Cat checked her clip again. She had eight shells, two in her own customized extension on the standard Federation blaster, and two more magazines. If all went as Molly predicted, she wouldn't need them. They just needed to lift whatever this new weapon was away from the Federation's warehouse line and get out. They had eight minutes, according to her surveillance on the drone cameras. That included breaking in and getting out. The Federation would be one mega weapon short, and she would have one more tool for serving justice in her sector of the slums.

They waited near a ground-level card shop where credits could be spent on grocery and energy cards. The cashier was in the midst of a haze break, sucking on an inhaler and letting the narcotic fill his bloodstream until his eyes blackened with the substance. He wouldn't know she was there. He probably wouldn't know if he was even there. She leaned into the column and looked up and down the narrow alley. No one was around. Everyone was turning in for the night for Federation-mandated curfew.

She spotted Molly at the vending machine. The cue was for her to press the return button, but she looked genuinely interested in the goods inside. She was a great actress, fumbling for her purse, changing her mind. Then she turned the mirror over the machine and pressed the coin return. That meant that Drake was in the warehouse and had opened the window. Cat sprang into action with all the lithe action of a feline.

Molly walked in with all the regality of a queen entering a palace, but Cat was a shadow. She scanned the space, knowing Drake would have stalled if there was a problem. The issue with Drake was that he was a big, macho idiot who would miss an elephant in the room if his head was in the clouds. She loved that big, macho idiot and had grown up with him. He was like another brother to her.

"I don't see a weapon," Drake grumbled. He flipped a crate over, but the dust that piled on the floor muffled the noise.

"Did you try to steal it already? For yourself?" Molly asked. She wiped her hands on her pants after flipping a few hanging frames for secret compartments. Drake only responded with a grunt.

Molly had seen Federation officers investigate a room after a murder. There were four ways to investigate a murder, but the two best ways were to work from the outside to the center in tight rings or to sweep back and forth. She followed Molly, not minding the dust, and watched the shadows. Something would be strange. She moved a metal cage filled with oil and ore and coughed as dust rolled up. Why was the warehouse so dusty? She tripped while coughing and caught her footing.

"We have six minutes. Come on," Molly said. She was only on the second wall. Why was she rushing them?

Cat helped Drake open crates and spring locks. A light passed through the window. They froze in the shadows. How sure were they that they had time? Was it too late? She silently pushed at the wall and found no give. Drake rolled another crate, but it was already empty. He had already checked that one. Then she remembered the carpet. Why did a warehouse have a carpet? She lifted the corner and found a door.

"Drake, help me move this crate over. There's something under it," she whispered.

The light beamed through the window again. Molly stopped. "Hurry," she added.

He pushed, rippling his thick biceps and rolling his abs under the thin linen shirt. Cat almost dropped the crate. He wasn't terribly smart, but Drake was distractingly beautiful. Even without her attention and help, he moved the crate inch by inch.

Then they heard voices. They were coming from the window they'd crawled into and from the front gate.

Molly was as pale as death. She had been in this exact situation with Drake. It was the night Milo had been caught and taken away. Molly had made too much noise, and they were found. They took Milo. They almost took Molly, too. She wasn't breathing; Cat saw her chest freeze.

"It's a door," Drake whispered. He held the latch halfway up, revealing absolute darkness beneath. Being Drake, he fearlessly shoved his hand down and added, "There are stairs!" without regard to traps, spiders, snakes, or the rare arachicobra.

The front gate opened. Cat could hear the rattle of blasters against metal gloves as officers stepped in. She grabbed Molly and pulled her in with her down the stairs. She almost tumbled, but she pressed the walls and held Molly with her strength. Drake hopped down nearly on top of them and pulled the carpet as he closed the door.

Molly made a whimpering sound. Cat slammed her hand over her mouth and closed her eyes. Federation soldiers above. Absolute darkness below. Maybe some snakes. Spiders. Snake-spiders. Bugs. Snake-bugs. She shivered at the thought.

Drake touched her, fumbling in the dark until he found her shoulder. His hand was warm and firm. Then he passed them and crept down the stairs. Wherever they were, it was a big space. Cat touched his shoulder and led Molly down the stairs.

"I don't know why we have to come in every time these idiots forget to lock a window," a man muttered at the top of the stairs.

They heard the beep of an intercom. "There's nobody here. Everything is here, dust and all."

Then they heard the roar of an engine and silence. They waited a few more minutes. It could be a trap.

Drake finally lit his lighter. Molly hissed. It was well known that flammable gases pooled in the basements of many buildings on Terra 4. He could have blown them up. He looked over his shoulder and saw nothing but empty boxes and a couple of broken shelves. They searched the warehouse basement for a few more minutes, but the earth was solid, the walls were solid, and the roof was cracked.

It was another bust.

Molly was the first to climb the stairs. She had regained color once the officers left, but it was clear that she had been spooked. A proper spook could end a person's career underground, and this was Molly's second close call. She folded her arms and flicker her mousy curls over her shoulder before lifting the door. Drake followed after and poked his head out. He gave a thumbs-up below. Cat hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath all of that time. She followed them up the stairs.

A metal oscillation sound came from behind the crate. She looked over her shoulder and found a snake-like drone with silicon skin over metal spine-like pieces and red eyes. Drake was on it immediately, cutting at the silicon. It resisted. Cat shot it, cursing herself for having to expend a silent bullet. The drone was unharmed.

"Ah, that won't work," said a voice.

Three more of the silicon snakes poked their heads up from behind boxes in the warehouse. They were silent like shadows. They perked at the sound of the leathery voice coming from a man with jade-colored robes and a white shawl. His skin was as pale as the silicon sheathing the drones. He held his arms behind his back, visibly unimpressed with the three. Cat shot him, but it didn't even rip the silicon.

"Stop that," Molly said.

"Run!" Drake commanded.

He threw the snake drones at the man. The man in robes grunted, visibly surprised to have his impenetrable creatures so rudely handled. Then they dashed for the window where the lights had beamed in and smashed it. Cat followed. Drake stabilized her on the slick earth, but Molly stumbled and slipped. Drake pulled her up and half-dragged her.

The horns blared in every corner - sirens alerting the world that criminals were on the run. The great thing about Sector 2 in the slums was that everything was laid out on a grid. It was easy to lose someone if you made all the right choices of narrow or wide streets, crowded alleys or construction areas, sewers or overpass. The problem with Sector 2 was that the same grid could lead a trio of fleeing criminals into the arms of the Federation at any corner.

"We should split up!" Molly huffed.

"No!" Drake grabbed her wrist. "Stay together! No one is going down!"

"Where are we going?" Cat asked. The sirens blared down by her unit that she shared with Milo. Oh, no! Milo! He was waiting for her. He was going to make dinner tonight to celebrate his week long journey to join the priesthood. He had no idea she was still in the underground. He sent her a weekly purse to get by comfortably from the church. He had been in this situation and was ruined by it.

Molly dashed into a complex. It was her home complex. Drake cursed and followed, and Cat caught the door behind them. Women and children poked their heads out of the doors to see the criminals that had triggered the sirens. A boy pointed at them and called them crooks and yelled that the police would get them. Cat lowered her head and ran faster, shoving boxes and huts in the narrow hallways aside as she ran.

They ran over and overpass and found themselves at a dead end. A group of children followed them while imitating the siren, pointing finger-guns at them. The lights beamed through the windows.

"We have you surrounded. Surrender or die," a flying drone announced.

Suddenly, a black cloth covered the drone. The lights died. They were in complete darkness as the hall lights blinked out. Cat had to cover her own mouth as the hairs on her neck stood on end. She couldn't breathe, and it wasn't because they'd been running so fast.

Then she felt something - or someone - slam her forward over the end of the overpass and into something dark. It was soft to the touch, but she had slammed into whatever it was. It whisked away sideways, whatever this thing was, and sent her rolling in darkness.

When the darkness and tumbling ended a handful of minutes later, they were sitting on the cooling bay beside the Federation rocket dock. Drake helped them sit up just in time for Molly to see Milo.

Oh no.

The worst version of Milo was quiet Milo. He wore a pleated silk white shirt and trousers that fit him perfectly, but not too snugly. He lifted his black robes off the broken drone and draped them on with all the ceremony of a king donning his crown. He fumbled with the collar for a moment. Did wearing the collar mean he was officially a priest, or was it a training collar? Oh, what did it matter? He was catching her at a terrible moment just as he was suppoed to be celebrating his big win - the first one in his whole life. He was becoming a full priest, and yet here he was saving his sister!

"Milo, hey," Drake said with all the doting love of a brother. He wore a cartoonishly wide smile.

"Drake," Milo muttered. He lifted a round from the drone's sensor. Knowing Milo, it scattered the drone's GPS on contact and had the Federation searching everywhere for them. Milo was a priest now, but before he was imprisoned, he was an incredible underground criminal.

"Hey Milo," Molly squeaked.

"Never speak to me," he said flatly. He walked past her without even meeting her eyes.

Cat watched her brother carefully. Then she exploded on him, knowing that if she didn't get every word out as fast as she could, he would end her in one calm line. "It's not what it looks like! It was safe! We had it all planned out and worked out! This was supposed to be low risk. And anyways, the Federation doesn't stand a chance in the slums. They have nothing on us except trespassing in some dirty shanty shack."

"Cat," he said. His dark eyes rested on her like an alley cat watching an unsuspecting rat from a roof - eyes half-closed, body slack, and if he had a tail, it would be swishing lazily back and forth. "We will discuss this later. The Federation is on its way."

"Where can we go?" Molly asked. Milo ignored her entirely. He didn't even blink when she spoke.

Drake looked over the laundry car and the robes in the back. "Who was that guy back there? Was that a trap?"

Milo harumphed and turned. "Well, my lot is thrown in with my sister. I will help you the best I can. Are you hurt?"

Drake lifted his arms and visually inspected. Cat almost found it funny. Then she shook her head.

Sirens sounded farther up the blocks as lights from flying drones scouted. Milo looked over his shoulder and grabbed his robes.

"The only direction they're not coming from is the launch pad," Drake said. "We have to move there."

"You do realize that the Federation has private contractor protecting the launch pad? We have a better chance with the Federation!" Molly protested. She stood closer to the street to look over the traffic. From the sober expression in her face, whatever she saw wasn't good.

"Let's go!" Drake said.

He waved his arm and indicated a side street around several dump trucks filled with beams and electronic components. Cat looked over her shoulder at Molly. She seemed to still be thinking about the Federation. Milo grabbed her wrist with the strength of a trash compactor and pulled her forward toward Drake. She heard the click of Molly's boots on the pavement behind them and was relieved.

They passed several energy cell buildings filled with the Hydrogen cells used to power the city and -more importantly- the Federation Space Station. The loud turn of generators deafened the sirens behind them. Cat looked over her shoulder and saw Molly turn from the cells for one of the complexes. She stopped to yell, but Milo grabbed her and pulled her forward. She yelled to him, but he gave her a deathly stare daring her to complain. Then she followed Drake, who had no idea they'd fallen behind and pushed forward toward the launch pad.

The Federation was a week away from deploying its newest ship, its latest in the line of Supernovae. It was a deep blue ship colored by the coat of chromium and cobalt ore used to protect it through infiinite re-entries into the atmosphere and into the most hazardous atmospheres in the galaxy. Sixteen panels were flush with the design that allowed for different weapons - eight cannons, two grapplers, and six gattling cannons. It was budded like a flower with smaller blasters for perfect balancing on planets and for its internal energy needs. In summary, it was an overpriced beauty that cost thousands of lives in the mines, trillions in non-existant tax dollars, and served its purpose of being a new toy for the oppressive policing force.

"I have an idea," Cat said once they passed the first stair well. "Let's take their favorite toy."

Milo looked over his shoulder, but Drake slammed into one of two armed guards. He kicked the man's head and rendered him useless while stealing the second man's gun. He pointed it at the man and seemed to change his mind, slamming it across his helmet so send him sprawling with his friend. Milo was in action, using the darkness of the priest robes to glide into another pair and render them both unconscious with swift punches at the base of the neck.

"They're going to get us," Cat said. "If we don't take their ship, they're going to kill us - or worse."

The clang of the cell door closing and auto-locking echoed through the hangar. Nairobi pushed her back against the concrete wall and let her body collapse, sliding down to a seated position. She let out a long sigh, rubbing her eyes with her paws as she did.

“Just another day in paradise,” her cellmate, Jax, grinned as she sprawled out on the thin mattress of the bottom bunk of their bed.

A halfhearted smile cracked the wolf girl’s lips. She knew Jax was just trying to lighten the mood, but it was hard for her to relate to her human companion at times. Jax had been in captivity for just a year, for Nairobi it had been most of her young life.

She looked up to the cell’s lone window. Faint stars twinkled in the distance. The sun had gone down hours ago, while she and Jax had been working on some final touches on the Federation’s newest ship. Nairobi was honestly very proud of the work she had put into the ship, she had worked hard to implement some new technologies to make this ship faster, stronger, better than any ship the Federation has currently in their arsenal. She had also memorized most of the blueprint for the ship. Nairobi knew every entrance, every gps tracker, every button and knob and it’s importance. She made sure of it. 14 years of captivity had weighed on her and taught her to remember every bit of information she could. When the time was right, she was ready to strike.

Jax sneezed, startling and breaking the young engineer’s concentration.

“Jumpy tonight, eh Puppy?” A voice came from outside the cell.

Jax sat up, meeting the gaze of a young, pink haired soldier. It was Tylos, one of the private contract soldiers who had been hired as extra help while the ship inched closer to completion.

“Leave her alone, Ty.” Jax yawned, seeing Nairobi turn away from the guard. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”

“Something better than guard you two lovely ladies?” He grinned, one hand on the bars the other holding a Federation rifle at his hip. “Never.”

Jax felt the blood rush to her cheeks, embarrassed but deep down, flattered. Tylos was always hanging back from the other guards, either flirting with the female mechanics or trying to start some kind of trouble. She often wondered why he always came back to herself. She opened her mouth to boast a snarky reply, but was interrupted by a booming voice that came over the loud speakers.

“All Federation personnel report to your stations! Report to your superiors for further orders!”

“Guess you better scram.” Nairobi growled, not turning to face the guard.

Ty smirked, winking at Jax. “Aww, I’ll be back soon, Puppy. Try not to miss me too much.” He called behind him as he left.

Jax turned to her cellmate, “He’s not that bad, Nai.”

“There’s something off about him,” Nairobi huffed, pulling her legs in and resting her chin on her knees, “Anyone who works for the Federation can’t be trusted.”

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, both savoring the peace while it lasted. Nairobi let her eyes close, just for a moment.

————————

Boots clicking echoed down the hall as Tylos approached the private contractor lounge, a conference room that had been temporarily set up with an espresso drink machine, soda fountain, snacks, weapons, riot gear. The slender young man put his hands behind his head as he entered the room, stretching and taking a deep breath, breathing out contently.

‘What a fuckin’ life...’ He thought, grinning as stopped at the espresso machine. Grabbing a cup and placing it under the machine, he pressed a button and the machine whirred. He turned to lean his back against the counter as the cup filled with hot coffee. Guards filed into the room, taking a seat at the long conference table, or standing around talking amongst themselves.

“What the fuck‘re you so happy about?” A large gruff man with a bushy beard and arms covered in tattoos eyed Ty’s devilish grin.

Ty grabbed the cup of coffee as the machine turned off and lifted it to his lips, blowing across to cool it off.

“Oh, nothing. Just admiring some of our lovely young prisoners-“

“They’re workforce,” Another guard hissed, “Not prisoners!”

Tylos shrugged, taking a seat next to him. He didn’t get a chance to respond before their captain entered the room, walking briskly to the head of the table and them slamming his fists on the hard wood. Every head turned to face the man as he spoke.

“There has been a situation. Federation officers are in pursuit of criminals. May be armed,” He held up a remote in his right hand, clicking the button brought up surveillance footage the drones had taken of the group.

“We’ve been asked to wait for potential distribution to aid assistance. All guards hold position until further orders are given. I’ll read your location assignments...”

Tylos had to frown to hide his widening grin. He had infiltrated this group of guards over two months ago. The work was easy, the ladies loved a man in uniform and sometimes you get to be there when the trouble starts so you can cause more.

“Fleet, Tylos - Back to classified workforce personnel. Report over walkie every 15 minutes.”

“Aye aye, sir!”

——————-

A faint alarm grew louder and louder, startling Nairobi awake. She scrambled to the top bunk, waking Jax in the process. Out the window, she could see drones passing by, lighting up darkened windows and alleyways. ‘What could be happening...’ she wondered.

“What’s happening?” Jax joined her on the top bunk.

Before she could answer, something caught Nairobi’s eye. Over by the Energy Cell building, what was it? She pointed that direction and Jax’s gaze followed. Jax narrowed her eyes, moving closer to the window.

The girls watched the shadows as the seemed to move closer. Nairobi felt her fur bristle all the way down her spine. The shadows moved closer, revealing four figures. No, three? They continue moving closer. Two armed guards rounded the corner on patrol, she watched one figure take out both. Nairobi felt her heart stop as she realized what was happening.

“It’s time!” She scrambled out of bed, leaping to the ground and landing on all fours.

“Time for what?!” Jax hollered, looking back at the wolf before watching the figures slip out of view. “What’s happening?!”

Nairobi pulled out a bobby-pin she’d hidden in her hair and quickly bent it, unlocking the door in a matter of seconds. “Jax they’re going to steal the ship! They need us! We can get out of here!!”

The two ran out of the cell and down the hall towards the hangar where the new ship was housed. They quickly brushed past a few closed doors, trying not to worry if a guard was hiding. There wasn’t much time and Nairobi couldn’t bear to get left behind. A faint squeaking noise grew louder as the approached the end of the hall. Nairobi grabbed Jax’s hand, running as fast as her furry little legs could vary her. They were going to have to just run past whoever was there. The two girls rounded the corner only to find Tylos pushing a Federation Beta Mecha suit on its personal hanger.

The girls stopped in their tracks, fumbling over their feet.

“Ty!?” Jax exclaimed, out of breath, “Wha-?”

The guard impersonator took out his keys, unlocking the padlock that kept the suit locked in place. He dropped the keys and put his hands in the air, surrendering playfully. Ty met Nairobi’s gaze, who nodded understanding. She ran to the mech suit, unlocking a hidden panel and pressing the buttons inside in a sequence. The suit lit up.

“Jax, get in!” Nairobi commanded.

Jax didn’t need any further instruction. She climbed up and into the suit, sliding her hands into place and flexing her fists. The suit responded to her movements effortlessly, flexing its fists as well.

Tylos lowered his arms, removing one of the energy rifles slung across his chest and handing it to Nairobi.

“You know how to use that thing?”

The wolf girl ran her paw across the rifle, checking the ammo and safety before hanging it across her back.

“I helped design this thing.” she scoffed.

“Alright then,” Tylos removed his badge and flung it down the hall. “Let’s fuck shit up!”

“Yeah” Jax pumped her fist to the sky and the three took off toward the hangar. As they approached, Jax punched the air in front of her releasing two small bursts of fire. They crashed into the huge hangar doors and blew it open, leaving a cloud of smoke as the three entered and ran towards the ship.

The strobe lights in the hallways flicked on and blinked. Red lights joined soon after with a horn. Milo pulled Cat into an alcove between two panels and listened. An intercom blared: “Warning! Unauthorized activation detected in the hangar! Warning!”

“This ain’t the hangar,” Drake yelled over the horns.

“Someone else is here,” Milo said. He hesitated to move from the shadow. Were these other intruders their friends or their foes? It wasn’t uncommon for other gangs to hop in and lend a hand, but every gig became even less predictable with even more people.

Cat shot into the hallway suddenly, ripping him from his solemn thoughts. Four guards fell and convulsed on the floor as probes shot thousands of volts of electricity coursing through their bodies. Drake slammed two more into the wall and let them fall as well.

“Put their uniforms on,” Cat yelled.

“No!” Drake snapped. “They can track us!”

Milo lifted one of the helmets and inspected it. A blue light blinked beside the visor. It was likely a unit meant to track GPS and vitals of the individual contractor. “The gun is likely finger-printed. Leave them alone, Cat,” he warned.

She visibly deflated and looked over her shoulder. He was angry at her, but she dared look like a puppy that had been stricken? He was giving up his life that he’d established for her. He’d found his place in the world. Now he was a criminal. He could be studying and praying before his official naming as a full priest, but he was here, ransacking paid thugs’ belts.

“All units to the hangar! Report!”

Drake looked over his shoulder. There was only silence. “We can make a run for it now,” he said.

“No. We have to get to the hangar. The city police probably have our faces up all over the city,” Cat said. “We either get on that ship before everyone else, or we’re done for!”

Milo sighed. Cat was dramatic and could see the world for its truths so quickly. He could almost remember being so rambunctious. He pushed her between himself and Drake, a makeshift shield on both ends, and let Drake lead the way to the hangar.

The guards were distracted. They were going to be lucky. Milo was shocked with the silence with which they moved through the echoing chambers. He detested excess noise, the worst flaw of any criminal. When they accidentally tailed a pair of guards, Drake dispatched both in complete silence. He was a big lad, but he moved lithely. When did his childhood friend become so strong?

They reached a small hole in the wall that still smoked. The guards ran around the wall to a main door. Milo grabbed Cat and indicated to the hole. They were small enough to squeeze in, but the guards wouldn’t break formation to sneak in. She hissed to Drake to stop and investigate.

“I can’t get through that,” he said.

“Well, lift us, and we’ll find a way in,” Cat said. She furrowed her brows, her notorious no-nonsense look.

“And leave me?” he yelped.

“I won’t leave you behind,” Milo said simply. Drake’s pale indignation vanished immediately.

Drake cupped his hands and helped Milo first. He looked over the room, but they were on top of a plating machine. Three figures moved on the loading dock near the door. They were close. If they sealed that door…

Cat landed on her feet and dusted her knees. Then, with a groan, Drake crawled through. His hips caught in the hole. His gun caught between him and the rubble. With a shake, the gun clattered to the platform.

“Hush!” Cat hissed. “We have to get up there! They’re going to take the ship!”

Up close, the Federation Supernovae was even more incredible. The ramps looked like pincers holding the slender ship in place. The deep blue sides shimmered in the starlight. It was massive, but its sleek design made it a gentle giant. Cat counted the panels where its assault weapons would pop out. A cylinder coned the center near the middle jets where three escape pods would eject.

Cat grabbed Milo’s hand and yanked him toward the platform. Milo pulled his hand back and shoved her into the platform just as a barrage of bullets rained down across the metal floors. Drake cried out as a bullet ripped his leg. Cat turned to help him, but Milo wrestled her again. She couldn’t get killed saving him, or they would both die. He pulled her gun from her belt and shot the drones with a mighty stunning bolt.

Nairobi ran and slid across the cold steel floor, rushing to hide behind a cargo crate. Her companions followed suit as closely as they could.

“I’m too clunky!” Jax exclaimed, trying to crouch as low as possible in her mecha half-suit, “We have to move!!”

Bullets continued to fire from multiple directions, some straying just far enough to clink against the metal. Nairobi positioned herself in between two crates, peering through the scope of her gun. Armed guards were positioned everywhere, either shooting somewhat blindly or awaiting further instruction. Probability of survival and doubt started to overwhelm the young engineer; she’d been in high stakes situations before, but this was almost too much. She moved her sights quickly from left to right and back again, checking for snipers hidden above the majority of the guards.

A hand rested heavily on Nairobi’s shoulder, startling her. She turned to see Tylos, pointing toward something.

“Up there. Is that who you’re looking for?”

Peering through the scope again, Nairobi could see the figures from before though much closer this time. Her fur bristled again, simultaneous relief and anticipation flooded her as she looked them over.

“What? What is it?!” Jax was impatient, she had never been one to hide and plan. Her usual instinct was to dive in head first.

“There’s three of them,” Nairobi began “One female, two males,” She swallowed, adjusting the electronic scope for a closer look. “They are all armed. One looks hurt! …And one…has a collar?”

“A priest?” Tylos had watched the engineer adjust her scope and did the same with his so he could have a look as well. “Fuck, who are these people? Do you know them?”

Nairobi ignored him, thinking quickly. “Jax, I need you to run a distraction. Ty, you’ll come with me and hold the entrance of the ship. We need to get to the ship first, and we need to provide cover for them. We have approximately 3 minutes to complete. Are you ready?”

Jax nodded, Tylos saluted the engineer with a mocking grin.

“On my signal……” Nairobi let out a loud bark and the three rushed into action. Nairobi had run and slid under the belly of the space craft, while Tylos ducked around the side. Jax lept and sprang straight up, 15ft into the air. Bullets fired at her ricocheted off as she crossed her huge metal hands in front of her to block them. A blast of fire shot from the bottom of the mecha’s shoes as she hovered in the air. The plan was to distract the guards long enough for Nairobi to start the engine. Hopefully, the other crew were friends and not foes. Nairobi wasn't sure she could fight off the federation and a crew of bandits.

Forming a gun with her left index finger and thumb, Jax winked playfully before shooting at a group of guards. A smoke bomb released from the robotic appendage and crashed to the ground near them, covering the second level of the hangar in a heavy cloud.

"This thing is so AWESOME!" Jax squealed, pumping her fist. "Hell yeah!!"

She scanned the hangar below, diving and circling around to look for the other crew through the heavy clouds of smoke. Jax knew if she got to them before Nairobi they might have a better chance of teaming up. Nairobi could be a little...stubborn. Hesitant of making new friends. Living the life of an orphan had taught Jax how to judge someone's character quickly and accurately. She knew if she could find them they'd get out of this smoothly.

A shot rang out, Jax could hear the loud thud of a drone crashing to the ground. There they were!

Nairobi had quickly unlocked a panel under the ship, revealing a hi-tech palm scanner and keypad. The palm scanner didn't just scan for fingerprints, those were too easy to replicate. With the help of the Federation research team, Nairobi created a scanner that was picking up DNA rather than scanning for prints. This made weapons, ships, and other sensitive Federation equipment almost impossible to steal. Of course they had put one of these locks on Nai and Jax' cell, and of course Nairobi had overridden the board inside. The young engineer had been biding her time for so long, nothing got past her.

With the press of two more buttons, the door panel began to slide open with a low metallic rumble. Tylos crouched below and to the right of the door, blasting two guards who dared run forward. A spray of bullets followed, forcing Tylos a little farther under the belly of the ship.

"We have to go!" He called "Quickly!!"

Cat wrestled with Milo on the narrow platform as bullets clanged across rails and steel. She could hear the diversion on the other side, but none of it registered. They were going to be okay. She knew this from the pit of her stomach and willed it with every muscle in her body. They had to be okay.

She climbed through Milo's grip on her belly and dragged Drake to a crouch. He was massive, sinking her to her knees, but he pushed himself forward. Milo took his other arm and most of his weight with it. They crouched and wobbled across the dock. Turrets whirled above and sprayed bullets as the overhead horn blared louder.

The lights flicked from white work lights to bright, erie red in the room as a siren blared; "Warning: Intruders in Loading Zone. All personnel report immediately."

They were almost of time. Cat could hear the slams of more robotic suits in other zone. She laid Drake’s weight down and slid off the top of the plating truck. She climbed into the operator’s cabin. The docks were quieter inside, but the peace was short-lived. She pushed the steering rod toward the ship.

Cat drove through piles of smaller crates, sending packages of rations and water jugs spraying in her wake.

"Cat, be careful!" Drake yelled. "We're going to fall!"

"Hold onto your grandmas!" she yelled back.

Just a few more paces. The massive crates near the door created a safe alcove, but it wouldn't last once those mech suits got there. Images of explosions and torpedos were stickered onto the sides. If those took too much fire, they would be dead. She braked as she neared the door... but the electric brakes did nothing. The truck accelerated straight into the ship’s base.

She heard her dearest friends yell as the truck flipped and slammed against the ship. Cat felt the cabin's console crush into her belly and legs, but her only thought was of her friends above. She pulled herself onto the cabin, gasping at the biting pain, and saw the two dangling over the thin rails. Drake pulled himself up, grunted, and pulled Milo up.

"Cat!" Milo screamed. She waved her hand and searched for something to latch onto.

"Get inside the ship!" she yelled.

She knew Milo wouldn't listen. She grabbed one of the pressure cables below the platform and pulled as hard as she could. Her core ached, but she could feel the weight of the cart and the whine of tilted metal as the two moved above. Before she could finish climbing, she felt someone scruff her and pull her up by her collar. Then she smelled a fragrance that could only be described as Drake. He dropped her on the rail and curled forward.

Milo grabbed her shoulder and pointed at the door. She could hear one of the large torpedo crates move, threatening their short refuge. Cat held her breath to contain her pain, leapt, and grabbed the edge of the small port to the ship. Someone pushed her up, but by the normal strength, she knew it was her brother. Cat cried out as her bruised muscles struggled until she felt her balance shift - into the ship. Then, without thought, she turned on her belly and reached down.

Drake practically threw Milo into her grasp with one arm. She pulled her brother hard. He, too, ignored the ship and turned instead to their friend. They lay on their bellies and reached for Drake.

Drake groaned when he reached up. He shifted his weight off his bleeding leg. “I can’t!” he yelled.

"Drake, now!" Milo yelled back.

Milo slung his black coat out the ship, revealing the neat white shirt underneath. Drake pulled and latched onto Milo’s wrist. Then Milo slid face-first out of the door. Cat held Milo's legs as he flung out. She felt her brother sliding farther and tried to find purchase, wrapping her feet around what felt like a pressure lock. Milo groaned and pulled. A spatter of bullets sprayed the edge. Cat felt a surge of terror suddenly numb every muscle as she pulled her brother into the belly of the dark ship. Then she saw Drake crawl inside.

They turned to the crates. The torpedos had been moved aside. They could see the other group, the distractors, fighting for their lives as well. Cat knew that the enemy of her enemy was her friend, but she knew that she and her friends were lucky to still be alive.

Milo pushed himself to his feet and ran into the narrow corridor of the ship. “I’m turning the weapons system on. Drake, start the ship,” he ordered.

“I don’t know what I’m doing!” Drake said.

Cat looked to the group outside. She couldn’t leave them. They needed help. “Drake, help Milo get the weapons system on. We’re going to help them.”

“They’re dead,” Milo said. “We’re dead, too, if we don’t leave now.”

“We can’t leave them!” Cat ignored her brother and pushed inside. She didn’t know much about ships, but she was sure that the nose of the ship contained mostly computers and shield generators based on the countless times she had watched ships from afar. Below, she could see food reserves. She followed the small diagram to where the weapons bay was.

“Please, Milo’s God, if you’re listening, help me save those people!” she prayed. She climbed into a bubble of a room and found a panel of levers and buttons with a dark UV-resistant window. She suddenly realized that one wrong move would kill those three. Oh boy.

She touched an LED screen. Circles surrounded the turrets and guards as she tapped their faces. “Auto-targeting engaged,” a feminine AI’s voice said. She searched the buttons and turned a button labeled “turrets”. And like that, hell rained down on the soldiers and automatic turrets.

She ran back to the door and searched for the three. “Hurry up!” she screamed.

Jax weaved and bobbed through the air, dodging as many bullets as she could. The mecha suit was fast, but still predominantly controlled by the pilot and therefore prone to human mistakes. When the lights flickered to red, she instinctively looked up. A bullet whistled past her, regaining her attention, but not before another struck her in the back of her left shoulder.

Nairobi slid through the ducts in the ships underbelly, her claws making a metallic clink as she moved quickly. The Federation had thought of everything when designing this new ship, including ways to navigate the ship without ever being seen. This was to lure thieves, pirates and terrorists looking to get away with the latest Federation technology. Nairobi had created a ship-wide thermal scanning system, accessible from only the cockpit and the hidden panel underneath. That way one would never enter the ship without knowing how many passengers were on board and where they were located.

A flurry of footsteps could be heard from the floor above, Nairobi counted silently.

'Exactly as I predicted,' she thought, brow furrowing 'Three strangers...' Where was her team?!