a rather powerful particular caliber gun.

“Wh?” she tried to react.

“Do it! Save my partner’s life, or I'll blow your feathery brains all over the wall!” Stone threatened her.

The doctor began to hesitate. She briefly looked at Ioren and was starting to show a look of defeat. Her feathers even lowered a little bit, but she was still showing resistance.

“You wouldn’t kill me, human. If you did…..”

Stone pressed the deactivation safety button on his handgun. He kept his stance and focused straight on the doctor. His stern face drove into her soul.

“Fine….." Ik’Ik’tal gave in. "I'll prep for surgery. I will need to have some other doctors. Understand that I will file a full complaint and press charges against you for this....”

“You do that, Doctor,” Stone said as he holstered his gun. “Understand that if she dies, then I'll kill you.....”

The doctor started to walk to her console. Ioren felt a tear running down her face. She didn’t care about anything but the marine. She didn’t care about the other Itreans and how they felt. She didn’t care about the pain or the fact that she was near death. She had to defy nature and live. Her last vision was seeing Stone’s face calm down a little bit. He wasn’t going to leave her side. This, she felt sure about. For a brief moment, she could only smile at him.....

Chapter 9: Two Weeks Later

It happened almost instantly. The darkness was gone as Ioren’s reptilian eyes opened up. She felt herself gasping for breath. She was in the same room as before as she raced to look around. Lying on her back, she knew that she hadn’t moved.

Her strength had mainly returned, and the ability to breathe felt relieving. She felt the soft, white fabric of a bedsheet resting on her body. She started turning her head to look at the area. The office and room had mainly been the same. Nothing had been moved, but she had no idea of what was going on.

“Wha…..whoa, you're awake,” a female voice could be heard from almost near the door’s entrance. She turned her head and could see the look of a human nurse who gave a look of surprise.

Ioren tried to move her body and felt it respond. She shifted a little as she focused on the woman. She had very long black hair, a mixed complexion, and a yellow dress with a red cross on it.

“Don’t try to move yourself too quickly,” the nurse told her. “Your body is trying to readjust to everything again.”

Ioren moved her hand to give the sign language symbol for “what?”, but she probably already knew the nurse didn’t know what that meant.

“I don’t understand…..wait, that’s right,” the nurse replied. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pair of metal rod strips. “I was told that if you were to awaken, you were to be given this.”

Ioren felt a sense of relief seeing the tilons while the nurse gave them to her. The Itrean began to move her body into an upright sitting position. She cringed slightly as she felt the small spikes of pain that hit her from all directions. The bed sheets fell to reveal that the Itrean was topless. Her yellowish chest and light, smooth scales reflected off the light. Ioren had realized that this was a necessary action on the hospital's part. She placed her hand near her breast. Just above the pink nipple was a significant scar mark that wrapped around the breast tissue. More and more, she started to realize that she had taken a powerful round to the chest and was alive. The medical staff had done their job.

“I told you…..be easy on yourself,” the nurse said as she felt the human press her hand to her scaly back. “Ioren, my name is Adana. I’m a nurse that was assigned to work here to help tend to you till you recover.”

Ioren opened up her tilon while the nurse observed her. Then she accessed her program as she began typing words to translate.

“Thank you,” Ioren typed. “I can’t talk because.”

“I know, dearie,” Adana consoled her with a polite tone. “I read the report about you. You were shot during a gang war episode. We almost lost you a couple of times.”

“Where is the doctor?”

“Ik’Ik’tal, isn’t here at the moment, but I know that……well……let’s just say that the Itreans have a…..particular way that they run their medical facilities. I never heard of a group of people, alien or not, that refuses to treat others for who they are, although….” The nurse chuckled a little bit. “I suppose us humans have been guilty of it in the past, maybe. She's at a meeting for an hour. I've been here just in case you were going to wake up. They said it was going to be anytime today. You were in a coma for two weeks.”

Two weeks……The realization of the moment was starting to hit Ioren more and more as she looked at her torso again. It happened so quickly. The moment flashed in her head, the moment she felt the hot metal bash into her body. She recalled back in the alleyway seeing the pavement in front of her break apart a little bit before even feeling the pain. She put her clawed hands to her head and snout.

“It’s a lot, I know,” Adana told her. “The fact is that you managed to survive. That Itrean physiology and biological improvements to yourselves paid off. As soon as you were shot, your body reacted to it in an emergency situation. Your heart slowed down drastically, and your blood clotted pretty well despite losing half of it. If you were human, I would imagine that you would have been long gone before Stone ever arrived here.”

“My status?” Ioren typed.

“Doing well. Your body is recovering. You started to regenerate once you stabilized. Your right lung was almost destroyed by the bullet. Ik’Ik’tal managed to grow a new replacement for you. It was actually one of the few things that were really needed once you finally got some replacement blood. The rest was all you. Your body went into its natural coma regen phase when something catastrophic happens like this.”

“H…….” Ioren tried to speak, but very little came out of her voice. She had her hand to her neck, trying and hoping that they somehow gave her the ability to speak.

“Umm…..I’m sorry,” Adana commented, seemingly knowing her situation. “Ik’Ik’tal’s job was to save you from death. I still can’t believe that they would refuse to help with your ability to speak. It was one of the reasons why I was brought here as well. They just……”

“I know,” she typed. “I would have better help from you humans.”

“I don’t know too much about the progress of your situation. But, I’m sure we would be more than happy to do so.”

“Can I walk? When will they let me go?”

“We can try to help you move. Technically, you should be able to resume your duties as soon as you want, or you can spend a few days to… recover. I'll need to speak with Ik’Ik’tal for the final confirmation.”

Ioren knew that the other Itrean staff would be more than happy to get rid of her. She summoned the strength as she started to move her body. Her legs reached over the edge of the bed. She could see that she only had a set of white panties on her lower extremities as the bed sheets came off her. The nurse was close to her, ensuring that she could assess her fully if she were having a hard time moving. She could feel the resistance in her movements, but no rough pain. She took a deep breath and hopped off. Her talon feet touched the floor as she felt her body respond as it should.

“Any pain?” Adana asked.

“Little,” Ioren typed.

“That's expected. It should be gone within a day or two. We can prescribe pain medication if….”

Ioren shook her head. The pain wasn’t that deep, and she felt like she didn’t need it. She moved and adjusted her shoulders and gave a solemn nod. She reached over to her tilon and typed.

“I feel alright. I should be good.” She decided to change the topic. “Did he really……” she thought about what she typed. “Stone. Did he threaten the doctor to save me?”

Adana lowered her voice a little bit as she gave an affirmative nod in response. “It’s one of the reasons why I’m also here to help you. I think his actions really scared them to fixing you up. I think…..that Stone gave some message for you on your tilon, but I don’t know what it is. I think he left instructions for you when you recovered. I can’t say any more than that.”

“Where is my partner?”

“He……it might be best for you to go and see what's on the message. I'll let Ik’Ik’tal know that you're awake and ready to be discharged from the hospital. Stone left a set of clothes for you as well. I'll go and bring it for you. Once I come back and confirm that you can leave, I'll drive you wherever you need to go.”

Ioren knew that this nurse had been summoned from other human hospitals to help her out. They would rather send a human to help her than her own kind. She was used to this treatment by now. At least she felt thankful to get the help at all.

“Thank you, Nurse Adana,” The Itrean typed.

“Of course,” the nurse gave a light bow of her head. “I'll be back in about ten minutes.”

With that, Ioren turned her back to face the door. She closed her tilons and pressed them to her shoulders as a sign of fortitude in her condition. It was her version of showing modesty. However, the moment that she heard the door being opened, she listened to another voice. Somebody else was there to greet the nurse.

“Hello, Nurse Adana. Is she awake?”

It was another female voice that had a slightly deep resonance to it. It was not Ik’Ik’tal’s voice. There was a hint of concern but relief in how she sounded. It caused Ioren to turn her head to look at the source.

“Yes, she is, Doctor Cordeina,” Adana replied. “I plan on discharging her if Ik’Ik’tal gives the word.”

“I see….Ioren, may I come in?”

Ioren could see that it was another Itrean, but this one was most obviously a Shal’rein. She was skeptical of her but gave a couple of quick nods for her to come in.

The Shal’rein that entered was somewhat unique in appearance. She looked like most of her shark-like race. She was taller than Adana and had a little bit of a muscle-bound look to her. She wore the same white type of dress as any Itrean doctor but was more suited for her size. Her bust size was a little bit larger than expected, even for a Shal’rein, but Ioren spotted the unique white trident with the expanding two hands holding it up on her arm and cheek. She had gray with purple colorations to her face, arms, and tail. Her purplish red hair flowed down from the top of her head and shoulders and almost to her breasts. It was clearly evident that she was pregnant as her belly distended a little bit outward.

The door closed as Cordeina walked up next to Ioren. She had a look of care on her face.

“Hello, Ioren. My name is Cordeina. I’m happy to see that you survived.”

Ioren opened her tilon and began to type. “You are a Kerein’Shaltara.”

“You know the religion?”

“A little bit. I almost thought you were Gersin until I saw the tattoo.”

“No….” she chuckled a little bit. “Not Gersin. Close, though. I just wanted to make sure that you're alright.”

There was skepticism in Ioren’s eyes as she typed. “Why do you care?”

“Because I was the blood donor. I knew that you were in trouble and donated my blood to you.”

This astonished Ioren. It even caused her to look away for a moment as she thought about it. It was the first time in a long while since any other Itrean seemed to give care for her. She resumed typing on her tilon.

“You don’t care that I’m a Golarren?”

The Shal’rein calmly waved her hand at her and acted a little bit innocently. “Do you think I’m some snobbish Aksren or coquettish Yutilian?” She paused as she realized what she said. “Ehm…..sorry. No…..I heard about the incident that happened with you here, and heard that you were in trouble. I donated my blood and had it adjusted for your body to accept it. It looks like it worked because you're standing. Besides…..that name is a horrible one to say.”

Ioren continued to see a little bit of sincerity in the doctor’s words. It still took her by surprise. She felt a sense of ease as she continued to type the words for her tilon to translate.

“I was expecting to die. So few Itreans care.”

She patted her belly for her to see. “We have to care…..or we all die. Regardless of our differences, the Itreans must continue forward together.”

She smiled at her. “Thank you, doctor. For help saving my life.”

The Shal’rein gave the nod to her. “I’ll leave you be. Besides….I imagine that they're getting you some clothing….although….you don’t look bad for one of your type. Plus….” She bent down. Her shark-like tail swung a little bit as she acted like she was going to whisper to her.

“If you feel like owing me a favor. I could use a sample of…..” she lowered the volume down just enough for her to hear it. It took Ioren by complete surprise, but something she realized made sense the more she thought about it. The Kerein’Shaltara was a sex religion, after all.

Ioren thought about it for a moment and typed down on her tilon. “Are you sure?”

“I know what the…..'mixed species’ gifts are. You have nothing to be ashamed of who you are. I think in the end that the others are somewhat jealous too. In the end, I think it would be beneficial if I had some. I need it for my research. It might just help more couples out there than you realize.”

Her voice was calming to hear. Ioren felt at ease with her and felt inclined to offer her help.

The Itrean nodded to the Shal’rein. “I will….” She paused and continued as she thought more about Stone. Her fingers raced to type as quickly as she could. “But not right now. I need to find out what I need to do next.”

Cordeina gave the nod to her as she opened up her own tilon. “I'll give you my address. I'll give you a couple of thin vials too. You can take your time until you're ready.”

With that, the Shal’rein pressed a couple of buttons that submitted the message to her device. She then pulled a couple of thin, half-box metal-like tabs out of her pocket before putting them on the bed for her to pick up once she got her clothes.

“Take care, Ioren,” Cordeina said. “Hope you find peace out there. Don’t ever give up.”

“You too, doctor.”

With that, the Shal’rein turned around and left the room. Ioren returned to face away from the door. She was left with thoughts of what had happened to Stone. Where was he? Was he alright? What happened after two weeks?

Ioren's curiosity was driving her to those answers. Her tilon was still open. She started to look through her message box in her files. She could see the recent message given by Cordeina. There were other emails of non-importance, but one caught her eye. It was simply stated from Richmond Stone marked urgent.

She walked up to the bed and sat back down. She adjusted her tail as she activated the button to see what the email had to say. A projection appeared that showed a three-dimensional recorded video and audio from the display. She felt a mild form of relief as she saw the face that she had gotten used to seeing. It showed the marine’s face, and he had the same stern and non-concerned look that he always had.

“Ioren,” Stone explained. “If you are receiving this message, then it's time for you to get your ass up! I'll need you to head over to the police precinct once you're well enough to do so. There, I left instructions for Police Chief Zuri for you. I'll need a…..partner…..if I’m going to take on the Syndicate.” He pointed his finger at the screen and at her. “No fucking excuse to be lying on your back, soldier. I need everybody at the ready if this is going to work. I'll be waiting for your arrival. Stone, out.”

It was short and straightforward. The screen barely gave many indications as to his well-being, and he didn’t exactly seem to be all that pleasant. For Ioren, though, a sense of happiness filled her thoughts. She knew that he was alright, at least from the short clip. She closed her tilon and knew what she needed to do next and where her next stop would take her. If anything, she curled up into a ball, holding her knees close to her body. She was keeping the metal strips of the tilon close to her chest. Regardless of the small amount of pain, she felt a sense of longing in wondering what had happened to her partner.

*******

“Yeah, she's alive and kicking!” one of the officers called out the moment they saw Ioren.

“Glad to see you standing, Ioren,” Delu said as she patted her side. It was a sense of relief to see that the female officer was doing all right. Even the sight of a lone Itrean that had only been at the precinct for a few days prior was a sense of good news.

Regardless, the precinct was a little emptier than it initially appeared. The loss of some of the other police had an effect that lingered. Hardly much else changed besides that. For the Itrean, her attention was focused solely on reaching and talking with the police chief.

Ioren reached the door as she put her hand to her side. She looked at herself over. The blue shirt and pants that Stone left behind had now become her traditional clothing. She had to imagine that her original clothing had some sizeable holes in it, especially from the gunshot. She considered going to the apartment first, but knew that he would more likely be at the precinct, as he had already indicated in the message if Stone was working.

The door opened, and Ioren stepped in. The office was the same as it always was. The chief was looking over at some forms on his tablet. He seemed relaxed, and it didn’t take long for him to notice the alien woman walk into the room. The moment that the chief saw her, he got out of his seat. If anything, the obese individual seemed jovial to see her. He extended his arms out for her.

“Ioren!” the chief called out to her. He had a big smile on his face. “Oshun smiles upon you! For somebody that is as small as you, you can take a bullet wound that could easily take down a Johan serpent.”

Ioren walked up to the police chief. She understood the concept of a human hug as she extended her arms out to him. Like a bear, he embraced her and held her lightly in appreciation.

“You know….” the chief explained while he released her. “For somebody that had been here for so long, your impact is starting to take notice. I imagine that you need answers.”

With that, Zuri returned to his seat. Ioren opened her tilon and sat down. She began to type as quickly as she could. She needed to know what had happened in the last two weeks.

“Chief, are you alright?” her tilon translated for her.

“Heh, heh,” Zuri chuckled a little bit. “Of course, I am. It has been a busy couple of weeks, but I imagine you are here for a very good reason. You wish to know what happened when you were gone.”

Ioren did a couple of quick nods. Zuri’s tone began to become slightly severe, but he looked down for a short bit.

“We were never able to secure L’Kibera. We managed to stop half of the gang in their assault that you saw, but we took too many losses. Precinct 9, 10….us…. we had to withdraw. Precinct 9, you two were heading to meet up with them. The last that they saw was a kid and a few others of the Boers Numbers Gang escaping from the scene before the nines left. For now….I can’t worry about a new gang taking prominence in that area. We did manage to help a few of the other pedestrians escape to safety.”

“Is Stone alright?”

“Well…..there was a little problem in that whole…..scenario.” Zuri’s lip furled a little bit as he leaned back on his chair and twiddled his thumbs. “I’m well aware of all the events that occurred the last couple of weeks…..Stone has a way of getting things done…..Even for a couple of days, you were with us. You could see it. I don’t think he would ever make a good police officer, but at a time like this, I need whatever help I can get. I don’t know, but I think your near-death experience spiked him some. Before I knew it, I get a report and filed complaint from the hospital you were treated at. Apparently, Doctor Ik’Ik’ikity didn’t want to….”

“Ik’Ik’tal,” Ioren reluctantly corrected and typed.

“Yeah, her. She was held by gunpoint by your partner.”

“Stone did it to save my life.”

The chief nodded his head. “I can’t say for the obvious on how I felt about that. I don’t even know what I would do if I were in both positions. If I had it my way, I would have taken better judgment, but he could have taken you to another nearby hospital. Again…..I can’t speak for the situation. Stone made his choice, and the end result was that charges were pressed against him...”

Ioren’s head feathers lowered a little bit. She gave an agitated look, knowing what might have happened to him. The chief acknowledged her reactions.

“What matters is that you are alive, and Stone knew pretty well that you were going to live after a week. He was held in police custody for a short time pending being sent over to the UHN for court-martial. But…..” he waved a finger towards her direction. “I admit that Stone had an interesting proposal. Something that I think even the Oshunian UHN command staff might have agreed to…..at least. Unfortunately, they don’t pass along that information to me all that well except the orders.”

Ioren was curious as to where this was going. She gave a peak of curiosity and adjusted her tail a little bit.

“According to the orders, Stone was to be sent to Dragon’s Eye…..for his ‘crimes.’”

“Dragon’s Eye?” she typed. Her reptilian eyes widened a little bit upon the realization. “The place that bad people go to?”

“The worst people, yes….” Zuri commented. “But…. there is a little bit of a catch. Stone told me that this was his idea. He was the one that suggested it.”

“Why?”

“I think that is something you might be willing to ask yourself. Stone has left explicit instructions to be delivered to you. He left a couple of things at this precinct to be handed to you. I think he has had this planned for some time. We let him have access to his apartment and the hospital to deliver everything that was needed before he was taken to the penal colony.” The chief leaned down and opened a small cabinet in his desk. He pulled out the holster belt that she used in the last couple of days and set it on the table for her to take.

“I don’t understand, Chief.,” she typed.

“This is what he asked me to do. I believe he might be doing some sort of secret mission for the UHN, but don’t quote me on that. He wanted you to go there with him, assuming you are well enough to do it.”

Ioren thought about it as she learned more and more about the concept. Finally, she did a couple of quick nods as she picked up the holster and began to put on her belt. Even with her civilian clothing, it at least made her look more like she was ready for something before picking up her tilon again.

“I imagined that you would be ready to do something like this, too,” Zuri continued. “You are not really tied to this precinct anyway.”

“He wants to kill them all,” Ioren typed. “I must be with him.”

“Are you fully aware of what exists on Dragon’s Eye?”

She gave a neutral look at him as a response.

The chief looked away and pulled out what appeared to be a gun before setting it on the desk. He ejected the magazine and inspected it to see if it was fully loaded before handing it to her. The pistol was slightly larger than the one she was using. Next, he accessed the tablet he had.

“You will need this, then,” the chief explained as he pressed a couple of buttons. “If you choose to go and search for him, then you will need to know a little bit of the layout. The place should be a derelict location. It was abandoned and left for the criminals to roam free in. The place is…..very……very……dangerous.”

“Why not just send the police to go there?” she typed.

“You have seen this place and know of us. I barely had enough to stop the turf war that got you injured…..Stone…..is partly right. Many…..many good things here.”

“The criminals and gangs were using your military weapons.”

The chief nodded but gave a skeptical look. “Yes…..according to the research bureau, the guns are just knockoffs.”

“They used Itrean seeker grenades and a railgun on us,” she countered. “Those are hard to make with your technology.”

“That is what has me worried. If it weren’t for your actions those last two weeks, we would have had to disengage then and there, taking enormous casualties. I brought that up on the report, and they dismissed the claim. I have heard nothing yet on their report on the railgun.”

Ioren was starting to understand more about the people Zuri worked for. There was some form of work going on above his chain of command. Were the humans this ignorant, or were they doing this on purpose? Even with basic equipment that supposedly existed on Dragon’s Eye, that equipment was simply too hard to make. Her eyes narrowed. She could see that Zuri couldn’t do much in his situation. The resources of the human law enforcement groups were too underpowered to go straight to another island. Oshun’s waters were too big and complex to patrol the whole thing. Somewhere, somehow, people were smuggling weapons onto the other islands. Perhaps they were even being manipulated, as Stone might have even considered. The more she thought about it, the more she knew that she was starting to feel like him.

“Where is my gun?” she typed.

“Stone took it with him……I think he is planning for your arrival. He was allowed to take some things with him when he was transported there. I made sure to offer our full support…….he is family after all.”

“He was a drill instructor.”

“I know he was. That is why I always make sure to find ways to calm him down. It is…..difficult to stop an ‘avalanche,’ especially when he comes barreling down at you. I think that you might just be what is needed to help thaw him. I am giving you a complete layout of the island on your tilon. Keep in mind that this is over twenty years old, and the place was never completed in construction. You will be the only Itrean to set foot on it. I would recommend traveling at night to avoid being spotted. That is…..all of course if you feel that your people will not allow you to go.”

“I must help, Stone. I need to figure out why Itrean weapons are falling into use by people that shouldn’t.”

He nodded his head in agreement. “I will let you take what you want from the armory here once you feel ready. I will set up a transport shuttle to bring you there. According to him, he will most likely be near the abandoned water pump station located here.”

Ioren looked at the map briefly from the projected screen of his tilon. She could see an extensive array of boxes to represent buildings. The red dot that appeared showed what might have been his location, assuming he was alive. It was near the central-western corner of the Dragon’s Eye map. She would need to further evaluate the map later on.

“Be aware that you are heading into a place that is filled with the worst criminals on Oshun,” Zuri continued. “I would say that Stone might have a chance at whatever he was going to go up against. Now…..I feel that he has a greater chance. You will be on your own until you find him, but we will try to set up a way that we can pick you up once you are done.”

It was a somewhat vague but descriptive mission objective for Ioren. She considered it more and more. The marine did for her. She could feel it in her chest. She was alive, and she helped him. Despite the dangers, a part of her thought that there was nothing to lose in going there. She knew where she was going to go next.

“I will be back,” Ioren told the chief.

“You do what you need to do. I will be here arranging things for you.”

She nodded in agreement and proceeded to leave.

“And Ioren?” Zuri tried to tell her.

She paused as she turned around to face him. Her tilon was at the ready.

“I wish you luck out there. You are brave…..braver than most. I think….that I will tell my wife…..that I had a good day, knowing that there are good partners like you.”

*******

The shuttle trip seemed long and drawn out, even though it felt like only ten minutes. The sunset had been long over, and only the faint dark purple ocean caused by the orange light of Oshun’s sun could be seen. At night, the gray cylindrical outline of the shuttle could barely be seen apart from the few lights and glowing thrusters emitted from it. Below the shuttle was nothing but water. While pristine and beautiful, at night, the pilot had to pay careful attention to avoid the endless blackness from the fading light. Only the deep resonating sound of waves could be heard as the transport engines echoed throughout the area.

Inside the Argas class shuttle, Ioren sat in one of the many seats. A few armed police officers were busy talking to each other. One was Delu, who was speaking with the pilot. Despite the interior’s great space, there was very little there when it came to people. The Itrean was well aware that she was heading into hostile territory. She was taking deep breaths through her nostrils. While she wasn’t afraid of where she was going, she was more concerned about Stone.

Ioren was busy reading and looking at the layout of the Dragon’s Eye Island. It was almost egg-shaped, measuring about 37 kilometers long. Its history was that of being one of the smallest of the three tallest volcanoes and mountains that had been long extinct in the northern hemisphere of the planet. When the world had flooded long ago, all that remained were the tallest land structures. No one knew how the name Dragon’s Eye originated, except that it was named that to supposedly scare the population from going there. She read some other things, but the map layout was the most important.

Surprisingly, most of the island was supposedly barren and consisted of much swampland for the native wildlife. Anything that lived on it was primarily harmless apart from the supposed Johan serpents that lived in the northwestern area of the island and other remote regions of the different Oshun continents. The extinct volcano had been long, but eroded by the constant weather erosion thrown onto it. The end result had created a small but sizeable hill in the center. Most of the former prison facility was in the southeastern area, but some homes were in the process of being built in the northern region. Additional warehouses, essential stores, power generation, and factories were in the mid-south to the southwestern areas. Once the abandonment began, everything was stripped bare. This was to ensure that the prisoners would have nothing to benefit from. Using the natural water as a barrier and the occasional coastal vessels, the prisoners had nowhere to go except for what was on their backs.

“You feel ready to go in there?” Delu interrupted Ioren’s thoughts. She had left the pilothouse and was walking down the aisle area to talk to her. She gripped the seat and sat down to talk to her. A shotgun was at her ready. The Itrean responded by pulling up her translation program.

“Yes,” she typed.

Delu shook her head in sympathy. “I…..don’t want to even imagine it. It scares me so much. Dragon’s Eye has so many stories to it. The worst of the worst go there. You and Stone will be the only ones there, and you're separated as well.”

“I will find him.”

“It was hard seeing the old man arrested. I heard what happened to Stone. All that just to save your life. I don’t know if him being put there is a death sentence for him or not.”

She pressed the button to repeat the sentence. It caused Delu to nod her head in agreement.

“Ioren? I believe that's your name,” a male voice came from the pilot-house. It caused her to look in the direction of the sound.

The Itrean stood up and walked down the passageway of seats. A couple of other officers gave her the nod. She reached the pilot's room and saw the person controlling the entire shuttle. His augmented hand glowed as it perched on the central console linked to his head.

“Yes?” Ioren typed on her tilon. She looked at the pilot. He was fair-skinned and thin. His black hair and light bronze skin were reminiscent of somebody from Polynesia on former Earth. He lightly turned his head to her while keeping an eye on his gauges.

“I’m pretty sure that you're briefed some on the place that we're going to,” the pilot explained. “On the island, the rules don’t apply at all. There is a reason why we have a gun turret on this shuttle and have our guards armed up. It usually discourages any prisoner from making a run to our vessel. We'll be dropping you off at the western pad, where we normally drop off all the convicts. The moment that you're dropped off, you will have to run, and I mean run. I’ve heard some cases of convicts we toss out of the shuttle that are quickly ganged up, assaulted, or killed outright by others that are waiting right near the pad.”

She momentarily hesitated upon hearing it, but it was there to drive the point home to her on what was happening. She still had the choice if she wanted to turn back, but she felt the need to see Stone again. She gave a slight look of determination to the pilot before resuming her typing.

“Did you transport Stone to here?” she typed.

“Yes, about five days ago. He got out and started heading straight ahead as soon as we dropped him off. He was pretty decked out with his equipment and kept heading east. The prisoners shouldn’t have much, but there are stories of criminals sometimes using makeshift bolt-action rifles or whatever they can use for weapons. I don’t even want to imagine what types of things they use to modify their bodies with.”

The thought of these prisoners potentially having UHN military-grade weapons or Itrean weapons was something that Ioren knew could start to become a graver and graver threat to the shuttle crews and Dragon’s Eye itself.

“What about pickup?” Ioren typed.

“Your tilon is synced up with the satellite and hub network,” the pilot continued. “The moment that you press the button, we'll send a shuttle. Be warned that it may take an hour or more. We'll show up, but we don’t know how long we can remain here. Even with this shuttle decked out, I grow more and more concerned that the prisoners will eventually try to attack it with everything they have. We can’t let them have access to ways for them to get off the island.”

“I understand.”

“Good…..I wish you luck. My name is Karlson, by the way. First time getting a chance to see an….Aksren?”

“I’m both Aksren and Yutilian,” she typed. “Take care, and thank you.”

With that, Ioren walked away from the pilot room. Upon leaving, she momentarily closed her tilon. Then, she checked out her gear carefully. She had the pistol that the chief had given to her in her holster. She also carried a few fully loaded magazines and a couple of disk grenades. Unfortunately, she also knew that human firearms were slightly different than Itrean firearms. For one, she had four fingers, and the handgrips were more meant for human-sized fingers. She also didn’t fully know how to use the disk grenades. She would have to hope that if she could find Stone, he could show her how to use them.

The last major disadvantage that Ioren could see was the lack of body armor. The flexible armor that she initially worn for the last couple of days was gone. Checking Stone’s apartment later in the day yielded no results in finding it or her wrap armor either. She would have to use her raw speed and maneuverability to help her way through.

Ioren walked back to her seat. Delu was waiting for her as she was checking her shotgun out. The Itrean sat down next to her.

“Listen…..Ioren,” Delu told her. “Just in case this is the last time I see you, I just wanted to say that you were the first Itrean I had a chance to associate with. You did pretty well out there with us.”

Ioren nodded her head to her and smiled. She momentarily reached over and gripped the police officer’s arm.

“I hope you will get a chance to speak,” Delu continued. “If they can practically pull you back from the dead, then they should give you the ability to talk.”

Somehow, Ioren doubted that but understood the compliment from Delu. It was one of the few things that she could consider as proper support.

“I wish you luck, too, Delu,” Ioren typed.

With that, Ioren looked away from the human woman. She had to consider her actions carefully. She knew that once the shuttle reached Dragon’s Eye, all hell could break loose for her. She could only hope that Stone was alright……

Chapter 10: Dragon’s Eye Part 1

It had been at least another thirty minutes of travel. It was in the darkest of times. If it weren’t for the shuttle’s sensors, it would have been possible to miss the location completely. There was almost no light in the area. Instead, the shuttlecraft’s lights glowed brightly. The pilot could see only the distant lights of what could have been considered campfires or self-generated illumination sources. It was few and far between.

At night, Dragon’s Eye was pretty much a land of pure darkness, with only the distant starlight giving any hope of illumination. Even Orsa, Oshun’s largest moon, failed to reflect the light onto the surface properly.

Ioren knew this was the best time to do this. Typically, most of the drop-offs for convicts were during the day. There would at least be a greater chance of getting through any laid ambushes for her at night. The only catch was what the criminals truly had. If they had better equipment, then it was possible that they could see her. The lights of the shuttle were also giving themselves away in the lingering darkness. It was clear that probably half the huge island would see the incoming vessel.

“We're about twenty seconds from touchdown,” the pilot called out in the shuttle. Delu, Ioren, and the two other police officers stood ready. They all mentally prepared for the descent and whatever may lie in wait.

“I hope you find him,” Delu told Ioren. “He's an asshole, but I think he's a good asshole…..especially if you're going to try to find him.”

In the darkness, the shuttle’s vectoring thrusters were firing. The cylindrical craft had come to a complete stop apart from its lowering descent. The landing pad supposedly had lights, but the bulbs and electronics had been stripped bare. It was nothing more than a pavement slab on flatland with small plants and sand.

The pilot was keeping a careful look at his controls and gauges. The shuttle was just about to reach touchdown when the main hatch began to open. The ventral automated turret was monitoring the surrounding countryside, looking for any hostile threats. Meanwhile, Delu and another police officer got to the edge of the opening and had their guns aimed outside.

“It’s clear,” Delu said. “You're free to go, Ioren.”

The Itrean wasn’t going to hesitate. Unlike humans, she had little to fear from the pitch darkness. Past the shuttle was an extreme danger to them, but for Ioren, she didn’t have to worry about the lack of light. She was ready to go. She stepped up to the hatch edge and looked out.

Ioren tried to see as much as she could from the exit. She couldn’t see much except for hollowed-out shell buildings that weren’t far from the landing pad. She didn’t see any viable threats that were close. She took a deep breath and leaped out of the shuttle hatch.

With a light thump, she touched down on the pavement of the landing pad. Her digitigrade legs served as natural springs, while her tail remained in perfect balance. Clear from the shuttle’s interior illumination, her reptilian eyes began to adjust quickly. The darkness became a black-and-white landscape. Her immediate attention was towards the building structures. The flatlands proved to be hard to hide, but the buildings were a good place to be ambushed. There was a dirt road that led further east. Another road led north, but it was in complete disarray, with the alien-like grass eating up the path. This was probably what led to the significant swampland areas, a place to avoid.

Ioren turned momentarily to look at the shuttle. She could see Delu giving a small two-finger salute before the hatchway started to close. Immediately, the shuttle engines were reactivating as the Itrean started to dart away from the landing pad. Her talon-like feet propelled her away before she could see the vessel gain altitude. Away from the confines of the shuttle interior, the Itrean could feel more and more of the urgency to move. The noise that the shuttle generated was loud enough that anybody in the vicinity could clearly hear it.

So far, so good. The Itrean couldn’t see anything threatening. She was going to proceed down the path east. She had a couple of kilometers to run to reach the abandoned water station. As she gained ground from the shuttle, she could see the shuttle’s rear engines activate as it began to fly overhead, turn around, and then head away. She knew that she was now alone.

Ioren lowered her profile as she moved. Her ears were attuned to gathering anything that might be dangerous. Her eyes were still glued to the building structures. They were rectangular and didn’t seem to have any rooftops. The grass had its way of growing over the long walls unless they were adequately tended to. Consisting of at least five blades per stalk, the Oshunian grass was reclaiming the human-made environment.

She turned her head to see the remains of a human corpse face-first in the dirt away from the path. Its long, decaying body was covered with insects that were properly cleaning it up. She wasn’t going to spend too much time evaluating it. She could only see what looked like a rustic blade jutting from the spine.

“Hey…..I thought I heard something….” A male voice far from Ioren called out. It caused the Itrean’s reptilian eyes to focus on the incomplete building.

“That was a shuttle drop-off, you idiot,” a female voice replied to it. “Surprised to hear it now.”

“Damn…. caught us when we were asleep. Think we should check it out?”

“Yeah…..check the pad area, but don’t head too far from here. Remember that this is our checkpoint. We barely survived against that giant man that took a shot at us when we attacked him.”

Ioren had gained enough ground from the landing pad when she focused on what looked like a man and a woman wearing essential constructed clothing and what appeared to be crude, uncomfortable armor. In their hands were rifles. Much as the pilot had stated to her earlier, the alien woman could see the signs that they were crudely manufactured rolling block rifles. The single-shot guns had a wood and metal construction. The Itrean’s adrenaline began to kick in. She considered unholstering her pistol, but they were clearly heading to the landing pad.

“My optical lens piece isn’t working right,” the man said. “I can barely see in this darkness.”

“You need to tune it better,” the woman said. “Mine works well.”

Ioren lowered her profile, bending her back to that of a running raptor. Her tail even pressed outward to keep her balance. The woman was looking in her direction.

“What the fuck?” the woman said.

“What is it?” the man replied.

“I think I see something heading eastward.”

“Ah…..you think our new piece of meat has already made a run for it?”

The Itrean continued to step up her pace. She knew she had been spotted and moved at an unprecedented speed.

“Wow……maybe I was wrong. Might be just an animal. Can’t tell too much at the range it's making. It's getting too…..”

It was the last thing that Ioren could hear from them. She gained enough ground that she had escaped from them. The choice of time was pivotal, and she was fully aware of it. She decided to slow down her pace a little bit and conserve her strength. She knew that she only had a couple of days of rations in her small pack. Plus, the pain resided from her recovery. Her increased breathing put some strain on her lungs.

Ioren had a perfect view of nighttime. While everything appeared in black and white for her, she could see the tremendous vast distances. There weren’t many so-called trees along her path. Instead, she could see the great hilltop that led to the center of the island. There were also other buildings along the traveling path.

As Ioren continued to push forward in her light trot, she could see the swamps to the north. Among some of the native creatures that lived on and near the wetlands were the boshel. They were slightly smaller than the alligators of former Earth. They were soft-scaled, walked on thin legs, and had an elongated fin-like tail. Supposedly, there were other species like them on the different continental islands, but it was the first time she ever seen them. They seemed spooked by her running, quickly moving away from her towards the refuge of the nearby swamp water. It was a sign that they were regularly hunted either by humans or the much larger Johan serpents that ate them, possibly both.

Most of Ioren’s attention was focused on the elongated trees. She listened for any form of human communication, but she couldn’t hear anything unusual. The background noise was like that of frogs and insect-like creatures that were chirping away. The smell was pungent and somewhat foul, but not enough to overwhelm her senses. The trees consisted of two intertwining stalks with large leaves. These enormous leaves were little more than bulbous fruit that grew in the stems and branches.

It was here that Ioren pulled out her tilon. It was now or never. She pulled the two metal strips apart and activated the projection screen. Her claw-like finger was inching toward a tracking program application. She initiated the beacon, causing a topographical layout of Dragon’s Eye to appear. Wherever she aimed, the map was pointing in the direction she was heading. It was searching for Stone’s tablet-like device, assuming that he was still alive or in the hands of somebody else.

For now, there was nothing. The program was busy as ever. A lingering fear resided in her. Activating this beacon was not just something that not Stone could track, but everybody in the surrounding area. She had noted that the two figures earlier had some sort of monocle optical device that hung near one of their eyes. It gave a slight glow of blue to them. These sorts of gadgets probably helped illuminate their eyesight a little bit in the pending darkness. If prisoners had managed to fabricate these devices, then it could mean that they might have the ability to track her tilon as well.

Regardless, the two figures she had seen earlier were a promising sight. Even with these eyepieces, the prisoners still had antiquated technology. They were little more than street robbers and thugs armed with poor firepower. Even her pistol could make short work of them if she were pressed to it. Regardless, she had to be careful, and she was aware of it. She kept the tracking beacon activated. The Itrean was searching.

On the map was a series of buildings that were along the road. This was one of the few unfinished structures before it started to hit the heart of the southern section of the island. The Western side of Dragon’s Eye supposedly had even less activity than most of the entire place had when compared to the east, south, or northeast. For now, all she could do was continue her walk. The sense of longing in finding Stone remained with her.

*******

Ioren walked for almost an hour with little interruption. It seemed promising, but she knew that could quickly change at any moment. She was leaving the confines of the forest-like area, while the dirt road was reaching a wide-open plain field of grass and dirt. By now, the roads were starting to head higher and higher in altitude. She was getting somewhat closer to the great hilltop of Dragon’s Eye, but still far from ever reaching the central locale. At times, the tiniest of noises would cause her scaly hand to grab the handgrip of her gun in preparation for the worst.

She could see the outlines of at least three buildings on the left side of the road. One of them was only a shell without a roof. The other one had a series of pipes that led in and out of it. The last building had the thick Oshun grass threatening to consume it. This had to be the location of the water pumping station on the western side of the map. With the small population on this side of the island, it was most likely abandoned.

Regardless, the location still could hold some dangers. There were plenty of hiding spots among the buildings, which were the most notable features in the surrounding area. Anybody could be using it, while her ears were attuned to tracking anything.

A slight beeping sound erupted from her tilon. She looked at the map, and something pinged from the direction of the buildings. The red dot suddenly turned yellow and began to indicate in her own language that something was tracking her signal.

She would let it go on for less than a few seconds before shutting down the program. Ioren knew that it could be anybody who was tracking her. Her tilon couldn’t figure out if it was Stone or somebody else. She wasn’t going to let any possible intruder get the jump on her. If anything, if the marine was tracking her, she knew that he had augmented vision and could clearly see her on the road.

Ioren took a deep breath. She truly hoped that Stone was alive. He had to be. He was a defiant and robust individual when compared to the other humans. She had to think like him. Nighttime was the best time to travel around, especially if he had the advantage of seeing in the dark. He wouldn’t be asleep at a time like this if he were getting any at all.

ioren unholstered her pistol and held it with both her hands. Zuri’s gun was cumbersome to carry. While it was technically higher-powered than her pistol, the grips felt rough to hang onto. She did her best and was still able to wield it, though.

Ioren took a cautious, slow approach, listening for any signs of activity. She couldn’t hear anything, and she saw nothing that appeared threatening, but the walls were in the way. The obstruction formed places where one could easily hide. She focused on the building that didn’t have a roof first. Her talon feet began to press against the grass. Even with her lightweight, the grass quickly crunched and crackled a little bit.

The alien woman walked around and poked her head to the other side of the corner of the building. No activity could be seen or heard. Not far from her was the only entrance of the roofless structure. With her gun at the ready, she walked up to the edge of the opening. She picked up a rock and tossed it into the building. The stone naturally smacked the wall and bounced in the interior, producing an auditory noise. She then poked her head in the entrance and saw nothing but loose, crumbling material. The place was vacant, with only the signs that there had been a long-drowned-out fire in it.

Ioren naturally became curious about the cause of this fire. She stepped up to it and evaluated it further. Something had kicked the dirt onto it to put it out, but again, it was days old.

A sound erupted from the entrance. It caused Ioren’s feathers to lift while she turned to aim her gun near the door frame. She remained quiet and waited. Finally, she kneeled down and lowered her profile towards whatever it might be.

“Are you there?” a dainty light male voice came through. “Thought I saw an animal. Come her little animal…..Oxio needs to eat.”

Ioren saw the man who stepped in. He was lanky and short, carrying a handcrafted pistol and a machete in the other. His makeshift armor and clothes had an assortment of tools. There was some sort of half-functional and cracked wrist computer near his right hand. Despite the pale complexion, this was not Stone. He was blocking the exit, so she could not get out. She remained still and quiet. She could see that the prisoner didn’t have any optical equipment for his eyes.

The man tapped his blade on the sidewall, making an audible noise. He then saw the outline of Ioren that caused him to recoil a little bit in fear. Her gun was aimed at the man, preparing herself to shoot him.

“What!? What?” the man asked as he began to back away. The sight of the gun made him flinch a little bit as he started to leave through the exit.

His voice and tone made him sound like he was a little slow in the head or mentally challenged. Ioren had no way to respond to him, short of using her tilon. This would mean she needed to free up her hand to do it. She waved at the person and pointed at the exit.

“You……" the man grumbled. "You understand what I’m saying, brown thingy?”

She gave a couple of quick nods to him as a response while keeping a stern look.

“Alien……alien…….or something that lives on Oshun……” he tried to slowly remark.

Ioren wished she could talk to him, but didn’t trust the man. Instead, he left while keeping away from the site. Instead, he spoke to her in an attempt to make some sort of conversation.

“Names Oxio…..not my choice to be put here,” she could hear him from outside the exit. "Did bad things……they put me here. Didn’t mean to steal your land.....”

Ioren stood up and slowly walked towards the exit. She could hear him moving away from the building. She lowered her gun a little bit, seeing that the man was perhaps harmless. Ioren could see him walking away from the area. He instead began to head northward towards the great hill. In some concepts, she felt a little bit of sympathy towards the man. He was just a person simply trying to live off the land. But, again, she couldn’t make up her mind. Only the worst of the worst went to this island.

Ioren instead decided to move towards the adjacent building while occasionally looking at this Oxio that was heading away. This had to be the water pump facility that she approached. There were the proud words of “Orsatech Industries: Paving the way for the future!” written in both English and Chinese that were on the side of the walls. Without the power, the rear entrance was driven open.

This had to be Oxio’s former resting place. She stepped in and could see a small office-like environment. The elements had riddled its interior. Pipes that came in were in dilapidated conditions. Any form of computers had been clearly ripped out. There was a cloth-wrapped bed in the corner. The smell was foul but not overwhelming for her senses. Overall, the place wasn’t too horrible.

Ioren breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that the room was clear of anything hostile. The front entrance had shut-down windows that hadn’t been open for some time. She walked to the nearby corner that was far from the rear door. She had a place of refuge and felt like she needed to take a short break.

The woman knew that this had to be the location that Stone had to be at or might go to. So she went and sat down while placing her pistol close to her tail. At a moment’s notice, she could easily pick it back up. The temperatures felt relaxed and somewhat comfortable. She would use this time to begin her own form of mediation. She started to do a series of slow breaths, feeling her feathers press against the back wall.

Ioren opened her tilon. She decided to go ahead and reactivate the tracking beacon. The overhead map of the location appeared as the signal began to go outward. She already knew of Oxio, which was heading near the edge of the transmission. He wasn’t going to return as he reached past the border and disappeared.

For now, she could see that she was in no apparent danger. Her environment was treacherous, but at the moment, she felt a little relaxed. She began to continue her deep breaths, imagining a place that was wonderful and peaceful. There would be no fear but only solitude.

That form of solitude came down to the last several days she remembered being with Stone. For a human that was powerful, awe-inspiring, and even crazy at times, she had gotten used to it. That solitude came when he was asleep. Even though she needed less sleep than the marine, she could remember a certain innocence about him. She had to remind herself that this was two weeks ago.

Ioren went and placed her tilon down on her curled-up legs. A part of her considered studying more after all this. She wanted to learn more about sign language, but the thoughts of the recent events loomed over her like storm clouds gathering over the island. Earlier in the day, she stepped out of the hospital, and now she was standing in a penal colony.

The shootout had rushed through her head despite how much effort he put in to try to forget it. Perhaps Stone was correct. Oshun was a place of extravagance, but one that wasn’t fully utilized correctly. How could there be so little land available for such a massive population, while they would purposely reduce another place like Dragon’s Eye to live as a penal colony?

The end result for her was that she considered the humans sloppy in how they did this. Perhaps their ambitions were too great? Maybe they truly underestimated the magnitude of constructing such an area to abandon it for their great cities. L’Kibera might have been a sign that the economy was not as grandiose as it should be. But, unfortunately, the Oshunians instead let the places become cancers and a sign of a more significant impending problem.

Her thoughts would wander to those of her own people. The pain in her chest would come and go like waves, and at times, she felt like she was going to break down. Ioren knew that she had to be strong, but only one individual genuinely saw her plight.

Stone……regardless of the individual, there was the hope that he was a true protector, willing to sacrifice everything for her. Ioren would feel the sense of longing to see him again. She thought that he was the only one who actually cared for her. It had grown more and more in her heart. These humans didn’t carry prejudice towards her or what she was supposed to represent. If anything, they barely noticed it and embraced her actions. She felt a true sense of comfort with the marine, now that she genuinely seemed to acknowledge. She remembered what she even signed to him when she had been shot. It utilized the ASL variant for “I love you.” Feeling like she was going to die, it was best to tell him.

She started to analyze that thought. Did she really feel that way towards him? This was a question that she tried to answer. More and more of her kind were taking humans as mates. The thought hadn’t really occurred to her of taking up a male human as a suitor. Most of them seemed attractive, but that wasn’t the point. Were they genuinely compatible, mentally and physically? Even Stone was a behemoth of his kind. Personality-wise, he would more likely bash a building down or cuss her out rather than ever show romantic interests. But the singular facts remain. She felt obligated to get in front of that bullet because she knew that deep down, he was a good person. He, in turn, challenged her own culture by practically forcing the doctor to take care of her. Even if that wasn’t the plan, a part of her felt that Stone might be a viable mate.

Ioren started to make peace with herself. She had to admit that she had a slight but genuine romantic feeling for this person. She let it flow in her thoughts like the rain that started to pick up outside. In a wave of absolute darkness, she could see the great man as a defender against evil. A part of her felt a great sense of satisfaction upon that realization. No longer did she imagine wanting to find another hotel room or apartment to live in. Instead, she wanted to be by his side, sleeping in the same bed as him. Each day, she would find ways to make him feel happy, even if he didn’t always reciprocate it in return.

These were just dreams, though, and she was fully aware of this, too. She felt the urge to fall asleep momentarily. It quickly overtook her. She was more tired than she realized…..

*******

With the constant rainfall, Ioren’s hearing was having a hard time attuning to picking up anything from the outside. The interior showed dripping and leaking. The dilapidated station’s roof had clear signs of erosion and degradation.

A noise erupted from Ioren's tilon that caused her to snap awake immediately. How long she was out, she didn’t know. The Itrean could see that there was a red dot that had turned orange on her map screen. It was closing in on the three buildings and preferably towards her. The lock-on signal could confirm that something was heading her way.

She grabbed her pistol and aimed it at the doorway. She moved to a new spot to ensure she could use a broken-down counter for any possible coverage. Her best path was simply to let the enemy come to you if it was an enemy at all. The tilon continued to emit a pinging sound as the dot grew closer and closer. The rain was drowning out any indication of what it might be. She wasn’t unhindered and only felt a form of apprehension. The Itrean understood she was in a cornered place if things went badly.

The pinging had given an almost steady tone, indicating that the presence was just outside the door. Ioren's gun was at the ready, while she took a couple of deep breaths.

There was a tapping sound at the edge of the door frame. It was a large black shield-like object reminiscent of a police riot shield. She could see a large, muscular arm holding onto it. A handgun could be seen. The pale complexion of the skin and gun were similar to something she recognized. Her heart began to flutter a little bit in anticipation. Finally, a voice erupted from the edge.

“Hold your fire, soldier!” a familiar voice came from the entrance. Ioren knew it had to be him. A smile appeared on her face as she lowered her gun. The towering man entered, and she felt the most incredible sense of relief upon seeing him.

Stone walked into the building. He already had his focus glued down on the Itrean. His clothes were mostly wet, rainwater dripping from his skin. There were several things on his back as well. He showed no happiness, only a typical stern face. He had a riot shield in one hand, but he was so big that it seemed almost small in comparison. He holstered his gun upon seeing that the area was clear of anything hostile.

Ioren tapped off the beacon signal and turned on her translation communication program. She holstered her pistol and was about to start typing when she looked upon Stone again. She wished she could vocally say something to him.

“S………..ss……….” she tried to say, but it only came as soft hissing sounds.

“You got a problem with your voice there?" he replied. "You got a tilon there. Use it.” He pointed at the device on the table. His voice was snappish and mean, as it always sounded to her.

Ioren tried to use sign language, but it became intangible and gibberish to him. A tear ran down her face. She couldn’t say anything, of course, but only walked away from the counter. She headed toward the towering marine. She was speechless with her hands. He said nothing as she simply came up and hugged his waist.

The marine said nothing at first. He only had his usual mean look. He could feel the lightweight reptilian woman press down upon him.

“Hmph….” He grunted and sighed. Ioren felt the mild form of joy hit her. The marine was alive, and she had finally been reunited with him.

Chapter 11: Dragon’s Eye Part 2

Ioren held onto Stone tightly. She could feel that the man was soaked. He wore a wet tan-colored shirt, his signature holster, his typical heavy-duty boots, and dark brown khaki pants. He carried a large number of belongings on his back with a backpack that consisted of most of his survival gear. Besides his powerful pistol, he had a shotgun as part of his gear.

He set his shield down by the wall and had his arms held out as if he was not trying to hug her in return. Water continued to drip from his skin and onto the floor below. The reptilian woman had nothing but a sense of relief that he was alive. On the other hand, the marine momentarily lowered his hand and tapped her shoulder as a mild way to console her or push her away.

“Alright, alright,” Stone told her. “I can’t have you getting all weak on me. You've had enough time to rest.”

Ioren let go of him as she stopped crying. She released him and proceeded back to the counter. She started to head towards her tilon. Stone was taking a momentary break as he walked up to the corner and sat down near the same spot that she was at. The alien woman's fingers touched her tilon as she typed out what she wanted to say.

“You are alive."

“Of course, I am,” he replied with some annoyance. “Although….I should say that more for you.”

“I awoke….” She paused and closed her eyes a little bit. “It was weeks later, and you were gone.”

“Hmph…..I’m sure that Zuri has already briefed you on everything.”

“He explained what he could. I don’t know what is going on, though.”

Stone took a deep breath and pressed his head to his back. He took his backpack and shotgun, resting them on the ground, close to his hand if he needed them.

“You know that they arrested me for that stunt you pulled,” he said.

“Me?” There was some mild agitation on her face when she responded, but he wasn’t looking at her.

“Yes…..that bitch pressed charges on me, but I already had a plan in place. You see this gun?” he gestured to the shotgun. “It's an M212 Automatic Shotgun, only used and operated by the UHN. These guns, as amazing as it is, still doesn’t beat some of the Aphadus shotguns, but I know that these things are hard to manufacture. You can’t simply make knockoffs of them. They all came from here…..so I offered them an alternative.”

“What was it?”

“I told them that I planned on killing Ik’Ik’……whatever her fucking name is, that I was going to kill her long after they treated you. The civilian courts saw me as dangerous and decided to have me shipped here. Of course, there was more to it than just that. Some in the UHN are secretly a part of this…rouse that the civilians don’t know about. There would be….. ‘special conditions’ for me. A few are fully aware that guns are vanishing from their armories, making their way here, and now being sold back to the mainland. The problem is that the UHN can’t launch an all-out assault on this island since it deals with the civilian sector’s problems. Instead, they just leave us to take care of their problems.”

“Why would they do this?” the Itrean typed.

“I don’t know. All I know is that I came here, and it's pretty much what it is…..a forgotten place....a fucking cesspool. Oshun simply dumps their worst criminals and leaves them to die here. Can’t comment if it's the correct choice or not, but…” he paused as he started to unzip his pack and pulled out a small can of chopped fish meat. “Sometimes, it might just be better to put them out of their misery, but maybe that's just me.”

“I encountered three so far,” Ioren typed.

“There are over thousands that are scattered about here, possibly far more. Most of these prisoners are rapists, murderers, assassins, deranged, violent anarchists, or some other groups. I managed to contact the village elder that lives northeast of here. A small group of prisoners has made their lives in this penal colony. Apparently, the people are trying to ‘turn a new leaf,’ as the elder explained. They used whatever wasn’t taken when the penal colony was abandoned and tried to make their own homes. They have basic workshops, basic firearms, hunt, and even try to farm. Seems to be working so far for them.”

“Would Oshun condone this?”

“They don’t care or just don’t know. Gabatrix would be spinning in his fucking grave if he heard of all this, though.”

Ioren picked up her tilon and walked next to the marine, who popped open his small can of food. She adjusted her tail and sat down not far from him. She started to type as she considered eating from her pack.

“How much food do you have?” she asked.

“Water isn’t an issue with the constant rain every couple of days. Food, I have about a couple of days left. What did you bring with you?”

She lifted her butt a little bit to show the pistol. He nodded. His augmented eye could scan into her pack.

“An OCP-3 with a ‘Z’ etched into the handgrip. You have Zuri’s pistol…..” he remarked with some surprise. “I've never seen him do that before. He just gave you his pistol just like that?”

She gave a couple of quick nods. The marine seemed to have a perplexed look to him.

“Hmph…..” he remarked as he went and took his can of food and began to scarf it down. It took him less than a couple of seconds to eat the entire can before tossing the empty can to the side.

“You took my gun,” she typed.

“Yeah, well, I might have needed something to slap into my boot just in case. It did pretty well, though. It was damaged after you were shot, but it fixed itself.” The marine went and searched around in his pack. He pulled out the AKT-1, Ioren’s sidearm, and slapped it down on the pavement next to her. He then pulled out the spare loaded magazines and some of the tiny grenades before resting them next to her. A small smile appeared on her face the moment she saw it.

“Thank you,” she signed to him. She checked out her gun carefully to see if it was alright. There weren’t many grenades that were left after the last couple of days. She only had one red-tipped grenade and two decoys left. She opened her pouch and started to put them away.

“I can take the OCP-3 until you need it since you don’t have a spare holster for it,” Stone commented as he held out his hand. She pulled out the other pistol and handed it to him. She was about to pull out the additional magazines.

“No, keep both sets. I already have my Desert Falcon and shotgun. Those magazines simply add more weight to the pack. Now that you're here, we can start to proceed with the next plan in place.”

Ioren was getting herself situated when she spotted some blood on Stone’s shirt. It was covered up from his arms, but there was a clear indication of dried blood. She showed some concern as she pointed to it.

“A necessity,” he told her. “Be prepared to kill if need be. Even the elder here said the same thing. Those that aren’t a part of his village are just insane or too far gone to be part of it, even if most of them are pretty far gone anyway. Many of the people here won’t hesitate to kill you or do something to you that you might not enjoy very much.”

Ioren gave a couple of quick nods. Then she curled into a ball, keeping her tilon at the ready.

“Thank you,” she signed to him before she resumed typing. “For saving my life.”

“Don’t thank me yet. We have a mission to complete.” He pulled out of his pocket one of the cards and slapped it down on the pavement. He also pulled out his tablet from the other and turned it on. A three-dimensional picture of the island was shown as he set it down and began to interface with it.

“I’m sure you have a map layout of the island unless the chief was just being dumb,” Stone explained. “The village is northeast of here, which consists of the former staff housing. That's where some are currently living. We have no real business there unless we need to.”

“Are you sure?” she typed.

“No. The elder here is…..I feel that he's correct for somebody in his position to be put there. He hates the idea of a syndicate organization that's taking hold on this island.”

“Is he at war with the group like the gangs back at L’Kibera?”

“More or less. From what he told me, there have been some gangs and organizations that have always existed here, but something moved in southeast of here several months ago. It was rumors passed around in the village. Some that lived there fled from the former prison facility and area. Otherwise, the rest simply became a part of it. Others saw a new power structure forming and saw the prospect of getting off the penal colony. Then, the elder saw that the united gangs southeast were starting to acquire more and more firearms that were impossible to create here.”

“What about factories?”

“There are warehouses that have been turned into basic manufacturing plants,” Stone explained. “I’m getting the suspicion that Oshun did a poor job in stripping the island of essential items that the prisoners used.”

“I noticed lenses,” Ioren typed.

“Yes. There are the occasional cars that even work, and they have a solar-powered plant, too…..at least from one of the people I interrogated. According to the elder, they would notice shuttles that would regularly fly over the southern area of the island near the ocean itself. At first, they thought they were dropping off more prisoners, but it wasn’t a regular drop-off point. These had to be government shuttles. They're giving equipment to the syndicate…..at least from what I know.”

This was alarming news even for Ioren to hear. People who worked for Oshun were arming criminals and giving them the best equipment available. The very thought of it was sickening. She could imagine Itrean weapons, initially offered to and trained by UHN. Then she could see them being handed over to prisoners or those who bore discontent. Battles just like at L’Kibera. It would start small but eventually bleed into the nearby neighborhoods. She kept careful note of this, along with anything else she saw. There was no sense of being upset about this. Even Stone seemed somewhat centered now that he was here doing something about it. This had to be stopped, even if it was just the two of them.

“My people would not stand for this,” Ioren typed.

“Yeah, well, I don’t see them launching an army here,” Stone said. “T’rintar have an alliance. We're not a part of you either.”

“Plus…..they wouldn’t help me anyway.”

The marine nodded. “You can see the shit I have to keep in mind. I've made my fair share of enemies.” He crossed his arms as his back rested comfortably on the wall. “I don’t care what they think, but even then, it appears that the Itreans don’t care if you die. Some in the UHN don’t care if I’m shot and killed out here. It’s a wonderful convenience for them if we succeed or fail.”

Ioren was partly convinced, but she understood that Stone was pessimistic and pragmatic. She needed to help guide the conversation, even if he was correct.

“What is our next goal?” she typed.

“I've managed to get ahold of information that the syndicate’s numbers are at their peak, but they can’t have everything in one place. The first goal is to eliminate the place they're using to store military firearms that they receive.”

The three-dimensional portrayal of Dragon’s Eye showed the areas where there were large concentrations of buildings. The southern region was of particular interest. While it was faintly urban, the location near the sea was important.

“Our first goal is to obtain the information on where this hideout is located. Most likely, it's located near the sea. There, they can use a submarine to take in the goods and ship them outward as they did before. The other choice is to go straight southeast and assault the main hub, but…..I'd prefer we do this first.”

“Why is that?” she typed.

“I think you know that answer already.”

Ioren considered the actions. The idea of attacking some hideout, just him and her, was insane. Attacking the main hideout itself was a suicidal idea. Hundreds of men and women would defend themselves in a battle to the death. This was beyond even the turf battle that got her nearly killed in the first place. Even this idea was still crazy, but something had to be done. Going southward warranted the greatest likelihood of success and the least risk. She knew that Stone couldn’t do this by himself, no matter how good a fighter he was. There were going to be no further reinforcements because she was the reinforcements.

“What about the village? Can they help us?” she typed.

“No. The syndicate might be moving in on them. They can barely fight back against them anyway with their equipment. If it's just us, it'll be easier for us to slip in and go after the syndicate’s storage facility.”

“How do we find out where they are?”

The marine didn’t seem to have an answer for a little while as he put his hands up in agitation. Finally, It caused Ioren to look down. Wandering around aimlessly wasn’t going to yield results. It seemed that Stone had been doing enough of that already. She started to look at the tilon closely, however, before an idea came to her.

“How did you interrogate the first person?” she typed.

“I just found him. He tried to attack me in my sleep.”

“You found me with the tilon program, correct?”

“Yes, I did,” the answer to the question made him pause as he considered the idea she was thinking about as well. “Let them come to us...,” Stone ordered her. “Turn on the program and put it to its highest pings. One of our devices is enough. It'll start to attract the attention of any of their patrols. We can ambush them and interrogate them for more information.”

Ioren nodded her head as her scaly, pointed finger began to search for the correct program. By now, the rain had started to slow a little. She activated it as her device started to send off pings.

“This will take time,” Stone commented. “Even if they send somebody to investigate, it might take an hour or two. This island is still big.”

It was a plan, even if Ioren was skeptical that it would genuinely work. It was even possible that it would work too well. The area was simply too unpredictable without the correct information. Laying a trap, however, was still a viable one, and she didn’t have any better ideas. She relented.

“I’m ready,” she typed.

“Good. Now…..” he turned his head to her. “I need you to show me how much you know your sign language. We may need this in the impending days to come…..”

*******

“No, no, no….” Stone told her. He went and pressed his two pointer fingers together. “This is ‘hurt,’ and you use it towards the areas of your body where you're in pain. For us, we can also use it in a way that we can indicate it to others.”

Ioren did a quick nod as she understood it. They had completely lost track of time. Had it been an hour? Was it three? She didn’t know. All she knew was that she was continuing to focus on her partner’s communication style. Even though it seemed like an obsolete language, she felt a bond towards him that grew stronger and stronger. The marine was always stern and direct every time he would teach her. She could notice the differences between the first night he helped her and now. At this moment, she could see that there was a vested interest in making sure that she knew more about it. She was fully aware that learning sign language wasn’t going to happen overnight.

“It's important that you understand the true word for ‘kill,’” Stone said. He went and pointed his finger at her and used his other hand to make a sweeping motion over it towards her direction. “That is the word for it. Don’t do it like what they show you in the movies by taking your pointer finger and running it underneath your chin and neck. That'll be our definition of ‘slitting a throat.’ Make sure to know the differences.”

Ioren went and followed suit by repeating the movements with her hands. By now, her skills had increased more and more as each minute passed. She was enjoying it. An entire language that didn’t require the use of a voice box. If the Itreans or the humans couldn’t give her the ability to speak, then she at least had this.

Suddenly, the tilon started to give an alarm that caught their attention. Two red dots appeared at the edge of the proximity range of the tracking beacon. One was orange that indicated that it was homing in on her signal.

“They’re coming,” Stone said as he stood up. “Take your pistol, but leave everything else, including your tilon. Let them come to it. Let’s move.”

Ioren acknowledged what he said as she was quick to stand up. Stone unholstered his gun but left his shield and shotgun behind. If the partners were fast, it wouldn’t be an issue to leave it all there for the marauders to find.

Both of them proceeded to leave the room as quickly as possible. By now, the rain had stopped, leaving a wet landscape. Upon touching the grass, Ioren could feel her lower pants getting damp, but there were no audible noises either. A flashlight could be seen in the distance, but she could see the illumination of something heading their way. While the walls still blocked their line of sight from seeing each other, she knew she couldn’t be there too long.

Ioren followed Stone, who was heading towards the nearby roofless building. He stepped into it and approached the wall's edge. His augmented eye began to peer, searching for thin areas where his vision could pierce through to the other side. Ioren had her AKT at the ready as they hid and waited.

Stone’s eye could barely pierce the walls. There were occasional red outlines that appeared and disappeared. At least two men were slowly approaching the water pump building. The shapes would distort and make it challenging to acquire. Meanwhile, Ioren, who couldn’t see them, instead relied on her hearing. At the range, it was difficult to decipher their words.

The marine could see them as they were getting closer and closer to the adjacent building. They were cautious. One had what appeared to be a bolt-action rifle of some sort. The other had some kind of pistol.

“Signal is……..here,” Ioren could barely hear one of the men speaking. It was enough that they were about to enter the nearby building.

Stone could briefly see it as well. Both of the men had entered the nearby room. It was now or never. He turned to Ioren and began to pull out his hearing protection. He started to leave the room and gestured for the Itrean to follow her.

Upon exiting the building, Stone’s sight had a better view of the two men. The outlines were fully depicted as he started to move at a quiet pace. However, they were still in an obstructed view, so they couldn’t see the towering man and alien woman preparing to ambush them. Again, Stone was silent as he started to use sign language to communicate with Ioren.

“Hurt them. Shoot them. No kill,” was his word to her. Ioren understood it clearly. The goal was to capture these two alive if necessary. Their knowledge was crucial. She gave a quick nod.

The two were about to enter. The marine could see that the two men were distracted by looking at the tilon device on the floor.

“Odd…” Ioren heard one of the men. “Signal is coming from this thing.”

“I see a shield, and it looks like a shotgun,” the other man said. “Damn, we found the good stuff. Boss will be pleased.”

“Where is the….” was all the other man said as Stone stepped in, took quick aim, and fired his handgun. The powerful round easily pierced the primitive armor, going from one end of his spleen and out the other side. Blood splattered onto the wall as the man barely had time to scream in pain.

“Ahh!” the other man recoiled. The loud auditory bang of the caseless 50 AE armor-piercing round reverberated in the almost enclosed interior room. Neither intruder had any hearing protection against the older handgun's firing. The man tried to turn around to face the gunshot, but Ioren could already see it when she stepped in. Momentarily dazed by the gunshot, the man tried to lift his rifle, but the Itrean trained and fired two shots from her pistol. One shot missed and hit the wall. The other hit the man’s hand. He screamed in pain as the rifle dropped and hit the floor. Blood was dripping from his hand. His partner was not in good shape as he struggled to try to turn around. His pistol was still in his hand.

Stone went and grabbed the man with the pistol. He ripped the firearm with one of his hands and tossed it to the side, disarming the intruder. Ioren went and jumped on the other. Even with her lightweight, it was enough to knock the injured person down to the ground. He continued to scream in shock and surprise at everything. The sight of an unusual creature caused him to recoil in terror as he was rendered helpless.

“Don’t fucking move!” Stone yelled at both of the men.

Ioren backed away as she kept her pistol trained on the person. She recognized something etched onto the men's armor, but her attention was kept on things in order. Stone holstered his pistol while using one of his arms to grab the man that he shot. Then, using his incredible strength, he pulled the man around and slammed him against the wall. Both intruders’ clothing suggested a similar makeshift basic armor of some sort. They wore no helmets, and both had identical optical lens headpieces that covered one of their eyes. With both hands free, Stone then pried the device off and tossed it to the side. He then reached into his pocket, activated the switchblade device, and sternly looked at the man in front of him.

The man who had been shot was still alive and panting from the shock and pain. The amount of bleeding that he had only suggested that he would bleed out soon, but the other man was more focused on Ioren while routinely looking over at the marine at times.

With the knife drawn, Stone raised it above his head and stabbed it directly into the shoulder blade of the shot man. He screamed and coughed at the same time. The marine only brought his face close to his. He showed no remorse for his actions but only a fierce intensity that drove the point home.

“Where is the location of your bases!?” Stone yelled at him. It was a somewhat troubling question as the men’s ears were pretty much ringing, but the men pretty much understood the faint sound, combined with lip-reading.

“Argh!.......NO! I’m not telling!” the man tried to say, but the marine then twisted the handle of the knife into the shoulder. This caused even more pain than he tried to endure.

“WHERE ARE THEY!?” he screamed the question again. Even Ioren felt the intensity of the voice that caused her to take a step back. The other man watched in terror at the marine.

“Fuck you!” the spleen-shot man replied. He almost seemed to laugh a little bit. He wouldn’t get a chance to say anything else. Stone pulled the knife out, raised it high above his head, and drove it down. The sharpness of the blade, combined with the raw strength, pierced into the man’s skull. It was a solid, clean kill. Pulling the knife out, he used a small amount of effort to toss the dead body aside.

“Holy shit! Holy shit!” the other man replied. He didn’t get a chance to say much else when Stone then stood up, took a step to his right, and then leaned down to look at the terrified individual.

“Where is it?” Stone almost gently asked him.

“Ah…..ah……” It was an unsatisfactory answer. Stone grabbed the man with all his force, held him tight, and raised the knife over his head.

“No!.....no!.....no!” the man tried to say as he saw Stone repeat the same move. The bloody knife was driven straight into the shoulder, piercing as far as it would go. A horrific scream could be heard from the stabbed man.

“WHERE!?” Stone screamed the question again.

“I’ll tell! I’ll tell!” he said. This caused Stone to gesture to Ioren to push the tilon a little bit away. The map projection was still on, and the person was now able to reply to it upon seeing it. “Located……near warehouse #2……. partially underground…….Orsatech Manufacturing dock. Where I work at.”

“Is that where you store your guns?”

“Yes……yes……one of them. Other is located at the former prison facility.”

“How many work there!? Where are you stationed?”

“Sixty of us. You won’t…..” he was unable to answer the question as Stone slightly twisted the knife handle a little bit.

“Are you lying?” Stone asked him as his augmented eye scanned his body.

“N…..no…..no…….not lying.”

“Good…..” with that, Stone pulled the knife out of the shoulder blade as the beleaguered man gave another howl of pain. “Ioren, kill him.”

“What? No!” the man replied, fighting off the pain. He tried to raise his hand up as if he could try to block an incoming bullet somehow. The marine stood up and stepped back from the body.

Ioren slightly hesitated, but not enough to make Stone question it. With her pistol still aimed at the man, she made sure to aim for the head. She pulled the trigger. A simple gunshot, and the man fell limp. Both of the marauders were now dead.

Stone was not the sort of man to show any mercy. With the scene cleared of anything hostile, Ioren holstered her gun. The marine simply used the tip of his blade to point at the two dead bodies. Blood was still dripping from the edge.

“Note the pictures on their armor,” Stone gestured. “It’s the syndicate, alright…..it's time that we attack their storage area.”

The Itrean used her hands to sign the word “Now?”

“Yes now, Godammit,” Stone replied to her. “They'll start questioning where their patrol went. If we attack them now, we can get the surprise on them.”

Ioren was almost shaking her head. The former scene was quite intense as it was. The towering man was not exactly the type of person to always stop. She picked up her tilon and deactivated the tracking beacon on it. She then switched over to her translation program and started typing.

“Sixty men?” she asked.

“That worries you?” he asked her. He stepped forward and wiped the blade on one of the dead men before enclosing it and putting it into his pocket. He then took the hearing protection out of his ears and stuffed it into his pocket.

“No, but it's a lot to fight.”

“I’m used to training hundreds of men each time I had my own division. Sixty men aren’t enough.”

Ioren wasn’t going to argue with that statement. She already had some prior knowledge of his history, and the way he delivered it made her seem to give a nod. Regardless, a part of her knew that there were still a lot of men to fight. She instead focused her attention on the two dead bodies.

“You really enjoy killing,” she typed.

“Sometimes, you have to wipe the filth away before you can get something to eat.”

“What?”

“Something I used to tell the recruits. They had to make sure the barracks were clean before they could go to the chow lines…..after they got done with all their pushups, sit-ups, drilling, and running forty laps around the room. In the end, they have to know that the world doesn’t always work in the way you want it to be. Society gives us the responsibility to clean up their shit, and now we'll do it.”

Stone leaned down to his backpack. He started to unzip it and began to rummage through it. He found two disk-like devices and gestured to her.

“Hey…..catch,” the marine said as he went and tossed them to her.

Ioren reached out with one hand and caught the disks, almost dropping her tilon in the process. She could barely hold onto them as she went towards the room's counter and let them fall onto it.

“Hmph……” Stone remarked upon seeing the spectacle.

The Itrean showed a look of surprise. She knew immediately what these devices were. She breathed a sigh of relief. Stone then stood up while pulling out the pistol that belonged to the chief. He zipped up the rest of the bag while walking over to her.

“I made sure to grab your two armor wraps…..just in case a lone Itrean would show up,” he told her. “I'll need to make sure my partner is fully prepared for combat.”

Ioren smiled at the marine who seemed almost to hint at what could have been considered a smile. She went and placed one of the disk devices onto herself. With a simple button press, the metal skin began to deploy from the device. It started to wrap around her upper torso. Stone knew that these devices were one of the many things that the Itreans used for battle. Their armor wrap was the bulletproof vests that could allow them to even operate in the vestiges of space itself.

She remained still as she could feel the armor completely envelope her. Even the metal neatly caressed the bumps on her chest without pressing down upon them. Everything was adequately covered from her neck, chest, stomach, arms, and hands. She then took the holster off herself and placed it on the counter before grabbing the next disc and bringing it behind, near the base of her tail. With a simple button press, the armor layer began to gently wrap around her lower extremities.

“Keep in mind that your armor will not completely protect you from the PDW-20 or anything more high-powered than that,” he told her. He went and picked up his shotgun and began to check it out carefully, making sure it was fully loaded. “Although I’m sure that you probably already know that.....”

Despite having clothing underneath, the armor ultimately accepted what was underneath. Everything from her talon feet to her tail was covered. The ventilation and cooling system was activated to maintain her body temperature. Her feathers were properly pressed down without causing any form of discomfort. There was a sense of pride that she showed as she flexed her four-digit, metallic, claw-like fingers. Most of the metal shimmered with a hint of green and red only from the far distant starlight. Only her head remained uncovered.

There was almost no need for the holster. Ioren went and took the AKT pistol that she had, and with a gentle tap, it magnetized to her side hip. The same was true of the magazines placed together adjacent to it. A nice minor pouch-like system could even hold her grenades with ease as they slipped in near her lower back.

Stone had the shotgun in hand. With his other hand, he walked over and placed the chief’s gun on the counter for her to take.

“I already have enough firepower,” he explained to her. “I have thirty-six shells for the shotgun and about thirty rounds left for the other. It should be enough to take everything down, but with you, it should make things much easier.” He took one of the large spare magazines for the shotgun and hung it from behind him.

Stone then checked one last thing, and that was the scope of the shotgun. With a button press, it interfaced with his augmented eye. What the scope could see, which quickly illuminated everything at night as his eye did, allowed him to see what the gun was looking at. This allowed him to easily aim at whatever target he needed to go after before pulling the trigger. Everything worked properly before he deactivated the scope interface.

“I’m going to show you the basics to this shotgun, just in case I’m shot or incapacitated,” Stone explained as he went and moved to show its side to Ioren. “This is your typical M212 shotgun. They are used by the UHN military police but can be easily used by the marines and sailors alike. There are four switches near the trigger. Red one is the safety switch. Yellow one switches between semi-auto, burst fire for two shots, or full auto mode. Typically, keep it on semi-auto to conserve shots. Green ejects the main box magazine. Each one holds twenty shells in it with caseless buckshot rounds. This doesn’t include the two other tubes in the front, where you can load in spare rounds. Altogether, this holds about thirty rounds. Blue activates the scope. Below the barrel is the forestock if you want to do manual pump action, but you don’t really need it. Front above the two tubes is the suppressor. The stock in the back here has a strap that wraps around your arm for one-armed shooting.”

He tossed the gun for Ioren to take a close look at. She caught it and realized how heavy the human-made gun was. Her armor easily adjusted and helped support it for her to look at it. She gave him a solemn nod to show she understood what he said. She then gave it back to him.

“Recoil isn’t that bad unless you go full auto, which I don’t recommend,” Stone said as he placed the gun on the counter. He walked over to check out the bolt-action rifles. He picked it up and pulled the bolt back. “Not a bad design for something made in a shop.” He ejected the round to reveal that it had a metal casing. It made a pinging sound on the floor. “The people here don’t have much. Even these marauders were still using basic guns rather than military ones. It's a sign that they prefer using what they made.”

“They might be saving those to be sold,” she typed.

“True, but we have to be aware that we're still fighting sheer numbers,” he pointed at the disk grenades. “I’m going to show you how to use the grenades next. Then we head out. Sound good, partner?”

There was a focus on what he said there that made Ioren acknowledge it. He was still stern in how he said it, but there was a hint that he was genuinely happy, too. Even if it was marching into their death, she could see it. The marine finally had a route for himself to go. Things were going his way, and she was happy about it in turn. She wanted to type more for him, but she knew that would have to wait. A battle was coming, and she felt more ready than ever to follow him.

Chapter 12: The Battle At Warehouse #2

The walking was continuous. The rain had drastically slowed, but it hadn’t come to a complete end. The occasional drizzle in the night sky was keeping the ground wet. This was no longer an issue as the damp grass and dirt would smack and gently cling to the armored feet of Ioren. She did keep the armor piece from encircling her head, and when the drizzle came, it got her top head feathers a little wet. As a result, she would occasionally shake her head a little bit to knock the water off her.

The walk southward had been at least a couple of hours. By now, it was nearing 0100 in the morning. The dirt road was a mostly empty field. Stone had kept his sights ahead of him, looking for anything that might be out of the ordinary. Being wet didn’t bother him in the slightest. He simply soldiered on as if it were nothing. His shield, backpack, and two guns didn’t slow him down.

Ioren would use her tilon to continue saying a few comments here and there. Stone, on the other hand, was even quieter. For her, the Itrean felt a slight wave of nostalgia at the scene. Old memories would rise and fall of things she had been to before. She would imagine that daytime was even prettier.

“According to the map layout,” Stone explained. “There should be a series of uncompleted warehouses, with number 2 being closest to being completely built. Each of these warehouses is supposed to have an office building.”

Ioren turned her head back. By now, the central hilltop was much further away than ever. While they passed through areas with trees and light swampland, this area was primarily unutilized.

“Do you need to stop and rest?” Ioren typed.

“No. This time is the best to do this,” the marine continued. “Most of them should be asleep. Knowing them, they're quite comfortable with maybe a guard or two on post, assuming that they have any at all. If we wait too long, then we'll be fighting in the morning, we'll be more tired than expected, or they'll be even more on alert after one of their patrols fails to respond.”

Ioren agreed with the strategy of the entire plan. It was designed to mend with whatever they were going to face, but again, it was somewhat insane. Taking on so many individuals could be easily overwhelming. Only good training, proper equipment, and sound planning were the ways to build a hope of victory. Regardless, the Itrean knew that there was a viable sense of hope. The armor she had on felt pleasant now that she finally had it. No longer did the rules apply to what they were allowed to do. A part of her did feel a sense of concern for Stone. To her, humanity was supposed to be nicer than its Itrean counterparts. While she believed it to be correct, her observations were starting to show that this was not always the case. She had to be aware that Stone’s bloodlust would grow more, especially if they walked out alive after all this. How many people would have to die to satiate that craving? Even the other individuals she killed didn’t reside too much in her mind, but she had to keep note of it. The argument was all but mute for now. This was simply not the time to discuss it.

They were getting close enough in the walk to see the outer edge of the array of buildings. Not far from it was the ocean. This location mainly consisted of uncompleted structures. Even the road almost ended right next to them. There was a crossroad point that might have been in the early construction process, but nature was reclaiming it rather well. On foot, it would be easy to transition to the east, but the growing number of trees and plants would make it challenging for anything else.

Stone’s vision could easily mark out anything that was unusual. Warehouse #2 had a few adjacent facilities. Besides the ocean, one could see the beach, an inoperable power facility, and a large storage vat near the first warehouse. Again, nature was slowly retaking what wasn’t completed.

Despite the supposedly inoperable generator, power was being supplied to the building. In addition, a few light sources could be seen, partially illuminating the surrounding structures.

“Make sure that we avoid the areas that are generating light,” Stone commented to Ioren.

“What is generating it?” Ioren typed.

“I can barely spot what looks like a wind generator near the beach.”

They had to continue their walk for a little while. Then, as more and more of it was coming into view, Stone could verify a small but sizeable windmill near the beach and dock. Its two blades were spinning continuously to generate a form of makeshift power.

“Should we take it out?” Ioren typed.

“No. We'll bring alarm to them too early if the power goes out,” Stone explained. “We go with the plan as before. Just avoid the lights.”

In reality, this was going to be easy. The few sidelights only provided an indication of the building in the dark starlight. This also meant that most humans probably didn’t have any form of augmentation to allow them to see in the dark. If they could generate light, it meant they were more likely to depend on it.

Besides the primarily incomplete buildings, the central place of interest consisted of two structures. One was the main warehouse, which was the largest of the two. It was mostly a big single-story rectangular metal building with two entrances. It was large enough to have a garage to house any vehicles. The other, smaller one looked like a single-story office building. There was a window on one side that Stone could make out from his range.

By now, Stone made sure to pull out each piece of hearing protection to fit into his ears. This was a sign for Ioren to go ahead and activate her headpiece device. The torso wrap armor began to extend its metal sheath up her neck. It enveloped her snout, cheeks, eyes, forehead, and the rest of her head. Stone briefly looked at her. This was what an Itrean looked like with their wrap armor entirely on. She was nothing more than a walking metal lizard. The greenish-red color was evident. Ioren could see from her partially red-lit eye lenses. Inside, she had a tactical layout of the entire scene from wherever she looked. The breathing recycler could allow her to operate in space or naturally filter out anything toxic for her anatomy.

“Right now,” Stone explained as his voice got quiet. “I’m not picking up any signatures coming from inside the buildings, but I can see something very brief by the only entrance of the smaller office building.”

Ioren closed her tilon and put them away. Any future communication would have to be done quietly on his part. They continued to get closer and closer to the location. Stone’s augmented eye was continuously making adjustments to spot anything out of the ordinary. The red silhouette was starting to get brighter.

“I can confirm one guard that is at the entrance,” the marine almost whispered to Ioren. “Do you see anybody else?”

Ioren shook her head. There was nothing that her vision could spot. Even her hearing was only that of the wildlife and distant ocean waves that splashed against the beach. Their approach was becoming increasingly promising. If there was only one person there, then it meant that everybody was inside. Then, of course, there was the possibility that they were in both buildings. The Itrean began to spot something that was etched on the outer office wall.

“I’m beginning to see the red silhouettes of a couple of individuals inside the office building,” Stone quietly told her. “Don’t see any form of alarm or notice of our arrival. When we approach, we'll get to the corner and stand away from that window. The guard won’t see us coming. I want you to throw a rock to distract the guard. The moment that you do it, I'll make my move. Understand?”

Ioren nodded her head to acknowledge it. She kept a good grip on the chief’s pistol.

“Don’t hesitate to take these men down. The armor etchings on those patrollers we killed matched the card. I can now spot that same emblem on the office wall. We might have hit the jackpot.”

Jackpot…..Ioren would have to look up that definition some other time. For now, she mostly understood the basic generalization of what it meant. They began to hurry at a quiet pace. By now, they left the dirt road and were moving through the wet grass. Any types of heavy shrubs or swamp water, they tried to avoid. The office building was getting closer and closer till they reached the sidewall.

Stone was keeping a close eye on the interior and exterior of the office building. The guard seemed bored by the silhouette movement. He held a single bolt-action rifle and wore the optical lens device to see. He hadn’t heard of the silent approach of the two. The marine could also see that nobody was looking out the window or noticing them. By now, he could see red silhouettes in one of the adjacent interior cubicles near the window. They appeared to be asleep or doing something else.

Ioren bent down and picked up a small rock. At the same time, Stone wasn’t that far behind her. He pulled out and unsheathed his knife. Ioren poked her head around and could see the guard at the front, as Stone had just mentioned. With a simple hurl of her hand, she sent the rock flying. It landed on the exact opposite side of the building, producing a nice, hard thump on the ground.

“What the?” the guard remarked, looking away momentarily at the sound. It was the queue needed as Stone stepped out from the corner, raised his knife, and threw it straight at the man. As his head was turned away, he would never know of the flying blade that was heading towards him.

At the same time, the marine rushed forward, anticipating the possibility that he would miss. However, the knife landed true, impaling the man in the back right side of the neck and throat. His gun fell to the ground, producing a dull thud sound. He tried to gasp for air, but the metal cut off his ability to speak. There was a slight gurgling sound as Stone charged him and used his shield to slam him into the ground. The sheer strength was more than enough to do it. Knocking him on his stomach, Stone used his boot and weight to smother the guard. The audible noise didn’t go that far, but he had to be careful.

Ioren watched the event unfold as she kept her gun at the ready and watched the main entrance. She watched as Stone reached down and grabbed the knife handle. He continued to hold the man down for what seemed like half a minute. Any form of struggling from the guard slowly withered away. The coordinated strike and press down smothered the man to death. Stone stood up to see that the guard’s eyes were open as he lay dead on the ground. He wiped the blood off the knife-edge before sheathing it again.

From Stone’s vision, he could see more and more of the interior. He noted that one of the red silhouettes seemed to respond to the thud sound. An individual was sitting down in a chair. The person’s head showed a state of wonder towards the slight noise. The marine was not going to take his chances any further. He stepped towards the door and quietly tried to pull the handle. Not much to his surprise, the door was locked.

Using sign language, Stone said three words to her. “Grenade……Door……Together,” as the queue for her on what to do next. Ioren understood the concept as she pulled out one of the disc-like grenades from her hip. They took several steps back as the Itrean was using her thumb to work with the primary button interface. Stone pulled out his shotgun and disengaged the safety.

It was now or never, with a simple heave, Ioren threw the grenade at the door. It attached itself to the door, and the countdown began. The marine held his shield up to prepare for any fragments that would come their way. Suddenly, it happened.

EXPLOSION……the door was rocked with a powerful blast that radiated in all directions. The shockwave was enough that it blew the door inward, ripping it from its hinges and towards the ground interior. Fragments and pieces of the entrance flew out in multiple directions. The great commotion caused a sudden alarm to echo in all directions.

“Move! Move!” Stone yelled as he charged towards the entrance. His shield was in one hand, and his shotgun was in the other. Ioren was not that far behind as she pulled out her AKT from her other hand.

“We're under attack! Get up!” yelled one of the men inside the office.

The marine could see the layout of the entire area. His augmented eye painted a perfect picture of the scene. The office building was small but not tiny either. There were thin cubicle rooms that separated the main hall itself. The blown door lies on the floor. Several red silhouettes were lying on the floor or sitting down at the table when the explosion occurred. The blast was so jarring that their ears were ringing. Some stammered and struggled to stand up. Most of them were unarmed.

As Stone had stepped in, there were no people in his direct line of sight except the person in the right cubicle. This man, who was somewhat tipped off to the commotion outside, was the one who was screaming for everyone to get up. A pistol was in his hand. He stepped around the cubicle wall to investigate the explosion further, but the marine was ready. The moment that the man appeared, the shotgun was already aimed at the man’s face. A simple trigger pull, and the man’s head lit up as heavy buckshot ripped into him. Blood and teeth showered a little bit as the round blast was powerful. Knocked back and down to the ground, the man was dead before hitting the ground.

“Two coming from your left!” Stone yelled at Ioren.

There was enough room for Ioren to use Stone for partial cover. His shield would have to do in this battle, as he didn’t have much else to really protect him. She would have to remain close to provide fire support. It didn’t take long as they pushed towards the front left and right cubicles. A machete blade smacked the corner of the edge near Ioren’s left side. A man jumped out with his pistol in hopes of shooting the two. Using the chief’s pistol in her left hand, she fired two shots at the man before he fell to the ground. She then pulled around and kept both of her pistols pointed at the other person, who was close to the window. He had already pulled out a makeshift scattergun and had it pointed directly at Ioren’s head. Amazingly, he managed to fire the gun, partially hitting the Itrean’s face with a shower of small pellets. Her armor easily shrugged it off as she had direct aim with both her pistols. She pulled the trigger on both guns, hitting the guy in the chest. She turned around to see that Stone was proceeding further inward.

The gunfire inside was loud and noisy. Even though Stone and Ioren were using suppressed guns, the syndicate members were pressed to fight indoors with makeshift weapons. The scattergun blast further added to the internal commotion. Yelling and screaming were almost muted at some points.

“One in the leftmost cubicle!” Stone yelled to Ioren. The marine had his riot shield held up. He could see three men and a woman at a nearby table who were struggling to get up. Some had rifles or shotguns. All of them were trying to meet their attackers with whatever they had available.

The woman had a bolt-action rifle, which she had pulled the bolt back to load a round. Stone already had the shotgun aimed directly at her. With a simple trigger pull, her chest took a direct hit before she fell back onto the table. One by one, Stone executed the three other men, with the last getting his pistol aimed and shooting the shield to no avail. A final blast from the shotgun blew the man’s throat and lower chest open before he fell to the ground dead.

Ioren turned to see a man raise a revolver in his right hand. It was aimed directly at Stone’s left side. The thug was still partially dazed from everything as he tried to get his finger on the trigger. He wouldn’t get the chance. The Itrean fired three shots from her AKT pistol. Two of them hit the man on his right hip and side as Stone doubled back a little bit to meet the attacker. Instead, the Itrean rushed and headbutted the man to the ground before raising and putting a bullet into the man’s head.

“Clear at the moment,” Stone said as he weighed his options. Eight people were dead that Ioren could clearly see. Her eyes would look in the opposite direction of the marine to ensure that he was fully covered.

“Bossman! Call up the main base and let them know we're under attack!” It was another person that Stone was trying to figure out where it was coming from. As he stepped around to the main walkway, he could see a set of stairs that went downward. The stone-carved steps led underground. His vision couldn’t spot where it was coming from since it had to pierce through bedrock.

He had to make his decision then and there. He had to keep pressing forward, but there was a significant problem. The fact that only he and Ioren were doing this meant that there could have been people inside the warehouse. These individuals might be responding to the attack. The gunshots alone could be clearly heard. If he went down the stairs, there was a risk of being attacked from the front and rear. He had no real choice. He could retreat and allow the people down the stairs to get ready to attack them, or go back and attack the warehouse. This location did seem to be the prime area to hit first, so he decided to press on.

“Ioren, cover my flank,” Stone ordered her. “Watch for anybody from behind us.”

She acknowledged it as she kept her AKT aimed behind her. She remained close behind him as the marine started to walk down the stairs slowly. His shield was pressed forward. Stone hadn’t been keeping an eye on how many shells he had, but he knew that he didn’t have much choice. Meanwhile, she could hear a commotion downstairs.

Using the high ground as a slight advantage, Stone took his first step when he saw a man with a rifle appear from the dug-out hallway below. He didn’t hesitate when he fired his shotgun at him, hitting him on the shoulder. The man screamed in pain as the marine fired another round into him, knocking him back into the wall.

“Come and get it, you sons of bitches!” Stone yelled down the stairs.

He could see the underground hallway. There were makeshift lights that were there to help keep things illuminated, but the bulbs were fragile and easy to break. It was a straight walk that would lead to a crossway. There was already the dead man who lay at the center. Stone, however, knew that it was about to get busy. Ioren was responsible for keeping an eye on the stairs. They started to take a couple more steps when the wave finally arrived.

“Kill the intruders!” another person yelled ahead of him. Suddenly, they all came out. It must have been like disrupting a hornet’s nest. Three men jumped from cover, aimed, and fired with their rifles and pistols. The shots harmlessly hit the shield and bounced off, doing no damage. The gunfire was as loud as it was before. Adrenaline was in full swing as Stone knew that this was nothing but a shooting gallery. He rapidly pulled the trigger of his shotgun, firing wave after wave of buckshot into his opponents. The stopping power of the shotgun was incredible. His arm could easily handle the recoil generated from each shot, even with one arm alone.

Ioren turned her head to see that more was coming down the hallway towards Stone. She felt two of the pistol rounds slam into her chest and lower abdomen, bouncing off the armor. She bent down and held both pistols, firing them dual-handed. More men and women were coming out to the hallways as the three men were quickly cut down. One of the men had a makeshift submachine gun as he dove down and went full automatic. Streams of bullets were striking the shield. Stone ducked down to ensure that he had full coverage of his protection. He then tapped the button of his shotgun to activate the scope interface. With the shield in front of him, his augmented eye could process what his shotgun was seeing. He started to pull the trigger on each person who came running and shooting.

The Itrean was doing an excellent job with her pistols. She would watch as the bullets hit two men. Her armor was holding well, too. Most of the weapons were low-powered, but she knew that could change at any moment. More people were coming out, tripping over the dead and dying.

“Ioren!” Stone yelled at her. “Fire one pistol at a time when dual-wielding. Time each shot to conserve rounds!”

It was true. While it looked cool to fire both guns at once, it was challenging to do so. A couple of times, a stray bullet would miss and hit the back wall. So she started alternating between the guns when she fired. This ensured that she had some aim for each firearm.

Stone’s shotgun continued to unleash torrent after torrent of bullets. Some of the men and women of the syndicate wore makeshift armor, but it was no match against the M212. The buckshot was as close to armor-piercing as it could be. Blood and even gore were starting to gather on the walls. Everyone was in the fight of their lives.

Click….Ioren saw that her AKT pistol was empty. She quickly ejected the magazine, reached for a fresh magazine with a gun-filled hand, and slapped it into the AKT. She was about to resume firing when her vision looked up the stairs behind them. She could see it. Two men who had entered the office building both had PDW-20s in their hands. She reacted as quickly as she could as she raised her pistol and opened fire on the two. Apparently, the two men were trying to figure out what was going on in the firefight. They both had body armor that was like the Mclevar vests. Two of the shots hit one of them, but didn’t pierce it. She had to aim for the unprotected portions and keep firing. The gun firing at least staggered the two men upstairs, who were caught by surprise.

“Shit!” yelled one of them. Ioren couldn’t let this come to an end. She climbed up the stairs while continuously pulling the trigger of her AKT. One of the men tried to fire back. Two shots echoed from the military carbines as they splashed against the stairs, blowing chunks of concrete away, narrowly hitting the Itrean woman.

She could see fear in their eyes. They weren’t expecting to see such a thing as her. Even if she was smaller than they were, fight or flight was taking over their thoughts. Finally, one of the men took a shot to the head as he crumbled over dead.

“What the fuck!” yelled the other man. For a slight moment, he almost tossed his gun down and started to retreat, but Ioren wasn’t going to let this person escape. She continued to fire at the other one. He took a shot to the arm, causing him to recoil a little bit. By instinct, she raised her other pistol and began to open fire with it in tandem. Again, two of the shots missed and hit the wall. The OCP pistol clicked empty as the final bullet hit the person in the leg. He took another round in the throat as he fell to the ground.

Stone kept seeing person after person come through the hallway. Despite having an advantage, he knew that the shotgun was about to run out of shells. He also knew that he was blocking the only exit. This gave the defenders a sense of determination, knowing that their backs were against the wall. He had to consider going back up the stairs, but instead, he simply grimaced. Pure bloodlust was in his eyes. Each person who tried to attack him was getting gunned down. It was nothing but a hallway of death. One man who had a pistol watched in horror as his hand was shot almost clean off. He fell screaming before another shell of buckshot hit him in the head.

“Fucking die!” the marine yelled. He kept firing when the shotgun clicked. Suddenly, he could see a man and a woman with a pistol in machete charge at him. They continued to try to shoot at him, but the shield was holding firm. He quickly pressed the release switch for the arm grip and scope deactivation. He tossed the shotgun to the ground and reached to unholster his Desert Falcon.

At this moment, Stone could see that he could easily take down only one of the individuals, but not both at the same time. He raised the gun and pulled the trigger. The powerful round blew the man’s head wide open before his machete even hit the shield. The woman, on the other hand, was about to hit him. A very brief flashback reminded him of this scene before. She even almost looked the same. A gunshot from behind him could be heard. Ioren had the chief’s pistol in her left hand as she gunned down the woman.

Suddenly, all was quiet. No screaming and no woeful agony was being waged out. Instead, Stone had nothing but an angered look on his face waiting for the next person to come after him. Ioren stepped aside to him while she kept an eye on the stairs. She tapped him to let him know they should move, but she could see he was briefly out of control. Blood covered his shield, and the hallway was littered with the dead of at least twenty-five people. The marine was breathing heavily before he was about to step forward.

His augmented vision showed him nothing. The stone bedrock was making it impossible to see what was around the corners. For now, it looked clear of anything hostile.

Ioren tapped him again as he almost snapped at her. He looked down at her to see that she was gesturing for him to go upstairs. He had to reconsider pressing forward. The underground area would have to wait, but she showed no concern about the underground passageway. She couldn’t hear anything that was out of the ordinary except the occasional sound of dripping blood.

“Fine…..godammit,” Stone angrily said as he quickly holstered his handgun. Then, he went and picked up his shotgun. “Let’s go to the warehouse and clear it out.”

He had to turn his back to the hallway. It was a risk that had Ioren continually checking down the mutilated hallway. There was no activity. She knew that there had to be more from the warehouse. Even the marine knew they were preparing to launch a counterattack. They were likely going to investigate the disturbance that was going on.

Stone was quick as he went and ejected the huge box-like magazine from the shotgun. Ioren already grabbed it from his back and handed it to him. It was cumbersome, especially with their hands and arms filled with other gear and guns, but it was doable. He held onto the shotgun before sliding the magazine into place.

“I’m running low on the shotgun,” he told her. “How much do you have?”

She only had a spare magazine left for each gun as she gestured to her sides. He started to head up the stairs with his shield at the ready. So far, it was clear. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Stone could see one of the downed men. One of the PDW-20s was lying on the ground.

“Holster your guns,” he ordered her. She did so as she saw Stone toss his shotgun to her. He then reached down and picked up the military carbine. He briefly looked at it as he made a couple of comments.

“Thirty rounds….,” he said. “They were in a hurry to meet up with us……they'll be launching another group to come and investigate everything here. Get by the blasted door and use it as cover. Keep firing that until you run out and switch back to your other pistols. We'll gun them down when they come from the warehouse.”

They stepped over the other dead as they made their way to the knocked-down door. Taking up both sides of the door, Stone began to look through the thin walls. Both of their eyes could make out at least seven men who were armed with various military-type guns. They were slowly heading through. The marine went and took his shield off. He planted it in front of the frame edge to cover himself and help add to the protection besides the wall. With both his hands freed up, he began to adjust the settings on the carbine. Ioren was comfortable with her spot. She was all set.

Stone bent down and activated the extendable scope on his PDW-20. It synced up with his augmented eye as he positioned the barrel out into the open. The targeting computer gave a perfect layout of the outside. Wherever the gun was aimed was where it was going to shoot.

These individuals were much like the other two that Ioren already combatted against. They wore the Meclevar vests, and all had PDW-20s in their hand. The one thing that she did spot was what Stone had commented. They might have looked intimidating, but these men were poorly trained with their firearms. Most likely, they didn’t even know the various capabilities that their guns had. They walked out into the wide-open, into the solid dark, and didn’t know that the scopes could easily see in the darkness. Only a few had the optical lens devices on their faces to help them see. Even then, those optical lenses could only reveal so much. By now, Ioren could hear two of the men speaking as they were getting close enough to the office building.

“…..I heard nothing but gunfire,” one of the men said.

“Think it was the village that attacked?” the other replied.

“They'd be crazy. We can take them down easily.”

“Be alert, though. Fred and Chon……”

Stone pulled the trigger on his PDW-20. A couple of shots easily penetrated the first individual as he tumbled over dead. He then aimed for the next person.

“We're under!.....” were another person’s words as Ioren already had aim on the next one. She fired a single shot, littering a man’s face with buckshot.

The marine was quick as he was trying to gun down the next person in his sights. Many of the group froze and started to scatter a little bit, hoping to avoid the gunfire. So far, three of the seven were dropped.

Ioren saw another as she hit one that was trying to shoot back at whatever was shooting at them. He tried to fire a couple of random shots in the direction of the gunfire, but he took a direct hit in the leg. He was on the ground, screaming in pain and agony.

“Dude, fuck this!” one of the men yelled as he went and started to run back to the warehouse. It almost caused another person to flee as well.

Stone was relentless. Despite the rapid movement, he shot another individual three times before they fell to the ground. He could hear screaming already as he aimed at another person. This person had one of the optical lenses over his eyes and could lightly trace the gunfire blasts. Being braver than most, he took aim at the direction and pulled the trigger before taking a couple of hits to the chest and abdomen. Stone felt a jutting piece of metal lightly touch his arm and shoulder. The man managed to fire a bullet that struck the wall, slowed enough to hit the shield, and left a nice dent.

By now, two had made a successful run back towards the warehouse. Ioren was trying to aim for one and fired. It hit the person in the shoulder as he staggered and limped to the warehouse. With the last man of the seven present, Stone stepped outside and fired the last shot into the screaming man. Upon silencing him, he reset the scope so that he could have a better view of the environment. He picked up his shield and briefly looked at the downed men. The warehouse walls were blocking most of the signatures as before, but he was more than sure that other individuals were there. A part of him cursed at himself for not attacking the warehouse first instead of the office building.

Ioren stepped out to join up with Stone. He tossed down the PDW-20 that he had and picked up one of the other ones that were dropped on the ground. Then, he charged to the side of the building as the Itrean wasn’t that far behind him.

He gave a hand gesture for her to follow behind him. She did so as they inched their way towards the corner edge. Stone could see more and more of the red silhouettes inside the warehouse. The interior showed that of a single-story, mostly open area of numerous workbenches. Men and women were both huddled up, carrying various varieties of military-style equipment or rudimentary, manufactured guns. He was picking out the most critical targets.

There were three that were exceptionally dangerous. Two of them, a man and a woman, both had anti-material rifles situated apart, aimed near the entrance or side door. The wall naturally obscured Stone and Ioren, but he knew that these two needed to be taken out first. The last exceptionally noteworthy person was a man who was struggling to get a power armor suit put on. The lack of proper training was slowing down his entire process. Stone needed to step up in stopping them before the man completed his task. Having to fight a person in military power armor was one that Stone knew would be troublesome.

As they worked their way around the warehouse walls, Stone and Ioren reached the corner edge that would lead to the front entrance. The great ocean, beach area, and makeshift dock lay directly in front of them. The marine held up his fist to gesture to the Itrean to stop. He turned to look at her before he tried to use sign language to communicate with her.

“Fifteen inside,” he signed to her. “Understand?”

Ioren nodded her head as affirmation. He continued forth with their silent communication.

“One inside…..big……armor,” he tried to keep the hand language simple. Finally, he pointed at her last disk grenade and made the hand gesture for her to understand. “Kill first. Understand?”

The Itrean was well aware that Stone could see better than she could with his eye. However, she understood the basics of it enough that the warehouse's interior would be a brutal fight. This was the last hurdle to get through. If they could attack, kill, or chase out these people, then the location was theirs. She nodded her head in agreement.

Stone gave a simple nod in return as they snuck around to the front entrance. Stone moved to the edge of the open door, watching for the ongoing activity inside. As before, he took his shield and quietly laid it down by the frame to help serve as additional cover. He kneeled and readied his PDW-20.

Ioren had to take a risk in getting to the other side of the open door frame. She could already hear the conversation that was going on inside. With one hand, she grasped a disk grenade and tapped a couple of buttons on it. Stone was telling her when it was the best time for her to dart across the open door. He held up his hand to tell her to wait. Most of the silhouettes were distracted by the injured man who came running in a minute ago. He was bleeding from his gunshot shoulder. The conversations seemed to add to the mild panic that the people had inside.

“……fucking have aliens or robots fighting for him!” one of the men said as Ioren listened. “They shot Kevin in the arm.”

“It’s an Itrean, you idiot!” another male voice called out. “They probably sent a force to go after their shit.”

“You sure it was just two?” a female voice asked.

“I don’t know. Whoever it was, they managed to silence the nearby building. You think they’re all dead in there?”

Stone gave the signal for her to move. She did so with the quickest of speed. For a split second, one of the silhouettes of the men looked at the front entrance. Ioren had the grenade in hand and was ready to throw it.

“I thought I saw something….,” another male voice said.

“Are you sure?”

Stone pointed in the direction of where the man with the power armor was located. It was enough that Ioren knew where to look first. The marine then activated the scope interface to align with the barrel's intended aim. He moved it into position and targeted the woman with the anti-material rifle first.

Suddenly, there was a gunshot that echoed out as Stone’s rifle fired true. The woman’s chest took a direct hit as she fell back to the ground floor. It was the queue for Ioren to throw her grenade as the marine hurriedly aimed for the man with the powerful rifle.

“It’s them!” one of the men tried to announce. It was a little late on the mark. Ioren moved her body enough that she looked in. It was now or never as the tactical layout of her helmet showed a clear picture of the interior. The numerous benches, chairs, and tables were littered near the front. A few of the tables had been knocked over and used as makeshift cover. It was here that she spotted it. A man with power armor was standing. The top and lower torso had armor covering his body, but his helmet was not on yet. Another person was frantically debating about getting the armor and assault gun ready for him for a split second. It was too late.

With a firm throw, Ioren tossed the disk grenade right towards the armor. It successfully magnetized to the top of the chest piece. Technically, Stone knew that the marine power armor could handle an explosion from a small grenade, but the lack of a helmet meant the obvious the moment it stuck. She and Stone quickly pulled back the moment one opened fire with their PDW.

“OH SH!” were the only words heard from the man in power armor when the explosion rocked his suit. Much as Stone could briefly see, the explosion went in all directions. The blast almost blew the man’s head off as it radiated outward. Shrapnel from the small shockwave hit and struck at least three others caught as well, either killing them or knocking them out of the fight. The noise and concussive force also disoriented most of the remaining individuals in the vicinity. Screaming and yelling persisted.

Stone wasn’t going to let this opportunity go. He pulled the rifle back in and searched for the other anti-material rifle. The man holding it was partially dazed and tried to fire at the entrance area. The unique sound from the gun echoed as the powerful shot hit the door frame, went clean through it, and pierced the riot shield of Stone. The shot narrowly grazed his neck as he felt the wind of the bullet. This didn’t stop the marine from finding the rifleman and putting two shots straight into him. He crumbled onto the table.

Gunfire broke out in pure panic. Even with the shock and awe of everything, the defenders still had numbers, but they didn’t know how badly of a tactical disadvantage they were in. With a third of the numbers already taken down, however, morale was quickly dropping.

“Kill them, kill them!” one of the men yelled. “We have to def…….”

Ioren, still using cover, poked out enough that she had the shotgun aimed at the man’s top torso. She fired as the man’s head was filled with buckshot. His hand went to his face before he crumpled to the floor.

The defenders continued to focus fire on the door frames. The wall of the building was just as thin as the office. The PDW-20's rounds were quickly able to punch through it, but it slowed down the shots enough that Ioren felt one of the bullets bounce off her leg. Even the shield that Stone had was having a similar effect. Large dents could be seen appearing on the slab, but they weren’t breaking through. Regardless, Ioren had to be careful in poking her head out or risk taking a shot through her helmet and neck.

Stone tracked another individual before putting three rounds into the man. Ioren poked her head out and saw one of the men trying to reach for the downed anti-material rifles. She took aim and fired with the shotgun, but he moved right before he got hit. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake again, as the man had picked up the gun just to be shot in the chest and neck with buckshot. The rifle fell back to the floor.

“Leave or die!” Stone yelled to the people inside. “It doesn’t matter to me!”

Ioren could see that the shotgun was either empty or giving out an error indicator. It refused to fire again. She tossed the shotgun down to the floor and reached for the two pistols. She then began to resume firing. She kneeled down by the door frame and extended both her arms into the interior. She made sure to alternate her shots while trying to aim for one of the other defenders.

“This ain’t worth it!” one of the men yelled out. Stone could tell that this was the man who had a shot shoulder. By now, there was a mild hesitation in most of the defenders. The marine continued to target each person in turn. The carbine would pick each one as he pulled the trigger.

“Stay and fight!” another yelled out. “Boss will have our heads if we run!”

“Die now or possibly die later…..fuck this!”

With that, the injured man fled, tossing his gun to the ground in the process. Another joined him as they bolted for the other door. This left all but seven of the original numbers.

Ioren managed to hit another person in the leg and stomach. She continued to fire, but her pistols were questionable in their power. She was aiming for anything that the armored vests didn’t cover. Other shots were still missing and hitting things in the background.

Meanwhile, the Itrean felt another round hit her left hip and bounced off. Morale among the defenders was at rock bottom, but they managed to secure a partial victory. One of the stray shots from the syndicate members managed to make a direct hit on Stone’s gun. Obviously aiming at the source of the gunshots, the bullet pierced the carbine. It ripped the internal components and severed the connection for Stone’s eye. He pulled the trigger on the next guy when the gun took the fatal shot. He pulled the trigger, and nothing happened. The gun was disabled.

“I think I got him!” yelled one of the men. “Come on! Let’s close in on them, or we’re finished!”

Tossing the damaged carbine to the ground, Stone could see two of the men almost get out of cover. They were going to make a run to the entrance and hope to gun down Stone and Ioren. The one thing that they didn’t know was that the marine still had a powerful weapon available. He unholstered his powerful Desert Falcon and aimed it at the first man who broke from cover and charged.

Before anybody had a chance to see what was happening, Stone pulled the trigger, creating a powerful blast from the handgun. The round easily penetrated the vest and went out the other side. The gun blast was so loud that it rang the defender’s eardrums. The berserker fell to the ground as the other man was next. He recoiled as he too took a shot in the hip and fell to the floor.

It was just two now. Ioren repeatedly fired at the table of one of the two defenders, but the rounds were largely ineffective. Stone easily solved this problem as he took aim and fired. The heavy-duty shot punched clean through the table, killing the man on the other side.

“Take it! Take it all!” The last individual screamed for his life as he tossed his gun down and made a mad retreat to the other exit. By now, Stone could see that the other two escapees had reached the other door. They made it outside and began running northwest as fast as humanly possible.

There was still a slight amount of movement in the room that Stone continued to observe. Two of the people were dying as he picked up his shield and stepped into the warehouse. Ioren was close behind him, looking at everything that might have been perceived as a threat. By now, the warehouse had been cleared out. The battle had been won.

The place was a mess, however. Blood littered the floor, and the area gave off the scent of fired ammunition. A moan from one of the men could be heard clearly as Stone walked up to the man. He looked down and could see that the person was trying to say something. Instead, he was gasping for air. The marine aimed his pistol and shot him in the head to ease his suffering. He ejected the magazine of his handgun and loaded up a new one in its place.

“It’s clear,” Stone sternly told Ioren. “We should have gotten most of them or driven the rest away. We still need to check the rest of the office building, but we need to secure this spot completely. It looks like most of the military equipment is here.”

Ioren could feel a sense of relief. She walked over to the last person who was moaning, but the individual fell still and died. The location had been reduced to a ravaged state. The tables that were standing up had a variety of equipment and tools for disassembling and manufacturing guns. The dead bodies served as a constant reminder of what the place initially was. Stone had no regard for the scene but what was there. His eyes focused on the guns that were present.

“We've taken down the syndicate’s main hub for gun manufacturing……good,” he remarked as he took off his hearing protection. “This alone should stop the guns from getting into the mainland.”

With the area cleared of hostile activity, Ioren tapped a button on her suit as her armored layer over her head retracted. Her feathers sprang out as she got a whiff of the smell in the area. She quickly overcame it as she holstered her guns and pulled out her tilon. She remarked on the scene and began looking at other areas of the warehouse.

The other side of the warehouse consisted of three small cubicle rooms. Stone could already see what was inside each one. His eye revealed it to be a simple room filled with beds and mattresses. Another room was in the form of a kitchen. The last room was an office of some sort. It was what was inside this room that drew his attention the most. He holstered his gun as he stepped past the bodies. Ioren was about to activate her translation program when she saw Stone heading towards the rear section of the warehouse.

She followed him to the office. There wasn’t much in there except a table and a chair, but what else was there mattered the most. He opened up the door, where they both saw an assortment of at least six heavy-duty metal crates. One of them was already opened with its contents of guns splayed out. These cases bore the red and blue insignia of the UHN.

On the one hand, the marine was content to see it in front of him. But, on the other hand, it didn’t make him any happier than it usually did. Regardless, even Ioren’s mouth was a little agape upon seeing everything in front of her.

“Forgeries, my ass...,” Stone remarked as he stepped forward to look at them. “I’ve handled enough of these long ago to know what these are.” He reached his hand over to the open crate. “Gun crates…..ammo crates…..everything but the drop pod cases for the power armor. Most of it is right here.”

The open crate had at least twenty PDW-20s, two M212 shotguns, and two empty slots for the anti-material rifles. He placed his shield down by the wall and took a close look at them. Then, with a mighty heave, he shoved the crate towards the other side of the wall, and he then grabbed and slammed down the next chest to the ground. The thump that they made on the floor was loud because of their sheer weight alone.

“Ioren, make sure you're recording all of this,” Stone ordered her. “Take pictures, scan everything here. I want the UHN to see all of this and tell us what great liars we really are to them later on.”

She gave a quick nod to him. She was already doing it as she had her tilon busy processing all the data in the room. She watched him open up the metal latches to unlock the following case. Upon opening it, they saw a variety of smaller boxes containing explosives.

“Typical disk grenades, demolition charges…..Ioren…” the marine reached in and grabbed two of the grenades before tossing them to her. She caught them in the air and magnetized them to the side of her armor. He then pushed the crate aside like it was nothing as he walked over to the next one.

“Serial numbers 112290593……the other one is 112290594……this one is 712293123,” he remarked to her. “Most of the crates are empty…..most likely divided up in what we fought just now or shipped somewhere else. I recognized the parts on the table, too. My augmented eye is processing the data and saving it too.” He popped open the next crate.

"Hmph....," he grunted.

Ioren stepped forward to look in the crate, and it caused her feathers to rise up. The idea was beyond true in pure alarm. Inside the weapon’s case was a series of Itrean guns and weapons. It sickened her to see that this was in the hands of criminals and prisoners in a penal colony. She grimaced from her snout as she was taking video recordings of it all. Finally, she accessed her program and started typing.

“T’rintar guns,” the program translated out loud. “AKT-1s, AKT-2s, Seeker Grenades with some empty slots, and Y-6 assault rifles. These are guns lent to the UHN for training purposes.”

Stone said nothing as he almost kicked the metal crate. It was disdainful for her to see this, and she was debating what to do next.

“Take everything that you want,” Stone told her. “Everything we can use against the syndicate on this island. They'll get nothing from here. We'll start placing the demolition charges in both buildings and destroy the rest of it.”

A part of Ioren wanted to contact somebody or something, but she almost felt that it was a genuinely good idea to go ahead and destroy it. She closed up her tilon momentarily and began to rummage in the crate. Stone was checking out the next chest and pulled out a series of box-like explosives. He gave an affirmative nod as he started to eye the warehouse layout carefully.

Ioren checked each of the Itrean guns as she weighed her decision carefully. Stone, for a moment, could see her debating with herself. Then, he started slapping the demolition charges on the table. There was more than enough to accomplish the task at hand. He saw her take out the chief’s pistol and magazines before handing them to him. The marine took off his backpack as he debated whether he would use the PDW-20 or the M212.

For the Itrean, she finally made her decision. A slight sense of glee was on her face. It reminded her of the gun shop not long ago. She reached in and pulled out two of the stick-like seeker grenades before slapping them to her side. She also pulled out two AKT-2s. The submachine pistols would be more than adequate in close-quarters fighting. They also had the same type of mini grenade launchers on each one as the AKT-1 had. Never would the Itreans ever bless her with this sort of firepower.

“I would almost go with the Y-6, but I can see why you went with two of the same guns,” Stone commented. “They'll hold the same ammunition.”

It was something that made her nod to him. She checked and saw that they were both fully loaded. She then slapped both of the AKT-2s onto her back. For a moment, she looked at the side of her original AKT-1 and was about to toss it aside, but there was one last thing that was in the crate. So she reached in and pulled out a small box.

“Son of a bitch….” Stone said almost with a sense of satisfaction. “A modification kit for your pistol. You can turn it into a silenced TRN-1.”

She tossed the box to the marine, which he put away into his backpack. She grabbed additional fully loaded magazines before giving them a simple nod. Stone could quickly tell that she was loaded for bare fighting. Her armor and equipment would make her quite versatile in future battles to come.

“Good,” he said as he looked and considered his own equipment. The riot shield he had was shot up rather heavily, and even he couldn’t lug everything into a warzone. He thought up what would be the best set of guns to take with him. He would have to consider leaving it behind and taking one of the Meclevar vests in turn. Among rummaging through the crates, he did find a stash of shotgun ammunition. He pulled out a brand-new M212 shotgun that was already fully loaded and checked it. Despite the battle, he was well aware of the future ones to come. Even with all this equipment, he needed something better than this.

“Hmmm….” He remarked. “This won’t be good enough to take on a prison alone…. especially if they already have some military firearms in their possession.” He put his hand to his chin as he gave an aggravated smirk. “Shotgun will have to do.”

With that, he began to resituate his backpack. He took out things that might not have been needed to ensure they had everything they could use for one last major assault. He grabbed a box of shotgun shells and a spare magazine for it before stuffing it into his backpack.

“Come on, let’s check out the office again,” he told her. “The night isn’t finished yet.”

*******

It was less than fifteen minutes as Stone and Ioren thoroughly checked out the underground passage beneath the office building. After climbing down and analyzing the two rooms, there wasn’t much else besides beds and a single room for makeshift facilities. So they decided to leave it as a tomb while carefully grabbing the remaining military guns inside and outside.

Bringing all the firearms to a single room in the warehouse would make it much easier to destroy them. A series of demolition charges was placed on the vital sections of the structural framework. Having it rigged to go off from his computer tablet, they both stood a fair distance near the other half-finished buildings. The darkness pervaded, and there were no signs of any other activity in the area. Stone deliberately made sure that his eyes were in the direction of the prison facility that was too far away to see.

Stone, by now, was wearing one of the undamaged Meclevar vests and a helmet large enough for his head. Behind him and in his backpack was anything that he could salvage from the exhausting fight. Unfortunately, the shield would be left behind since it simply weighed him down.

“Thank you….” he told Ioren. The Itrean woman was taken by surprise. Even she was simply tired, but to hear that from Stone was something she had to take for granted.

Standing by warehouse #3, Ioren readied herself as Stone’s thumb reached towards the tablet in his hand. A simple press, and all the demolition charges had activated.

EXPLOSION! The simultaneous arrangement of the well-placed explosives caused the walls to emit a powerful blast. The few support struts shattered and crumpled to the ground. Fire erupted in various areas and went straight up into the air. The warehouse collapsed in on itself. Ioren could feel the concussive shockwave and eruption of sound as her head feathers flew back a little bit. The power that ran to the place went out. Stone almost ignored the explosion as the fires began to burn brightly in the former interior. For the dead inside, they would be cremated. The light and blast were something that he hoped the prison facility could see and hear.

For the marine, he only showed a grimace at the prison. For him, he knew that his job still had one last mission to complete. The question was about how they were going to do it.

Ioren felt a slight amount of trepidation. Even with the surplus of better equipment, the odds of making it through the prison were low. Most likely, if they tried to attack it now, it would only guarantee certain death. The prison was most likely on higher alert and was probably waiting for an impending attack.

Stone began to look around at the other supposed warehouses that were within his range. Number 3 was the closest one that was nearly finished to number 2, but its sides had turned rustic brown. He wanted to take a look at number 4, which was at the far end.

“Come on,” he told her. “We can rest near one of the nearby warehouses. It'll be far away enough that if they launch a search team to investigate, they'll completely miss us, or we can lay an ambush for them.”

“If they search,” Ioren typed. She turned and followed the marine. A part of her body felt the fatigue. The fight made her completely forget the pain that still resided from where she was shot so long ago. A rest was badly needed.

They began the long walk as Stone’s eye looked into the number 3 building. Even if it was far enough away from the adjacent one, he wanted to make sure it would be a safe enough place to pause and rest. His eye did catch something, however. His vision revealed what looked like a sizable vehicular-sized object that was inside the third building. Further scans in the dark showed that there were now two. Black plastic almost covered them so that the outside couldn't see. This had to be a possible area converted into a garage.

“Vehicles….” he almost said out loud. “I see a truck and a van, but I can’t tell their condition from here. The black covering for it shows a lot of ceiling debris that had fallen onto it over time. They might have been there for a very long time.”

“You think they'll work?” she typed.

“We’ll try. For now……” he looked at the environment as they walked. He could see her almost limping from the injury. “I recommend that we rest.”

“Are you going to make me clean the place like your division?” she asked. The translation program couldn’t get the emotional tone through, which caused the marine to give a brief skeptical look at her. She was trying to be funny but knew it was going to be hard to get through to him.

“No promises,” he replied in a severe tone. Again, she couldn’t tell if he understood the joke or not and simply replied in a non-funny way. It was enough for her to understand.

Warehouse number 4 was more like a three-quarters constructed structure. It only consisted of a brown exterior and interior. There was no doorway, and it looked like a cracked, rectangular, empty eggshell. There was a broken entrance on one side. It would take another couple of minutes to reach it. By the time they did, Stone could easily see that there was nothing inside it. This would have to do. Any illumination from the burning fires was gone by this range, and the ocean waves splashing against the sandy beach were the only audible sounds.

“We'll rest here,” he sternly told her. “In a few hours, the sun will start to rise anyway. I prefer the darkness to keep giving us cover.”

It was a fair statement that had the Itrean nod to him in agreement. They approached the building. Even if it had been standing for years, it looked like more portions of the roof were going to fall in at any time. The walls provided a visible natural barrier to all but those who were coming from the beach. It was a natural shelter, one that even syndicate search parties would have to scour for a long time before finding it. There was nothing in their vision to suggest that anyone was tracking them. The ones that escaped from the battle were long gone by now.

Upon stepping inside, Ioren pressed the deactivation switches for her armor. She began taking off all the guns and grenades as she continued walking down to the corner of the interior. Even Stone started to unstrap the body armor on himself as he took off his backpack and shotgun. He slapped the helmet down on the hard floor.

There was something on the walls, however. Nails that were driven into place could be used for hanging up devices and gadgets alike. They were sturdy enough that Stone hung the shotgun up in place once they reached the corner spot. Almost like a gunrack, the gun held perfectly in place, like it was ready to be plucked at any moment’s notice.

Ioren placed all her gear near the backpack as her armor began retracting. The metal skin started to go back into the wrap disks where it came from. Within less than a minute, she was back in her shirt and pants again. She took her pistol and placed it on the wall right next to the shotgun. She then collapsed onto the wall. The fatigue was apparent.

“Suck it up there, soldier,” Stone sternly told her. “You did well back there, but I need you to be alert just in case they somehow come down here, or some marauder comes across us.”

She was breathing hard as she gave a solemn nod to him. It caused him to give a reconciliatory nod as a reply. She used her hand to provide a single word in sign language, and that was “tired.” Her back and tail rested on the wall.

“We'll have to take shifts in staying awake,” the marine explained. “I'll have the first watch for six hours, and then it will be your turn.”

She pointed to him and signed, “Sleep…..morning?”

“Yes. Daylight doesn’t bother me.”

She gave a singular nod to him. The moment that he turned around, she tried to get his attention. She made a slight hissing sound from her lungs that made him turn around again. She again tried to use her hands to convey the words to him.

“Happy,” she signed. She tried to sign off the word “alive” to him, but it was difficult. She then showed a worried look. “Kill…..many killings. Sad.”

“I know,” he replied, almost with some sincerity. “One more of this, and we're done.”

It wasn’t a good enough response for her. Again, a part of her could see the bloodlust that was in his eyes during the fight. At the same time, she knew that he was right. The proof of their sacrifice was in the destroyed building in the far distance. The battle had been won for now. No more guns could make it to the mainland, all thanks to them. She wanted to say something, but nothing came out of her mouth. A part of her felt like crying. It was a fact of life that she was used to. The only thing that served as the symbol of hope for her was standing in front of her. Even with his back turned to her, she felt a sense of longing. The last thing she saw before she fell asleep was the man before her. How much she felt the desire for him to be on top of her, mating together as most of the universe gave the middle finger to her. For now, it would have to wait, her reptilian eyes closed. She needed to sleep….

Chapter 13: Preparation

“Damn….” Stone remarked as he looked at the truck’s hood. “The battery is completely drained. Some of the circuitry has been completely stripped.”

Ioren was with Stone as they looked at the vehicles. The black tarp that covered it was removed as the sunlight bled into the interior of warehouse number 3.

“What about the van?” Ioren typed on her tilon.

“Completely stripped of everything, but it still has a battery.”

It was just past the afternoon. No response that they know of ever arrived to bother them. By now, Ioren felt a recharge to herself. Even Stone seemed to function better now that he had a chance to get some badly needed sleep. The pain that Ioren had was much less evident now than it ever was. He opened the hood of the van as he looked at the engine.

“The battery has a 10% charge to it,” Stone said. “Probably from the inactivity from all the years it's been sitting here.” He showed an agitated look as he kicked the side of the van. “They completely gutted the parts from this thing.”

“Can the battery be moved to the truck?”

He sighed and nodded his head. “I can do it right now, but the cell needs to be recharged as soon as possible. I doubt it'll make the trip to the prison facility…..we might have to head on foot.”

“Could we use the windmill?”

“Nice try, but it needs a special converter for that to even happen. If they had that ability, these things wouldn’t be gutted the way they are. Still can’t believe they even left these for the prisoners to recover. What else did they leave behind for them to use?”

Ioren had no answer to that question. Instead, she tried to come up with other ideas as she carefully scanned the map. She noted some of the things that were closer to them. Even if they tried to walk straight to the prison, it would take at least four to five hours to reach it. However, there was something that was a little bit closer than the prison.

“What about the village?” she typed.

“No,” he replied as he picked up the battery and moved it to the truck.

“You worked with them before.”

“And that is why I’m not recommending it. Even if they could fully fix this, the people there might not be so cooperative. Many haven’t even seen an Itrean before either.”

“They might help if we are….” She paused as she rapidly typed. “If we are fighting the syndicate.”

“Hmmm….” he remarked as he slipped the battery into place. He expressed aggravation at even having to go back there.

“The warrior that fights my foe is also my ally,” Ioren’s tilon translated.

“What?”

“It is a saying during our fight against the Emphra.”

“Hmmm…..the enemy of my enemy is my friend….Hmph……fine…..we'll drive the truck to the village assuming that it doesn’t break down or not work in the first place. I'd prefer that we wait till night before driving this thing.”

“I understand.”

“Just before nightfall,” he reiterated. “We have to time it, so it doesn’t provoke them to shoot us on sight. If this thing doesn’t work, then we go ahead and proceed with the main plan. We walk into the prison and take on the syndicate then and there….with maybe a little help from something else too.”

“Alright.”

“Get your rest and prepare as much as you can. There will be no turning back once we’re committed....”

*******

Time passed....

It was getting closer and closer to sunset. Both were sitting down on the hard floor. They had just finished eating together, as Ioren had just completed the final modification to her pistol. The parts of the gun were placed correctly together. While it was slightly heavier than it originally was, the pistol looked different now. Its most notable difference was the large suppressor protruding from the front barrel. Several other adjustments were also made to the gun itself.

Stone was just waking from a very short nap when he saw the transformed pistol. Even he seemed to show a sign of being impressed.

“So this is the TRN-1,” he remarked. He held out his hand for her to give it to give to him. She did so as he held the gun to inspect it. “It was a wise move on their part. The AKT-2 was just better overall, but the special design of this suppressor turns the older pistol into one of the quietest pistol designs ever made. If we need to be silent, then you'll need this. I don’t see any flaws in your work.”

“You know our guns so well,” Ioren typed. She picked up her tilon as she looked at him.

“Of course, I do,” he told her. “It’s my job.”

“No, you like guns.”

“That is also true.” There was a hint of genuine gratitude for what he just said.

“I like guns too,” she remarked.

“Hmph…..so did my wife.” He handed the gun back to her, which she placed on the floor. “She always preferred pistols and rifles.”

“She was special to you.”

“Of course, she was,” he said with some annoyance.

“You honor her,” she continued. “You were the perfect mate for her.”

For a moment, his eyes looked down at the pavement. She could see that she was getting through to him. Instead of snapping at her, he simply turned his attention to the ocean. He wanted to change the topic.

“So tell me about yourself,” he said. “I’m sure that you've had a chance to learn about me.”

This took Ioren by some surprise. She wasn’t going to let an opportunity like that go to waste. She began to type as much as she could at the fastest speed possible. He was extremely patient as she did her best to describe everything.

“I was born just after the war with the Emphra,” her tilon explained. “No brothers or sisters. Mother was an Aksren, and father was a Yutilian.”

“That had to be…. challenging.”

She gave a couple of quick nods as she temporarily paused the tilon before resuming it. “Mateship between species was very rare. Hatred between clans, hatred between species. The T’rintar clan allowed families from ravaged worlds to their space after the war with the Emphra. My mother was one of them. She did not hate. She wanted to live and be happy. My father agreed to the same idea even if others denounced their mateship.”

“Hmph…..” he grunted. She continued to type.

“They had me. I’m both, which is very rare. T’rintar clan welcomed families but did not like mateship. I wanted to serve my clan, but…..”

“They didn’t like your face,” he noted.

She did a quick nod. “Everything. Conscription was required, but they didn’t want me. I volunteered and told them that I wanted to serve my people. Finally, an Adjunct sympathized and let me join and train. I worked on vehicles for some time, and then the clan wars broke out again. The Itrean T’rintar government splintered and became three clans. I was ready to fight and die for my people, but…..”

“Zilik’s Disease,” he simply answered.

There was much remorse on her face as her feathers dropped down. “Yes. So much death.” She struggled with her typing. “It struck every male and my father…..” She couldn’t complete the sentence. The marine understood what she was trying to convey.

“It is a cowardly way to attack,” Stone told her as he shook his head. “You just create it, leave it, and that's it. No fight. Nothing to remember your achievement.”

“I was ready to kill Aksren and Shal’rein that entered our space that I served. I worked with mostly Shal’rein of the T’rintar clan. I helped repair their tanks, and they trained me to shoot better. Eventually, I was reassigned to the submarine divisions a couple of years ago. I don’t like submarines.”

“Hmph…..”

“Then, we met your people. I only heard the stories, but I rarely saw humans until this month.”

“Why did they assign you to me?” he asked her.

She seemed to think about it for some time. She didn’t really have much of an answer before she resumed typing, but she decided to be forthright and confess something.

“Golarren. I spoke out for the Golarren. They thought that I was becoming sympathetic to the Kinto’lin.”

Stone turned his head to look at Ioren. “The Kinto’lin? Who the fuck are they?”

“Terrorists that fight for the Golarren. They are equalists.”

She typed nothing else on the matter as if she didn’t want to speak about it. Even the way it was conveyed in the message hinted to him that she was conflicted with that statement. Stone seemed to understand a little bit.

“So they thought you might have been dangerous….” he concluded.

She momentarily tried to hiss a little bit and showed a fit of frustration while she typed. “I’m not Kinto’lin, but…….”

“As far as I see it,” he interrupted her. “You were guilty once they started to think that way. So, in the end, they wanted to keep you as far away from anything that could give you access to their equipment. Hmph….”

Stone said nothing else, as if he was comprehending everything she said and making sense of it. He looked at the ocean one last time before he picked up his Meclevar vest and started to put it on. He then reached for his helmet and put it on. Ioren knew it was time. She closed her tilon. She also picked up her wrap armor disk pieces and started to put them on as well.

*******

A short time passed again....

The black tarp of the truck was entirely removed. The vehicle’s looks were mostly preserved despite its advanced age. A manual handle on the side allowed Stone to open the door by hand. Fully loaded up with gear, it was challenging to climb into the driver’s seat.

Ioren almost couldn’t even open the door. The manual latch barely responded, even with her armored, clawed fingers pulling on it. Finally, with a jolt, it snapped open. With two AKT-2s sitting on her back, a silenced pistol on her side, and loaded with every loaded magazine she could have, she was also having problems climbing in. Her situation was different as she was dealing with her tail. The bumper-like seats were covered in dust and dirt, causing them to fling into the air. It stank as it flared into her nostrils. She also had to curve her tail to try to sit as well as she could.

Stone looked at the steering wheel. It was now or never. He reached his hand to the front control pad. The man wiped the dust off it as he tapped the main power button. He waited for a second as nothing happened. Then he tapped the button again, but could see that it wasn’t going to turn on. On the one hand, Ioren wished that she could help out somehow, but the lack of parts, tools, and equipment just made it impossible.

“Come on, dammit!” he yelled at the vehicle. He lifted his hand and slammed it on the steering wheel hard. The moment that he did that, the vehicle’s engine activated. The motor began to turn.

The truck’s long, eternal slumber had been awoken, but noises could be clearly heard. The control panel on the vehicle all pointed to signs that it was working, but only so well. An emergency light indicator showed the truck's battery was severely low, at about 9%.

Ioren could see that the marine’s bout of violence worked. The marine wasn’t going to let this opportunity go to waste as he switched the gear forward. One of the truck’s tires was almost flat, but it was moving forward. Upon exiting warehouse number 3, he began driving down the beach.

The feel of the moving vehicle was not exactly a comfortable one, but it was suitable enough. The longer the truck moved, the less time they would be on foot. Even Ioren felt a mild form of relief upon the prospect. The vehicle's red color began to shimmer at the end of sunset, giving it an almost brownish appearance.

It didn’t take long for the truck to reach the charred remains of warehouse #2. The fires had long been extinguished, and it was reduced to almost scrap metal. There was nothing but the bodies that remained outside and near the office. For Ioren, it almost seemed to be a sign of absolute negligence. Yet, nothing would likely be done about it as the island was nothing but a forgotten place to human society.

Ioren almost felt comfortable that they were moving along now instead of remaining in one place. She turned her head to look behind one last time. She could see the beautiful sky and beach as the mainland scenery began to take over.

Stone was focused on the driving, but his augmented eye was scanning for any signs of danger. There was none, but his gaze went back to the battery indicator. It was now at 8% and falling fast.

“This vehicle won’t make it to the prison,” he told her. “We'll have to head to the village.”

Ioren nodded her head. What had taken hours of walking was now taking only minutes. The tire problem was prevailing. It was not a comfortable ride in any way. The dirt roads didn’t help in this prospect at all, either.

They reached the crossroad point where Stone turned to the right. By now, the familiar large hill was starting to get bigger. There were occasional other buildings, which both of them were keeping an eye on. It was like driving through a ghost town. Nature was everywhere, and the threat of accidentally running into something was obvious.

Stone looked at the power indicator. It was down to 7%. From this point, it was a straight road. Occasional silhouettes would be highlighted as the darkness grew. Most were just animal life from the distant swamps, but one was a wandering human being. Ioren spotted the person and recognized him as Oxio. The wondering man seemed uninterested in the truck as it drove past him. Even the marine only gave a quick glance at him.

There was nothing else of great note along with the travel. The Itrean continued to look around, trying to spot anything of interest. Along some areas of the road were thick forests. A fallen dead tree was along the path that Stone had to veer and drive around to avoid running into it.

The trip would take at least five minutes until the distant coastline of the eastern side beach could be seen. Stone could see that there was at least 3% of power left in the truck’s main battery. It was about to shut off at any minute.

The dirt road led in two directions. The left-hand turn led north, and the right turn would lead south. He took a left and continued to drive forward. The trip along the beach was beautiful. Ioren started to see something in the vast distances of the waters. These were fishing boats, most likely used by the exiled prisoners. They were nothing impressive, mainly consisting of wood and metal slapped together. The makeshift rafts would float around while men or women would be tossing nets to grab whatever they could eat.

Stone could start to see something ahead as they continued to drive toward the beach. The forest got particularly dense near the road, but a clearing could be seen ahead. The trees created a natural obstruction to what could be observed beyond them. It also forced anything on the road to go through this narrow area before reaching this clearing. Two men armed with bolt-action rifles stood in this area. They both seemed ready to meet the truck, but might have been surprised upon seeing it. These were the native prisoners, but they wore whatever they could as armor or to protect themselves from the environment.

By the time the truck pulled up to them, one was ready with his rifle but didn’t aim it at the truck driver. The other stepped aside and towards the vehicle to investigate it.

“Let me talk to them,” Stone instructed Ioren. “We both step out and hold our hands up. Don’t even make a threat against them.”

The truck’s battery finally gave out as the engine shut off. Nothing more could be done about it as the vehicle remained without power. Even the two men ahead could see it as they watched the two step out. Stone was the first to get out as he held up his hands. It was a gesture to show that they were not threatening. Ioren was next as she walked out. She kept her helmet lowered so they could see her actual face. One never saw the Itrean before and had most of his attention diverted to her.

“Ah…..” one of the guards said, but the other was calm. He gestured to him to remain calm.

“I know you…..Stone, is it?” the other guard said.

“Yes,” he was forthright to them. “I came here to speak with your elder. We need to bring up important information.”

“Diallo mentioned that he was not interested in speaking with you again. You were lucky that we didn’t shoot you on sight....what is that?” the guard gestured to Ioren.

“An Itrean?” the other guard commented. Ioren nodded her head to him.

“An alien?” the other asked. "So it's true they exist...."

“You can tell Diallo this,” Stone said, keeping his hands and arms away from his guns. “I destroyed the warehouse used by the syndicate southwest of here.”

“It’s true,” the guard said as he realized it. “My friend thought he heard something this morning.”

“Tell him that I need to talk to him and bring a replacement battery and something to refill the air in my tires for this truck, if they can.”

“I'll contact Diallo. Remain here and don’t move.”

Stone and Ioren relaxed their stance as one of the guards walked back to a small wooden alcove near the entrance. He pulled out a metallic-looking object and spoke into it. He was trying to get ahold of somebody.

“Be aware that Diallo has been here long before you Itreans ever arrived, Itrean,” the guard told both Ioren and Stone. “Whatever he tells me, will be done.”

Stone was tempted to say something but only knew that anything he did would further aggravate the situation. Ioren, of course, couldn’t reply to it. His priority was clear. After what seemed to take a minute, the other guard placed the metal device down and walked back to the other guard.

“Elder is on his way. He's bringing a mechanic to come check on the….ehmm…..truck. Give him ten minutes.”

Stone and Ioren walked up next to the truck to lean on it. The guards continued to watch them, but they were more relaxed now. This allowed the Itrean to have an opportunity to look through the unmistakable interior of the village behind it.

She swore she could see some makeshift lights. There had to be some sort of fabricated power sources made, and essential lighting to provide illumination. There were basic primitive houses constructed of various materials and scrap from whatever the prisoners could find. On the one hand, it looked like a peaceful place, but she had to remind herself of what these humans were. This location made L’Kibera look like a paradise. Even one of the guards had a tattoo on his arm that depicted a skull and dagger driven into it. She wasn’t afraid of them, but she knew that these weren’t innocent-looking individuals either.

There was something else that she swore she saw as well. It was two children who were playing by one of the buildings. They were happily chasing and playing in the dilapidated area. It was brief but enough for her to note.

*******

It took almost ten minutes for Diallo to arrive. Finally, he came out of the main dirt road with three other men. Stone knew immediately who the village elder was when he saw him. He was the type of individual with the typical dark complexion, like most of the penal colony and Oshun members. He only had one arm and walked with a cane. He seemed like an older man, possibly in his seventies to eighties. He had a gray beard and a thick green shirt-like dress. Two other men came, escorting him with similar bolt-action rifles. A man holding onto a battery with various tools and a small makeshift air pump on his back was not far from them.

By now, the two who were guarding the main entrance had become used to seeing Stone and Ioren. Everyone seemed bored until Diallo arrived. Most treated him as either royalty or a man of respect the moment that they saw them. Both Stone and Ioren, however, were quite indifferent.

There was only the hint of a smile on the elder’s face. It was nothing spectacular, but one that indicated that he wasn’t in a foul mood either. His walk was slow, but Ioren could tell that his focus was on her for some time. Once he got close enough to the two, he gave a defiant speech to them.

“Stone….” The elder’s voice was high-pitched. “I made a reminder to you that I don’t wish to see you, yet you come here.”

“Hmph……” he folded up his arms. “Well, I’m here then, and now I need your help to defeat your enemies.”

The elder gave a nod to his mechanic as he stepped forward towards the truck. The mechanic was a lean individual. Part of his jaw was missing, a sign that he had an augment there removed before being deposited here.

“Wait….” Diallo said as he raised his hand up. The mechanic stopped. “I need to hear you say it…..”

“What?” Stone asked with some skepticism.

“You really did take down their trade post…..their place where they received their guns?”

“My partner and I can confirm this. I also have evidence to add to it.”

Ioren gave a quick nod that the elder even saw as well. Diallo then waved his mechanic to proceed. Stone stepped aside to let the mechanic begin his work. The hood was opened up as he started to remove the battery.

“I believe you, Stone.” The older man lightly lifted his cane and stabbed it to the ground as he looked at the Itrean. “Who are you?”

“She doesn’t have the ability to speak. She is my partner.”

The man's curiosity finally drove him to walk up to her. She felt no tension as the guards were keeping a close eye on everything. It seemed that even with the growing darkness, the man’s vision was going. Even Stone could see cataracts that were developing on his lenses.

“What is your name?” he asked her.

“Her name is Ioren,” Stone answered.

“Every new prisoner in the last year mentioned about the Itreans. A lot smaller than expected. However…….” He lifted his back a little bit as he slipped the cane to his armpit. He then extended his hand to hers in the form of a greeting.

Ioren understood that he wanted to shake her hand. There was only a faint smile on his face to show that he was trying to be friendly to her. The Itrean acknowledged it as she reached out and carefully grasped his hand while giving a firm shake. Even with the metal skin that she had, he still had some force in how he lifted his hand up and down. He released hers as he stepped away from her.

“Still more friendly than you, Stone,” Diallo chided the marine. “Every new prisoner that comes to this island, I always ensure if they are worthy of being a part of this village. I give the ones that Oshun drops off a chance to claim what they destroyed for themselves back on the mainland. On the other hand, you're solving problems for us.”

“Our next target is their main base of operations,” Stone told him. “With your help, it will make things a little bit easier.”

“Easier…..yes…..defeat an enemy,” the chief seemed flustered as his cane was unsteady. “My actions in helping you are a risk.”

“You outnumber them.”

“I do, and they have the firepower to repel us.”

“You have the opportunity to launch an attack on them now. The Syndicate will be pushed off this…..”

The elder waved his hand at him. “I had this conversation with you before, Stone. The reason I’m helping you and not shooting you is because of that. You have angered them.”

“Good,” Stone simply replied.

“And they will lash out at everything as a result. I have to take extra precautions so everyone here can have a good night’s sleep.”

Ioren looked at the mechanic. By now, he had removed the energy cell battery and replaced it with a fresh one. He then pulled out the pump and started to check the tires. He could see the deflated one and attached the hose. It was a primitive foot pump. He began to lift his feet up and down as he started the slow process of putting air in there. By now, Ioren was curious enough to join the conversation. She raised her hand, which caught their attention.

“What?” Stone asked her. “Ah…..”

“What?” the elder questioned.

“She wishes to speak. Ioren, go ahead and pull out your device. They're tilons. It’s her computer tablet device that they use. She uses it to speak for her.”

“Go ahead.” The elder waved his cane and hand at her.

Ioren went and pulled out her tilons. She opened it up and activated her translation program. She began to type as it translated her words.

“Diallo, my partner speaks the truth. They had Itrean weapons. I want to stop them, and we will.”

“Interesting to hear that thing speak for you. Yes, Ioren, I suppose you don’t know much about this place. My village is called ‘Dragon’s Hope,’ and it is our goal for those that make it to here to live together.”

“You mean criminals, rapists, and serial killers,” Stone remarked with a stern tone.

“Yes. I won’t deny our crimes,” Diallo explained. “This island is beautiful, but we must survive. Oshun may have forgotten about us, but it's our job to live. I give everyone a chance to restart their lives. I have over five hundred that live here alone.”

“Men and women?” Ioren asked.

The chief gave a slow nod. “There was only one place for them to deposit their worst. The few that make it here are welcomed. We have our own rules established, our place for every person. All we ask is to be left alone.”

“Hmph…” Stone grunted.

“Elder,” the Itrean typed. “What can you tell me about the location south of us?”

“It’s the former prison facility. For some time, we used to live there after they abandoned the island, but…..we preferred to be with nature. Breathe the ocean air, fish, and farm. It wasn’t easy for us, but we did it. About several months ago, I started to hear rumors that something powerful had taken over the local marauders that still resided there. This Syndicate began to recruit many of the newcomers before they could reach here. Later, they would drive our patrols away with their new firepower. Eventually, I had to end the patrols entirely.”

“Have they attacked your village?”

“Not yet, but I have had a few quiet threats from them. Much of the equipment that you see now is the remains of what Oshun left behind. We even have a car or two, much like you see the battery there,” he pointed with his cane at the mechanic.

“How do you know about the syndicate?”

“I had a defector that joined us. I won’t tell you his name, but from what he has told me, the gang, or whatever you want to call them, would be receiving things that make them stronger. Supposedly, the leader is a she. There is also a rumor from him that tells me that they are building something big.”

“Something big?” Stone questioned him.

“I don’t know what it is.”

“What would they expect? Are they really perceiving you as that much of a threat?”

“It’s a rumor,” the elder reiterated. “Rumors can be easy lies.”

“Hmph…..”

“Diallo,” the Itrean typed. “Do you know any weaknesses against them? Anything about the layout of the prison?”

“There is only one way in, and that is the main entrance. It is a fortress of walls to keep people like us inside. They have a landing pad not far from it. Their numbers are in the hundreds or more, and that is all that I know.” He gestured behind her as she turned around. “All you have to do is drive south and keep going. There is only one paved road that leads straight to them. It is located as far southeast as possible on this island.”

Ioren couldn’t think of anything else that she could ask. Anything else would just be irrelevant. Even the elder felt ready to disengage from the conversation. She turned to look at the mechanic, who was sweating as he kept pumping. By now, the tire was mostly reflated.

“I don’t need to do much more…..” the mechanic said with a wicked whisper. “Assuming they survive, I would like this truck……good parts if it doesn’t work.”

“That is all that is needed,” the elder told him. “They can make it to their destination.”

“Thank you,” Ioren told him.

Diallo showed a look of concern as he turned to look at the village entrance. His face and head looked down as he turned to look back at Stone and Ioren.

“There is something that I…..ask that you can do for me,” the elder noted to them.

“We aren’t going to negotiate for your release,” Stone remarked.

“What is it?” Ioren typed.

“I’m helping you,” Diallo explained. “We want this island to…..return to what it was years ago at the very least. Many of us agree that we are here for a reason. I deserved my punishment and live with my choice every day, but there are those that don’t deserve to be here.....the children……”

It dawned on Stone what he meant as he could see the same two children that Ioren had spotted. Children, among prisoners.

“You want us to take your children?” Ioren asked.

“I want them to live a life other than what you see here.”

“They imprison children?” The Itrean turned her head to Stone.

“No…..” Stone answered for her. “Some of the prisoners are women. They come here, get married, get pregnant, and have children...."

Stone turned around as the mechanic was finishing up his work. He closed the hood as Ioren was still trying to understand everything. A prominent frown developed on his face.

“I will bring this up to my chain of command,” Ioren assured him.

“Thank you, Ioren," the elder replied. "It isn’t for me to speak out for all the families, but the trials we went through were for us and not our progeny.”

“Oshun and their fucking ideas....,” Stone commented as he kicked the truck. “Come on, Ioren. We have the next plan to do.”

“How many children do you have here?” Ioren asked him.

“Seventeen with eighteen in another couple of months.”

“Thank you for all your help.” She closed her tilon, waved to him, and started to open the door to the truck.

“Good luck in your fight,” the elder told Stone. “When I die, I can happily say that I shook hands with an alien,” gesturing to Ioren. “And Stone, next time you come here….”

“It will be the last you'll ever see of me,” he firmly told him. With that, he closed the door and waited for the other men of the village to disperse back to the entrance.

Once it was clear, Stone powered up the truck. The fresh battery had a sixty-one percent charge. It would be more than enough to bring them to the final battle. He turned his head as he tried to clear the mental anguish that he had. He turned on the truck's lights, even though the engine was still sputtering at times. It worked, and that was all that mattered.

“We're heading to the crossroad and making a right turn,” he told her. “I need to call in a favor....”

Ioren pulled out her tilon as she resumed her translation program.

“This will be it then?” she typed.

“Yes,” he told her.

He hit reverse as the truck began to pull away from the entrance of the village. The vehicle was a bit more responsive, and the inflated tire was making a difference. By now, the darkness was masking the beach very well, although Ioren’s eyesight had more than adjusted to seeing it. She resumed typing on her tilon.

“I don’t understand why Oshun hasn’t allowed the children of these prisoners to leave."

“Oshun barely even knows these people as it is,” Stone said.

“Couldn’t they build a radio transmitter and try to contact the continents?”

“It’s possible that they did, but the other side would barely acknowledge it. These are prisoners, after all, not citizens.”

“When a person from my race commits a crime, they are imprisoned. However, the children are not imprisoned for the crimes of their parents.”

“Oshun thinks in the now and not what will happen. They don’t think too much about the consequences that can come from their choices. Dragon’s Eye is a rug so you can sweep your problems away.”

It wouldn’t take too long for the truck to reach near the fork in the road before he made a right turn. It was not in the direction of the prison, but he had a profound reason for doing it. He drove for about a minute before he pulled over to the side. There was no one in sight as Stone shut off the lights to discourage any wayward intruder. Ioren watched as he climbed out of the driver’s seat and looked at the Itrean hard.

“How well do you know how to drive?” he asked her.

Her feathers rose a little bit as she looked at the steering wheel. It hadn’t dawned on her that he would ever ask of such an idea. She was honest with him.

“I can drive a hover vehicle, but these controls are odd,” she typed.

“It’s not difficult,” he gestured for her to move over to the driver’s seat. She shifted her butt across the large seat. She was a little small to correctly grasp the steering wheel, accelerator, and brake pedals. Stone tapped a button below the seat as the seat appropriately shifted forward. Now her talon-like feet could press against the pedals. She grasped the steering wheel as she adjusted it. The 4 x 4 wheels naturally turned.

“The buttons on the steering wheel panel switch to park, on, off, and basic gear settings,” Stone explained. “You aren’t going to get much training in it, but you won’t need much either. It's a straightforward drive through the countryside. Right pedal beneath your feet controls acceleration, and the other is the brake. Steering wheel turns it…..” he waved his hand up. “That's pretty much it. Get yourself acquainted with everything. I have a phone call to make....”

Ioren watched as Stone stepped aside from the truck in her view. The marine pulled out his tablet and turned it on. The panel lights barely illuminated his face as he looked at the display screen. Ioren was wondering exactly who he would call.

The controls were simple enough. She noticed that there were no yoke-like controls or hand and arm interface systems for the truck, unlike the hover vehicle. It was designed a little bit like the Shal’rein tanks. She kept an eye on Stone.

Stone pressed a couple of buttons on the menu screen of his tablet. He looked up into the sky and could only hope that the satellite network would be able to process the information he was going to send. There was, however, a connection that was established. He began to key in security codes that the lead observation satellite in orbit received. He sent another coded sequence as the satellite reported the proximity of one of the UHN cruisers in orbit. He tapped a few more buttons as he sent a priority communications call to the UHN Dallaire. He put his hand on the truck as he patiently waited.

Stone had to consider his actions carefully. He was fully aware that this plan might not work and that he and Ioren would have to go in to fight the prison with what they had. He kept everything he needed to say in mind. At times, he wondered if anybody was going to respond. Even the Itrean was starting to look bored as she would fiddle with the control pad on the steering wheel.

Finally, the tablet gave off a ping sound as something was responding. The UHN emblem seal popped on the screen, and then a live screen video call was established. A man with a mixed complexion, bald, with a thin mustache, appeared on the screen. Most likely, he was a man who descended from the Middle East on former Earth. He wore the red and blue officer’s jumpsuit that was typically worn on a ship. His rank indicated that he was a commander. Behind him was the bridge background. The officer gave a skeptical yet surprised look. His brow even narrowed the moment that he saw the marine’s face.

“This is Commander Faraj of the UHN Dellaire,” he stated with a somewhat Martian accent. “State your name, and why you're calling a military ship from a penal colony.”

“Commander Faraj, this is Master Sergeant Stone,” the marine addressed himself.

Stone almost seemed insulted, even if the officer was expressing the statement in the form of honor. He finally had to admit it to him as the marine took off his helmet to expose his gray hair to him. Even with the faint light of the display screen, it was enough to illuminate his face to the CO of the Dellaire properly.

“Stone….” Faraj’s face was aback by the response. “It can’t be….thee ‘Avalanche’ Stone?”

“Yes,” Stone confirmed his words.

“How? How are you on Dragon’s Eye?”

“Hunting, Commander. I’m on this island to go after a criminal organization that has access to UHN firearms and weaponry.”

“How is that possible? Faraj asked. “No shipments were ever made there that I’m aware of.”

“Precisely, Commander,” Stone was direct with him. “None that you’re aware of. Regardless, I’m transmitting data to your station of everything my partner took on the last day. This includes rifles, pistols, and even power armor that the prisoners here had access to.”

Stone tapped a button that submitted the pictures and videos recorded from Ioren’s tilon straight to his console station. The commander was looking over it and gave a nod to acknowledge it.

“I’ve received the data. He paused for a moment and looked at it. "Hmm....Not good....Criminals using our equipment. Shouldn’t you bring this up to the Oshun UHN chain of command? Why are you contacting me on this?”

“I don’t expect much action on their part,” the marine told him. “Instead, I’m calling on you for a favor.”

Faraj seemed further taken aback by what he was going to say. He almost appeared to be reluctant to ask what Stone had to request.

“What is it that you want, Stone?” the officer asked.

“I plan on attacking the main base for the criminal syndicate here on Dragon’s Eye. If me and my partner succeed, then it will completely shut down their reach to the mainland.”

“It sounds dangerous what you’re doing and……illegal as well. You realize that this is a matter for the local law enforcement to handle, correct?”

“You’re wrong, Commander,” Stone sternly said as he pointed his finger at the screen. “Go into your databank and pull up order OS789-114. Do it now.”

Faraj appeared to be pulling something up from his console. His eyes were scanning documents that seemed to pertain to what the marine had just told him. The form appeared, and he began to read it carefully.

“You are currently under the orders of Captain Bamidele,” Faraj commented as he read the report. “You are to wipe out the criminal organization that presides at Dragon’s Eye. Very well, Stone. With all that said, though, why did you contact me?”

“I need power armor, the latest that you got, including everything needed to engage the criminals here.”

Faraj put his hand to his chin as he seemed to think about it. He almost laughed. “What? You’re treating me as some delivery service for you?”

“I’ve stated what needs to be done,” Stone said. “I can’t take on hundreds with the equipment that I have. I need more.”

“That's a pretty strong request, Stone. You’re asking me to send a shuttle and deploy a set of mechanized marine armor for you into an area that the UHN has no jurisdiction over. If that armor falls into the wrong hands….”

“It won’t,” he sternly interrupted him.

“And these orders….” the commander resumed. “They're only from a Captain and Judge Advocate General. It isn’t anything more than that. Not Admiral Nalanie, Fleet Admiral Otieno, or any of the other presidential staff have given full permission for me to do this.”

“Listen,” Stone told him. He narrowed his eyes at the commander. “I’ve done my part to try to resolve a problem that the UHN clearly made at fault in some way or another. You have the evidence, and you owe me. You might not remember me completely, but I remember my recruits like the back of my head….including your nephew.”

“....Yes….” Faraj commented as he seemed to look away from the screen. “I didn't think it was really you when I first saw you, but I remember. You drilled and trained my nephew when that avalanche struck. You pulled him out yourself. If it weren’t for you, my nephew would be dead…..and now you've come to collect on that debt…..”

“Yes,” Stone told him.

Faraj sighed as he seemed to be looking at the pictures of the guns from the warehouse that was destroyed. Finally, he relented.

“I only have the latest gear for you,” the commander told him. “Keep that tablet of yours on so we can track it. We'll dispatch a shuttle and drop pod near your location. You mentioned a partner. Does that person need anything as well?”

Stone looked at Ioren, but already had the answer. “There is nothing my partner can really use that we have in our stocks. Besides, she is well armed right now.”

“Very well, I'll make arrangements.”

“I just sent my measurements to you, and, Commander? Make sure you're ready for me to contact you again later on tonight. My partner and I will be needing a pickup after we complete our mission.”

“Hmmm…..” Faraj commented. “Expect the delivery shuttle ETA to be thirty minutes. Good hunting to you, ‘Avalanche.’ UHN Dellaire out.”

With that, Stone felt a mild form of relief, but he needed to see the actual evidence of that achievement soon. For now, he looked over to Ioren and gave a mild but brief form of smile. The Itrean could see that he had achieved in this so-called favor request.

“Ioren,” Stone ordered her. “You're going to drive us right to the beach that we aren’t far from. It will be the perfect drop-off point.”

She wondered what he meant by that, but the Itrean could see that the marine was opening the door for the passenger side entrance. He climbed in and could see that Ioren was hesitating.

“Well?” he asked sternly. “Put some fucking lead into that armored talon feet of yours and get a move on!”

Ioren looked at the steering wheel as she began to tap the buttons on the console. The car was on a low-powered setting as the engine revved back up. She tapped the button to remove the truck from park as it slowly moved forward. Then she used forward drifting to turn the car onto the shoulder of the road and make a full U-turn. It was cumbersome for her but doable. Stone had his hand on his tablet as he was keeping an eye on the screen.

The truck had completed its turn as Ioren accidentally pressed the accelerator pedal down too hard. The vehicle jolted forward hard as she then let go and reapplied it more lightly. Finally, the truck was moving at a steady pace back towards the coastline…..

*******

A couple of minutes passed.

The truck had its front positioned south. Ioren was patiently waiting for the event to arrive. The marine had left his shotgun, backpack, and helmet on the car's passenger seat, taking only his sidearm. She looked outside from the driver’s seat into the night sky. Stone could already track it with his eyesight alone. His tablet and augmented eye had spotted the gray cylindrical shuttle that was coming in fast. Its flight plan called for it to fly directly over the island at a low altitude.

The Itrean could swear that she could hear the sound of something moving fast. The shuttle’s great speed propelled it as quickly as possible, easily breaking the sound barrier. Stone sat outside the truck, observing his surroundings. Armed with numerous CIWS AOL turrets, there was nothing that could pose a danger to the flight crews.

“You called in for additional troops?” Ioren typed.

“No, that would be too easy, wouldn’t it?” Stone told her. “No, but something that'll greatly help in the final battle. If anything, Commander Faraj might have just saved the UHN’s reputation by this act alone.”

The sound got louder and louder when the sonic boom erupted. The shuttle’s altitude decreased dramatically. It slowed down while its vectoring thrusters were fully activated. It would take about twenty seconds as the lights of the shuttle could be clearly seen. A bright light near the bottom front of the vessel was aimed directly at Stone. He approached the shuttle as it remained to hover in the air.

Ioren could see that the shuttle’s leading illuminating light went to the truck, where she naturally averted her eyes. It was only for a short bit as it resumed looking at Stone.

Stone held up his tablet so that they could correctly identify it was him. It seemed to work as the rear entry hatch of the vessel opened. Hovering about 45 meters from the ground, it deployed a single large human-sized pod. Like dropping an egg, it almost looked like it was going to crash and crack into the beach sand, but about a second from hitting the ground, several descent thrusters activated. It drastically cut the speed and velocity that it was falling as it gently smacked the wet sand with a thud.

The pod’s lights were on as Stone walked up to inspect the delivery. The thrusters were fully off, and there was a simple panel on the side. He tapped it as the pod’s doors opened up. Then, upon delivery, he raised his hand to signal the shuttle they were done.

With that, the shuttle’s rear engines activated as the sound intensified. It slowly gained speed as it shut off its outward illumination. It wouldn’t take long as Ioren watched the shuttle turn to a distant bright light from the engine flames. Then, it disappeared into the night sky.

Stone had a clear, plain view of what was inside the pod. The open brown and crimson red power armor was easy to see. It was designed so that all he had to do was step into the pod. On the side of the armor was a large, cannon-like array of rounds that fed into the rear of the unit. There was also a small gun turret on the top left shoulder. The helmet was separated but could easily be put back on. He remarked upon it as the Itrean could hear him talk with a mild form of nostalgia.

“A Mark 5 Mechanized Power Suit…..” Stone said to himself. “I remember when I just saw the end of the Mark 3s in training. Faraj wasn’t kidding when he said that he had the latest in gear. Equipped with an M19 belt-fed automatic grenade launcher and a shoulder-mounted sentry turret.”

With muddied-up boots, he put his tablet away and climbed into the pod. He turned around and rested his back against the open interior of the armor. The well-lit enclosed capsule initiated a sequence as the armor began to enfold him. A series of mechanical clicks could be heard as he felt a large amount of metal and soft internal padding press against his body. It would take less than 10 seconds to complete the sequence. Everything but his head was fully encased in the mechanized power armor. The heavy layer of armor had an enormous weight, but internal components and the rear back module were activated. The computer system was fully activated in the suit as the drive motors were made operable. In space, these suits could easily handle zero gravity, but they had to contend with it on the ground. The state-of-the-art armored suit was more than ready.

Ioren was amazed by the technology. Even if it was not as advanced as the wrap armor that the T’rintar or Aksren clan used, the human armor could still take more punishment than theirs could. Only the Shal’rein armor was more resilient and effective at all levels. Regardless, UHN armor was an impressive piece of hardware. Within less than a minute, Stone was a walking tank that stood almost a foot taller. He stepped out of the pod as the heavy metal boots sank a little bit into the beach sand. Even the feet quickly adjusted as it drove an outward flat suspension, anticipating that the marine would sink too low to get stuck. The M19 was mounted outside the arm that swung upward. He reached out with his hands and pulled out the helmet. He then adjusted it and popped it over his head.

The moment that it did, it made a preverbal snapping sound as it clicked into place. The computer system was powering up to its full attention. In anticipation, he reached over and began to access the controls of the suit. Then, with full knowledge of how the system worked, he began to program everything, including the sentry turret's targeting parameters. This was to ensure that the turret wouldn’t turn and immediately fire on Ioren. In addition, the computer’s scanners were imprinted on Ioren to ensure that she wasn’t a risk.

Stone’s internal helmet had projected a series of displays on it for him to see. Those who didn’t have augmented eyes would have a perfect layout of the entire field despite the darkness. Status displays showed that everything was functioning perfectly. He even had two display screens to show what the sentry gun and M19 could see from their cameras. He began to walk towards the Itrean and the truck.

“Ioren, turn your helmet on for your armor and establish frequency Gamma 12-B,” he ordered her. “It'll allow us to have coms only for us to hear.”

She did as she was instructed as she went ahead and set the wrap armor to cover her head entirely. She began to make the adjustments as she, too, had the perfect tactical layout of the environment. Stone, meanwhile, had made the final adjustments. He turned to the pod one last time to ensure that nothing could be salvaged from the pod. He tapped a single button on his wrist pad as the pod’s internal circuitry and lights burned out.

As the marine walked forward, the outward supports of the legs closed back in once it was walking on solid ground. The weight of the armor alone made light thumps on the sandy grass. His grenade launcher alone took up at least half the size of the suit. The M19 looked very much like the M18s that he saw used in the turf war power armor not long ago, but these guns were fatter and stubbier. It consisted of a single larger 40mm barrel that stretched out over a recoilless launcher frame behind the shooter. The belt system fed from the rear disk that loaded into the launcher. A secondary computerized display was shown over the framework of the barrel.

A sense of satisfaction could be seen in the marine. He felt that he was in his element. Ready for all-out war, he wanted to take the conflict straight to the enemy. His eyes were focused southward in the direction of the prison. His thoughts were focused on one singular goal. He was going to make sure that only blood would flow out of the prison walls. Only time would tell if this turned out to be true....

Chapter 14: The Battle at Dragon’s Eye Prison

“Ioren, I’m too big to climb into the passenger seat of the truck,” he explained to her. “This is why I’m having you drive. I'll be in the back bed of the truck when you take us straight to the prison.”

Ioren did her quick nods to understand. She watched as Stone opened up the gate to the back of the truck. He stepped back a little bit and jumped. The computer system anticipated the action as small jets propelled downward. This allowed the seemingly heavy armor to push upward slightly. It was just enough that Stone flew up a few feet from the ground. He landed on the bed of the truck as the weight and shocks could suddenly feel the heavy load pressing down on it. From the back of the vehicle, he had a good view of the entire scene. Even his M19 could easily clear and fire straight ahead if he wanted to.

The helmet's tactical display indicated the approximate location of the prison. Ioren powered up the truck as the engine turned on.

“Ioren, let’s get our asses to the prison,” he ordered. “They'll probably expect something to show up if they were watching the skies closely. Whatever resistance we encounter, I'll deal with it.”

The Itrean didn’t need to be reminded twice. She pressed her talon foot to the pedal as the truck started to speed forward. She adjusted the steering wheel and drove down the center of the road.

“We don’t need the lights on,” Stone said as he barely felt the truck begin to pick up speed. “We have the ability to see in the dark, unlike most of them. We'll stick together during our assault. I can take way more punishment than your armor. It'll be important that you don’t attract too much attention during the shooting. Use your TRN-1 until you run out of ammo or if the fight calls upon using your AKT-2s. You'll provide support fire. I want them to go after me first.”

Ioren could hear his voice intensify. A part of her was mentally preparing for this fight. She knew that this would be the last one. Everything was going according to plan, but even then, one hundred or more against just the two of them was a tough number to fight. She could only hope that raw skill, luck, and the right equipment were going to make the difference.

The truck was moving at a slow but steadily increasing speed. It was moving at around fifty kilometers an hour, but she had to be careful at first. They could only go so fast down the dirt road, and the fact that weather erosion from the storms had degraded it drastically over the last several years didn’t help it. She had to keep a close eye on everything. At least she had plenty of room for maneuvering. The worst that could happen was that she would drive too far from the dirt road and get lost in the forest, or end up stuck in the wet beach sand. The Oshun grass was particularly thick at times and covered parts of the road. At times, it threatened to block her vision.

“Nothing to report yet,” Stone said. “According to the map layout on my HUD display, we'll arrive at the prison in about eight minutes. We should start to see the pavement in about two minutes. Maintain your driving. I'll serve as your spotter.”

Ioren was keeping her hands steady on the steering wheel. She didn’t want to increase the speed any more than she had to. A small pit on the right side caught the wheels, but it wasn’t enough to cause a complete loss of control. The back of the truck jolted a little bit, but Stone remained firm.

The faint sight of the southeastern abandoned city of Dragon’s Eye was starting to come into view. It was nothing significant at all. It consisted primarily of single-story buildings that formed a port. These structures were probably the most developed area of the entire island. The prison existed before anything else, and then more was added around it.

“I’m tracking basic lights coming from some of the buildings,” Stone said. “I’m also tracking tidal generators that are providing the power. Looks like this syndicate has been quite busy here.”

As his eyes went and scanned the beaches, he could spot the small structures far in the distance. These generators above the waterline consisted mainly of a single tower, but underwater, there were rotational blades that spun in response to the constant waves of the ocean. Most likely, these were structures that were already built long before the place was abandoned. He did note that not all the towers seemed to be operating. Only two of the five showed power generation.

Ioren felt a sense of relief as she could see the pavement ahead. The truck began to smooth out before it moved along the hard surface.

“Good,” he said. “Keep an eye out for potholes. We'll be arriving at the city limits in less than a minute.”

By now, Stone could see the buildings better than ever. The visor scanned for any visible threats. There were none, but he knew that could change at any minute.

Ioren could see that it was safe enough to increase speed. She kept a good grip on the steering wheel as she could see the occasional broken plant limbs and debris that had collected along the road. The tires of the truck quickly broke through it. The control panel showed that it was moving at around 60 kilometers per hour.

“Five minutes till we reach the prison, if we maintain this speed,” Stone commented.

The marine was on wide alert. The buildings might not have been tall, but they still served as natural vantage points. Some had natural lips on the roofs that could prove to be natural hiding spots or sniper areas.

“Watching for the buildings,” he told her. “Be careful.”

Ioren knew very well what Stone was saying. Even she knew very well what a well-placed sniper can do. It was very likely they already had people on watch. This was one of the few areas to enter the city, and it was the place where the road almost led straight to the distant village up north. Nevertheless, a part of her still had lingering questions. As the truck was about to pass the first set of buildings, much of the place was intact. Yes, it had been clearly abandoned, but there were places to call home. Perhaps the elder and the people genuinely wanted to get away from this location. It was ominous to see it in this stage. Among the signs she noticed was that of Orsatech Industries.

“Contact,” Stone announced. “Thirty degrees starboard and on the roof. Maintain your speed and heading.”

Stone could see them as clear as day. Even his augmented eye was barely needed as the red silhouettes appeared on the targeting sensor. Located on the roof of an upcoming building were two men. One had an anti-material rifle at the ready. He had just poked his head out and was getting ready to aim it at the truck. Another person was on some form of radio device. Most likely, he was contacting and notifying whomever that something was coming.

The marine wasn’t going to give them a chance to fire their gun. Instead, he aimed the M19 barrel in their direction. The suit's computer system had achieved a firing lock on the edge of the roof where the men were located. With a simple pull of the trigger, the grenade launcher unleashed a salvo of three explosive rounds into the location. The 40mm rounds struck the edge like a powerful sledgehammer. Almost in tandem, all three detonated, setting off a blast that ripped the edge of the roof clean off. Debris and shrapnel flew in all directions as both men were clearly blown off it. The sniper rifle was torn to pieces, and most likely, the men were as well.

The truck drove by this set of buildings as another group was coming into view. This time, it was a two-story structure located near the beach. As the truck approached, Stone could see another pair of men standing by one of the windows of what might have been an office building. It was a repeat of before. A sniper post was there, and Stone could see one but not the other. He aimed his grenade launcher and fired a two-burst shot into their location. This time it was much harder to tell what was happening. One of the rounds struck the edge of the window, blowing outward, as the other went straight into the window. There was an internal explosion, and the concussive shockwave could be easily heard. This was the second sniper nest that was taken down.

“Four minutes before we reach the prison,” Stone said as he saw the truck drive past the buildings. There was nothing more on the beachside, but there were still other buildings on the right side of the road.

Ioren could see the ocean on the left side of the road. The lights that she could see had to have come from the distant prison that was slowly getting closer. She had to avoid the clutter of things that were starting to appear on the street.

Stone’s augmented eye was starting to reveal things. There were the occasional silhouette echoes of what might have been people. Most of these might have come from the buildings. Either the abandoned prisoners were hiding or attempting to lay an ambush. This was problematic because it was challenging to identify the most dangerous targets. He had to weigh each target carefully instead. It was clear that the prison knew a vehicle had broken through its perimeter.

For Stone, he was little more than a gun turret on the back of the truck. However, he did spot something that was coming ahead on the road. There was a turn ahead, but the main path forward was blocked. Concrete barricades were in place. Behind this barricade were at least five armed men who had established some sort of guard post. Most had rifles of various construction. They knew the truck was coming.

“Ioren, take the turn right up ahead!” he yelled. “Be ready for incoming fire. Five gunmen are using a set of barricades for cover.”

The Itrean could also see it now as well. The barricades were adequately laid out to prevent any mad rush of vehicles from getting through and going straight into the prison. However, she had to start hitting the brakes as she could see a turn up ahead. Stone could feel the truck slowing down as Ioren was getting ready to make the turn.

Stone could see the men. He picked out the one that was most dangerous, which also had an anti-material rifle. The M19 was aimed directly at him as he fired a two-burst salvo at this target first. One of the rounds went over and detonated away from the five, and the other struck the barricade's base. Chunks of concrete were flung about, slightly disorienting the sniper.

Gunfire erupted from the barricade. At least two were firing their rifles, which penetrated the truck’s windshield. Three bullet holes could be clearly seen as Ioren slammed on the brakes and pulled the vehicle to the right. The tires screeched as the truck was making its turn. She put so much force into the turn that it almost threatened to topple the vehicle over. Thankfully, Stone's weight helped keep it pressed down and level. There were other concrete barriers on this road, but a narrow strip remained for the truck to pass.

Stone had reacquired a lock as he tapped a button to switch the grenades to fire a fragmentation burst. The computer quickly laid out the trajectory over the men, including the one who had the sniper rifle. He fired a single shot as the grenade flew and detonated over the gunmen’s heads as the truck turned. Three of the men took a direct hit from shrapnel as they fell over. Ioren reached behind her to grab one of her AKT-2s. She rapidly tried to aim in the direction of the shooting and fired two shots that punched through the left side driver’s side window. She clearly missed as she pressed the gun back onto her back and refocused on her driving.

The marine’s sentry shoulder turret had made a lock on the remaining gunmen. It fired single-shot rounds in the direction of the two. One of the gunmen took a direct hit as the other men jumped underneath the barricades to save his own life. By now, the truck had gained enough ground to escape the blocked road.

“Take a left at this road!” Stone yelled. “They can’t block us off forever!”

Ioren saw the left turn as she pulled the steering wheel to the left. The intersection showed a series of other buildings, including something that caught Stone’s full attention. It was an oversized garage that was already open.

“Son of a bitch!” the marine explained in pure aggravation. “They have an armored car!”

So much was happening that he had only seen the threat indicator lit up on his helmet display. The truck had finished its turn and began to speed up again. Adding to the barricade’s defense force was an M10. The eight-wheeled vehicle was already powered up and started to leave the garage doors. Much like the police force's vehicle back on the mainland, this was also conveniently left behind. It was in full operation and was increasing speed towards the truck. Stone turned to face in the direction of the car.

“They fucking left behind an operating armored car! Ioren, drive past the next three stop signs and try to make a left. That should take us directly to the prison entrance!”

Ioren’s blood was pumping at everything that was happening. In the rear-view mirror, the vehicle was gaining speed. On top was an operational turret, but they weren’t within optimal firing range yet. Hopefully, the people driving it didn’t have the proper training to use them effectively. She could see that the road ahead was quite long and clear as she began to step on the accelerator pedal.

“Come and get it, you fuckers!” Stone exclaimed. “I’ll pour down death into your throats!”

The marine toggled the switch to high-explosive rounds for his grenades. He had the perfect aim of the armored car that was catching up to the truck quickly. Its powerful drives were more than a match against his vehicle. The tactical computer pointed out the car's weaknesses, which Stone pretty much already knew. One was the small, thin, slit windows where the driver could look out from. Another target was the wheels, but the fact that these were prior military vehicles didn’t help. Even if he managed to take the front wheels out, the other six could still keep pushing forward. The other choice was much like the black star mercenary did weeks ago: to pummel the frontal armor and window.

Each second continued to pass. Within less than thirty seconds, the M10 would be smacking the bumper of the truck. Even with the vehicle, the armored car was much bigger. Stone was at the ready as the targeting computer established optimal firing range.

The marine pulled the trigger of the M19 as it fired a burst salvo of three grenades into the frontal armor of the vehicle. Each one detonated, splashing explosive rounds across the plate. At the same time, the minigun on the turret opened fire. It fired a stream of at least twenty rounds as the driver momentarily lost control of the vehicle. The light rounds harmlessly splashed off the power armor of Stone, but Ioren swore that one of the rounds punched through the back of the truck and out the front side. She lowered her head a little bit to avoid any continuous fire.

Stone lightly adjusted his aim as he pulled the trigger again. This time, he would fire it at full automatic. The grenade launcher began to cycle round after round into the loading chamber. There were at least five additional explosive rounds that detonated off the hood of the car in less than a second. One exploded near the bottom section below the front bumper, causing the vehicle to lightly bounce.

The armored car slowed down a little bit. Even if the vehicle could withstand the grenades, the sheer concentration of them was weakening the armor plating. Blast marks whittled the frame as the flames dissipated almost instantly. Stone knew that the operators probably didn’t know enough about their own equipment. The resistance of a power-armored marine could still fight back.

The M10 began to slow down, but it still tried to fire a spray of minigun rounds into the back of the truck. More of the bullets bounced off of Stone, but the back left tire took a direct hit. Ioren could see the turn coming up down the road. She noticed a barricade like the one she had seen before, but it only blocked the path ahead. There was nothing to stop her from making a left turn. She tapped her car horn to grab Stone’s attention.

The marine turned to see the upcoming barricade and had an idea. He tapped the settings of the grenades to emit a photoflash similar to a flashbang. The car was about to readjust its turret again while increasing its speed. Stone was counting on this as the truck was about to hit the brakes to make its turn. With a damaged tire, it was going to be difficult. It was already drifting to the left. He turned back to face the car.

“Ioren, when I fire my grenades, you make the turn!” he told her.

Stone was about to see the turn come up. He pulled the grenade launcher's trigger as it fired three rounds towards the front window of the M10. All at once, the grenades detonated, producing a heavy flashbang. The bright light penetrated the area where the driver was looking. Even with advanced equipment to protect against such a thing, the marine knew the driver was looking out the window instead of at the camera display. The blinding light stunned the person immediately. His eyes were temporarily blinded.

Timed with perfect precision, Ioren started to hit the brakes. She spun the wheel as the truck made its hard turn. Again, the vehicle was threatening to flip as Stone tried to kneel to shift his weight to the left. It worked as the truck barely managed to make its turn, hitting the sidewalk in the process. The armored car was trying to make the turn as well, but with a blinded driver, there was no hope for the vehicle. It lost control as its front bumper and edge smashed into the barricade. It lightly launched the armored car into the corner of the building with a powerful force. The walls of the building couldn’t hold, as pieces of the roof and wall fell upon the car, burying the front section almost entirely. The vehicle was disabled.

Seeing the threat eliminated, Stone turned and looked ahead to where the truck was going. Ioren already began to slow down as her talon feet let off the accelerator pedal. At the front intersection of the end of the road was the prison facility. The place was particularly ominous in the dark, even if the two could see it as clear as day. Only two large overhead lights were on. This illuminated the front yard. It stood at two stories high. The structure made it look like a person that was holding their arms towards the front gate.

The gate itself consisted of two metal and polymer chain-linked fences. The enormous walls around it would prevent any person from fleeing its hold. There was only one way in, and that was straight ahead.

Stone could track two more targets ahead. A man and woman were both holding positions with PDW-20s in their hands and optical lens pieces fitted over their eyes. They had a surprised look upon seeing the armored car that had wrecked itself and frantically talked on their wrist communicators to notify whomever of the invasion.

“Take us straight in the front gate!” Stone yelled. He set the grenade rounds to explosive again as he aimed at the locks that were holding the fence in place. Ioren was doing her best as she could see the woman lift up her gun and aim it at the truck.

Driving at around fifty kilometers an hour, the truck was turning into a bullet. It almost hit the gate as Stone fired off a burst of two explosive rounds at the entrance. The main lock blew apart and weakened the frame that held the fence in place. At the same time, his sentry turret targeted the guarding man as it fired two shots directly into his neck and head. The Itrean had her AKT-2 at the ready as she tried to fire short bursts at the woman with the gun. Holes were being blown through the windshield as she swore she hit her. She wouldn’t have a chance to verify that, however.

Stone lowered his profile as the truck slammed into the gate, smashing the fence over. Ioren felt her armor trying to compensate for the impact. The first fence was knocked over. The remaining momentum of the truck continued to move forward until it bashed and tore the second fence as well, ripping it off its hinges. The marine felt his body move forward as the vehicle had come to a slow stop.

Ioren barely had a chance to regain her senses. She could see that the truck had penetrated the fortress walls of the prison. Stone was already on it as he walked forward and jumped off the back bed of the vehicle. The powerful shocks absorbed the landing as they started to head around.

“Get out of the truck now!” Stone announced. “They know we're here!”

Ioren grabbed the shotgun from the passenger seat. She tried to open the door, but it was locked. She started to kick the door open, but had no luck. It was jammed.

“I got this!” the marine said as his fist bashed the driver’s side window. Safety glass pieces flew everywhere, bouncing off Ioren’s armor. With a simple grab, the marine grabbed the door of the truck. With a powerful heave, the arm of his suit ripped the door wide open and almost snapped it from the vehicle frame.

“Move it!” he screamed. “Snap the shotgun onto my back. Don’t worry about the backpack and the rest of the shit. We're heading straight in!”

The sentry turret of his suit was already actively tracking. The moment that Stone turned to face the prison building, the gun turret rotated to his left and up. It saw a man on one of the two towers. A man with a rifle aimed down straight at the two, but wouldn’t have any luck as the sentry turret shot him down. At the same time, Stone lifted his grenade launcher and saw the other tower. There was another individual with a rifle as well. He fired a three-round burst directly into it, blowing it to pieces. The tower collapsed, crashing to the grassy floor below.

Ioren jumped out of the truck with everything she needed. She was tiny when compared to Stone, but she was quick. She ran behind him and pressed the shotgun to the right rear of his shoulder. It held the gun in place as the marine started to move forward.

“Move, move, move!” Stone yelled as his suit was actively tracking multiple targets. Ioren had one of her AKT-2s at the ready as she remained close behind the marine.

They weren’t that far from the rectangular building of the prison. There were dozens of windows, all with perfect vantage points. There were also single-story structures lining the area near the prison's tallest section. As they continued to move forward, the prison almost seemed to feel like it was embracing them.

“We are under attack!” screamed one of the men from one of the windows.

Stone was doing his best to keep moving forward as fast as possible. Unfortunately, this would be a difficult task. The mechanized armor was not designed to give the wearer great speed. It was designed as stand-off equipment. Instead, he marched forward, searching and shooting any targets that may come their way.

The tactical HUD of his helmet could clearly map out the entire region. There were at least four men who were by various windows. They were hiding behind the walls or near the windowsills. A concerted effort in defense was starting to mount as the men would pop out of cover. In their hands were various types of guns, from crafted bolt action rifles to military-based firearms. Stone would walk forward and aim at a target. The sentry turret targeted one of the men and fired several shots taking one down. One of the men managed to have their PDW-20 on full automatic as they poured down withering fire towards the two. Stone’s armor quickly shrugged it off as he had the M19 aimed at the shooter's window. Two explosive rounds were launched directly into it. When they exploded, they threw debris about and blew a small hole in the wall. Stone could see the blood of whatever took the hit from it.

Another man with a low-powered semi-automatic rifle got out of cover and began to shoot down at the two. Ioren was already on it, as she had her submachine pistol aimed at the person. She would take careful shots, firing at him in semi-automatic. The man dived back into cover when he was fired at.

They were getting closer and closer to the door when Stone aimed the M19 at the front entrance. Ioren could see the emblem of the syndicate painted on the walls of the prison. The marine fired two shots directly into the door, blowing a massive hole that he could easily fit through.

“Keep pressing forward!” he said as they kept moving forward. “Tracking numerous targets ahead.”

Ioren ran to the edge of the door as Stone reached the large hole. The marine stepped inside and received immediate gunfire. Two of the men were firing fabricated semi-automatic rifles at him. They were using the front reception counter as protection. The bullets bounced off as he aimed the grenade launcher at them. He fired a burst of three that slammed and exploded directly into them. The explosion was horrific as limbs, blood, and a slight amount of gore were flung about.

The Itrean stepped inside to find they were in the prison facility's reception hall. This simple room consisted of white, now smoldering black, and red. The desk was nothing but charred remains as the loud thumping of Stone’s armor clunked on the floor. He could see the locked door on the side that led further into the interior. Ioren’s attention was ahead as the sentry turret spun around and aimed directly behind him. The woman that Ioren supposedly shot tried to attack the two from behind. The turret was fast, firing several rounds, hitting her chest and neck. Ioren spun around to see that the woman was on the ground, dead.

“Stand back!” Stone ordered Ioren. She could see that the marine had the grenade launcher aimed at the locked door. She ran by near the blasted entrance as the marine pulled the trigger.

There was a loud internal explosion as the grenade hit the steel door. Despite the prison being designed to keep people inside, the place was not rated to handle military firepower being poured into it. The door crumbled and flew down to the floor as the marine continued to step forward.

Ioren could see that there was another door in a small corridor. Stone fired another shot, blasting this door down as well. She got behind the marine as they made their way through the stone hallway.

“Past this is the catacombs of the prison,” he explained to her. “Expect weapons fire from any angle. I want the high ground. There should be a set of stairs that'll lead to the second floor. We continue sweeping through, wiping out their resistance. If we do enough damage, they will retreat. Any caches of weapons will be destroyed on sight.”

The marine stepped over the busted doors into the internal layout of the prison facility. It was a vast, open area, consisting of several rooms with thick, sliding, clear doors. Each room was identical, with a toilet and two beds. Almost all the doors were wide open. Ioren didn’t bother to look at these rooms, knowing that there were places to hide and ambush.

“They're here!” one of the men who came running in from one of the adjacent huge rooms said. “Kill the….”

The sentry turret spun and shot the person dead on sight. Stone could see the large set of stairs as Ioren had her sub-machine pistol at the ready. The marine began to sidestep while keeping his grenade launcher aimed at the area where the sound originated. He could see very brief outline silhouettes of additional armed men.

“My sensors are tracking four more coming from that direction,” he told her while he pointed at the adjacent large room. “I don’t have a clear shot. The catwalk and the walls are blocking me.”

Ioren used her sign language to convey one word to him…. “wait.” She pulled out one of the stick-like grenades that were on her waist. It was one of her seeker grenades. She used her thumb to tap a button on it. She did an overhead throw, lobbing it in the direction of where the men were supposedly at. The mini propellers activated, causing the grenade to start flying and hovering. It was tossed towards the corridor that would lead to the adjacent room. It picked up speed as it was giving a slight beeping sound. It started to pick up as it got closer and closer to its target.

Stone could briefly see where the grenade went. Flying in the air, it was designed to home in on its opponent. It made a sharp turn while it flew into the adjacent room.

“What the fu….!” One of the men yelled out. There was little that could be done against it. The grenade found the four men as it detonated right at them. An explosion echoed in the adjacent room. The wall in front dissipated its volume, but it reverberated throughout the prison.

“Let’s go!” Stone told her as he began to walk up the stairs. Ioren started walking up the stairs backwards to anticipate any threats. The heavy-duty metal and stone steps still lightly creaked as the heavy amount of weight was pressed against the advancing marine.

There was further yelling and screaming that was starting to pick up in the interior of the prison. This was coming from both adjacent rooms. Another man came running out from the second floor on the other side of the main room. He started to investigate everything that was happening. He only had a pistol in his hand and panicked when he saw the two heading up the stairs. His fight or flight instincts had kicked in as he tried to aim his gun at Ioren. The sentry turret on Stone didn’t have a clear shot, but Ioren did. Set to burst fire, she momentarily paused in her movements before she pulled the trigger. A small spray of bullets hit the guy, causing him to tumble to the ground dead.

They reached the second floor of the catwalk. This led to the other open prison rooms of the main room. The metal grating beneath their feet was thick, making it difficult to see through. Regardless, they now had a better vantage point. They could quickly pour weapons fire from the same floor or below. It seemed to be the way that the prison was intended to be in its construction. This would allow the prison guards to take care of impending problems in the facility itself more efficiently.

“Attention, everyone here…” A deep, female, reverberating voice erupted from the overhead speakers, catching Stone and Ioren's attention. “It appears that the authorities are attempting to raid our home. Do not fear them. It is only two of them. Mount a defense and kill them. Use our numbers and attack them all at once. Team B, prepare phase 2.”

“Come out and fight me bitch!” Stone yelled out loud, hoping that somebody would hear him. There was no response to his call.

Ioren could hear more commotion as they stepped over the dead body of the man she shot. There were three main directions to go inside the prison. One was the route that they came from. The second route was a corridor that led to the left adjacent room. The last one led to the right adjacent room.

“The main cafeteria is on our left,” Stone told Ioren. “From there, we can hit the storage rooms and central offices. I’m not picking up any heat signatures on our right, but maintain sight of that area till we reach the adjacent room.”

Stone continued to press forward as he started to make the left turn. Ioren had her submachine pistol cradled close to her as she eyed the corridor. The corridor wasn’t anything significant as it simply led straight to the next room. It was merely a dividing wall. However, at least three individuals could be seen. The sentry turret rotated to aim at them, but they could briefly see the marine coming in. They fled before they could be shot at.

The cafeteria room was just as large as the original room they were in. Designed to feed hundreds upon hundreds of prisoners, the food hall, tables, and chairs were in marginally good shape. There were indications of food that were present. The dilapidated state was mostly due to people not having regular access to meals. Makeshift stoves, grills, and other tools lined the walls and area to help flay fish and whatever fruits could be harvested from the island itself. There was a set of stairs that led down along the catwalk. Stone’s vision centered on two other hallways: one led to the smaller, single-story cell block building, and the other led deeper into the prison's central interior.

“He's in the mess hall!” Another distant individual called out. “We make our stand here!”

“I’m picking multiple signatures coming from both directions, at least thirty individuals,” Stone said. “Ioren, take up position away from the corridor by the catwalk. Be ready for their main assault. We make our stand here!”

Ioren darted along the catwalk by the steps. She then leaned down and placed her AKT-2 away. She had heeded Stone’s advice earlier. She was going to let the armored marine be the main target, while she would be the silent support. She rested on her stomach to almost completely reduce her visual profile from the high ground. Her armored metal tail gently smacked the metal grating as she quickly got situated. She pulled out her TRN-1 and placed her spare magazine onto the deck. She was at the ready as her pistol was aimed at one of the hallways.

“I’m right here, you fucking scum!” Stone yelled out at the top of his lungs. “Come and get me!”

The taunting words seemed to have an effect. Stone could track the silhouettes of the individuals as they were getting into position. His grenade launcher was at the ready. Ioren also noted movement at the corner of the corridor that led to her right.

Suddenly, two stick-like grenades were tossed into the open room. Ioren recognized it immediately as more seeker grenades. She tapped the button of her pistol, aimed it at the other side of the room, and pulled the trigger. A decoy grenade was flung as it smacked the distant wall. The grenades that were turning and in mid-flight altered course. They went straight towards the countermeasure. It impacted the wall, exploding outward.

All of a sudden, men and women, mostly men, all came running out at once in the main room. The explosion was their cue to attack. The prisoners were all decked out in various manufactured gear and makeshift armor of some sort. Some had helmets, some had pistols, and a few had military-grade equipment. There had to be ten to around fifteen that showed up, with more coming out.

“I see him, kill…..!” one yelled, but Stone wasn’t going to let it happen. He had the grenade launcher on full auto. The targeting computer displayed multiple locks, each with a crosshair over each person. One of the men had a high-powered bolt-action rifle that amazingly managed to get a desperation shot before the salvo of grenades was launched. The bullet bounced off the UHN armor and impacted the wall behind him.

A chain of multiple explosions began to fill the room. Stone would fire the grenades into clusters of people. Men and women were scattered about, taking aim at the marine. Hoping to use sheer numbers, the prisoners were trying to outnumber their opponent. To their horror, they realized too late that they were fighting someone in power armor.

Gunshots and explosions tore into the open area as it became an all-out warzone. The explosions were exceptionally loud, especially in an open or enclosed environment. People’s hearing was jarred as they tried to take shots at the armored marine.

Ioren had her pistol aimed at various individuals. She saw one with a high-powered rifle, but it was difficult to tell if it could penetrate her or Stone’s armor. She simply had to start shooting at everything. She took quick aim and started firing. With the loud explosions and chaos that were going on, it was quite deadly. She recalled hitting one of the men in the cheek and another in the neck. Her gunshots were very quiet. The defenders were so focused on Stone that they didn’t even notice the Itrean that was gunning them down.

Stone’s sentry turret was also taking shots at the opportunity. The targeting computer had four men all laid out in the crosshairs as the gun turret popped off a round and rotated to each one. One by one, the men were getting cut down.

There was the look of raw power in the marine. His anger and fury were more than apparent. His teeth were bared at the carnage that was taking place. Bullets would hit him, doing nothing to him. Stone did see a small crack develop on his helmeted visor. One of the men had managed to get a few shots with a PDW-20 before he was killed. The helmet absorbed the impacts but just barely. The face shield was a troublesome, vulnerable spot that he was fully aware of.

Meanwhile, the grenades were nothing but death upon the defenders. One of the men took a direct hit from the explosive rounds. His body almost blew up in a pile of gore. The cafeteria was turning into a bloodbath.

Ioren almost felt like she didn’t have to do anything, even if she kept shooting. If it weren’t for the fact of who these people were, it would have been a straight-up massacre. Another man took a direct hit below the torso. Both sides of his body had been completely ripped apart by the explosions. Their makeshift armor was almost utterly useless.

One of the women noticed one of the men getting shot at. She turned her gun to look at where it was coming from, but it was too late. The suppressed shots from the Itrean pistol were picking off individuals one by one. Ioren continued to shoot until her gun was empty. There were at least four men left of the thirty who tried to attack. The absolute carnage had developed into an all-out retreat. The sentry turret was continuing to snipe each target as they were tripping and slipping on the blood-soaked floor. All in all, the central portion of the battle was little more than fifteen to twenty seconds long.

There was something that began to appear from a distance. Coming out of cover, not far in the adjacent room, was a powerful gun. Held up to point directly into Stone’s back was a dark purple-colored large-bore handheld shotgun. The fin-like protrusions on the top and bottom could be seen. A set of four-digit gray-colored fingers held it, ready to pull the trigger. The sentry turret recognized a significant immediate threat behind the marine. Stone was so focused on everything ahead that he didn’t even know that somebody had snuck up behind him. Only the hand and arm could be seen, as the ambusher used the corner for partial cover.

There were two powerful blasts from this short-barreled shotgun. Two rounds of heavy armor-piercing slugs were delivered directly into Stone’s back armor. The bullets shattered and tried to punch into the disk of the grenade launcher. The sentry turret did manage to get a shot off at the shooter’s hand. His or her hand recoiled slightly as the bullet struck the gun out of the hand entirely. The shooter backed off, tossing the damaged gun to the floor, before possibly retreating.

“Son of a bitch!” Stone said as he suddenly started to lose power in his suit. Error reports were popping up on his screen. He barely even recognized that he had taken multiple hits in one of the most vulnerable areas of his power armor. Ioren saw two of the surviving men flee. She ejected her magazine and loaded a fresh magazine into place. With a round chambered, she turned to see the predicament that Stone was in.

The marine couldn’t move. The rear power core that drove the suit had taken a direct hit from one of the slugs. The armor was running on emergency power, but it was fading fast. Everything was damaged or knocked out. His suit was out of commission.

“Losing all power, ejecting from the suit! Fuck!” Stone exclaimed as he tapped the button on the side of his wrist computer. The confirmation signal was made as the rear side of the armor opened. It was enough for Stone to climb out of the power armor. As he got out, he grabbed the shotgun that was on the back portion of the armor. He could see a confused Ioren looking upon him, trying to figure out what had happened. The marine looked infuriated as he briefly looked at the disabled armor.

Stone momentarily shook his head as he only grew more determined. Then, with only his Meclevar body armor to protect him, he marched forward towards the Itrean.

“Get up! Get the fuck up!” he told her. With one hand, he reached down and grabbed Ioren by the arm. Using his powerful strength, he lifted the armored Itrean up and onto her two feet. He didn’t hesitate as he started to walk down the steps.

“Attention everyone,” the same unique female voice called out again in the overhead speakers. “Initiate phase 2. If I don’t arrive at the station in ten minutes, take off without me....”

Everything almost fell into complete silence. Ioren was starting to recognize this voice as she began to head down the stairs. She put the silenced pistol away and pulled out the other AKT-2. She checked to confirm which one it was before she reached the bottom floor.

Dead bodies everywhere. It was too much to gaze upon the room as her talon-armed feet gripped the blood-soaked floor. Stone stepped over the bodies as he ran down to the corner edge that led to the corridor of the adjacent room.

“We've done enough damage that they're retreating, but we need to keep pressing forward,” he explained to her. “I don’t know what disabled my suit, but my shotgun is damaged too.” He looked at his gun briefly and could see that one of the slugs had penetrated the mid-frame. It didn’t take much for him to conclude that he was hit by something from behind. He didn’t even know if his shotgun was operational. He pulled out of his pockets the hearing protection and started to put it on.

Ioren used her free hand to convey the word “You, OK?” in sign language to him. Her armored head concealed her concerned feeling for him.

“I’ll live,” he sternly told her. “Almost done…..the next room will start to lead to storage rooms and office spaces. Try to keep an eye behind us.”

Stone started to move forward through the corridor hurriedly. Sounds of people in the distance could be heard. Ioren couldn’t tell much, but it sounded like whatever additional resistance that was coming their way was fleeing in rapid succession. The lights were starting to be powered down except for the hallways and the rooms that were coming up ahead.

The marine reached around the corner of the hallway to see another locked door. It led to the area of interest. The man looked at Ioren and gestured to her.

"Blow it!” he told her. Ioren came around the corner to see the metal slab door. She pulled out one of her disk grenades and tapped the button to activate it. She flung it towards the door, where it produced a satisfying click as it stuck.

She veered away as the grenade detonated on the door, producing a hard blast. The explosion was enough that it shattered the door frame, knocking the door to the ground. Stone had his shotgun forward as he was looking down the corridor.

“We're heading to the offices next,” Stone said. His augmented eye could see past the smoke of the destroyed door. Past this point, he observed a room layout consisting of cubicles. He couldn’t see any red silhouettes, but that could change at any moment. Ioren was steadily looking behind her while she followed behind them.

Upon stepping through the destroyed door, the marine had a clear view of the interior. His augmented vision revealed nothing threatening. There were only four cubicles total. As they began to storm through, the lights of the room had gone out, but their eyes quickly adjusted. There were two different sets of doors on the other end of the room. It was the left-open door that Stone was eyeing closely. Unfortunately, his augmented vision was having a hard time piercing through the thick walls as he approached it.

“Past here is the storage room that should lead out to the loading dock,” Stone said.

Ioren felt a mild form of apprehension develop, a feeling which made her turn to look behind them. She had the sense that they were being followed, but there was nothing there. Instead, she turned her focus on the upcoming doorway that would lead to where Stone was suggesting.

Stone held out his shotgun and aimed it through the open door and corridor. Ioren went and pulled out both of her AKT-2s, with one pointed toward where her ‘feeling’ was and the other toward the open hall. Everything happened in a split second when gunfire erupted. Stone could just make out three red silhouettes that were on the other side of the hallway. They were in the storage room. Two were in the process of grabbing something.

“Come on! Come on!” yelled one of the distant men. “Forget the rest of the shit. Boss said to get our asses to the…..”

The gunfire cut out the rest of the statement as the shooting got loud. An alert gunman had been firing a PDW-20 down the corridor upon seeing Stone and Ioren. Stone pulled the trigger of his shotgun as a single round of buckshot flew out. There was a click as the next round failed to go off. He momentarily looked at it. The damage to it was far more than he expected.

“Jammed!” he yelled as he tossed the shotgun to the floor.

At the same moment, Ioren took both of her submachine pistols and set them to full automatic. She aimed them down the corridor and pulled the trigger. Within a second, at least thirty rounds were fired into the hallway. Even if the shots threatened to hit the walls, the enclosed space allowed the bullets to funnel straight into the man. At the same time, a bullet from his rifle hit the shoulder of the Itrean. The carbine round was strong enough to penetrate the armor, hitting and piercing her. She felt the pain as a little bit of blood came out of her armor. It responded immediately to the breach as an organic resin came out and sealed it almost instantly. Ioren pulled back as Stone only showed fury in his eyes.

The marine could see the gunman go down. He stepped forward and unholstered his Desert Falcon. Pointing down range, he could see that the two men had dropped whatever it was and were running for their lives. Stone already had a clear shot at the two as he began to pull the trigger rapidly on his handgun. The powerful rounds quickly took down one of them. It was deafening as he kept pulling the trigger. Another got grazed in the upper leg. It didn’t take long before there was a click on his gun. The other man was limping and started to escape from the scene. He ejected the magazine and reached for another, but his hand found nothing. He decided to go ahead and let the person go as he kept walking forward.

“Come on!” he told her as Ioren was trying to shrug off the pain. She knew that she had a bullet lodged into her left shoulder as she reached behind her and put her other AKT-2 away. She ignored the pain and kept moving forward, keeping her other gun trained ahead. Stone reached into his pocket and finally found the spare magazine before pulling it out and inserting it into his pistol. He pressed it into the firing chamber before the slide clicked back into place. There were no other threats he could see ahead as the storage room came into view.

Upon reaching the room, it only consisted of broken-down shelves and large crates. There were indications that these were military crates for holding more firearms. He could also see scrape marks along the floor, indicating that some of them had already been removed from the room. Only three of the large boxes remained.

“Ioren…..” he spun to look at her. He could see her injury. “Use your other seeker grenade and destroy these.”

They backed out of the room as the Itrean tossed her gun to the other hand. She pulled out the grenade and tapped a couple of buttons. She handed the grenade to him and indicated for him to toss it into the storage room.

With a simple underhanded throw, he tossed the grenade. The stick-like device began to fly as it flew into the room and impacted the crates.

EXPLOSION….the powerful blast could be felt as Stone averted his eyes. He gritted his teeth. The concussive shockwave could be felt as he knew that it was enough to take out the remaining crates. Running on pure adrenaline, he started to proceed forward again. Ioren could only hope that the end was coming soon. She knew that some of those guns were things that he could have used, but he was in such an agitated state that he wasn’t thinking clearly. He destroyed it before even bothering to look at them. Ioren wasn’t in much of a state to protest, however. She could handle the pain that she felt and tried to remain more focused on it.

As they reached the next corridor, Stone could see the large loading dock that led to the outside. He couldn’t see anything ahead as he kept both hands on his gun. He didn’t see any threats ahead of him as they were about to reach the enormous room.

Ioren had to interject a little bit. She knew that Stone only had one round in his gun. If there were more men ahead, she needed to be ready to take them down. She moved up ahead and entered the room.

The room wasn’t anything imposing. It was mostly just a loading garage that connected to the other doors and hallways throughout the prison. However, it was remarkably spacious.

The main loading door was opened. There was a clear view of the ocean and a large landing bay pad dock that was outside of it. It was here that supplies could be regularly brought to the prison facility. The room was empty with signs that things had been dragged and pulled across the floor. A hasty evacuation was in progress, and the sounds of distant people had gone silent.

“Ioren, get ba…..” were the only words Stone said when his voice was cut off. Something big had reached behind him and grabbed him. He didn’t even see it coming.

Ioren turned and immediately saw it. Her gun was aimed at something that was even bigger than Stone.

It was an alien woman of great strength and physical prowess, holding onto Stone with both her arms. The anthro shark-like Itrean stood at eight feet tall. She wore a simple T-shirt and short-cut woven shorts. She had almost pink-colored hair that was tied up into two ponytails that hung behind her fin-like ears. Her gray, smooth, scale-like skin bore black tattoos that indicated the Dragon’s Eye Syndicate's similarities. On the rightside of her right shark-like pupil was a black tattoo of a tear near her protruding jaws. Her elongated tail ended with a chipped fin. This could only be one thing. This was a Shal’rein.

“That is as far you two go……” the Itrean woman told both of them. Her odd Japanese/French/Spanish-like accent was faint but noticeable. She had the deep, resonant tone that Ioren had heard earlier on the prison intercom.

“Argh!” Stone struggled in the fin-like arms of the brutish shark woman. He grunted and tried to use his strength, but it was difficult. Ioren was well aware of the sheer strength and power that the Shal’rein had. There was a look of anger and delight on the Itrean’s face. She was actually able to inch forward out into the room with Stone, trying to fight back. Ioren backed up to ensure that she was out of the Shal’rein’s range. She only had a look of shock that couldn’t be seen beneath the armored helmet. Her heart was racing, and she could feel her adrenaline running.

“So…..you are the two that took out my shipping center northwest of here…” the Shal’rein told them. “You caused quite a lot of damage to my little growing organization.”

“I’ll fucking…!” Stone tried to fight back as he tried to lift his gun upward and towards the Shal’rein’s face. Despite the enormous strength that he had, it was barely enough to counter the resisting physical power of the Shal’rein. Their indomitable bodies had it where she was simply using her clenched arms to hold him in place. She was able to grab onto Stone’s arm wrist, twisting it enough to knock the gun to the hardened floor with a metallic thud. She used her four-digit web-like padded feet to kick it away from him.

“I don’t think so, little human,” the Shal’rein said as she focused her arm-pull onto his throat. She barely grunted. “Thanks to you two, I have lost everything that I made here. For that, I should try to kill you two.”

Ioren couldn’t say anything as she kept her gun aimed at the enemy. The Shal’rein simply chuckled a little bit.

“Ha, ha…..what are you waiting for, little Itrean?” the Shal’rein said. “Shoot me, and you risk hitting your human partner…..or perhaps…..mate….”

“Why?” Stone struggled to ask as he tried to breathe. “T’rintar…..work here! We're……allies!”

“Oh?” the woman tried to tell them. “You think I work for those traitorous Shal’rein of the T’rintar clan. No…..no…..no…..” she lowered her voice a little bit in a sinister manner. “Let me tell you about the little attack on this world. The one that we failed.....”

It suddenly dawned on what this Shal’rein was that took Ioren aback. This was no T’rintar Shal’rein. This was an enemy Shal’rein from the opposing clan. This was an Itrean that was a part of the failed invasion of the Shal’rein clan fleet to conquer Oshun.

“Heh…heh…..my scout ship just reached the atmosphere when the ship took a hit,” she tried to explain. “I was the only survivor as the wreckage of my ship crashed into the ocean. I…..survived and when I came to this….lovely little shore…..I found a bunch of humans…..all abandoned by their fellow kin. Not…..too bad, of course. So easy to learn your language…..so easy to become the most powerful of the rouges.”

“You want a fair fight?” Stone told her. “Let me go, and you’ll….”

“Shhh…..shhhh,” the Shal’rein said with some deviant excitement. “Are you trying to proposition me!? I haven’t even told you my name yet. My name is Shaka’ra, the leader of Dragon’s Eye….soon to leave this world.”

“Fight me or kill me! Make your….” His voice got muffled a little bit as Shaka’ra’s hand tried to cover his mouth. Her hand alone took up much of his face.

“So feisty… little one,” Shaka’ra explained, almost in a mocking tone. “You see, I figure that the humans would eventually launch some sort of response to stop me and my little….money-making operation here, but only two? You are acting as your own, or perhaps the human infrastructure is that weak to even send an army to stop me. So powerful you two are…..you make great cohorts to the future of my…..booming business. And!.....,” she lowered her head to Stone’s ear. “Because there is a little bit of a setback, I’m moving my nice little business to the Paloran asteroid belt. I have simple choices to make. Two little ones…..heh….”

Ioren couldn’t get a clear shot. Shaka’ra had Stone firmly in her arms. His eyes showed nothing but raw anger as he tried to bite the fingers of the Shal’rein woman. She kept his body close, using him as a body shield.

“Shoot her!” Stone was trying to order Ioren. She couldn’t respond to that order.

“The first choice is that I simply kill you both,” Shaka’ra said. “That would be easy, wouldn’t it? But it would be too boring. The other choice is that I have you two working for me…..maybe just one. How about this? Toss your weapon down and kick them to me, or he DIES!”

Ioren was in turmoil with herself. Stone was telling her “no,” but Shaka’ra was opening her jaws for her to see. There had to be hundreds of razor-sharp serrated teeth. She was preparing to deliver a lethal bite to Stone's neck.

“You have the count of three…..” Shaka’ra continued. “One…….I savor the bite delicately. Two……we are so much closer to having a wonderful dinner on my trip to Palora. And….”

Ioren tossed one of her AKT-2s down to the floor. She then kicked it over towards her. The Shal’rein’s mouth lifted away a little bit as Stone tried to elbow her. Instead, she lowered her voice.

“So good…….” Shaka’ra said in an almost seductive tone. “I’ll tell you what. I broke many men to work with me, but I’ve heard the rumors from the new ones dropped off here. Humans can impregnate and produce male offspring with us, Itreans. I couldn’t decide on what I wanted. Are they lies? Are they the truth? So strong for you two to almost wipe out my gang. Perhaps you can become my new mate. Think about it, little human. Maybe I will even spare her. Your little mate will watch…..over and over again…..as you give me a…..”

“Fuck you!” He yelled out as the hand left his mouth.

“That’s the idea…….but our time is growing shorter. My ride is leaving, and the little Itrean must pack lightly. Toss your other guns down and kick them to me, or I’ll change my mind.”

“Don’t fucking do it, Ioren!” Stone yelled at her. “Shoot me if you need to, you Golarren bitch!”

Ioren shook a little bit as she knew that Stone was only trying to provoke him to take action. She was slowly reaching behind her to grab her other gun. Despite the pain that resided in her shoulder, she unclicked it from her back.

“Oh…..you are a Golarren...,” Shaka’ra mocked. “Heh….” She chuckled. Her hundreds of teeth were displayed in a great smile. “A freak of the freaks that call themselves the T’rintar. Don’t worry, little Itrean. I won’t eat you…..unless you don’t want to join me. I promise that you will have a better life than you will ever had….One!……” she paused as she turned her head and pink ponytails. “Two!……”

Ioren tossed her other AKT-2 towards the ground. She kicked it away and down to her feet. The Shal’rein then responded by kicking them both away from her and straight outside. Stone struggled to say something.

“You really expect you'll be able to get away from Dragon’s Eye!?” he questioned her. “You'll get shot down!”

“You think I wouldn’t have gotten this far without an escape plan?” Shaka’ra asked. “I always have a plan. Your other pistol, little Golarren, NOW!”

Ioren started to hold up her hands as she began to act like she was going to get on her knees. She couldn’t display the emotions on her face, but her body language was more than enough to see it. Her hands were up as if she were begging for mercy from the Shal’rein. Instead, it made the anthro-shark-like woman laugh. Ioren even lowered herself to the ground and knees as a display of subservience.

“Begging!? You beg for your lives? How exciting to see,” Shaka’ra said. “I like counting down, but maybe, I might skip a number this time.”

It was here that Ioren used an opportunity to convey something drastically crucial that only the marine would ever know. She used her hands to convey the words of sign language. It was almost odd to look at, but one that Shaka’ra simply dismissed as further prattling with Ioren’s begging. Ioren submitted the message as “I throw, we fight together.”

Stone saw the message and understood it. He at first wondered what it meant, but it was enough to comprehend that she was acting like she was giving up. He saw her take her other pistol and toss it to the floor. It slid across the hard floor as Shaka’ra kicked it to the side.

“Keep going….” the Shal’rein said as her patience was fully gone. “One……”

Ioren grabbed her spare magazines and tossed them to her to gesture to her that she was surrendering. The armored Itrean then grabbed her last disk grenade and tapped a button on it as she threw her previous magazine down. She then tossed the other grenade right at her feet as it clicked to the ground. It was here that Stone understood what Ioren did. He gave a look of gratification as he closed his eyes and waited for what was going to happen next. The Shal’rein then tried to kick the grenade, but it didn’t move.

“Wha?” she asked as she looked straight down at the handheld explosive.

EXPLOSION…..a bright light erupted as the disk grenade gave off a bright flash and harmless non-lethal concussive blast. Stone had anticipated this as his closed eyelids and hearing protection were barely enough to resist the explosion, but Shaka’ra was not as lucky. It staggered her as Stone jolted in her grip. Using his strength, he powered out of her arms and broke free. He spun around and threw a powerful haymaker right into the Shal’rein’s pointed face. He charged directly into the powerful woman as he started to deliver a flurry of blows and fists into the woman.

Ioren was about to make a run to join up in the fight, but she knew that fighting an unarmored Shal’rein was outright insane even with her armor. She was half her size alone and no match in physical combat. She then turned to see all the guns that were kicked away.

“I’ll…..fucking……kill……” Stone yelled as his fists delivered blow after blow into Shaka’ra. A fist would slam into her stomach. Another one would slam into her right breast. Another would hit her in the neck. The Shal’rein’s immense size was allowing her to resist many of the hits, but it wasn’t as if she was invincible either. The sheer power of each of his fists was having a marginal effect. If he were a typical human being, the strength wouldn’t be enough, but with Stone, he was far stronger. Each fist careening into her was causing the Shal’rein to back up.

Adrenline kicked in as Shaka’ra’s eyes were quickly readjusting to the sudden shock. Realizing that she was under attack, she spun and whipped her large fin-like tail into Stone. He didn’t anticipate this as she smacked him in the left hip hard. The blunt force shot him several feet, hurdling and rolling across the hard floor. She could see Ioren darting straight towards the guns.

“Death it is!” Shaka’ra yelled as she started to run towards Ioren. She knew that even in her unarmored state, she was still vulnerable to the small weapons. She had to stop Ioren over Stone.

Despite the great speed of Ioren and reaching the guns first, the Itrean’s time was marginally short. She managed to grab one of her AKT-2s and do a marginal roll onto the floor. She managed to point it directly into the Shal’rein’s chest when she pulled the trigger. In less than a second, the Shal’rein had been on top of her. The burst of rounds that came out of the gun was enough to put two bullets above her right breast and shoulder. In the split second of shooting, however, Shaka’ra had swiped and knocked the gun entirely out of Ioren’s hand and onto the ground.

Ioren knew that she was in deep trouble. The towering strength and power of a Shal’rein were incredible. The ravenous state that she saw in her enemy was terrifying. She felt the powerful arm grab her, lift her neck and body up before she slammed her down into the hard floor. Shaka’ra then produced a sizeable fist as she brought it straight down into the Itrean’s chest. The monumental impact could be felt throughout her entire body. The punch met armor, and it was the armor that almost couldn’t stop it. The force was diverted into a crushing blow onto Ioren as she felt a bone snap or crack in her frame. She had nothing but pain residing within her body. The armor was taking a beating.

“Too bad I don’t have my gun, thanks to your mate!” Shaka’ra said.

Stone had gotten back up as he began to pull two things out from one of his pockets and the other from a hidden right boot holster. Each second was beyond value as he knew that Ioren could be dead at any moment. Even though somewhat winded from the tail swipe, his adrenaline was in full swing. He started to charge into Shaka’ra, gritting his teeth and releasing his full fury towards his enemy.

Ioren was struggling for her life as the Shal’rein was releasing her exorbitant power over her. She thrashed about as she was pinned to the ground. She waved her tail and flailed her arms and claws at her, but nothing could be done about it. With one hand, Shaka’ra grabbed the armored metal tail of Ioren. With one hand gripping her neck, she used the other hand to hold the midsection of her tail. She quickly made a twisting motion as the armored skin couldn’t withstand the force pressed onto it. The tail was bent in half as Ioren felt the bones break. Only the adrenaline that she had masked some of the pain, but she was well aware that her tail had been broken. Her throat was threatening to be shattered next as the crushing hand was squeezing the life from her. Her life flashed before her eyes as she knew that she could be dead at any moment’s notice.

Suddenly, there was gunfire behind her back. In less than a second, Stone had fired the OCP-3 pistol from the police chief straight into her. Using his left hand to fire, he put three bullets into her left before he leaped into the air. Shaka’ra had little time to react as the seemingly small bullets had penetrated her. She hissed and screamed in recoil as Stone slammed into her backside. In his right hand was his switchblade survival knife. He plunged it onto the other side of her back and began to stab over and over repeatedly. The blade would chop and cut as it dug deep to be retracted and stuck back in.

The pain that hit Shaka’ra was immense as she let go of Ioren. Ioren, on the other hand, was gasping for air as she had been saved at the last minute by the human boulder that was named Stone. She struggled to move as her tail failed to respond. She felt nothing but pain, and her body was starving to breathe. She very briefly could see the shark-like woman who had pulled away and was struggling to pull the marine off her. Stone was a volcano that was going off. His face turned beet-red with sheer unadulterated savagery. His anger had been utterly unleashed onto his target.

Despite the knife stabs and gunshots, the Shal’rein was seemingly unfazed at first. By now, she had at least five gunshot wounds, but her immense size made them seem almost like pinpricks. Even the knife stabbing might as well have been stabbing a toothpick into someone. Her adrenaline was in full swing, and even with Stone neatly wrapped around her, it wouldn’t take much for her to use her left hand to yank the marine off. Unfortunately, the knife was still lodged in her right rear shoulder as Stone was knocked off her. He tried to raise the pistol to continue firing at her. Her tail once again came into play to slam into his hand, knocking it to the floor.

Ioren turned to see the discarded guns as she started to use her sapped strength to crawl to them. Her fingers stabbed into the hard floor as she dragged herself to reach it. The sooner she could get to it, the sooner the fight could end in their favor.

“ARGH!” Stone yelled in raw fury. He saw the Shal’rein had turned to face him. She balled her hands into fists as she made a couple of swings into the marine. He, in turn, managed to divert the blows in a set of well-crafted blocks. He then did a body slam, headfirst into her as Shaka’ra’s feet tried to drill into the ground to hold her in place.

Ioren had reached one of her AKT-2s. She was still gasping for air as she flipped around onto her back. With an unsteady grip and shaken body, she tapped the button for her gun and aimed it at Shaka’ra, but there was a significant problem. Both of the two were too close together. Locked in grueling hand-to-hand combat, she didn’t have a clear shot.

“Fucking die!” Stone screamed at Shaka'ra's. He began to do a series of left punches into her gut as he was tightly wrapped around her. Meanwhile, in response, Shaka’ra was doing left elbow swings into Stone’s back. The repeated blows were finally having an effect as they weakened the marine a little bit in his resolve to fight her. She shoved him off of her, but only by so far. Stone was still pressing his attack as both locked hands and pushed their full force onto each other. It became a pushing match as the towering woman looked over Stone.

“So strong for a human!” Shaka’ra grunted. Her strength was weakening a little bit as blood was coming out of her back. The injuries to her organs were having a marginal effect on her performance. Stone, on the other hand, was using all his might to push into the Shal’rein. Shaka’ra was trying to summon her last ounce of strength against him.

Ioren still couldn’t get a clear shot. She was struggling to catch her breath, but the impact on her body was disorienting. She continued to try to regain enough of her strength as she tried to crawl closer to ensure that she wouldn’t miss.

“Once we reach land or water….” Shaka’ra told him. “You will lose!” With that, she swung her tail around and smacked it into Stone just enough that it disoriented the grip lock of strength that they had. The shark-like woman then jumped onto Stone as she momentarily hugged him, opened her jaws wide, and brought them down onto the marine’s shoulder. Her razor-sharp teeth bore into his body armor and flesh like hundreds of mini knives. The bite force was so strong that Stone swore that he heard his collarbone crack.

“ARGH!” Stone screamed as he kneed the Shal’rein in the gut. It amazingly worked as the Shal’rein withdrew her savage bite. Her weakened state was just enough that she was starting to gasp for air. Blood was coming out of Stone’s shoulder as he grimaced. He lifted his other arm to face her as he showed that he wasn’t going to give up.

Shaka’ra’s mouth was dripping with blood as she happily smiled at him. The teeth of the shark displayed the rows of edges as she started to lick her chops.

“You taste so good….” She said as she made a step forward. “Time to d….”

There was a blast that echoed in the room. The right rear portion of the Shal’rein’s body suddenly exploded as blood was shot outward. The eyes of Shaka’ra went wide as she realized that she had taken a mortal hit. Stone himself was surprised by the explosion, even if the Shal’rein was the one who absorbed most of the blast.

Stone turned his head to look at Ioren. She waited for the best opportunity to fire the last explosive tip grenade from her AKT-2.

Shaka’ra, on the other hand, turned her head to look at her injury. The explosion was deep, and she could barely account for the blood and mild gore that fell to the floor. Without her armor, the explosive round had torn her lower right back and hip. She felt her body lose its strength. She collapsed to the floor on her side as she lay dying.

Stone wasn’t going to give any further opportunity to this woman. He was breathing hard as he started to walk towards Ioren. The Itrean was trying to get up. She could see the blood that was coming out of Stone’s shoulder. It looked terrible, but much of the Mclevar vest had absorbed the bite. Regardless, it was barely enough, and he was scarcely able to move his wounded arm. The teeth still penetrated and cut several areas of the surrounding tissue. He used his working arm to hold it out to Ioren. The anger on his face had subsided, leaving a hollowed-out, exhausted look.

Ioren dropped her gun as she tried to stand up. The blow to her body was intense but not overwhelming. Stone used his strength to lift the Itrean onto her feet. She could see her significantly bent tail. Any attempts to move it only resulted in feeling grievous pain. She placed one hand over her chest as she pressed the button to retract her helmet. It was here that Stone could briefly see the sheer exhaustion on her face.

Stone reached down and grabbed his Desert Falcon. He then stepped aside, Ioren, and began gently pushing her shoulder forward. No words were said at first as the coaxing got her to move forward. They both almost staggered walked towards the mortally wounded Shal’rein.

Shaka’ra was clinging to life as the two walked up to the Shal’rein. Stone then walked over and picked up one of the other guns that weren’t far from him. The head of the shark-like woman was able to gaze upon Ioren’s face for the first time.

“Heh……heh…..” Shaka’ra said as she was gasping for air. “Golarren…….I…..still……win…..”

Ioren was far from convinced. Her opponent had been clearly defeated. The Itrean turned to see that Stone had picked up the police chief’s gun. He walked over, and she happily accepted it. She looked up at the marine as he looked upon the Shal’rein.

“Go ahead and finish the job,” Shaka’ra said. “For if you let me go, I will hunt you down and kill you.....”

Stone looked at Ioren. “At the count of three,” he told her. He then looked upon the Shal’rein and raised his powerful pistol with one hand. He pointed it at her head. Ioren responded the same as she lifted the handgun and pointed it at her opponent’s head. There was a faint smile that developed on her face.

“One……..two……..three……” Stone calmly said as he pulled the trigger of his gun. Almost at the same time, Ioren also pulled the trigger. Two shots echoed in the empty space as the bullets went into the brains of the Shal’rein. All life vacated from the woman as she lay dead on the ground. Stone knew that the mission was completed. The leader of the Dragon’s Eye Syndicate was eliminated.

The marine reached into the back of the corpse as he pulled out his knife. He wiped the blood off his shirt as he retracted the blade and put it away. He holstered his empty gun and looked at Ioren.

“Are you well enough to……” Stone was about to ask more towards Ioren as there was a deep rumbling. Outside the vast open door of the loading garage, a sound began to grow. The landing pad was seemingly moving. The marine’s augmented vision couldn’t reveal what the cause was, but the rumbling persisted. Both stood in bewilderment at what was going on.

“It’s…….coming from the loading ramp…..” Stone sternly commented. He narrowed his eyes as he began to think back on what Shaka’ra had said. He could see that the landing pad was more than just a pad. It was a set of large floor doors. The dust-covered edges started to get swallowed up as it was opening. Within a few seconds, the edges had completely opened, as if it were struggling to do so.

He stepped up forward to continue observing the scene. They could see below in the vast openness of the landing pad a vessel. It was some sort of constructed transport ship. It was large, measuring about 140 meters in length. It was mostly a tall rectangular frame with four sizeable rotatable thruster nodules on the sides that pointed downward. Six small tanks were visible on the sides, with a bridge at the bow and stern. A circular section could be seen in the mid-frame of the ship. There were no weapons on it, at least what could be seen visually.

“Son of a bitch…..” Stone commented. “The schematics of the prison said that they had a basement down there…..not a whole fucking hangar facility. The bastards got a…..”

His words were interrupted as the transport’s engines were activated. It was doing what some could consider an emergency takeoff. The four thrusters emitted a torrent of flame as the vessel struggled to lift off. Finally, as the engines revved up more, the blocky-looking ship got off the ground. Despite the intensity in the ship's volume taking off, Stone still spoke out loud so that Ioren could hear it.

“What are they trying to gain?!” he told her. “Do they really hope they can escape?”

With that, the ship had lifted from the bottom facility as it was gaining altitude. The four thrusters were now lighting up the seemingly dark sky. It spun a little bit in the air. The vectoring thrusters were pushing it to the left. The rotational thrusters turned as they began to propel the transport into the sky. It was gaining more and more speed as Stone pulled out his tablet. He began to activate the emergency transponder beacon.

Ioren briefly looked at the disappearing transport. Its four glowing thrusters were all that she could see as it was gaining altitude and speed. She turned to see the marine was doing the same thing as before. His tablet was in his hand. He was walking out into the open a bit as he tried to connect to the satellite array. He transmitted the message priority one.

Stone shook his head. “They'll probably see it on their sensors,” he said. “Nothing leaves the island.”

He sighed a little bit as he could feel the vestiges of the battle had come to an end. Now what was left was to stop this last transport. His gut instinct told him that they wouldn’t make it, but Ioren felt a chill run down her spine. As she thought more and more about it, she considered what Shaka’ra had mentioned earlier. They were too late…..but how?

A channel had been opened as the CO of the UHN Dellaire had reappeared on Stone’s tablet device. Faraj’s eyes briefly looked upon the marine, but his eyes seemed transfixed on the console from where he was stationed.

“Master Sergeant,” Faraj called out to him. “I’m a little busy at the moment.”

“Captain,” Stone addressed him. “Are you tracking the transport that's leaving the Dragon’s Eye perimeter?”

“We are. One Lental class light transport. Our satellite system is arming up and launching an EMP missile towards it now. Don’t suppose you're responsible for this somehow?”

“Sir,” a woman’s voice called out to the captain. Stone couldn’t see the woman on the screen, but he knew it was one of the bridge crew. “Oshun’s defense satellite has fired two missiles straight towards the transport. Estimated impact in three minutes.”

“Roger, arm EMP missiles and stand by to fire,” Faraj replied.

“Aye, sir.”

“I….." Stone said before, briefly looking in the direction of Ioren. "'We' managed to take down the syndicate operation here, but they took off with a whole fucking transport."

“Sir, we're picking up an energy surge coming from Fort Kajuru,” a male voice interrupted on the channel. Again, Stone could only see that the captain was busy.

“What do you mean you're picking up an energy surge?” Faraj asked, turning his head away from his console.

“Uh……they report that the gate array is powering up! It's unauthorized. It’s opening a gate near the Paloran asteroid belt near Oracip.”

“What!?” Faraj asked. “That’s impossible.”

It had dawned on what was happening that Stone had just figured out, but it still didn’t make sense. The thugs who had left in the transport were making a desperate gamble toward the gate array on Fort Kajuru, which was in tethered orbit above the planet Oshun.

“Faraj,” Stone addressed him. “I believe that the criminals are trying to make an escape to Palora. The leader that's dead said something about this. You must stop these people. They have military-grade weapons onboard! Shoot them down!”

“They won’t get far,” Faraj replied. “How they managed to do this, though…..”

“Can you shut off the gate array?” Stone asked.

The captain was preoccupied as he was waiting upon the reports. Stone had to consider what else was happening. He knew that the transport was heading westward when it took off. This was the same direction as the continents were and where the gate array was located.

“Sir,” the same woman told the captain. “Estimated impact of the missiles is in two minutes. The transport is four minutes from reaching the gate array at its current course and speed.”

“Gate array formation is at 15% and growing,” the same male voice said to Faraj. “Fort Kajuru is attempting to override the command algorithms and deactivate the forming wormhole. It'll take five minutes to do it.”

“Do you have a wormhole collapser missile?” Ioren’s tilon stated out loud. Stone briefly turned his head to see that Ioren was holding her device as it was translating her words for the captain to hear.

“Collapser missiles?” Faraj asked, only hearing the synthetic reptilian voice. “No…..this isn’t an Itrean vessel. We don’t have that sort of warheads onboard. It won’t matter. The satellite missiles will take them down.”

That odd feeling could be felt again as Ioren started to wonder about it. It was impossible, and yet, the escapees were still getting away. Yet, somehow, she began to think that they were going to succeed. She turned and shook her head at Stone, to whom he seemed to acknowledge it.

“I didn’t see any weapons on board that transport….” Stone said as he thought about it. “They can’t shoot their way out. Regardless…..in order to activate the gate array…..Captain, it's possible that whoever gave the…..”

“One minute before the missiles impact,” the same female voice told the captain. It interrupted Stone’s words.

“Whoever gave the military weapons might have given these escapees something else, Captain,” Stone raised his voice to the screen. “Have every military asset proceed and shoot down that transport! Before they make us look like goddamn fools!”

This seemed to convince the captain, who appeared focused on his screen. Stone knew he was watching the transport's location. It was less than three minutes from reaching the gate array.

“Sir,” the male voice told the captain. “Gate formation is increasing. Fort Kajuru’s command reports that the gate array’s controls were overridden by command codes submitted by the transport currently en route. The UHN Yamamoto and UHN Kenyatta are trying to converge on the gate array, but it'll take them three minutes before they reach weapon’s range.”

“And the fortress doesn’t have any weapons on board,” the Captain said. “Prepare to fire the EMP missiles onto the transport.”

“Sir!” the female voice called out. “The satellite missiles have gone off course. The transport has submitted a signal and is overriding the controls of the guidance lock. The missiles are heading towards us!”

“Launch countermeasures and use AIO turrets to destroy them,” the captain ordered. Stone felt a surge of anger rise in him. Everything was beyond his control now.

Ioren could see the frustration in the marine. She saw his free hand fidgeting with the emotions raging through him. She kept one hand on her tilon as she reached forward and lightly touched his hand. It only caused him to give a scornful look in her direction, but he didn’t shove the hand away. Instead, he simply kept watching the events going on screen.

“The bastards were preparing for this….” Stone almost whispered to Ioren so that the Captain couldn’t hear it. “If only I were onboard that transport right now.”

“We are exhausted,” she typed. She kept her audio low.

“No…..” he stubbornly replied.

“Yes, we are.” She hissed a little bit as she put her hand to her chest. She looked down as Stone’s eyes went to her. For a moment, he was reminded about the injury to his shoulder. It only seemed to agitate him further.

Stone, for a moment, looked down for a little while. He turned his head to look at the dead Shal’rein woman. He had almost forgotten that the channel was still open as the Captain was preoccupied. Finally, the conversations going through the tablet continued.

“Intercept missiles have been fired at the EMP missiles and will impact in one minute,” the female voice said. “We have a lock on the transport.”

“Launch salvo,” Faraj ordered.

“Firing!.....EMP missiles are en route. Estimated time to impact is two minutes.”

“That won’t be enough time,” Stone said. “Does the space station have any weapons?”

“Negative,” Faraj told him.

*******

High above the orbit of Oshun consisted of a sizeable tethered fortress. Shaped like a giant key lying on its side, the base was little more than a conduit for space. On one side was a large ring that was connected to a massive spinning rod. Docking ports and the great space cable were attached to this rod.

Not far from the space station was a luxury space yacht that had been interrupted in the queue time of trying to get through. The darkness of space easily highlighted the activity that persisted in the gate ring itself. In the center of the halo, a wormhole was forming. The swirling mass of purple and blue particles was forming a vortex. It was just near the early stages of being created. Seeing that there was a delay and trouble with the established protocol of events, the delta-winged gate jumper was veering to the side. It was struggling to get out of the way of the ring for a good reason.

In the great distance was the UHN Dellaire. The small cylindrical warship had a mid rear rotating series of box structures that were generating centripetal force for its inhabitants. A dorsal and ventral-mounted railgun that could barely be seen on its hull. The EMP missiles that had been closing in on it were destroyed by the intercept missiles that slammed into them. Meanwhile, two additional large warheads were heading near the gate array. They were gaining speed and heading towards a target of interest.

It is here that the box-like transport was moving at blazing speeds from the lit side of the blue planet. All four of its thrusters were fully active, continuing to propel the ship to ever-increasing velocities. It was closing in on the gate ring and looked like it was going to fly into it at any moment.

The Dellaire’s EMP missiles were closing in on the transport. Despite the speed of the ship, the missiles were getting closer and closer to hitting it.

Warning lights were being given off from the gate array. The approaching transport was heading into an unformed wormhole. Its speed and trajectory were outright insane. Any vessel that was in its path had the risk of a substantially horrible collision. It didn’t seem to matter. The escapees were committed in their attempt to flee Oshun for good.

It all happened in less than ten seconds. At the near last possible second, the wormhole stabilized as the lightning erupted in its vortex. The swirling particles had coalesced, showing that a connection point had been established with the stars elsewhere. At the same time, the EMP missiles were seconds upon impact. All ships had cleared from the vicinity as the transport flew like a bullet. Its destination point took it directly into the stable wormhole. If one had blinked, it was possible to have missed it. Upon flying into it, the gate ring shut down a couple of seconds later. The wormhole collapsed as the EMP missiles went through the center ring, missing the targets it was intended to hit. The transport was long gone.

*******

“Sir…..” the woman told the captain. “Our EMP Missiles have negative impact. Transport has cleared its jump to the Paloran system. Sorry, sir……”

Stone’s hand tightened into a grip. He shook in his spot as he did what he could to contain his anger. He was still on the line when the news was reported from the ground.

“Notify UHN command of the events that have transpired,” Faraj stated. “Stand down from General Quarters. Ready the shuttle…..” Faraj looked down at the marine. “I don’t have to be the bearer of bad news on this, Stone. You already know.”

“Hmph….” Stone said as he shook his head.

“Regardless….I might as well congratulate you for what you were able to do…..you and your partner. I can tell that you're wounded. I'll notify the medical teams. Do you still need that pickup?”

“Quite…..” Stone sternly answered. “Just send them to the prison facility where my partner and I are located.”

“You got it. It'll be good to see ‘Avalanche’ Stone in person again. I'll have a shuttle down there in about thirty minutes. Hang in there, both of you. UHN Dellarie out.”

With that, the channel closed. Stone practically tossed his tablet to the ground. Ioren watched as he lifted his hands into fists. Ioren could see that the marine was in a foul mood. Despite the remarkable victory that had transpired at the prison, a small number of prisoners had managed to do the unthinkable. They had escaped the penal colony of Dragon’s Eye with their cargo of ill-gotten goods.

"ARGH!” Stone yelled out as his voice echoed in the open loading garage. The rain was starting to pick up as the marine screamed his emotions out. When all was done, he finally had vented his frustrations out. He was breathing hard as he almost collapsed to the floor.

“Please….” Ioren typed. She closed her tilon as she felt her body growing weaker from the fight. She was tempted to take the armor off and rest, but she had to stay strong to be with Stone.

“Ugh…..so…..tired…….” Stone said with exasperation. “A marine never sleeps…..a marine never sleeps....”

Ioren used her sign language to convey one word to him. “Rest…..” The offer tempted Stone. For once, he had to agree with her. The mission was finally over…..

Chapter 15: About-Face

The interior hallway that led to the admiral’s room was quiet. Oshun’s UHN headquarters was vacant, where Stone and Ioren were heading. The central room connected to a variety of hallways, as other staff members avoided the menacing arrival of the towering marine.

Stone was walking towards the open door, dressed in the Master Sergeant's formal uniform attire. The blue-and-red-collared blouse was decorated with gold buttons, and he wore blue pants. He held a finely tuned red garrison cover with the gold rank emblem on the left side. On him were the numerous medals appropriately placed over his left breast, but the brace on his arm covered some of them. A tunicate was set correctly to help with the grave injuries on his shoulder and arm.

Ioren, on the other hand, had a fine green dress that flowed from her shoulders down to her lower knees. The silken colors appropriately allowed her to display her tail. She had a black cast placed over the area where it had been broken in the fight. She also had a hard cast that was placed near her chest. The injuries from the fight a day ago had taken some of their toll on the two. Nothing seemed to halt the marine’s advances as both headed towards the admiral’s room. Ioren, however, did her best not to move or shift her tail too much.

“You can still leave if you wish,” Stone sternly told Ioren without even looking at her. The Itrean seemed unconvinced as she pressed forward. Her talon feet pressed against the soft, cushioned red carpet. She noticed the apparent luxury enjoyed by the higher-ranking officials in the UHN. It would get better and better visually as they neared the room. There was no trepidation in their faces, although Ioren did wonder about the fate that was presiding over her partner. Her tilon was already out as she was trying to type and walk at the same time.

“We face this together,” her tilon stated.

“This concerns me more than it does you. However,…..I do respect your decision to face the…..” he grumbled a little bit as if he was biting his tongue. She knew he was going to bring an insult to the high-ranking officials who were already in the open room ahead.

“I care, Stone,” she typed. “For my partner.”

“Then expect the classic shitstorm.” It was his only response as they neared the door. Stone was ready to face the hearing that was going to take place. He wasn’t truly expecting this. The last time this had happened to him, not long ago, it was handled with a captain and a judge advocate general. Regardless, he knew that the last couple of days had set off alarms. For some, he knew that the idea of standing in front of the high chain of Oshun’s military command would rattle some, but for the marine, he was more than ready to bring his information to them. Forget the injuries. He was determined to shove the information down their throats. There was more that he wanted to tell Ioren, but it was too late as he stepped up to the door. He halted, maintaining proper military composure.

His eyes could see what it looked like in the chamber. There was a large wooden desk in the center of the room. The carpeted emblem displayed the UHN seal on the floor. There were numerous digital displays in the room that had been shut off. There was also an ancient, crafted spear that was supposedly made in Africa on Earth long ago, hanging on the wall. Sitting in his comfortable chair by the central desk was the fleet admiral with two additional admirals on each side. The room was not designed to accommodate other high-ranking personnel. Instead, the rolled-out chairs were like thrones for the admirals that sat beside the top CO of Oshun’s fleet command.

Placing his garrison cap on his braced hand, Stone used his uninjured arm to render a stalwart salute as he gave a stalwart look in the interior. His demeanor was clear as he made sure to let the chain of command know he was ready to face this.

“Master Sergeant Stone, reporting as ordered!” Stone yelled. His voice carried into the room.

The fleet admiral stood up and saluted the master sergeant. He didn’t have a look of appeasement on his face. “Enter, Master Sergeant. The seats also recognize Lesser Centurion Ioren, who will be with us in this hearing. Be aware that we'll not allow tilons to be used during this hearing.”

Ioren clenched her four-fingered hand into a fist and pressed it to her heart as a symbol of respect to the three in the room, but she had already begun a protest with the comment. The Itrean had a chance to evaluate the three high-ranking officials as she saw Stone drop his salute and enter. Each high-ranking official was distinct. The one who sat in the chair to her left was an admiral with a somewhat pale complexion. He was middle-aged and could be described as either Polynesian or Micronesian of former Earth. His black hair was cut short, and he had a series of black tattoos on the right side of his face. He gave a meaningful look at first, but only for the shortest of instances. On the other side of the fleet admiral was a female admiral with the darkest of complexions. It was almost as if she had come from Nigeria or Cameroon. Her hair was almost non-existent, and she was skinny but middle-aged, like the other three.

The fleet admiral himself could be described as having a dark complexion, possibly descended from Zimbabwe or Botswana on Earth. He had a short, almost gray beard below his face. His hair was appropriately short as per military regulations. His voice was described as coarse and somewhat aggressive in tone. As with all the officials, they were dressed in their red and blue formal dress uniforms. This included even a red cloak that hung from their backs and flowed down their extravagant, rolled-out chairs.

“All that is present,” Stone addressed the three. “Lesser Centurion Ioren needs her tilon to communicate. She lacks vocal cords.”

There was almost a word of protest from the fleet admiral. He could see that the other admirals were giving a nod of approval, sympathizing with the Itrean.

“Very well….you may enter and stand beside Stone,” the fleet admiral stated. With that, Ioren walked in and proudly stood beside the towering marine. “Now…..” he tapped a button on his desk as the door slid closed behind them. “We're having this hearing for two primary reasons in regard to the recent events that have transpired as of yesterday. The other reason is to further discuss whether we are to have you reinstated into the military services due to events that occurred over two weeks ago. The first topic involves a group of prisoners that managed to use a transport vessel to escape the penal colony, along with supposedly over ten crates of military weapons in stowage. We are all here because what is said here will be brought forth to the public afterward.”

“Hmph…..” Stone huffed as he kept his eyes forward. It caused the fleet admiral’s eyes to narrow at the marine momentarily before he continued.

“Master Sergeant Stone,” the tattooed admiral inquired. “We're well aware that the recent set of events called you at the earliest of convenience. This now also applies to Lesser Centurion Ioren. Are you both well enough to convey in this hearing? If not, we can postpone for….”

“I need no further postponements, Admiral,” Stone cut him off.

Ioren typed quickly. “I’m well enough to stand and speak for an hour,” it translated.

“Very well….” The fleet admiral explained as he pointed to himself. “Then we need to introduce everyone who is here in this room. I’m Fleet Admiral Arno.” He gestured to the other admiral with tattoos. “This is Admiral Inoke.” He gestured to the female admiral. “And this is Admiral Ramla. Now…” he rested his hands on the desk and tapped a couple of buttons on a panel device. A series of data popped up that was projected from his desk for everyone to see. “It's been brought to our attention that the recent events that transpired as of yesterday. Our goal is to evaluate your case over the last several weeks. We've had a chance to read up on the reports that occurred, which stated that a supposed group of prisoners had indeed escaped with UHN weapons. Do you still concur that what you saw were UHN weapons in the hands of the prisoners?”

“You tell me,” Stone sternly told him. “I already submitted the report and have been filing it over and over again.”

“That wasn’t an answer,” the fleet admiral stated.

“Stone,” Ramla addressed him. She had a faint but delicate Oshunian accent. “We understand the recent events and had a chance to read up on some of your reports. We ask that you cooperate in this.”

“I already know where this is going,” Stone replied.

Inoke shook his head as he spoke up. “Don’t think we're here to antagonize you. I know of your service record. You've served as the head drill instructor of the UHN Marine Corps with distinction and valor.”

“We’ll see…..” the marine relented a little bit. “Fine. My partner and I have clearly seen and engaged numerous exiles on Dragon’s Eye. Most of them already had UHN military-grade weapons. These were being shipped to the mainland.”

“I disagree with that assessment,” Arno explained. “Have you been aware that the reports indicate that the guns were nothing but forgeries?”

“Forgeries……I fucking knew it.” Stone shook his head. “You’re still going to try to conclude that these guns were nothing but fakes!?”

“Watch your language, Stone, and answer the question,” Ramla told him.

“Er….” He grumbled. “They're not fakes, sir. I personally scanned the serial numbers and matched them to the registry. They were stolen or removed from armories and eventually worked their way into their hands.”

“Your reports….” Arno pressed forward.

“May I speak?” Ioren jumped in. She was busy typing on her tilon as fast as she could.

“Of course,” Inoke replied. Everyone waited for her while she typed.

“I can account for several instances where the prisoners and mercenaries were using Itrean constructed weaponry. These are much harder to forge than UHN weapons.”

“Itrean weapons….” Arno seemed to pause a little bit upon hearing it.

“I've taken several pictures and videos that can confirm this.”

“We've already reviewed it…..it's quite unsettling,” Inoke commented.

Arno waved his hand in dismissal. “This can only mean that there are Itrean agents that are supplying the prisoners with military-grade equipment,” he said. “Even this deceased leader could have played a role in creating those weapons.”

“It's true that the Shal’rein and Aksren clans still hold the UWA as an enemy since we've allied with the T’rintar clan,” Ramla added. “Even the reports showed that a former Shal’rein clan survivor of the battle almost a year ago was leading this criminal organization on Dragon’s Eye. However, Ioren, since you're here, we've been inquiring with T’rintar clan intelligence. Would you happen to know if the enemy clans may have somehow broken the command codes to the Oshun's defense network?"

“I don’t know, Admiral,” she typed in response.

“I don’t believe that would be the case,” Inoke answered for the Itrean. “If it were, then the Shal’rein clan would have launched another assault by now and not use it for this particular recent fashion.”

“I doubt that she would know anyway,” Arno said as he leaned forward a little bit on his desk. “I already know a little bit about her, and it draws discredibility to her reports as well.”

Stone was giving a mean look at the fleet admiral. His tone was even more aggressive as it picked up. Ioren’s feathers rose as the other two admirals looked upon him. There was a smile on Arno’s face.

“According to the T’rintar clan, Ioren is an outcast,” Arno explained. “I was wondering if you were truly going to be here or not, and now that you are, we can start to hammer this down. Her service record doesn’t contain many high remarks, and they kicked her out of the submarine corps unit here on Oshun to serve alongside the Master Sergeant. She simply joined up with Stone on this meaningless crusade because she's desperate for glory.”

“Fleet Admiral?” Inoke questioned him as he looked at him. Even Ramla gave a somewhat questionable look when she looked upon him.

Ioren’s feathers were raised in outright aggression. She gritted her small serrated teeth at him. It didn't take long for her to despise the man then and there. Even Stone was biting his tongue as he was clenching his open fist. Ioren typed on her tilon as she tried to keep her emotions intact.

“I’m a Golarren,” Ioren’s tilon translated. “There is no proper translation from this tilon. It is often used as a word of insult by my people. You seem to know me, but you didn’t even know that I needed a tilon to speak?”

“A word of insult,” Arno continued, brushing aside the question. “This further adds to my claim. We've already had these videos and pictures being analyzed. Nothing is missing in our armories. The criminals were using forgeries.”

“That hasn’t been verified,” Inoke rebuked. It caused Ramla to look at him with some question. The fleet admiral shook his head as he looked at the data.

“You’re telling me that every gun that has been picked up from that prison was not UHN equipment at all?” Stone asked. “You’re telling me that every bullet sent there didn’t come from us?”

“According to the reports, yes,” Arno happily answered.

Stone looked at Ioren and pointed at her. “She had an AM round go through her! Not some fake shit! That was goddamn real!”

“Stone,” Ramla jumped in. “Need we remind you where you are at.”

“As for these…..Itrean weapons….” Arno continued. “Most likely, we have Itrean saboteurs that are trying to undermine Oshun from within. Shal’rein agents that are working amongst the T’rintar clan. They managed to set up a trade network with Dragon’s Eye. Stone and Ioren had managed to shut it down…..miraculously....” There was skepticism in how he said the last word.

“Both of you should be commended for your work,” Inoke said as he looked at the two. Ramla almost gave a nod in agreement, but the fleet admiral shook his head.

“Unfortunately, that doesn’t answer what had happened with the transport that had our command codes,” Ramla interjected. “Stone, Ioren, did this 'Shaka’ra' or anybody else say anything about how they had the access codes to the gate array and satellite defense network? Anything that you two might remember that you didn’t have in your reports?”

“The only thing that I remember hearing from Shaka’ra before she died was that she already won,” Stone answered. “I believe that the codes were given to the Syndicate by somebody from the highest form of chain of command.” His eyes looked at Arno closely as the fleet admiral gave a skeptical look at him in return. “That was how they…..”

“We didn’t ask you here for your conclusions, Stone,” Arno told him, cutting him off. “Both of you are here for us to question you….and to figure out your fate in the military service line.”

Ioren could see that Stone’s face was grimacing at times as she briefly scanned him. She could feel there was a lot of bottled-up hostility in the room, but it was focused on two people. A part of her could even feel that there was some sense of genuine malice, where it was centered at the focal point. This location was the fleet admiral. She could tell that there were hidden priorities in that voice. The more she considered it, the more she hated the individual with an unbridled passion.

“Keep in mind, Stone,” Ramla told him. “Your objections are clearly noted, and we do have the reports from the both of you of what you've stated. Until then, we have to consider this with due diligence. More research is needed before we can validate the Fleet Admiral’s or your claims on what it was that you saw.”

“Hmph….” Stone huffed. The marine could see the faint and repressed smile develop on the fleet admiral’s face.

“Then that brings us to the most important discussion and why you're here,” Arno explained, changing the topic. “Should we or should we not proceed with a court-martial?”

“Court-martial…..hmph…..” Stone said under his breath. Only Ioren could hear it. The other admirals were watching his emotional tone quite carefully.

“The fact that this is brought forth is what I've been reviewing the entire record about you,” Arno continued. “Going into a prison that you had no right to be in……going into an island that's off-limits to the UHN and military personnel……and above all else……holding a T’rintar clan citizen at gunpoint.”

“I was resolving the problems that the UHN were not going to resolve at all,” the marine said as his teeth were clenched. “I already went through this before.”

“Yes,” Ramla added. “You went through a military trial, in which you pleaded guilty to your actions. The Captain and Judge Advocate both agreed to send you to Dragon’s Eye because they…..believed you?”

“That was the idea,” Stone answered. “I… 'we' had to stop the Dragon’s Eye Syndicate and save the reputation into which I've bled my entirety. The UHN Marine Corp……redder than blood…..blood for life…..”

“The marine creed will not save you, Master Sergeant,” Arno said. “Whether the rest of my command staff may agree with me, you've engaged in vicious and malicious acts that were uncalled for as a UHN serviceman. You might have been acting in good faith, but the result was that you put the lives of others on the line. The doctor whom you held at gunpoint would hardly agree with your action.”

“Excuse me,” Ioren typed on her tilon. “I strongly disagree with your statement, sir.”

“Your actions should also be protested as well!” Arno got vocal at her, cutting her off and pointing at the Itrean. “You had no right to be on that island! That is UWA-controlled territory that clearly forbids you upon entry. I should file a grievance with the T’rintar clan because of what you did.”

“You have no right to question my partner like this!” Stone snapped at him.

“Everyone!” Ramla called out to the Fleet Admiral and Stone. The emotions got tense as Ioren was gritting her teeth at Arno. “This is unbecoming of the Oshunian COC.”

“I agree,” Inoke added. “Fleet Admiral, you cut off Lesser Centurion Ioren. Let her continue.”

Ioren nodded as she hit the repeat button on her tilon and resumed typing. “I strongly disagree with your statement, sir. The actions made by Stone were to save my life. The doctor of my clan refused to treat me.”

“Is this true?” Inoke questioned.

“Yes,” Ioren typed as Stone remained firm. “I’m a Golarren. My people hate me. They refuse to treat my voice, forcing me to use this. The doctor refused to save me when I was shot. If it weren’t for Stone, I would be dead by now.”

“That isn’t the point of this discussion,” Ramla stated. “While we can sympathize with your plight, these are laws established by the peace treaty with the UWA/T’rintar alliance. Stone had committed a crime by threatening the doctor’s life.”

“Yes,” Arno continued. “According to the reports, Stone had gone out of his way to that hospital to bring you there when he could have brought you to a UWA hospital to be treated, where you wouldn’t have faced such opposition.”

“The human doctors would have had less skill to treat her,” Stone countered. “It was why I did it.”

“No…..according to the doctor’s report, you went to her before. You deliberately sought her out. You threatened to put a bullet into her if she didn’t care for Ioren.”

“I would be dead right now….” Ioren typed again. “My partner saved my life because a man with a military firearm had hurt me.”

“Exactly,” Stone added.

Inoke looked at the other admirals. The tattooed admiral nodded his head, understanding the situation. “I concur that our sympathies fall upon you, Ioren. I truly hope that you'll receive further treatment in your case. I also wanted to let you know that I read the report about the children of Dragon’s Eye. I've contacted and made arrangements with Oshun and New Olympia. New Olympia has been granted permission and promises to send a shuttle to Dragon’s Eye to pick up any children of the prisoners that wish to be adopted by New Olympian families.”

Ramla gave a nod of approval towards Ioren. Even the Itrean acknowledged the kind words. However, the fleet admiral seemingly didn’t care as he berated Stone and continued with the main topic.

“Unfortunately,” Arno explained. “That isn’t good enough for Stone. I've had a chance to review your past records. The police chief you operated with filed no complaints, but there have been complaints in your service record at the UHN Martian Marine Academy. Complaints that showed you to be ruthless and barbaric towards others. Complaints that showed that you were hostile towards other staff members and to your own recruits.”

“A necessity and expected,” Stone added. “It’s called boot camp, Fleet Admiral. My responsibilities shaped the men and women who'll defend us all.”

Despite the bitterness that flowed in his voice, Ioren could hear a genuine sense of pride in how he stated it just now. It reflected well, which made Inoke nod in appreciation. Even Ramla gave a hint of notice upon it as well.

“Regardless,” Arno explained. “You might have done heroic actions in the past, but that doesn’t account for what happened these last two weeks. You went into an area that you shouldn’t have. You convinced a ship captain to give you power armor to wage war with exiled prisoners. As the CO of Oshunian military command, I find your actions on Dragon’s Eye and hostility towards the doctor appalling. You might have had a mission on that island, but…..I will have you court-martialed because of this.”

“I did everything I could…” Stone said as his voice clenched. The muscles and veins in his arms were throbbing with the anger he was repressing. “I wouldn’t have expected less from this…..charade…..”

“Master Sergeant,” Ramla called out to him.

“Fleet Admiral Arno,” the marine told him as his fury unfurled. “My partner and I did more for Oshun in these last two weeks than you ever did in six months. You try to shame my name! If these were the ancient days, then I would have challenged you to a duel to the death and I…..would enjoy it.”

“Stone!” Ramla yelled at him. Inoke gave a look of shock at the scene unfolding.

“Don’t bother, Admiral Ramla,” Arno held up his hand in her direction. “Making threats to the CO of the Oshunian military command…..quite unbecoming. Perhaps you hold a good record, and maybe…..you've grown senile in these recent years. Perhaps losing a family member might have been harder for you than you think. One way or another, you'll have your court-martial. There we'll…..”

He was cut off as Stone showed his teeth at him. The accusations against his family prompted him to step forward. His uninjured hand was clenched into a fist as he was getting ready to engage in physical combat. It caused the Fleet Admiral to recoil back on his chair a little bit.

A sudden small hand pressed against Stone’s stomach. Ioren had jumped between them as the Itrean was looking up at the marine. Even if Stone was a rolling boulder of a person, he halted as he felt the tiny hand push upon him. It was just enough to pull the marine out of his bloodlust to bash the CO into the wall. The other admirals could see that the marine had momentarily settled.

“Fine…..” Stone stated. “I see that it's the goal of the wicked to hold onto his throne at all costs. You won’t get your court-martial, Arno…..I resign....”

“Resign?” Arno questioned. “You don’t have the right to resign if you're being issued a summons for a court-martial.”

“Yes, I can. An officer of high rank can allow a serviceman to resign, and it doesn’t have to be you.”

He looked at Ramla and Inoke as Ioren could see what was happening. Stone was acting out of emotion, but not much could be done as she backed away a little bit. The anger and fury had defused enough that the COC was looking at themselves.

“Are you sure of this?” Ramla asked Stone.

“Master Sergeant,” Inoke asked him. “Understand that we're not in full agreement with ourselves and still need to debate this further. Your service record is filled with commendations. You can still fight this. A court-martial can still find you not guilty and pardon you. You might be reinstated into service until you decide otherwise.”

“Why bother?” Stone answered. “I already fought against the leader of an organization a day ago. You can see the results…..”

Ioren could see that Admiral Inoke was the most sympathetic to the situation. Ramla was the first to finally give a nod of approval.

“Very well….” Inoke said with some regret. “Under this hearing, I, Admiral Inoke, endorse your resignation. You won’t have to face a court-martial. Instead, you'll receive an honorable discharge for your services in stopping the criminal syndicate on Dragon’s Eye.”

“Be lucky that you even have that,” Arno added as he gave a brief scornful look at Inoke. He waved his hand to the two. “Now, get out of my sight…..both of you....”

“Fine….but,” Stone said as he looked at Ioren. “We have one last message for you, Fleet Admiral, both of us.”

“Get…..out!”

“Partner," Stone gestured to Ioren. "At the count of three, remember the sign language?… Just like that Itrean at the police precinct a while back.”

Ioren gave an affirmative nod to him. She knew what he meant as she felt a surge of contentment.

“One, two, three….” Stone and Ioren both gave the middle finger to the CO. The man smirked in response as if he didn’t know what it meant. He at least knew enough that it might have been an insult. The door opened while the marine proceeded to step out, but Ioren gave an affirmative nod towards Admiral Inoke. She left the room, closed her tilon, and dared to never look back.

*******

It had been a few hours. Both Ioren and Stone walked into the apartment. When the doors closed, Stone almost walked to the kitchen as if he wanted to head to the refrigerator. However, he stopped before he went and sat on the couch. Even though Ioren was still in her green dress, Stone was now in his regular shirt and jeans as before. The uniform, neatly folded, was practically tossed to the carpet as if he didn’t want anything to do with it anymore.

“Fuck them…..fuck everything,” Stone said as he planted his butt in the seat. He started to undo his boots while shaking his head in utter disbelief.

Ioren felt partially distraught towards everything that had happened. From seeing Stone being put through this to having to go through so much fighting. She had to ask herself if the battles at Dragon’s Eye were all worth it. At the same time, she had to put it aside. She could momentarily breathe a sigh of relief upon entering the apartment. The alien woman knew that she had to look out for Stone. She felt inclined to disagree with his statement as she typed.

“I don’t see it that way, Stone,” Ioren’s tilon stated.

“Your opinions don’t outweigh the choices that have been made,” he said with aggravation as he tossed the boot aside. “I can smell the snake that Arno is. I wasn’t sure at first, but now…..I would've had my hands around his throat, and I would've squeezed the life from it. Fucking traitor gave the command codes to Shaka’ra. He was the one who was giving the weapons to those prisoners.”

“But why would he do that?” Ioren typed. She went and had a seat next to him.

“I don’t fucking know. I don’t fucking KNOW!” he reiterated and yelled. He slammed his fist on the armrest. “Disgraceful, son of a bitch…..but what does it matter....”

“You made the correct choice. You'll finally rest.”

He made a deep sigh, tossing the last boot off. For once, Ioren could genuinely see Stone relax. Regardless of everything, he seemed to agree with her.

“Hmph……well…..at least you'll have this apartment to yourself,” he told her.

“What do you mean?” she typed.

He grunted as he rested his back on the couch. “I have my retirement planned out. I’ve done my service, regardless of the fuckers that try to sabotage it. I’ll be returning to Aphadus. I'll have a gun collection bigger than any person on that planet, and I'll shoot any Aksren or Shal’rein or any fucking intruder that comes to my property. Next time there's an invasion on that planet, I’ll be on their assault carrier killing every soldier that dares step on my dirt.”

Despite the rather explanatory response, Ioren was not fully convinced as she typed. “You didn’t retire till now. You enjoyed serving the UHN.”

“Well, that’s over.” He started to undo the brace that was on his shoulder.

“I…..” she paused her tilon as he could see that she was flustered. She gripped her arm hard as she rubbed it. She then resumed. “I think you are a hero, even if not everyone agrees.”

“You were the one who put a grenade tip into Shaka’ra’s back. You did more than you think.”

“I’m not talking about Dragon’s Eye,” Ioren typed. “You have done so much for others in your own way. You care for people even if you don’t believe it. You are…..” she paused again.

He made another sigh. “It’s…. why I’m giving you the apartment. Rent is pretty cheap, and I can make the arrangements for you just as easily. I’m sure that the next human you’ll be assigned with here will be…. more cooperative.”

This took Ioren by almost complete surprise, causing her feathers and tail to twitch a little bit. She was not expecting to hear him say that. For a couple of seconds, she was in outright bewilderment. Finally, she regained herself and continued, but she was somewhat flustered again.

The marine had taken his brace off as he set it aside. He tried to move his arm, but the pain from the penetrating bite of Shaka’ra resided. He looked at the brace as a restraint and refused to put it on. Instead, he endured by avoiding moving it too much.

“I don’t want to live in this apartment,” she typed.

“Oh?.....”

“It is……” she was struggling to type as he could see her struggling to find an excuse. “It doesn’t smell good. It’s dirty and not pristine.”

“In other words, I was right that you carry some of that Aksren snobbish attitude after all,” Stone said as his eye peered in her direction. “You might be part Aksren, but it doesn’t mean that you're…..the word…..a connoisseur. Hmph……I knew it.”

She almost hissed at him, but she quickly knew that he wasn’t too serious about it. Finally, she relented. “No, that wasn’t what I meant,” she typed. “I mean that…..” her hand started to shake a little bit. “I don’t want to leave your side.”

The marine shook his head. “I don’t think you would have a choice on that. I’m sure that the T’rintar will assign you to whatever they want. I’m surprised that they haven’t sent you off to work in the waste facilities because of how they view the Golarren.”

“It doesn’t have to be that way, Stone. Please.”

He briefly looked at her. “What is it that you’re trying to get at?”

Finally, she slapped her tilon down on the couch. Was he purposely being stupid? She didn’t know, but she had to confess her feelings. She had to make up her own mind and simply tell him in her own way. For her, it was the only way. She slapped the couch, feeling the pain in her chest, and stood up. She turned to face him. Her small, delicate frame was still tiny to him, even if he was sitting down. He had a skeptical look at her.

Ioren went and used sign language. She displayed the letter “I.” Then she made the word “love” before she pointed at him. There was a stern look on her face as she almost shook in place. There were no tears in her eyes, but only a strong determination in how she acted. Stone saw this and said nothing. At first, she didn’t know if it was done incorrectly. She repeated it again. Her breathing was intensified. Should she go back to her tilon? She started to look away as she repeated the line over and over again. Her hands continued to shake.

Stone reached up and grabbed her hands. It caused her to stop, her body shaking heavily. Her reptilian eyes were looking all over him, but the sudden grab caused her feathers to lower a little bit. She had completely lost track of the meaning of reality. He looked closely at her.

“You don’t have a husband?……of course you wouldn’t…..Zilik’s Disease,” he answered to himself. She could see that the words were sinking into his head. She now knew that he almost seemed to have been playing coy on purpose. He didn’t want to face that reality. Ioren wanted to fall into his arms, but he almost seemed to scuff her confession. She wanted to tell him so much, but only her hands could convey the meaning. Everything was silent for a little while. The marine seemed to think about it for some time.

“I can’t…..” he told her. He let go of her hands as he stood up. “I can’t……” he repeated again.

Ioren stepped aside as if she were powerless against the rejection, but she was curious as to why he said it twice. He wasn’t outright telling her ‘no,’ but it was as if something was blocking him from saying it. She watched him as he climbed into bed. He tried to put his hands above his head, but the pain persisted. He refused to look at her as she simply stared at him. Finally, he took a deep breath and looked at the picture of his deceased wife.

“I miss her……I miss her so much,” he told Ioren.

The Itrean was aware of his feelings. She wanted to fulfill that long-lost gap that pervaded his heart. If only she could say it to him. She didn’t want to convey it through the tilon. If only his gut instinct would tell him how she felt. Instead, Ioren placed her hand to her heart. A part of her felt the tears as if his pain was passed to her somehow. She could only think of him now and nothing else. She went and carefully sat down on the sofa again. Ioren had to brace for the pain that Shaka’ra had inflicted on her. Instead, she tried to focus on the fact that she was going to make a complete recovery. She would need to take more pain medication soon.

Stone simply closed his eyes. He felt the need to consider everything. For him, he knew that his life was going to become more straightforward, but only because others made it that way. Now he had an Itrean who was falling in love with him. His only way to honestly answer this was just to let his eyes close and let sleep take over…..

*******

The marine felt disoriented for the first time in weeks. The distant white light radiated towards his closed eyelids. When he opened them, he knew that he wasn’t in his room.

It felt familiar to be here. The bed was there, but nothing else. It was as if he were in a disjointed area of reality. His mind wouldn’t confess that this was a dream. For now, his thoughts told him that this was the universe. He was staring at the great void. It was here that the light was the brightest, but it wasn’t as brightly lit to blind him as it had been long ago.

“I……was here before,” he said out loud as he leaned up from the bed.

Pain…..there was supposed to be pain from his shoulder, but there wasn’t any. Stone turned his head and pressed his hand to it. The mended scar marks that should have been there were gone, yet his clothing remained. Yet, his mind was still having a hard time understanding what was happening.

He wanted to look at the light, but he instead turned his head towards the side of the bed. Something was hanging there, even though there was no wall. It was a floating picture that showed his sister and wife. Finally, he knew that this was a dream.

“It’s not real, isn’t it?” he asked out loud. His voice echoed throughout the landscape of white nothingness. He stared at the picture as agitation filled his thoughts. He placed his hand to his forehead. The last time this happened, someone else was supposed to be here.

“It's good to see you, my dear husband,” the gentle female voice echoed near him.

A sense of joy filled his thoughts as he turned to his left to see the woman he wanted the most. It was his wife lying beside him. Her naked form was just as he remembered it before. Lying on her side and with her hand perched on her head, she looked upon the marine. A great smile was on her face.

“Gagana,” he called out her name. “My beloved…..how much I've missed you.”

He reached his hand to touch her face. He leaned forward to kiss her, but she held her finger up to stop him.

“There you are again….calling out for me,” she said.

“I call out for you because you were separated from me,” he told her. “Your life was wrongfully taken from me.”

“I know, husband. You shouldn’t have to fret for me, though. I’m in a good place now. It's you that I worry about.”

Stone turned a little bit as he tried to close his eyes briefly. He flipped over to look at the picture, but she was already there. For a moment, he could look upon her ass and backside as she seemed focused on the image.

“Your sister is worried about you, too,” she said.

“My sister?” he asked.

“It’s one of the many reasons that I’m here.”

“I survived. I always survive. What is there to worry about?”

Gagana shook her head, turned, and looked upon him. “You are always so headstrong. I know to always walk beside you and not in front of you. You were so sad that you fell upon vengeance and hatred to fuel your life after I was gone. I know you, husband. I know the path that you underwent.”

“I don’t see what it is that you’re trying to get at.”

“You’re going to retire soon…..are you going to let that vicious side remain with you? Are you going to let it fuel your life till the end? What about this?” she asked him as she waved her naked form outward to the environment. “I don’t want you to be a danger to society or yourself.”

“I don’t care about society and what they think. My life isn’t as much consequence either.”

“Then what about her?” she pointed across the bed.

Stone turned his head to look upon Ioren. She was slightly different than how she was in the apartment. She was in the white dress that Gagana wore. Cradled into a ball with her tail wrapped around her digitigrade legs, she seemed to be sitting on the bed, crying. She shook where she was.

“Ioren?” he called out to her. She barely responded as Gagana walked up to the edge of the bed. She sat down and looked upon Stone with a somewhat disappointed look. At the same time, Stone’s sight of seeing the Itrean in his wife’s dress brought vile thoughts, but he could see his wife focusing hard on him.

“What?” he asked Gagana.

“You know what I’m going to say,” his wife explained. “She confessed her feelings for you, and you just push her away?”

“I can’t……I can’t have her…..” Stone stubbornly replied. “Not after what you've been to me. I can’t betray the love that I had for you.”

“My dearest husband. I want you to be happy. My time had ended a while back. You have nothing to fear in taking her as your new love and partner in life.”

He looked down at the bed. He couldn’t look at his wife as he could see the Itrean was substantially hurt. His lip curled as he thought about it.

“You've been the best wife that a man could ever have,” the marine said.

“And you've been the best husband. I don’t know about you, but I think she looks so beautiful in that dress. I want her to have it.”

The more he heard his wife talk, the calmer he was. The soothing tone of the voice was calming to his soul.

“Go and be with her,” Gagana said. “You have my blessing….and besides, you’ll see me again, eventually.”

Stone watched as his wife took his hand, gently wrapped it, and moved it towards Ioren’s hand. She was delicate in how she was doing it. The moment that the marine’s hand touched the Itrean’s hand, Ioren stopped crying and looked at the two. She started to calm down as Gagana let go of Stone's hand. She patted his leg as she got off the bed and began to walk towards the distant bright light.

“You’re not coming back, aren’t you?” Stone asked her.

“If you are with her, then you’ll be happy, and so will I,” his wife answered. “You take care of yourself, husband. Your journey is far from over…….”

Stone briefly looked at Ioren as she calmed down more and more. He looked back at the back of his wife. She was fading into the bright light.

“I love you…….” Stone told her as his other hand reached out to her. “I’ll always…..”

*******

Stone’s eyes opened up. The dream felt so real as he could see that the lights of the apartment were still on. The moment that he shifted in bed. He could feel the pain that resided in his shoulder. He knew that he was back in reality.

His head turned back to look at the picture of his former wife. For a little while, he felt that the message was clear. He stirred himself as he grunted and sat up on the bed mattress. His eyes fell on Ioren, who had a somewhat saddened look on her face. She had been looking at her tilon that was left on, but she wasn’t looking at it. A part of him understood the set of events over the last few days. He pushed aside the battles and killing.

“You know…..” he spoke to her. “I trained my marines to be ready for the worst….it wasn’t easy for me at first....”

Ioren was stirred out of her stupor. She had her hands wrapped around herself but was acknowledging what he said.

“I remember the times I screamed at my recruits,” he continued. “Sometimes they were the toughest sons of bitches alive, and sometimes they had to be whipped into shape. I had to be cruel to them……I'd be separated from my wife, and she would……have to bring me back to the reality of being a human being. That switch you have after you finish up as a drill instructor….sometimes it's difficult to switch it off.”

The Itrean was looking at him. She used sign language to convey the words “I know” to him.

“No…..you don’t,” he said as he shook his head at her. “Nobody truly would until they went through it. What you had to experience these few weeks were……tougher than most of my recruits or fellow marines would ever have to go through.”

Ioren was somewhat surprised to hear him confess to something like this. She signed the words “Thank you” to him as a response. She could even hear the subtle form of genuine sincerity in his voice.

Stone took a deep breath and held it a little bit before he exhaled. He gave the nod to her before he waved his hand to her. He gestured for her to sit beside him. She felt a flutter in her heart as she stood up, grabbed her tilon, and headed to sit beside him. She was careful in how she situated herself. The pain medication was powerful, but she knew that she had to take it easy a little bit. For ten seconds, he seemed to think about what he was going to say.

“Do you truly mean what you said? That you…..?” he asked her. His brow narrowed at her.

She nodded her head many times, almost as if she were stuck in a loop.

“Ok, you only have to nod once,” he told her. “You’re like a recruit that just shit his pants when I looked at them for the first time.”

She smiled a little bit upon hearing it as she gave one firm nod to him. His look was stern, however. He didn’t look into her eyes.

“If you were any other woman, I wouldn’t be entertaining this…..thought,” he continued. “Perhaps there is somebody that truly cares for you…..I don’t know. I don’t know enough on…..Itrean courtship. I don’t watch those…..what do they call it now…..‘porn propaganda’ or whatever it is now.”

She understood what he was referring to as she reached for her tilon and started typing. It translated her words.

“This is mostly new for me,” her tilon translated. “I had a little bit of a chance to review how humans…..marry.”

“Did you have….past relationships?” he asked.

She seemed to think about it as she tilted her head somewhat. “Yes. One was a male just before Zilik’s Disease broke out. He died before our mateship even occurred.”

“I see….”

She shook her head. “I barely knew him,” she continued to type. “I’m not used to it. Golarren are….”

He waved his hand at her. “I know the whole thing. You don’t have to describe it. Look….” He sighed. “I hadn’t even looked at a woman since my wife died.”

“Are you seeking to have a mate?”

He seemed to give a skeptical look at her. “That's a weird way of saying it.”

She waved her hand and resumed typing. “No, that is how Itreans get married in your human terms. Mateship is marriage. Mateship is bonding. Mateship is partnership.”

“And I assume it's love as well, correct?”

She nodded her head once. Stone seemed to look away for a short bit before he really started to look at her frame. It seemed to be the first time that he ever really did it. His augmented eye was beginning to analyze her entire body structure. Despite some of the differences, she was, in most cases, a small human-like woman. Yes, she was obviously an anthro reptilian at first glance, but she had two arms, two legs, breasts, stomach, head, and other typical appendages. If anything, she would even have the exact parts that a human would have. She could see that the marine was really looking at her body. She didn’t take it as an insult and only seemed to let it happen.

“You don’t have a problem with how I look to you?” he asked her.

She shook her head and typed. “You’re like a Shal’rein but smaller and just as powerful.”

“Hmph……you realize that I’m much bigger than you?”

She shrugged her shoulders a little bit in response. She reached down and typed. “I saw a ‘porn propaganda’ video. You, humans, are big. I thought too big, but humans are still compatible.”

“You can do anything with videos these days. You can make things look like something that they're not.”

She shook her head defiantly. “It was clearly not a forgery. The human penis is a…..” she paused as if she was confounded in how she was even going to put it into words. Her reptilian eyes said it all as she seemed to really think about that recording. There was even a hint of being impressed.

He sighed. “Before it even goes there,” he halted the line of thinking. “What is it that you want?”

“I want to be your mate,” she typed.

“Yeah, but you would only be with me for what? A couple of days? We’ll get separated as I go into retirement and you're kept here. Even I wouldn’t be too keen on that idea.”

Her feathers rose up as she was somewhat excited to hear his words. She was frantically typing down her words. She even held up her finger to tell him to wait and let her type it all out.

“No, that isn’t it at all,” her tilon translated. “Itrean laws respect mateship. Mates fight together, share responsibilities, go to the same battlefield together, do the same tasks together, have sex together, serve on the same ship. Children even serve on the same ship as parents raise them together. I become your mate, and I go with you to retirement. I would be with you till the end of our lives. That I swear upon.”

“Really? Well…..I imagine the T’rintar clan wouldn’t mind getting rid of you if it means going with me back to Aphadus....Hmm….” He paused as he seemed to show a skeptical look. “At least I would have a woman who would go out shooting with me. You would be a better shooter than Gagana ever was.”

Ioren smiled as she signed the words “Thank you” to him. He still seemed to be holding back, however, as he looked down at the bed.

“There would be……one problem, however,” Stone seemed almost to choke a little bit as if he didn’t want to admit to this. “The sex department might be a……issue. It might not be something that you would enjoy too much.”

She gave a surprised look at him as she looked at his body. She typed. “I don’t see an issue with your body. I’m sure that we can make adjustments. I promise to be a gentle and viable love partner.”

“Hmmm……that isn’t what I mean,” he continued as his voice softened. “I have erectile dysfunction.”

Ioren held up her finger as she was starting to look it up quickly on her tilon. He felt somewhat embarrassed to admit this to Ioren, but it was better for her to know the truth than a lie. She was carefully researching the term before she realized what it was. Her head tilted a little bit as she seemed to know something important, but she had to ask him a question. She continued to type it down.

“You can’t have an erection?”

“No, I lost it all when Gagana died,” he said.

“There are treatments for this.”

He gave a mean look towards her. “You’re really going to go there? It's disgraceful. No….no doctors, no therapists, nothing!”

She shook her head at him in outward defiance. “No. I care for you, Stone. You’re not a disgrace. I……” she paused as he seemed to look at her closely. Then it dawned upon her. It was what Doctor Cordeina was interested in. She really started to think about it, then gave him a proud nod.

“What?” he asked. She was busy as she typed.

“I’m Golarren….”

“No, no, I don’t want to…..” but she waved her hand to tell him to wait. She continued to give an extensive description that her tilon would translate.

“I might be your cure, Stone. I can cure your erectile dysfunction.”

“What?” he had a skeptical yet intrigued look on his face. She began to type up the data on the Golarren. Her description was followed up with a link for him to read. She pulled up the data for him to review before handing it to him. Stone, on the other hand, decided to read the information out loud and summarize certain things.

“Let’s see…” he stated. “The Golarren can consist of many certain mixed species of Itreans. Or it can be used as a reference to a genetic abnormality and congenital disabilities among the Itreans…..blah, blah, blah. However, one of the many advantages of the Golarren was found in small scientific and medical studies. Among one of the medical studies made, it was discovered that certain traits existed among them. These traits do not exist in those that are not mixed species. The Golarren for the Aksren and Yutilian hybrids, for example, have been discovered to produce certain enzymes and chemicals in female vaginal secretions that…..” he paused as he looked at her before he proceeded. “….Are similar to chemicals found in primitive ED medications. Studies are currently being taken to evaluate if human beings are affected by this, but it is strongly theorized that if it works for the Itreans, then it should work for human beings as well.”

Stone didn’t know how to answer this at first, but he ultimately could see that Ioren was shifting a little bit. She had her hand to her stomach as if she was waiting for his response. Finally, he nodded.

“You want to see if it works or not,” he inclined. A part of him was starting to get genuinely curious as well.

“Yes,” she typed. “I want to help you. I want to be your mate and live as your life partner. I await your decision.”

Firm and precise in how she said it. It was convincing enough as he placed his hand to his pants and crotch. Despite feeling a desire to do something, he couldn’t feel like he was getting sexually excited. No erection was taking place, but this wasn’t to say that he wasn’t interested in making love with her.

“Fine…..” he told her. “I figure that you would be a better person for me than some other woman that might come my way. For some reason, I don’t think they'll ever take a bullet for me as you did.....Alright….you win.”

There was genuine happiness in her eyes. She seemed more than sure of her decision. She knew that while many of the Itreans were struggling to find human mates, she fell into the hands of one who would be for her. Whether it would be in a hail of bullets or relaxing on the planet of forever dawn, the idea was to get away from the Itreans and live a life of peace and prosperity. The idea of being among those who treated her kindly made the most sense for her.

“So….what happens?” he asked.

Ioren was taken out of her thoughts as she began typing on her tilon. “In order to make this official, we must make the vow.”

“Vow?” He waited patiently for her to answer.

“We must say the words that will make us mates. You, humans, tend to have wedding ceremonies. It is time-consuming.”

“You don’t have weddings?”

She shook her head. “Some Itrean sects and religions have various ceremonies, but usually after the mateship has been made. The vow is what is important.”

Stone said nothing. It was odd to hear how these aliens viewed love and couples, but it didn’t seem to be a serious issue for them.

“The vow will make us mates where we will then consummate the mateship. I will start off by saying this: I, Ioren, am looking for a mate. Will you be my mate?”

“I already said yes, didn’t I?” he almost responded with agitation. It caused her to shake her head before she typed it down.

“No, your next words will be ‘My name is Stone. I’m in need of a mate. Will you be my mate?’”

Stone almost seemed to give her a look that felt like it was stupid. She sighed as she looked down. She resumed her typing. “I didn’t make these rules up, Stone. These are the rules of my people. Please, just do it.”

“Fine…..” he relented. “My name is Stone. I’m….in the need of a mate. Will you be my mate?”

“I will be your mate, Stone.” She typed. “Now, you will say the same thing, but my name instead.”

“I will be your mate, Ioren,” he grunted a little bit as if he seemed to be dragging his feet. Oddly, she knew that this would be the most challenging part for him for the entire night. She could feel a sense of completion as she wrote the final words of her tilon. She stood up as she let the tilon translate her passage.

“Then I will be your mate, Stone. We are now mates. You may organize any other ceremonies for your family to see how you see fit. I promise to love and protect you to the best of my abilities. I promise my fertility and bond to you to the day that I die.”

He nodded his head to her. “As would I. I’ll do the best that I can to ensure that you’re happy.”

Ioren smiled at him. A part of her felt overjoyed as she did her best to contain it. She instead started to do the thing that she needed to do next. She began to look at her green dress and began to undo the back of it.

“Here….” He reached out to her. “It is sometimes customary for the man to be the one who takes the clothes off a woman.”

Ioren nodded as she turned around and sat down on the bed. A part of her couldn’t believe that this was happening. She wanted this more than anything a few minutes ago, and now her mind was in shock at everything that had happened in that direction. The Itrean decided just to let nature take its course. She imagined, in the ancient past, that a male would work so hard to create a nest or home to benefit and attract a female. She had been in that nest since the beginning. While it wasn’t perfect, she knew that life wasn’t always a steady road of smooth paths. A part of her simply let her body go. She could feel the great hands of Stone press upon her back. The fingers, while coarse, were delicate in how they undid the clasps.

With a couple of snaps, the dress began to come off. They fell from her shoulders as they started to reveal more and more of her smooth, scaly skin to the light. The hands slowly pulled them down as Stone seemed to be focused on her body. It was an adjustment for both of them. They knew that seeing the nakedness of two different species was something that could be jarring to some, but it wasn’t so much for them as it should. By now, they had become accustomed to this prospect. Even Ioren felt more and more of the desire to see her mate naked, regardless of whether they were Itrean or human.

Stone’s hand took the dress down from the top of her torso to her stomach. She had no bra on, but the dress did a good job of hiding that fact. Ioren’s chest was partially covered by the black bandage strap that was applied to her injury. It partly covered one of her breasts as he was careful to avoid touching it. Much like himself, this form of lovemaking would be done in a meticulous way to prevent further injury.

Ioren’s back consisted of the red and brown scale pattern. Her red and green feathers flowed down a little bit from her back. She began to breathe harder and harder through her nostrils as she let the dress come off her. She wanted to tell him how much she was looking forward to this, but her inability to speak would limit her.

Her breasts were exposed to the open environment as she stood and turned to face him. She tried to act seductively by tilting her head and trying to smile at him, but Stone didn’t seem to indicate that this was working. She could see that he was direct. She then just let herself be normal and let the dress fall to the floor. Her front side showed the soft yellowish scales. Her pink nipples could be seen as she seemed to act like she was being admired rather than seductive. She would turn her head to the side and almost close her eyes. This would allow him to see the distinct nose crest and head feathers while her mouth was slightly open. This actually seemed to work far better than being seductive. She now knew that the marine was a definitive quiet type of lover. She wanted to look at him, but she instead kept breathing hard, knowing that she would be united in love with him.

Stone reached out and could see her front side. In most ways, it was similar to a human woman. She had nipples, breasts, and even a belly button. She still had her green panties on, which he reached over and began to pull off. The yellow flowed downward towards her crouch as the underwear was taken off entirely. She let it fall to the floor, then lightly kicked it to the side with her legs. She now stood completely naked to him. The marine’s eyes were centered towards her crouch. There was almost a sense of relief. Her vaginal opening was very similar to that of a human woman. There were slight differences, obviously, as his hand naturally explored her. She had no pubic hair, and the vaginal slit was more concave in appearance.

It was here that Ioren had to act. She knew that her vaginal secretions were the key to this lovemaking to occur. Then she reached down and stepped even closer to him before using her claw-like finger to help his fingers reach her slit. She wouldn’t have the ability to tell him how she would do this, but only hope that it would occur. The man's fingers reached her entrance as two fingers were pressed to it. She felt the probing fingers touch it, causing her to shudder a little bit. Stone couldn’t feel a clit at first. Itreans seemed to either have it more internally or not at all, but it didn't matter. His fingers began to enter and exit her. A thick amount of smooth lubricating fluid fell upon his fingers. Ioren could feel a small amount of pleasure as he tilted his fingers upward. He began to push it harder and harder into her.

Again, Stone knew the rhythm. He didn’t feel the sexual excitement, but he didn’t want to stop. He could hear the tension in her breathing. She made no protest as she gripped his wrist, pushing and pulling his hand. If anything, she was trying to put more force into his rhythm. For this to work, a large amount of her secretions must be applied.

It felt almost like a minute had passed as he almost gave a very subtle smile to her. Finally, she knew that enough had been done. She tapped his hand to tell him to stop. He did so as she kept a good hold of his wrist. The clawed like fingers almost bore into his skin. She went and sat down on the bed as he pulled away from her grip. He understood enough about what she was trying to do. His fingers were covered in her vaginal secretions. He brought them towards his face. The man opened his mouth and pressed the two fingers to his lips. He began to taste and lick the secretions. It was sweet, almost like strawberries. It was heavenly, as he swallowed as much of it as he possibly could. Ioren could see that the chemical was now entering his system, where she could only hope that it would work.

Stone lay back on the bed as Ioren climbed onto it. She cringed a little bit as her tail flipped to the other side. The black brace held firmly, but it caused her to freeze a little bit momentarily. The pain medications were working, however. The marine closed his eyes and let the Itrean do her work. He knew that, even with such a chemical that might or might not work, it would still take time to take effect. The man began to imagine the prospect. He still thought of the day that he did everything that he could to ensure that Ioren survived. Now she was naked before him and had her claw-like fingers reaching for his pants.

The Itrean woman used two of her fingers to unbutton his pants. She had but one mission now. She wanted to make sure that Stone was happy. This wouldn’t be a night of wild sex. It would be a gentle and relaxed one. If anything, she knew that he wasn’t the type of person who needed anything to agitate him. She could see it in his face alone. It was that of sheer and utter exhaustion.

The man made no resistance as her claws had gripped his pants and began to pull them down from his legs. It easily came off as he lifted his body just enough for the pants to slip down. Within a few seconds, she completely took it off of him and dropped it on the ground.

She had a pleasant view of his sturdy legs. Even if he wore a short-sleeved shirt, she could see the muscles that resided. What was left were his camouflage boxers. It covered the contents for her to look upon.

Stone might have felt the Itrean around his legs and crotch, but instead, his mind was oriented towards retirement and peace. He imagined moving back to the original home, living, and always admiring the sun that would never set. From his back porch was his ranch and shooting range. Beside him would be Ioren, who would perhaps one day be able to talk with her own voice. The pleasant thoughts might have put him to sleep, but the Itreans dainty, sharp claws were reaching for his boxers.

She was careful when she began to pull it down. He didn’t look upon her but imagined the first night with his former spouse. It was a sense of nostalgia that brought pleasant thoughts to him. Ioren, on the other hand, had pulled the boxers off to reveal the sight of something that somewhat surprised her. She continued to concentrate when she successfully pulled them off before tossing them aside.

Ioren was utterly curious to see the human penis for the first time up close. She noted how everything was jutting out, unlike how Itrean males or Ivons had their penises tucked into their cloacae until sexually enticed. Even then, the human penis was a spectacle to behold. To her, it was craftsmanship. Male Itreans and Ivon might have had a scrotum, but it wasn’t like this. Two orbs that naturally fell between a flaccid rod made her stop and get close to it. Next to the shaft was a nice amount of black coarse pubic hair that covered his crotch.

The marine wasn’t sexually excited, but he did open his eyes to look at the ceiling. He had to let the image of Gagana slowly disappear. It would be what she wanted, and he knew this. Instead, he would let the image transform into the next person who would be with him for the rest of his life. He remained calm and entranced with the feeling.

Ioren took one of her hands and gripped the flaccid shaft. Even if he didn’t have an erection, Stone was quite hefty with what he had. Measuring about four to five inches long, it was just as big as the typical Yutilian or Aksren male at full size, but she knew he was not erect.

The marine could feel the soft fingers caress his manhood. Ioren was admiring and studying this form of nature’s design. She wanted to say so many things to him, but she knew he wasn’t directly watching her. She straddled his legs as she put her snout next to his genitals. She began to sniff it closely. The unique scent of the primate-like male was not something she found offensive in any way. If anything, it was the scent of who he was and what he represented. Stone was a powerful, strong individual. She knew him as the buck of his species. The Itrean let the scent intoxicate her senses. She almost closed her eyes as she began to press her nose to his scrotum. The fleshy orbs naturally mended and moved along her snout. The feel of her breath flaring against it was wonderful.

She remembered everything precisely about how the porn propaganda was displayed. If anything, its purpose was more than just adult entertainment, but to serve as a makeshift instruction video on how humans and Itreans had sex together. She thought back to how the males wanted it. The mate would suck on their shaft with great care. She tried to do the same thing. She opened up her mouth and let his member slide into it. She had rows of small but sharp teeth. She had to be mindful that when she did this, she didn’t injure him. The fleshy appendage naturally fell onto her long tongue, which she used to capture it. Gently enclosing it, she began to suck on it very lightly.

The feeling of warmth and pleasure felt fantastic for Stone. His breathing intensified to the lightest as he could feel the Itrean lightly bob her head up and down on it. The warm saliva naturally drooled down a little bit from her open mouth. Her feathers were almost completely lowered, as if she were in an absolute state of calm.

The heat from her lips, as best defined by what an Itrean had, felt comfortable. Ioren would do very gentle sucking motions with her mouth and jaws. His shaft naturally danced around a little bit from her tongue. She kept her other free hand on his scrotum, in which the orbs neatly spun in place on her fingertips.

“I’m…….going to ask that you look into trimming those claws of yours,” Stone almost quietly told her. “You’re doing your best, but I can still feel them at times.”

He briefly looked at the Itrean woman who had his member in her mouth. The distinct head crest was like a solid red line for him to follow, as she couldn’t give any form of acknowledgment. However, her reptilian eyes did look up at him. She continued to make a sucking motion. Her jaws naturally flexed slightly as she was acting like she was trying to drink from a fountain.

The pleasure was continuous but not strong enough for Stone. His eyes fell on the small, delicate frame of her body. The more and more he looked at her nakedness, the more beautiful it got. The feathers were the things that seemed to stand out more than anything. It provided the most extensive array of colors of red and green. His hand reached out for hers as she saw it. She let one of her hands go to his. His hand encompassed hers as she fell into an almost hypnotic state with her oral sex. Her saliva was collecting more and more.

Stone could feel it as he looked back up into the ceiling. He could feel the faintness of a growing erection. It was slow. The chemicals from her vagina were seeping into his as each second had gone by. The stimulation that she was giving him was only accelerating the process to a point. As she continued to suck on it, she could feel the shaft get harder and harder.

The pleasure was intensifying as this member was starting to get bigger. Finally, Ioren was beginning to realize that it was working. A sense of happiness had filled her thoughts as she used her other hand to caress his leg.

It was, in some ways, working too well. As his shaft continued to increase in size, so too was it harder to keep contained with her tongue. By now, the penis itself had risen to about five to six inches in length. In addition, the bulbous head was significantly bigger.

“Here…..” Stone said as he reached out to her. He looked down upon her as he let go of her hand. He gestured for her to give him her other hand.

Ioren cooperated as she reached out and touched his hand while keeping her sucking motion. He brought her hand to the base of his shaft and showed the movements of gripping and pumping it. The Itrean understood quickly what he was getting at. She encompassed his member and began to make a gentle pumping motion. She had to lessen how much of his shaft she could have in her mouth anyway. She allowed enough room to begin this new rhythm of movement. The pumping motion was having an effect.

“Better….” He commented. “Much better…..” The pleasure intensified. For the first minute, he could feel that she was steady in her pace. His scrotum would start to bounce up and down as she continued a pumping motion. The tugging and pulling were having an effect. The chemical was working more and more as he had an ever-growing erection. A part of him felt a great sense of relief. A part of himself felt more like a man than ever. Ioren had restored something that he thought he had lost since the death of his wife. This was at least how Stone had looked upon it. The Itrean had performed a miracle of nature because if she didn’t have this ability, he would have never really looked upon another woman again.

Ioren could sense this as well. She knew that he must have felt shame for losing this ability. She could put the marine at rest and satisfy him. The more she considered it, the more she never wanted to look upon another Itrean again.

Stone could feel it. His erection had grown more to the point that Ioren could barely contain it. She had to let go of his other hand and use both hands to milk and massage it. She closed her eyes as she continued to focus. By now, he was six inches long and still growing. The girth alone was something that she was mindful of.

The marine was breathing harder and harder as it started. He could feel the urge to release. He wanted to tell her, but he didn’t want to disrupt it. Thankfully, Ioren had a fundamental understanding of this from what she had seen long before. A male may release at any time. If anything, she was surprised that he hadn’t had his orgasm yet, at least until now.

Stone grunted as he could feel his orgasm coming forward. He pressed his abdomen up a little bit as his member went straight into Ioren’s throat. She was taken by surprise at first, but momentarily expected it. The woman let it go as far as she could as the tip pressed into the roof of her esophagus. The warmth of his cum went straight into her throat at an unprecedented velocity. Then the pulsating actions of his penis were in full swing. She used her tongue to try to capture as much as she could.

It was biological enhancements that served as a technological favor for Stone and Ioren. The Yutilian and Aksren throat was well built to withstand such a large volume of sudden liquid. In a sense, Ioren’s gag reflexes were in full swing as she felt the nonstop flow of his semen being dumped down her throat. For her, she could feel the satisfaction that she could do this for him, even if it were still a somewhat copious amount. There was almost a rhythmic action as her throat would generously push down what he was putting into her. She could feel her stomach happily accepting the new contents of what Stone could provide.

“Ungh…..” Stone momentarily said as his orgasm came to a stop. Ioren would ensure that as little mess was made as possible. Her tongue continued to lap the tip as she swallowed all of it without the hint of flinching or choking. She patiently waited for the pulsating actions to stop before she pulled her mouth away.

Stone looked upon Ioren. She had a satisfied look on her face knowing that she made him happy. He even gave a brief smile to her as a response. If she could wag her tail, then she would be doing it right now. But, instead, her eyes fell on his penis that was steadily getting harder and harder still.

When all was done, Stone’s member was seven inches long. Even after his orgasm, he still had more that he was ready to put out. Ioren wondered if it was going to happen next as she burped a little bit. She put her hand to her mouth almost as a form of embarrassment. Stone reached out for her as she readily accepted being moved. She was dainty and light. She suddenly felt herself being hugged and embraced by the towering figure. Carefully, he moved and shifted over to the right with her. There, he cradled her to his body. Her smooth scales felt soft and pleasant to the touch. Her feathers felt equally lovely to handle.

Stone was doing his best not to put any pressure on his injury. At the same time, however, he used his left arm to reach and grab the bed covers. He pulled them up to encase them both. Ioren could feel more pain in her chest and left side, but Stone was also holding onto her to avoid putting any pressure on her frame. Ioren used her right leg to straddle his ass. Her one hand went and pressed underneath his shirt to feel his booming chest.

It felt warm and welcoming to her. If anything, the Itrean wanted to melt into his arms. She desired to be nowhere else but there. She perfectly left her crotch and waist open for him. It was here that she could feel his rampant erection pressing against her stomach. Harder than ever before, she knew that she would have to take the risk. She hoped that she would be big enough to be able to handle the size of his member. She knew, though, that other Itreans who were already pregnant could withstand their human mates’ in turn.

She took a deep breath as he pressed her head to his chest. He felt the tail push against his legs beneath the sheets. Thankfully, her body, while shorter than his, still could easily wrap around him. He was experienced with this before. Gagana was supposedly short, and perhaps this simple transition made things even easier for him.

The man moved his waist as the bulbous tip of his member was positioned ideally below her waist. She could feel the tip pressing against her abdomen as it moved downward. She felt powerless but excited about the prospect. Lying on her side, she almost closed her eyes and pushed her head against his shirt and chest.

Pressing his waist into hers, the tip of his member began to poke against her anus. He was trying to find the entrance to her vagina. Stone’s eyes closed as he had found it. The wet opening of her was inviting. Dampened from the previous oral encounter, his member was slippery with her juices. The fact that she was already slick and wet only made things easier. They felt it together as the tip of his penis pressed against her entrance. Then, with a simple buck of his hips, it slid into her nether regions.

She would have whimpered if she could. Her entrance was relatively small for such an encompassing member to enter into her. The extreme girth almost prevented entry at all. She had to brace for the pain that her muscles would have to go through. He pushed again as he knew that he was at the right spot. Again, it didn’t go far into her as she could feel that her vagina was trying to adjust. He was so big for her, but she had to adapt. She used her strength to push her abdomen down just at the moment he bucked his hip into her.

Each thrust was getting further and further into her. A single lying factor did help her, however. The pain medication that she took earlier affected her whole body. This reduced the sharp pain that was being pressed as the muscles inside were being stretched outward quite heavily. So when they both shifted, he went at least halfway inside of her as her body tensed up.

It felt warm and huge for her. Ioren could swear he was so big that a small bulge could be seen on her abdomen. She tensed up again as he would make gentle presses, slowly pushing further and further into her. It was more than apparent that he was rock hard now. The chemical from her vaginal secretions was in its full effect.

Stone would wait a little bit. Much like early ED medications, the effects would last longer than he ever needed them to be. But if it were similar to what Ioren was producing, he could take his time. As the pain subsided, it would be Stone’s turn to push a little bit more into her. It proved to work rather well. Within a minute, with one last push, he was entirely inside her. Her body had fully accepted him.

Ioren felt like she was in heaven once the pain almost subsided. She was connected with her mate. She had defied her species, society, and nature itself, and she was fully aware of it. Against all odds, she knew that she was where she wanted to be. No shooting, gunfire, people who wanted her dead, or hateful people. She was in the hands of her mate. For her, she knew that this wasn’t going to be an immediate process for Stone. She knew that this love was going to be slow and steady, just like their lovemaking. In the future, it would bloom much like she could see how Stone loved Gagana. People may hate the man. People may hate her, but in the end, she knew him and knew his true character.

Stone was slow and easy in how he rocked his hips into her. She could feel the rhythm of pleasure that rode her body. It was a most curious sensation for her. The pain was practically gone as her muscles had fully adapted to such a colossal monstrosity inside her. Rumors were shared that the Aksren and Yutilians could even take a Shal’rein for a mate if they genuinely wanted to. Bioengineering had been a drastic benefit. The enhancements to the body would allow things that most humans could never do. Adapting to environments was just one thing. Adapting to the needs of the mate was another important quirk. She considered this more often as her fingers danced on Stone’s warm and comforting chest.

Stone felt nothing but pleasure. The adjustment to her seemingly small and delicate frame didn’t really take long. He didn’t want to rush the sex at all, but it was hard to ignore the fulfillment of what sex brought forth. Her vaginal tunnel was small and shaped slightly differently from that of a human woman. Their sex position was the perfect position to take, as it still limited how far he could enter her. He was never buried to the hilt in his thrusts. It was because of the way their bodies were conjoined in this particular way. A different sex position would naturally cause his member to be buried far deeper into her. One thing that Ioren was aware of was that the human penis was shaped far differently than the Itrean was in turn. The bulbous head had the ability to hit different sections of the vaginal tunnel. This form of stimulation was intense, causing her sometimes to shudder whenever he did a hard thrust. She let out quiet gasps as she was enveloped in warmth and comfort. Meanwhile, he would remain steady and slow.

Was there such a thing as the perfect intercourse? It is a question that has baffled humanity and possibly the Itreans. This topic has been analyzed before, but the question is always brought forth. It was Ioren’s turn to try to figure this out. Her thoughts sometimes went to this question as the hot, hard rod of Stone was driven in and out of her. For mates, the sex between them obviously had to conclude that their intercourse was the best when compared to everyone else because it only consisted of themselves. However, was it genuinely true? She had to look at herself in more detail. The Itreans naturally made themselves better at everything, including sex. Why was that? It was easy to conclude that the bodies were enhanced for better sex for recreational purposes, but she considered that more and more. It wasn’t entirely true. There was another profound reason. Sex was the key to procreation. Without the improvements to sex, she wouldn’t exist. Ioren knew that she was a product of two enhanced bodies of two separate species that got together and became mates. Without these improvements, it would have been impossible for the genes to become mixed to create her.

As she was getting closer and closer to figuring this question out, she could continue to feel the delight of her juices that properly lubricated his thrusting member. The warm blanket and large, gentle arms encapsulated her like a ball. How long had their intercourse been? Did it matter? Ioren felt like she could fall asleep. All the horrors of the universe were gone and had been replaced with utter joy.

It was here that she could get closer to solving the question that she had for some time. There was something she had to consider: evolution. She had concluded that it could be a distinguishing factor in their lovemaking. Stone’s penis was possibly better than the Yutilian and Aksren penis because of its shape alone. Not because he was bigger, but the way it was designed. The bulbous head was stimulating her in a way that no average Itrean couple would ever get to enjoy. These stimulations were encouraging her developing orgasm much quicker as a result. She felt like a blob of flesh that couldn’t move. The pleasure was so intense that it disrupted her line of thinking. She wanted to tell him outright how enjoyable this experience was, as the marine remained quiet.

The other important factor was her discovered ability. She knew that she had to make sure that Doctor Cordeina was going to get her samples sometime soon. That Shal’rein was a member of a sex cult. She knew that Ioren’s gift could possibly help other couples with their lovemaking. It was a saving grace even for this mateship. Evolution was the key to survival, and sometimes random mutation allowed genes to be passed on. Ioren’s vaginal secretions were a natural cure for male erectile dysfunction. Even if treatments and remedies already existed, to be able to produce them naturally was incredible. If genes such as these could be enhanced into bodies, it would further help not just in recreational sex but also in procreation. Ioren was happy to know of this thought. If she were to have children, it was likely that this evolutionary accident would be passed down as well.

Ioren could no longer really consider the idea, however. As Stone thrust one more time, the stimulation was at its peak. It would be here that the marine would learn of another exciting ability the Itrean had. The Yutilians might not have had this ability, but the Aksren species did, most likely thanks to their enhanced bodies. Ioren’s orgasm came forth as she clenched her partner hard. Unlike the human female orgasm, however, it was slower. Instead of a series of rapid pulsations in the muscles, the Aksren orgasm was continuous. It was believed that an orgasm for them could last as long as five minutes. Even if it weren’t steady or well pronounced, it would naturally cause Ioren’s muscles to contract and pull on Stone’s member like a vice. She didn’t have control as her body was milking his member. Her cervix was trying to pull him as far into her as possible. The slight tightening pulsations could trigger a male orgasm very easily, especially among humans. For Ioren, this trait was passed down to her, although she was probably sure that the orgasm wouldn’t last as long.

Stone naturally increased his rhythm. The stimulation that he was receiving was intensifying. Each pulsation occurred every few seconds. Every time it did, Ioren would tighten her hold on him. Her claws threaten to dig hard into him, which made the man cringe at times. She was trying to nuzzle under his shirt. He could feel her feathers and how soft they were. At times, she was in such rapture and joy from the sex that a tear was running down her face. A part of him would wonder if he would be able to get her off of him if they needed to disengage their intercourse. He may end up walking around with an Itrean tied to his waist for the rest of his life.

He couldn’t hold on much longer. The pulsations that she had. A human would be lucky to survive this long as it was. He had to conclude that Ioren was naturally gifted in sex, whether she would agree to it or not. By now, the chemical that was induced by Ioren’s secretions was in full effect. He was harder than tungsten. Linked inside of her, his shaft would plunge to the point where it was touching her cervix. If she had the ability to talk, she would be moaning louder than any human woman ever would. Finally, he couldn’t hold it anymore. He could picture the small bulge of his member as it pushed outward. He began a couple of hard thrusts when he felt it.

Her milking orgasm was met with his. A hard stream of cum came rushing out and straight into her like a bullet. It was a heavy rope of semen that drove through her open cervix as it went straight into her womb. The pulsations kicked in as she could feel the expanding contractions of his member. He was filling her up with copious amounts of sperm. Stone might as well be a person who took a hose of warm water and drove it deep into her nether regions. Deep down, wave after wave of his jism was being dumped into her. She dug her claws into him hard at the intense feeling. She couldn’t help herself as he grunted a little bit. His orgasm lasted for eleven seconds before it finally started to come to an end.

Ioren started to breathe again. She felt quite full and happy, knowing that she had done everything she could to satisfy her mate, while feeling satisfied in return. Her slow orgasmic rhythm continued as she knew that the man was spent. Another great gift was something that would occur. Stone wouldn’t lose his erection anytime soon. He would likely maintain it for at least another hour or two unless he had another generous portion of her “miracle treatment” given to him. She had absolute control over this, and she was fully aware of it.

Ioren could feel her lover’s heart slow down as he was growing tired. She knew that he would never leave her or ever give up on her. This form of lovemaking would be ever-present and continuous. If he had more to give her, then she would be ready.

Instead, she felt herself grow increasingly tired. She wanted to tell him she loved him, but she already knew that he knew. Stone caressed her head a little bit as he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. After that, she could feel that outright sleep and exhaustion were kicking in. Before they knew it, both of them had passed out in bliss.

*******

“I want you to wear it,” Stone told Ioren as she got off the bed. It had been a few hours as the Itrean was looking at herself. Fully nude, she could see that she was in a slight mess. Her nether regions had jism leaking out, her scales and skin were covered in human sweat, and even her feathers were slightly matted in some areas. Not to mention that coming from the human hospital had left her a little bit dirty. Stone’s words, however, had caught her off guard.

Stone was sitting on the edge of the bed as his head was tilted to her direction. Only his shirt was on while he showed a light form of gratitude. His eyes guided her sight towards the closet. She knew what he was talking about.

She used her hands to give the sign language word for “Really?” She couldn’t believe it.

“Gagana told me that if I ever remarried, that the next person would wear it… at least somebody of her size,” he explained.

Ioren somewhat questioned this saying. It sounded a little bit too convenient to be the truth. Did Gagana ever have the chance to tell him that it was all right for somebody else to wear her favorite dress? Was he making that up? Perhaps, but it didn’t matter. It was Stone’s wish that she start to wear it. She was his mate now, and she found it to be a lovely form of clothing.

“Thank you,” she signed to him.

“We'll…..keep working with your sign language…..get you to say more than just two-word sentences,” he told him as he got up. By now, he could tell that he was flaccid again as the chemical had worn off. The romantic night would have to be one where they both needed to take a shower. It had been a long day. If anything, the sex felt comforting and fantastic for both of them. Ioren could tell that the marine was genuinely calm and collected. He was at peace with everything.

“Tomorrow…" he said. "We'll need to start getting things ready for our departure to Aphadus while we continue to check in with the doctors. We need to pick up our guns, equipment, return the chief’s gun to him, and finish up any final reports. After that we……”

A pinging sound erupted in the room, interrupting the man's words. It was coming from his tablet. It caused him to give a deep, agitated smirk. Ioren turned her head to it.

“What the fuck?” Stone asked as he walked over to it. He could see that there was an attempted video call being made for him. He thought about answering it or not till he saw where the location was coming from. It was originating from the Deimos Shipyards, a rather unlikely place for anyone to call somebody else.

“Ugh…..if I answer this, we need to get dressed…..whose fucking bothering us at a time like this. Why would?......” his question got cut off as Ioren tapped his hand. It brought him out of his agitated state as he looked down upon her.

“We'll….go get dressed real quick,” he continued with a sigh. “I'll text them to wait a minute till I can respond. If it's important, they'll wait.”

They both got dressed as Stone put his pants on. Ioren decided to walk over to the closet as she saw the delicate dress. She could wear it with pride now as she started to slip it on. It was a bit of a struggle as she still winced from her ribs and chest pain. By then, Stone saw her emerge from the closet with a big smile on her face. With some form of clothing on. The white dress flowed down her body like a waterfall. The marine set the tablet down on the cabinet's counter. He decided it was time to answer the phone call.

From the tablet, a moderately sized 3d image projection appeared. It hovered near the wall and was adequately able to record Stone to the caller as he sat down to face whoever it was that deemed it essential to call him at such a late time in the day. The image showed that of a man with a distinct short beard and mustache. It was smoothly trimmed, and he had short brown hair. At first, Stone noted that he had Paloran features on his face, but he could be wrong on that. He almost looked like he was born in Peru or South America of former Earth. He was rather distinct, wearing an officer’s attire of that of a Lieutenant. It was difficult to tell much from the background, except that it was an office. The man almost smiled when he looked upon Stone.

“I assume that you're Master Sergeant Stone?” the officer greeted him. His voice was content and relieved to be speaking with him.

“I am,” Stone remarked as he gave a stern look to the officer. He folded up his arms. “What is it that has you calling me at 0100 in the morning?”

“Ah…..I’m sorry about that. My name is Officer Javier. I’m the XO of the UHN Lifen….or in this case…..soon to be commissioned ship.”

“XO? UHN Lifen? What the hell?” Stone’s eyes narrowed at him. “Ugh….you're calling from the Deimos Shipyards. What is it that you want?”

“Stone, if you don’t mind me just calling you by your name,” Javier explained. “I was wanting to get in contact with you. Right now, my ship is in the process of being commissioned pretty soon. We're in need of fulfilling our ranks. We could use somebody of your expertise on our ship.”

Stone was skeptical as he looked at Ioren before turning his head back to face the officer. “What type of ship is this?”

“Military transport ship, Qing class, the second ship of its class. We had some delays so far, but construction is proceeding on schedule.”

“Not a Phalanx class Assault Carrier….UHN must be getting desperate to be spitting out new transport ships.”

“You know all too well, Stone,” Javier continued.

“You want me to serve on your ship? How big is your crew complement?”

“I have sixty so far, seventy minimum required. We have room for more than that, too.”

“Why would you want me to serve?”

“Because you are thee 'Stone.' Master Sergeant Stone, the man who trained the other recruits for the UHN marines. Right now, we need more marines on our ship than just ordinary ship crew.”

“Marines? Hmph…..” Stone almost looked away. “Good luck finding additional marines. I’m sure that you're well aware of Operation Desert Shrike that's coming up.”

Javier nodded his head. “Of course, it's making it a little bit hard to find additional marines to transfer to our ship when many are being called to this upcoming campaign.”

“Will the Lifen be ready for it?”

The officer shook his head. “Even if it somehow was, my future CO, Officer Shira, is still in officer training.”

“Hmph……it sounds like the CO is a rookie. Straight out of officer’s boot camp? What? You expect me to train her in all the expertise of being a leader?”

Ioren could see the officer’s face as he gave a somewhat surprised look at Stone. The marine wasn’t going to let up. She could see that he was putting on a strong face, even if it was downright insulting. Javier, instead, resumed his speech.

“You don’t know Shira,” the officer explained. “She may surprise you. She was the one who sent a request for me to contact you to see if you would be interested in transferring to our ship.”

“I don’t know, Shira….. kind of an odd name. Never really ever heard of it.”

“I can promise you that she's far from inexperienced, Stone. She defected from the Shal’rein clan a while back. She was one of their best, too.”

Stone’s eyes widened a little bit as even Ioren gave a surprised look as well. “What!? The CO, your upcoming Captain of the Lifen, is a Shal’rein?”

“I told you that she's full of surprises,” Javier remarked with a smile. “Even with her current schedule, she has just a little bit of time to review things and try to report to me on what things need to be taken care of. She already has plenty of combat experience and has far proven to be beneficial to the UHN.”

Even if Stone was serious, he was almost speechless at first.

Ioren was shocked at the concept. A Shal’rein that was head of a UHN ship? A human ship? She was thinking hard about this idea. The brief flashback with the fight against a Shal’rein loomed in the air, but at the same time, it was intriguing. She found the idea questionable but wasn’t dismissive about it either. The marine leaned back a little bit.

“This….Shira….she knows me?” Stone asked.

“She makes it her goal to know as much as possible about military assets,” Javier answered. “She knows of your prior accomplishments and predicts that you'd very likely accept the offer…..or at least more likely than others.”

“What? You think I’m desperate to serve on your dinky little transport?”

“It’s a big enough ship, trust me…..I know."

“Hmph….. It's a tempting offer, but…” he sighed as he looked at Ioren again. “I don’t think it's going to happen, though. I was just part of a…..mission that forced me to resign. Oshun hated my wonderful exploits here, and they were ready to court-martial me in disgrace.”

“You sound like another that'll be on our ship soon. A pilot that blasted his way out of Fort Batrice. He's transferring to us pretty soon. This ship is a place of second chances, Stone.”

The marine was somewhat familiar with an incident reported on the news that occurred on Fort Batrice not that long ago. It grabbed his interest.

“What do you mean?” the marine asked firmly.

“I mean that the pilot that serves us was kicked out in disgrace. He's now going to work with us. Shira has instructed me that anybody with a past record is to serve regardless of their prior record.”

“But I wouldn’t be working in the UHN as a commissioned enlisted man. Who would I be working for?”

“Us, Shira, and I. If necessary, she can make arrangements for the T’rintar clan to pay you. You can keep your rank when you step aboard our ship, even if the UHN tells you otherwise. Of course, you wouldn’t be able to keep that rank when you step off the ship either.”

“Is that true? Does the T’rintar commission human beings now?” Stone looked at Ioren. She first gave a questioning look, then nodded somewhat affirmatively to confirm it. It caught Stone’s attention quite well. Even Javier could see that the marine was thinking about it. However, the Itrean noted that Stone was still on the fence if he was going to do this.

“My demands would be different then, sir,” the marine continued as his eyes narrowed. “A number of conditions have to be met. As long as there is a roof, bunk, and food, then you can keep the damn paychecks. These will be my terms. If these can’t be met, then I’m turning this offer down outright. Do you understand?”

“Quite,” Javier said. For a moment, the marine wondered whether Javier would meet all the criteria. If anything, the list was rather extensive, and he was expecting the officer to fail outright on this. Nobody could top this, and he had already been entertaining this notion for this long. The concept of settling down in retirement or being on a ship was something that honestly didn’t matter, but at the same time, there was a nagging notion that Ioren could see from the marine. She knew that Stone was the type who was dissatisfied with leaving that room of admirals.

“My first on the list is that I’m a Master Sergeant,” Stone explained. “I'll no doubt be the top of the enlisted chain of your ship. So I demand to be made the CMC. No less.”

Javier seemed to think about it for a second. “Usually, that sort of role is dedicated to Master Chief positions for sailor personnel, hence its job title abbreviation. You are a Master Sergeant, however.”

“What was that? Did you hear what I said? Or did the connection on your end lag what I told you just now?” He gave a stalwart look to him.

“Right….” Javier relented. “Of course, you want to be part of the big three? There would be enough crew on our ship to have you as a CMC or, in this case…..CMS. You would be in charge of the enlisted training, discipline, and welfare for both sailors and marines. Technically, you would be the third-highest-ranking official on the ship.”

“And?” Stone added.

“Sure…. yeah, we can do that. I’ll bring it up to Shira for confirmation, but I’m sure that she wouldn’t mind it. I’m sure that was the reason she probably referred to you, to begin with.”

“Good....My second demand is that I want to open carry my guns on the ship. I’m, of course, fully qualified in all small arms and power armor-based equipment.”

“You were expecting that I would say no to that?” Javier asked him.

“Yes, outright.”

“The CO has made it fully known for everyone that they can bring their own firearms on the ship and bring it with them on duty. Preparedness is what she values the most, including the ship’s internal security. The only limitation is that it doesn’t disrupt ship duties and that it follows the regulations of stepping off the ship onto colonial grounds. Sound fair?”

Stone actually seemed pleased upon hearing that perhaps to hear an Itrean captain endorsing such an idea.

“Hmmm....." he said. "Now onto the most important demands....”

The marine looked over to Ioren. He gestured for her to come and sit by him. She understood as she grabbed her tilon and turned it on. She went and had a seat by Stone as the officer had a chance to see her. Before Javier had an opportunity to comment, the marine explained everything to him.

“I have a wife here. Her name is Ioren, a Lesser Centurion. If I’m going on that ship of yours, she's coming with me.”

Javier turned his focus towards the Itrean. “Hello, Ioren. Were you listening in on the conversation?”

She held up her finger to tell him to wait. She was busy typing on her tilon.

“Ioren doesn’t have the ability to talk,” Stone interjected. “She uses a tilon to translate her words.”

“Really?” Javier asked. There was a look of curiosity on his face.

“Yes, Lieutenant Javier,” Ioren’s tilon spoke. “I wish to be with my mate. However, if he is going to serve on your ship, then I must be able to serve alongside him as per Itrean laws respect.”

“You won’t have any disagreements with me,” Javier stated. “The CO made it perfectly clear that Itrean mates will be transferred to serve alongside their mated counterparts. You’re not the only one who has made that request. The question is, what tasks would you be able to do on our ship?”

“That's the second part of these demands,” Stone said as he looked at her. “I believe that she should have a title that would be befitting of any Itrean. She should be Chief of Security.”

Javier put his fingers to his chin. He seemed to be thinking about it. “We’re in need of one, actually….I believe that Shira was debating about who should serve the role or not. What do you think, Ioren?”

“I would like to serve that role,” Ioren typed. “I’m versed in submarine operations and handled police duties. I’m learning much about legal rules and operations. I’m well versed in the gun and how to operate them.”

Javier nodded. “I see…..for now, I’m willing to entertain this idea. As XO, I see no dilemma in having you serve that role. But I need to clear it with Shira. If you can, we'll need to see your service record so that the CO can review it.”

“Ehm…..” Stone replied with a hint of annoyance in his voice. Ioren put her hand on Stone’s arm to tell him that he didn’t have to be aggressive on this matter.

“I'd say that it's likely that you'll have the post,” Javier reaffirmed to the two. “That's the best that I can tell you right now. Of course, you'd be welcome on our ship, Ioren. You would be the first Aksren to serve……no……you’re not Aksren, but you look like one.”

“This brings us to the last thing that's at hand,” Stone explained firmly. “Ioren isn’t well-liked by her people. She's a…..Golarren. Apparently, the Itreans have a general dislike towards things that they don’t consider pristine or perfect.”

“I actually never heard of this, but you do realize that Shira isn’t well-liked by her own people either. She's told me before that she found prejudice to be inefficient. I don’t have any issue with this, honestly. I can promise you that you'll be treated fairly here on this ship.”

Ioren felt a sense of relief upon hearing that. She even gave a smile, but Stone wasn’t done yet.

“There's more to it than just that….” The marine thought about it and knew exactly what he would say. “Ioren was born without the ability to speak. It's why she has to use a tilon to talk. I’m training her to use sign language, but we need more than that. Her people refuse to help treat her. She should have the right to talk just like any other Itrean. If she's to work on the ship, then you need to make sure that the ship’s doctors will help her.”

“We have a Shal’rein medical officer, one of Shira’s former doctors that's going to serve on the Lifen, Doctor Folar’sha. She might not be an expert on this, but I’m sure that she can do whatever she can to help treat you. Don’t worry, Ioren. You’ll be in good hands with us. If the Itreans won’t give you the fair treatment, then we'll make sure that you get it. I’m going to transmit her contact information to you so you can already let her know what's coming up, or if I receive a full bio and record from you, I can convey it to her.”

Ioren was still somewhat shocked by all of this that she almost didn’t believe it. Even a mere cent of hope was better than nothing, however. A part of her knew that this Shira character had to have been quite unique. An Itrean that led a UHN ship, an Itrean that betrayed her own people, and one that seemed to be attuned to Stone. Everything seemed to mend together. She didn’t see the harm in pursuing this path as long as Stone was in it as well.

“I would like to contact Doctor Folar’sha,” Ioren typed. “If she can at least give me vocal cords, then I would be better off than I am now.”

The marine nodded. “Then I don’t have any other things on the list that need to be brought up,” Stone said.

“Quite a big list, but not impossible,” Javier said with some pride.

“Are you Paloran?” Stone asked him.

“No, but my mother was. I was born on Aphadus.”

“Aphadus…..Hmph…..how was it after that attack?”

“Ah…..well…..better than it was before. You can thank Shira for her recommendations for improvements to our defenses.”

Ioren noticed something in how Javier had first tried to respond to that comment. There was a bit of an understatement, as if there was far more to it than what he said just now. Stone didn’t notice it, but a gut instinct told the Itrean that Javier was indeed trustworthy and reliable.

“It sounds like you two went through a lot,” Javier remarked.

“Yes….but not impossible,” Stone answered ruggedly.

“Mind me asking…..why haven’t they assigned you to Operation Desert Shrike? I imagined that they'd grabbed you in a heartbeat.”

“It's a long story, Lieutenant. Painful memories and stupid decisions on everyone’s part, but I'll cut to the chase. Fine…..if both you and Shira have no qualms with my demands, then I accept the post.”

“As will I,” Ioren typed.

“In that case," Javier said. "I'll pass this along to her. I'll go ahead and say congratulations and welcome to the Lifen even if it's a little early.”

“Fine….I’ll see if I can make some contacts,” Stone told him. “I might know a couple of marines here and there that might be interested in serving on the Lifen. Possible that even Shira doesn't know that the UHN hasn’t grabbed yet.”

“Any little bit helps. Expect a call later tomorrow and not at night next time, ‘Avalanche’ Stone.” There was a smile on the officer’s face. “Take care....”

Ioren put her tilon down as she signed the words “Thank you” to Javier.

“She said, ‘thank you,’ in sign language,” Stone informed him.

“You're welcome, Ioren, glad to have you aboard...,” Javier said. With that, Javier tapped a button and ended the call.

The projection ended as Stone felt a dramatic shift in the direction his path was taking. Ioren, on the other hand, felt a sense of joy in her heart. So many horrible things had been behind her, but now, everything was starting to go in a genuine positive direction. Even the very thought that she might get help felt heartwarming.

“This Shira must be quite smart….” Stone remarked. “She purposely sought me out when the other dumbasses didn’t even show a hint of concern....”

Ioren felt a tear go down her eye as she resumed typing on her tilon.

“People care, Stone,” her tilon translated. “I care.”

He took a deep breath. “I know……I don’t know about you, but…..I think we need to take a shower and get cleaned up.”

Stone briefly smiled at her as the man lifted his hand in her direction. She closed her tilon and put it down on the bed. The prospect felt inviting. She couldn’t say no to such a pleasant offer. Her four scaly fingers gripped the marine’s hand as she stood up. They proceeded to the bathroom together, knowing their journey together was far from over……

The End (For Now)

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