FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

CHAPTER TEN

OPERATION EVACUATION: ROBERT'S FINEST HOUR

The rescue team woke to discover their captors gone leaving behind a trail. Robert quickly pulled out his tracker to see if Darin had moved during the night. Robert did a double take as the tracker told him that Darin was, at least, 1500 yards to his right.

"We are close now," he said.

"Close to what?" Sethi-Arh asked.

"Close to Darin, see," Robert replied.

Sethi-Arh looked at the tracker and was surprised that they were that close. He told the rest of the team the good news. They cheered softly, still fearful that they were not alone now. They stood up and stretched out before taking their packs off and digging inside for breakfast.

Before the team got into their pods to start the mission, they had been given packs filled with survival gear. The men could load some of their own things in the packs too.

Men were pulling out boxes of Pop Tarts, small boxes of cereal, orange juice and milk in refrigerated bottles. Robert's breakfast was a package of Pop Tarts and a two-liter of regular Mountain Dew.

Sethi-Arh was about to bite into his breakfast when he saw Robert's drink. He chuckled some, as Robert was being, well, Robert. Never following the crowd, but sometimes, leading it instead. Robert also had a high ego; however, the missions were taking their toll.

There was a hiss and the men jumped a mile when Robert opened his drink. He laughed when he saw the men on their knees again. When the men realized that it was the sound of a pop bottle opening, they sighed with relief. While they ate their morning meals, Sethi-Arh chatted with Robert.

"I always thought that Darin was much further ahead of us than just fifteen hundred yards."

"Huh?" Robert said.

"Darin, you know, the one we are here for," Sethi-Arh replied.

"Who?"

"Oh I forgot about that, Robert. You have the I.Q. of a fence post."

"Hay, that's not funny," Robert said.

"I never said it was," Sethi-Arh replied.

"Right and I'm supposed to believe that?" Robert asked.

"So how close are we from Darin's location?" Sethi-Arh asked.

Robert was not expecting that kind of response. He was lost for words when a scream was heard.

"Pretty close."

The men packed up their things and headed off in the direction of the scream.

Meanwhile, Darin woke up to find a female raptor sleeping next to him. She had her head on his chest and her right arm was gripping his. He screamed in both shock and fear. His scream woke the raptor up out of her sleep. She lifted her head to look at him. She purred as she expressed her affection to him. When Darin was able to move, he climbed out of the tree. The raptor simply jumped down and stood waiting for Darin to come down. Once he did and he had turned around, she nuzzled her head against him with affection.

Darin was not yet used to the idea of a predator that had a thing for him. He could not stay long where he was and had to get moving. Throwing caution to the wind, he ran a hand down the raptor's back. The raptor purred at the touch and nuzzled him even more.

Then he heard voices coming closer. The raptor heard them too and ran off into the jungle. Darin stood there, still recovering from the shock. He concentrated on the voices and recognized one of them. As they drew closer, Darin identified the voice. It was Robert.

Robert was walking through the thick growth when he heard something run off into the woods. He took out his tracker and noticed that Darin was right in front of them. He put the device away and called out.

"Darin, are you there?"

"I'm here Robert, it's nice to see you," Darin replied.

The team rushed to see if it was Darin that replied. They jumped over obstacles as they dashed forward. Sure enough, it was Darin. Standing next to a tree that he had slept in the previous night. Robert went up to greet Darin and the two talked about their adventure to that point.

"Really, you too? I thought I was the only one," Darin said.

"Nope. They kept us there all night in the spot." Robert replied. "Hay, Darin,"

As Darin was about to reply, Robert slapped him across the face.

"What was that for?" Darin asked.

"Don't go running off again, it's costing us too much to keep saving you from your captors all the time," Robert replied.

"I can't help it if they want me that much," Darin said.

Sethi-Arh then stepped toward them. He smiled, relieved that Darin was not seriously harmed. He embraced him and, for the first time in a long time, his eyes began to water.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're safe," he said. "It's all over now, you're safe."

"Don't count your chicken before they hatch," Robert said. "We still have to return to the cruiser before we can put this thing behind us."

"So what is the plan?" Darin asked.

"I never though I'd say this, but, I think it's time we repeat what we did on Septerra Station. Avoid being caught and find a way home." Robert replied.

"Well, where do we go and in which direction? You do know where we can find the Vlatorran capital city ri....what was that?" Darin said.

Kreg cursed himself when he stepped on a twig. He knew his cover was blown and had to act fast if he was to capture Darin. He cocked his weapon and stood up. He shouted loudly and opened fire on the meeting.

Darin and Robert turned to see Kreg standing a few yards away as he yelled and shot at them. The team took cover and returned fire. Kreg ducked behind the trees and began snipping at the team. Darin grabbed a stun and smoke grenades from the pack of the team. He pulled the pin and threw it in the air.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" he shouted.

The men fell onto the ground. There was a loud bang followed be a blinding light. Darin had bought the men time the regroup and evacuate before the effect of the grenade wore off.

Kreg saw Darin throw the grenade into the air and heard him shout. He hid behind the nearest tree, thinking it was a fragment grenade. However, the light the grenade gave off blinded him. He swung around and fired in every direction, hoping to hit something.

Darin and the rest of the team crouched their way out of the jungle and onto a road. They could hear the shots fired by Kreg off in the distance. The team regrouped and discussed their next course of action.

"Well anyone have an idea?" Robert asked.

"We could use the cube sir," a team member replied.

"Of course, why didn't I think of that?" Robert asked.

"That's just it. You didn't think," Darin replied.

"You should be thanking me. I just saved your sorry skin," Robert shot back.

Robert reached into his pack and pulled out a small grey cube. He pressed a small button and placed it on the ground. The cube beeped then transformed into a Russia BTR.

Robert, Darin, and seven other men climbed into the vehicle. Robert and Darin sat in the front while the men were in the back. Another man took out a cube and placed it on the ground. It beeped then transformed into an unarmed half-track.

A group of seven piled into the back and took their seats. Then three more cubes were placed on the ground. The cube transformed into scout cars.

Then another three cubes turned into half-tracks armed with four fifty caliber machine guns.

The rest of the men piled into them and took their seats. Once everyone was ready, Robert started the BTR's engine and shifted into gear. The armored vehicle began to move forward down the road. The rest of the convoy followed, leaving a cloud of dust behind.

Meanwhile, Kreg finally regained his sight and realized that his prey had escaped him. Kreg hurried over to where he last saw them and looked around. The rescue team had left in such a hurry that they forgot to cover up their tracks. Kreg followed the trail to the dirt road where he saw tread marks on the ground. He looked to the left, his eyes following the trail off into the distance. He saw for a brief moment, a vehicle as it traveled out of sight. Kreg then recognized that they were heading toward the capital. He smiled at the thought of capturing Darin in the city before every Vlatorran around. He quickly got in touch with the military command and called for a special force team to be ready to maneuver their visitors to a confined part of the city and ambush them.

In a complex below the city streets, a group of twenty Vlatorran elite Special Forces team entered a briefing room. They stood by their seats when a commander stood at the front of the room. They saluted him and took their seats when the commander returned the salute.

"Well men, it looks like the boys are coming to visit us," the commander began. "Be sure to give them a welcome they'll never soon forget. Your objective is to direct them to the industrial sector where a team of snipers will be waiting. The visitors are riding in on what is known as a half-track. It is a truck that with a track on the back. This allows the vehicle to travel over rough terrain. The snipers will take out the humans in the rear of the vehicle. After the snipers have done their work, you will then storm the cab and seize the driver and passenger. Kreg will arrive shortly after to relieve you of them. Any questions?"

None of the men raised their hand.

"Good, you will dress in civilian clothes and you will also keep your weapons hidden at all times. Now, go to your posts!"

The team left the room and walked down a corridor to the combat gear department on the base. They put on regular clothes; loose fitting shirts and baggy jeans. The team also had their weapons on them.

The team carried the newly introduced AIM-20, an advanced weapon system with a telescopic sight. The weapon could be switched from a burst-firing rifle to a rapid-firing grenade launcher.

The team then headed up to the surface of the city to begin their mission. They emerged through a hidden entrance in a wall. They stepped out into the ally where the entrance was and went to their posts. The plan was to engage the incoming vehicles and force them to head toward the ambush location.

Meanwhile, Robert and Darin rode along the road toward a city. Darin turned and told the men to have their weapons at the ready. There were several clicking sounds as the men loaded and cocked their weapons. They slowed as they approached the city. All around them were skyscrapers. Vlatorran civilians were walking around, some giving odd looks as they watched strange vehicles roll down the street. Everything appeared to be going to plan. They stopped at an intersection of traffic to clear before continuing. As they were making a turn, out of nowhere, a grenade was exploded in front of the BTR.

The Special Forces team was soon in position and just in time. Their prey had just entered the city and was coming their way. The team brought out their weapons and took cover. As the vehicles were turning, one soldier jumped out and fired a shot at one of the vehicles. The driver swerved to avoid the explosion. The other vehicles following it came under fire too. The last six were armed and returned fire. The team took cover and shot back, shooting holes through the trucks.

Robert floored it, speeding down the next street. He was approaching another intersection when a Vlatorran stepped out and fired several rounds at them. Robert turned down a street and entered an industrial center. The rest of the convoy followed. They sped through the center, taking heavy fire from both sides.

In a warehouse in the industrial center, a group of six Vlatorran artillery experts loaded a howitzer and began raining down shells on the humans. The shells exploded around them, causing the drivers to swerve and zigzag all over.

Robert and Darin held on as shells rained down on them, so exploding so close at they could feel the heat. They were almost at the entrance of a warehouse when a shell exploded to the left and flipped the BTR over. They rolled several time before coming to a stop. A half-track stopped to pick them up as the occupants crawled out. However, before they could even climb on to the truck, a shell destroyed it. Parts went flying everywhere. Robert and Darin took cover behind the disabled BTR.

"WELL THIS IS A FINE MESS YOU GOT US INTO!!" Darin shouted.

"JUST HOPE WE DON'T DIE HERE!!" Robert replied.

Robert looked around and saw the remaining trucks drive into the warehouse.

"COME ON, THERE IS A WAREHOUSE OVER THERE! THE REST OF THE CONVOY IS TAKING SHELTER THERE!" Robert shouted.

They ran from behind the BTR, just as a shell came in and blew it to bits. They sprinted over to the warehouse where the rest of the convoy was waiting.

"I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS A RESCUE MISSION!" a man said.

"NOTHING IS EVER SIMPLE!" Robert replied.

"What do we do now?" Darin asked.

"We find a way out of here, that's what," Robert replied.

"ROBERT, WE'VE GOT INFANTRY COMING IN FAST!!" a scout shouted.

The transport arrived at the industrial center to a scene of destruction. Smoldering wreckage of the BTR and the half-track were among holes in the ground from the shelling. The infantry disembarked from the transport and stormed the warehouse. The infantry was met with heavy automatic caliber and small arms fire. The convoy was on the move again. They drove through a hole in the wall and outside. They then went out of the center into the next phase of the ambush.

Robert and Darin rode in a half-track that had survived the shelling through the heart of the city. When they came to an intersection, they noticed that something was not right. It was quiet, very quiet. They looked around and saw that no one was around. Robert told the driver to take it slow and stop before going around a corner. The men were scared to death, having survived an intense shelling.

They had gone for about five minutes without being attacked. The convoy turned down a street that went between to buildings. The team had their weapons ready as they entered the ally. Suddenly, a Vlatorran infantry surrounded them. The convoy was about to peel out of there when a tank blocked their escape route and stopped them.

"Attention humans, we have you surrounded. Drop your weapons and slowly come out of the vehicles."

Darin and Robert were in the last vehicle in the convoy. When the Vlatorran commander instructed them to leave their vehicles, Darin became nervous. He watched as one by one, the men left the truck. Then as the last man was off, Darin jumped into the driver's seat and threw the scout car in reverse. He peeled out of the ally and onto the road. He did a 180 and sped off with Robert shouting at him.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

"SAVING OUR SKINS, THAT'S WHAT!" Darin replied.

They were approaching a roadblock at a high rate of speed. The guards opened fire on the truck. Darin dogged the shots and broke through. He skidded through a turn at 105 mph, and heading down a main road.

Then out of nowhere, shots were flying from behind. A troop transport was following them. A firing squad was out on the deck taking shots at them. Robert returned fire with the fifty-caliber.

"AGGGH!! TAKE THAT YOU CREEPS!" Robert shouted.

The machine gun shook in his hands as he fired round after round. The gunfire echoed throughout the city. Civilians took cover behind buildings. Some were cheering on the infantry; others were rooting for the two humans.

The chase led to an ally that came to a dead end. Darin looked around for a way out and quickly found one. Up ahead was a ramp that some teenagers had made to do stunts on with their skateboards. The ramp looked sturdily enough to hold the weight of the scout car going at 110 mph. Darin floored it. The scout car began to gain speed 111, 115, 120, 125 mph.

"HANG ON!" Darin shouted.

The scout car went flying off the ramp. They crashed through a window and drove across a factory workspace. Then they crashed through another window on the other side and then smashed through a skylight in a hotel.

"Sorry, we forgot to make a reservation," said Darin.

They drove out of the hotel and back onto the street. Sirens could be heard from every corner of the city.

"They're coming for us," Robert said.

"That is if they can catch us," Darin said.

He took off down the street at top speed. They shot past several cop cars parked on the side of the road. The cops sped after them, sirens blaring.

"Let's show them what we've got," said Darin.

Robert pointed the fifty-caliber at their pursuers and opened up on them. The rounds ripped through the lead car, disabling it. The others began to doge the incoming rounds. Before long, the cops were shooting back. Robert took cover, hiding behind the armor plating. The rounds were hitting their marks, sparking all over the armor. Then one lucky shot blew out a tire, sending the scout car into a wall. Darin steered the car so that it only grazed the building.

Once the car came to a stop, they scrambled out and down an ally. They then entered though a door into an abandoned building and ran up to the second floor. They watched the cops through a broken window as they searched the scout car and the ally before returning to their cars and patrolling the streets. Darin signed with relief as the last car drove out of sight before turning to Robert.

"Just like old times," said Darin.

"Right, let's hope this time around things go better." Robert said.

"Right. The first thing is to keep moving," Darin said.

"You mean with the truck?" Robert asked.

"Not that truck. You're forgetting that it has a flat tire. What we're using is this."

Darin reached into his pocket and pulled out a cube.

"What vehicle is that?" Robert asked.

"It's another scout car. Only this time it's much smaller." Darin replied.

They went down stairs quietly and peeked outside to check for any lingering cops. Satisfied that the coast was clear, they went out of the building into the ally. Darin then set the cube on the ground and stood back. The cube beeped then changed into a smaller scout car.

"Small, compact, fast, I like it," said Robert.

"We don't have much time. We've got to get moving," said Darin.

They climbed into the car and drove off toward the industrial center. The traffic was not heavy but it was causing them to slow down to where the locals could get a good look at the car. They crossed through the downtown area without any trouble, even driving by some cop cars without a hitch. When they arrived at the center, they could still see wreckage laying everywhere. They cautiously entered through the center gates, keeping alert for any sign of an ambush. They passed the remains of the burned out BTR and the half-track as they retraced their steps to where they had started to resist the authorities.

Meanwhile, in a prison on the other side of the city, the rescue team sat in old jail cells as Vlatorran guards mocked them. The team was poorly treated. Guards continually beat them, other inmates threatened them, and the sanitation was non-existent.

A door opened and two guards came through, dragging a member of the team behind them. For a few hours now, they had been interrogating the team for information on where Darin and Robert could have possibly gone. Whenever the interrogation was going nowhere, the guards beat their victim.

The cell door opened and the now moaning human was thrown in as the door slammed shut. John checked on the wounded man.

"Are you okay Rick?" he asked.

"No I'm not okay. I've been beaten with a chair, kicked several time. Had my face rearranged, are you getting all of this?" Rick replied irritably.

"I get it. They did the same to me." John replied.

"What do they think they'll get from us? We don't even have the slightest idea of where Darin and Robert could have gone." Rick said.

"Sooner or later, they'll realize that we don't know and go in search for them." John said.

The cell door opened again and grabbed Tony, the only member of the team who had not yet been interrogated. He was dragged out over to the interrogation room. The two guards sat the man in a chair and strapped him down then left, slamming the door behind them.

The interrogation room was small. There was an old table and two chairs, one on each side of the table. Tony looked around in the darkness that lay on the edge of the table. The door opened again as Kreg walked in. He walked over to the other side of the table, never once taking his eyes off Tony. Kreg stood on the other side, staring at him. Tony felt fear building in his gut. When Kreg set his hands on the table, he flinched. This signaled something, because Kreg then sat down and began to ask questions.

"Where are they?"

"Who?"

"DON'T PLAY DUMB WITH ME HUMAN! YOU KNOW WHO I'M TALKING ABOUT! NOW WHERE ARE THEY?"

"I don't know," Tony replied.

"LIAR! YOU KNOW!" Kreg said sharply.

"For the last time, we don't know. All we know is that right after you caught us, they took off in the last truck." Tony said.

The door behind Tony opened and two guards walked in. Kreg stood up and looked at Tony. He smiled an evil smile; something was going to happen.

"I see no point in keeping you here. The guards will now take you back to your cell." Kreg said.

He walked over to the two guards and whispered to them, "Do what you want with him."

The guards grabbed Tony and took him down the hall to a torture chamber where they beat Tony severely.

Kreg walked to an office in the prison where he called the chief of police for an update on the search.

"Have you found them yet?"

"No Kreg, not even a sighting." the chief replied.

"Have you checked any of the abandoned buildings?" Kreg asked.

"No sir. But we'll get right on it."

Kreg hung up the phone and sat down behind a desk. He pressed his hands together and thought of where Darin and Robert were hiding. Then a solution came to him. He picked up the phone and called the center of media.

"Hello, Karen. It's Kreg, listen I want you to broadcast something on the news today....."

Meanwhile, Darin and Robert were driving down a busy street in plain sight. They were stopped at a large intersection where all around them were large TV screens. It was at that time the news was on. Darin watched and listened to the report. He was losing interest when the reporter mentioned their names.

"Citizens are advised to be on the look out for two fugitives. Darin and Robert were last seen in the industrial center. They evaded capture from local authorities earlier today and are at large. Citizens are advised to report any sightings to the local police. In other news..."

Darin was surprised to here that the public was now involved. He drove through the intersection like a donkey struck by a hot iron, going as fast as the scout car could go. Darin turned down several dark streets before he stopped in front of a building.

The eight-story structure was once a parking garage. The building was displaying the effects of years with out use. Paint was flaking off in some spots, many of the lights inside had burned out and others were flickering. The gate used to block off the entrance ramp had rusted off its post. The tollbooth was in poor condition. Broken windows and flaking paint gave its age.

Darin was thinking about passing the building by when he heard police sirens in the distance. Acting on instinct, he drove into the structure proceeded up to the forth level then to the back away from the street below. He parked the scout car and killed the engine and lights.

"Kreg this is patrol four. We believe we have a lead on the whereabouts of Darin and Robert. Witnesses say they spotted an odd-looking vehicle traveling down Revolution Avenue toward the old red light district. We are in route to investigate the lead, I'll keep you updated."

Officer White replaced the microphone on its mount as he led three other squad cars toward the abandoned district. He had his sirens off, since this was a questionable lead. White remembered very vividly a time when the red light district was once the focal point of the capital's fame. Casinos, grand hotels, elegant dining, and of course prostitutes. Those were the days; a man could have all his needs met in one location.

However, as time went on things began to die out. The casinos were forced to close when a new dictator came into power. The grand hotels' guests changed from tourists to prostitutes, who were given rooms free. This caused a surge of prostitutes to take the streets, spurred by the opportunity of free housing. Soon the hotels were full of guest they were forbidden to charge and one by one, the great hotels closed for good. This signaled the death of the famous district. With no business to support the attractions, the district vanished from existence. Attempts were made to rescue the capital icon. However, it was too late. Many of the building had fallen into disrepair.

White slowed as he entered the once glamorous gate to the district. The first thing he saw was the fountain in the middle of a round about that once greeted guest. Several streets broke off from the round about. Two led to where the old casinos were. One led to the district's parking section. The other streets went to the fine dining restaurants.

White went down the street that led to the parking section. The buildings were looking very rickety. Some already had floors that had collapsed.

White stopped in front of a parking garage that had a missing gate. He looked the structure over before continuing his patrol.

Darin and Robert peeked over the concrete barrier at the three squad cars that were driving by. They froze when one of them stopped in front of the garage. They held their breath as the officer looked the building over and released it when he drove off. They climbed into the scout car and drove down to the first level. They were about to exit the structure when Darin noticed that the ramps kept going down. Curiosity getting the best of him, he went to see where they would lead only to find that the entrance was blocked. Darin turned around and drove out of the garage. He went the other way the cops had gone and drove down the street leading to the casinos. They had just driven a few feet when he spotted a squad car turning around the corner. Darin pulled off to the side, parked and killed the engine. He then closed the front view ports and locked them.

White had gone up and down four of the twelve streets in the district. He was about to turn down street number five when he saw a vehicle parked on the side of the street. He drove closer to the strange vehicle. Never had he seen anything like it before. White checked his notes. He realized the vehicle was the one they were looking for. White parked his car and climbed out. He walked over to the vehicle and tapped it. White went back to his car and requested a tow truck over the radio. Soon after, the two other squad cars pulled up followed by the tow truck. The driver pulled a lever that tilted the back end towards the ground. He then grabbed some cables a proceeded to hook them to the vehicle. The driver laughed when he saw that the vehicle had rings that he could attach the cables.

Once the cables were secured, he went back to the truck and pushed another lever that pulled the vehicle on to the ramp. Then he pushed the lever that tilted the back to the ground to raise it up. He the secured the vehicle and climbed into the cab and waited for the squad cars to escort him to the station where the vehicle would be kept in a garage.

Darin and Robert were very silent as their scout car was towed away with them in it. They looked out of the slits in the view ports as the scenery whipped by. After fifteen minutes, they began to slow down as they approached the police station. They stopped in front the gate to the impound lot. An officer wiped a card through a scanner, which then opened the gate. The truck drove through the gate and directed inside a warehouse. Darin saw the trucks they had used to enter the capital with parked along the walls.

The truck soon stopped and the back was tilted again. The scout car was rolled off the truck and over to a corner of the warehouse next to a half-track. Darin and Robert kept very quiet and listened to some of the guards that were guarding the vehicles were talking about some of the vehicles were impounded in the lot. After the guards had left the warehouse, Darin opened the view port shield and looked around.

The warehouse was the four miles long and five miles wide. It was filled with vehicles that had been impounded. There were sports cars, SUVs, pickups, and compacts. In addition, there were the trucks the rescue team had been riding in.

Darin ducked back into the car and closed the shield. Robert was bent forward and thinking hard about something. His hands were pressed together and his chin rested on them. Darin looked at him wondering what he could be thinking.

"That's pretty deep for a shallow mind," said Darin.

"Not funny," said Robert.

"Really, what are you thinking about?" Darin asked.

"I'm thinking of a plan to get us and the rest of the team home without having to fight our way," Robert replied.

"What do you have so far?" Darin asked.

"Well, the first part is to infiltrate the detention block and rescue the team then silently make our way back to the warehouse and turn the trucks back into cubes." Robert replied. "However, there are two problems. One is that how are we going to infiltrate the detention block without setting off the alarm. The other is what are we going to do once we have retrieved the cubes."

"Well, I think I can help with the part dealing with infiltration," said Darin.

He reached behind him and pulled out a large black bag. Spy gear was embroidered on the side in white letters.

"Spy equipment, never leave home without them," said Darin.

"What exactly is in the bag?" Robert asked.

"Two sets of black clothes, two full body utility straps, two spray smoke cans, two dart guns with thirty darts each. Two grapples, that attach to the waistline of the utility set up, and a load of other equipment." Darin replied.

"And those would be?" Robert asked.

"If I told you, I would have to kill you," Darin replied. "We execute the operation at night, keeping in the shadows. Avoid any contact with the guards at all times and use the darts only if you cannot avoid being seen."

Darin and Robert prepared for their mission. They put on the black clothes and loaded up their utility belts with gadgets. They then waited for night to come. They kept themselves busy by going over the plan. Talking about what to do, where to go and how to manage a situation if the worst should happen.

At 10:00 PM, they began the mission. Darin opened the shield and they climbed out. Darin closed the shield and pressed a button. The scout car beeped once then changed into a small cube. Darin picked up the cube and put it in his pocket. Then he went over to the other trucks and did the same to them. After he collected all of the cubes, he then brought out his dart gun and loaded it; Robert did the same. Darin then pulled out two sets of night vision goggles. He gave on to Robert and put the other one on him. He placed the goggles over his eyes and switched them on. Robert turned his on and gave Darin a thumbs up.

Darin couched as he moved quickly towards the warehouse door; Robert followed him. Darin was about to open the door when Robert stopped him. Darin looked at him confused. Robert pointed to the top of the door. Darin followed Robert's finger to the top of the door and found a magnetic sensor. If Robert had not stopped him, their mission would have been over before it could even get off the ground.

"Robert, give me a boost," Darin said quietly.

Robert cupped his hands and spread his legs apart to help support Darin's weight. Darin set his right foot in Robert's hands and climbed up. Robert was about to grab Darin's left leg and help stabilize him when he saw a ladder in a corner.

"I have a better idea," he said.

Robert brought Darin back down and went over to bring the ladder over. Darin was surprised that there even was a ladder near by. He took the ladder and propped it up against the warehouse wall. He then brought out a screwdriver and some electrical tape. He attached a strip of electrical tape to the magnet on then began to unscrew the magnet from the door.

Once the magnet was free, he then taped it to the sensor. He then unscrewed the sensor from the doorframe and wrapped another strip of electrical tape around it before setting it off to the side. He then replaced the screwdriver and tape back into his utility belt. He then climbed down off the ladder and gave thumbs up.

"Okay, put the ladder exactly as you found it," said Darin.

Robert did as he was told, placing the ladder carefully back in its place. He then quickly rejoined Darin as they exited the warehouse.

Outside of the warehouse, it was dark, very dark. At this point Darin made a "no talking" gesture. He then proceeded to communicate with his hands. He snapped his left wrist twice and moved forward slowly, keeping his dart gun at the ready. Robert cocked his and followed Darin out from behind the warehouse. They scurried across the open lot over to a door leading into the station compound. Darin was about to try the door but stopped himself. If the warehouse door was bugged, chances were that all of the doors, in and around the compound were bugged as well.

Darin looked up and noticed that the roof had an overhang, perfect for using a grapple. He stepped away from the wall and took aim at the ledge. He pulled the trigger and fired the grapple. There was metallic, clink, as the prongs grabbed the ledge. He flipped a switch that engaged a spool to re-wind the cable as Darin scaled up the wall.

Robert did the same and they soon climbed up onto the roof. Darin began searching for a vent for them to climb into and soon found one. Darin went over and looked it over for sensors. He then turned a dial on his goggles that changed the mode from night vision, to electrical view. This allowed him to see wires for security devices. He searched the vent for sensors and found none; the vent was clean. He and Robert lifted the vent off to one side. Darin the switched his goggles to inferred. He then scanned the vent shaft for laser trip wires. Nothing came up. He then switched his goggles back to night vision and climbed into the shaft. He signaled Robert to follow and he lowered himself in. Robert climbed in and replaced the vent cover. They crawled slowly through the ductwork; being careful not to cause too much noise. They stopped from time to time to spray a little smoke to reveal laser trip wires. When they came across some, Darin brought out some mirrors. He carefully placed the mirrors in the beams and deflected them to their source, shorting the system. Darin held his breath for a few seconds as he listened for an alarm that would have sounded if he deflected the lasers wrong. He exhaled when he heard none.

They continued until they came across a vent. Darin looked through it and saw a hallway. It looked like they were on the right track. On the wall across from them was a sign, which read, detention block this way. Darin continued forward and stopped again. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some red tape. He stuck it to the right side of the air duct and continued, pausing to read the signs on the walls to ensure they were going in the right direction. They soon came to a right turn and then down a few feet.

It was then that they noticed the vents were getting bigger and closer together. Darin looked through one and realized that they were in the detention block. Darin crawled forward slowly, searching for the team through the vents as he went by them. He found them in a cell five vents down from the turn. He inspected the vent for security devices and found it clean. He then took out a laser cutter and began to cut the lock keeping the vent gate closed. He kept one hand on the gate while the other held the cutter, pointing it at the lock.

John was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. A few hours ago, the guards brought Tony back to the cell badly bruised. Tony was lying on the floor on his chest, still feeling the pain from his beating. John was about to give up hope when he heard the faint sound of something metal melting and it seemed to be coming from the vent. He turned to look in time to see the gate flip open. He was thrilled when he saw Darin climb out followed by Robert.

"You made it," said John.

"Did you really think we'd let a bunch of lizards take us without a fight?" Darin said.

"You clever son of a gun," John said.

"Hay where's Sethi-Arh?" Darin asked.

"I'm right here."

Darin turned to see Sethi-Arh chained to the wall. Darin rushed over and cut him free from his restraints. Sethi-Arh then embraced him, pleased to see Darin alive.

"I missed you to but we don't have much time. We have to get out of here. Listen up people. We are all going to climb into the air duct and crawl our way onto the roof. I've marked the way with red tape. Just follow that. Robert will be waiting for you at the other end. Now move it."

One by one, the men climbed into the duct and began to crawl through. Darin spaced the men out to avoid attracting attention from the station staff. Sethi-Arh relaxed his dorsal fin in order to fit in the small space. Darin then followed behind and closed the gate. He then welded it in place and rejoined the group.

Robert stood on the roof by the vent, keeping low and observing his surroundings. He was watching for any guards that might come by and stood ready to knock them out with the dart gun.

Robert then heard the sound of slow crawling coming from the vent. He looked in and saw a member of the team come into view. He reached down, helped him up out of the vent, and then helped the next person. When it came time to haul Sethi-Arh out, it took four men to accomplish the task. Once Sethi-Arh was on the roof, he then helped Darin out and replaced the vent cover.

Darin then led the team over to a part of the station, not surrounded by fences. He then attached a grapple to the roof ledge and scaled down the two-story wall. The rest of the team followed, using the same cable to climb down.

Once everyone was off the roof, Darin gave the grapple a sharp tug and freed it from the ledge. The grapple wound itself back up and the team ran off into the night. They came across an abandoned building and went inside. The men chuckled quietly, having just escaped right from under the Vlatorrans' noses.

The men gathered around as Robert brought up a holographic map of the capital city. The map showed their current location and their destination, which was an air base not far from where they were. Robert told the men that they were to expect a rough welcome upon arrival at the base. They would have to move fast if they were to make it out alive. After the men were informed on the plan, Darin handed out a hands-free two-way radio communicator to each member of the team, along with a vehicle cube. The men put the communicators on their ears and stowed the cubes in their pockets. Once everyone was ready, they left their hiding place and back out into the night.

Meanwhile, a guard had just entered the detention block for a head count. He slowly walked down the line, looking into each cell and counting their occupants. He was about to pass the cell that was holding the captured rescue team when he found it empty. The guard panicked and raised the alarm. Security guards were running all over the compound. Kreg came running down to the detention block to see what the cause for the alarm was. When he arrived, him did not need to be told what happened. Kreg looked at the empty cell. He clenched his teeth in anger.

"This kid is becoming a real pain!" he said.

At that moment, an officer came running into the block.

"Sir, scanners have detected an enemy cruiser orbiting the planet."

"Dose it pose a threat to us?" Kreg asked.

"No sir," the officer replied.

Kreg smiled, why did he not see it before. He went to his office called the air base to notify them that a group of fugitives was coming their way. Kreg then went out of the station into the staff parking lot. There he got into his vehicle and took off for the base. Kreg was going to head Darin off and show the human the sting of the law.

Meanwhile, the team had crossed the air base's service drive and was approaching the base's outer perimeter, which was protected by a fence ten feet high. A few hundred yards beyond the fence was a group of buildings surrounded by a network of tarmacs. A tall control tower was in the middle of the building. The tower looked over the buildings below. Floodlights lit up the area around them, posing a challenge to the team. Darin was surveying the base activity with his spotting scope. The base seemed very quiet.

Once it was determined safe, Darin gave the signal and they began to climb over the fence, landing quietly on the other side. Darin led the group across the field over toward a hangar.

The mission was very exciting for most of the team. It had danger, suspense, and a challenge. However, the excitement was balanced out with fear. This was the real deal; if one thing went wrong, the whole mission was blown.

They were crossing the tarmac when they heard the sound of a speeder approaching. The team sprinted across the tarmac and over into a ditch. Darin looked around to see whom it was coming to the base. However, it was too dark to see and missed it.

Darin gave the all clear and the team climbed out of the ditch. They hurried the last few feet over to the side of the hangar. Hiding in the shadows, they slowly made their way around. Robert took the lead this time. He peeked around corners and used his sniper's scope to check the roofs for any enemy snipers before continuing.

They had made it around to the front of the hangar with out being seen. Robert went to check the hangar for any spacecraft they could use to return to the Mon Cal Cruiser. He stayed close to the hangar doors and peeked inside.

The hangar was about the size of a small stadium and was well lit. A catwalk went along the walls of the hangar thirty feet up. On the hangar floor were some spacecraft, however, when Robert looked closer he noticed that they were not in any condition to take them anywhere. Disappointed, Robert was about to return to the group when he saw two Imperial landing crafts across the tarmac from him.

Robert smiled at his good fortune. The landing crafts were perfect for the job. The crafts were heavily armed, fast, and had a large cargo capacity. Robert rejoined the group and told them what he found.

"There are two landing crafts on the other side of the tarmac. We will all be able to fit into one craft. However, the crafts are in visual range of the tower. The plan is to sneak across the tarmac over to the landing crafts. We will then try to gain access into one of the crafts. Fortunately, both of the landing crafts are facing away from the tower, so we will be hidden once we get there. Any questions? Good, now let's go."

Meanwhile, up in the dark control tower, Officer William was on duty. Sometime before, a call came in from Kreg informing them that a group of fugitives was heading toward the base to attempt to return to an orbiting cruiser. A trap had been set using two landing craft shuttles purposely left open. The idea was that the fugitives would storm across the tarmac in plain sight of the control tower's view where he would spring the trap.

William was looking through a spotting scope equipped with night vision. He was making a visual sweep in front of the tower when he caught sight of a massive movement. He focused in and recognized that it was the fugitives; they had taken the bait. William was wearing a hands-free two-way radio on his hear. He quickly contacted Kreg, who had arrived moments earlier to take command of a police brigade.

"Kreg this is William, I have the target in sight and is moving toward the bait."

"Good work William, light'em up and we'll take it from there."

William activated the base's air raid alarm system and switched on the spotlights.

Robert led the team across the tarmac toward the shuttles. He looked up at the tower and noticed that it was completely dark. This bothered him and he switched his goggles to inferred. The tower appeared to be deserted. He switched his goggles back to night vision and pressed on. They were only a few yards away when suddenly there was a blinding light and the echo of air raid sirens.

"SON OF A...MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!" Robert shouted.

They scrambled toward the shuttles when suddenly; Kreg and at least fifty Vlatorran riot police ambushed them. Hand-to-hand fighting broke out like wild fire, as the two opposing forces collided.

Darin quickly processed the situation and quickly found a solution. He shouted over the communicator and told the team what to do.

"EVERYONE ACTIVATE YOUR VEHICLE CUBES! USE THEM THE GET TO THE SHUTTLES!"

Men followed Darin's order and activated their cubes. Those who were engaged in a hand-to-hand fight broke off from their opponents to give them time to activate their cubes. Soon half-tracks and scout cars were popping up everywhere. Those who were able to climb into the vehicles started their engines and sped toward the shuttles. Fortunately, the landing assault ramp on both shuttles was open. Allowing them to simply drive up and park the trucks. Those unable to get into the vehicles fought off their aggressors until they were able to get away.

Robert was running over to climb into a scout car when Kreg came out of nowhere. He grabbed Robert by the neck of his shirt and threw him back. Robert was slightly dazed when he struck the ground. He shook his head and brought his vision into focus in time to dodge a punch to his head. Robert rolled to the left as the fist struck the ground, creating very large cracks in the pavement that radiated from where the fist made contact.

Robert stood up and assumed a fighting stance. Kreg came at him with a fake left-hook punch and contacted with Robert's face with his right. Robert recoiled from the blow and quickly recovered to deliver a blow of his own. As Kreg went in for another blow, Robert cut to his inside and delivered a quick blow to his stomach.

Kreg was about to knock Robert to the ground when he lost sight of him for a moment. He then felt the wind knocked out of him. He staggered back to recover in time to catch Robert's next move.

Robert watched as his attack caused Kreg to be short of breath. He took advantage of it and went in to land a one, two punch. He made his approach swift and controlled. As he launched his first punch, Kreg blocked it with his right forearm. In a split second, Robert attacked with his left arm only to have it deflected by Kreg's left forearm. He then saw Kreg bring his leg up to deliver a devastating kick. Robert's eyes widened when he realized that it was unavoidable. Kreg's kick blew the wind out of him and sent him flying twenty feet back, smashing into the ground.

Robert shook it off and looked to see Kreg charging at him. Then out of nowhere, Darin came in at blinding speed and gave Kreg a hard blow to his side, knocking him to the ground.

"Robert get to the shuttle, I'll hold him off."

Robert nodded and scrambled away. Darin turned his attention to where Kreg had fallen and noticed that he was no longer there. He then saw a shadow on the ground begin to grow. He looked up and saw Kreg twenty feet in the air and heading for him. Darin back off some and watched as Kreg rotated in the air from feet first to headfirst. Then in the blink of an eye, Kreg landed on his hands then launched himself in a cartwheel and struck Darin in the chest with both feet, sending his back thirty feet.

Darin was in serious pain. Fearing for his safety, he stood up and made a run for the shuttle. Robert was already on and was encouraging Darin to move faster.

Darin was almost at the ramp when Kreg suddenly appeared right in front of him. Darin stopped and stared wide eye, as Kreg's tail whipped with the spikes edge first around to slice Darin in half when Sethi-Arh knocked Kreg to the ground. He then grabbed Darin and ran up the now closing ramp as the shuttle began to take off.

Sethi-Arh placed Darin on a bench to examine his wounds. Darin had suffered a cracked rib and a deep cut on his shoulder extremely close to his artery. If Kreg's claws had cut Darin a little more to the left, he would be dead. Darin was lucky to be alive.

Sethi-Arh brought out some bandages and began treating his wounds being very gentle not to cause him more pain. Darin opened his eyes and was about to say something when Sethi-Arh placed a finger on his lips.

"Shhh, save your strength you're going to need it."

The rescue team had pulled off a successful mission yet again. It appeared to be smooth sailing from that point on until the shuttle was being battered and jerked around.

"WE'VE GOT COMPANY!" John said.

Kreg was not one to allow a prisoner escape alive and had sent a fighter squad to take them out. They fired at the shuttle, striking its shields and causing the shuttle to bounce around as small explosions erupted as the blaster fire made contact with the shields.

Then as suddenly as it all happened, it all came to a stop. John looked out the cockpit window and saw an unusual ship in front of them.

The ship, if seen from above, looked like a key hole with a crescent moon shape at the top.

John watched as two more of the same ship appeared. They moved in between the landing craft and the Vlatorran fighters. John flew the shuttle to the hangar bay on the Mon Carl cruiser. They soon landed and the crew disembarked. The team was then escorted to the briefing room as the unknown ships had made contact.

"Attention craft, you are now a witness to the Vlatorran trial. You are to remain in orbit or be fired upon."

"What sort of trial?" Darin asked.

"To give justice to those who suffered at the hand of the Vlatorran government."

"Well in that case, you'll need me in order to convict him." Darin said.

"You know who the defendant is?"

"Know him, I just got my can kicked by him," Darin replied.

"Stand by, the trial is about to begin."

The rest of the team took the seats while Darin stood next to the holographic display. Darin watched as figures moved around in what appeared to be a courtroom. A judge was sitting in the highest seat. He looked down at the rest of the court. To his right was Kreg, sitting in a chair with his hands bound behind his back.

For then next several hours, the case went back a forth. Kreg gave his testimony and Darin gave his. The arguments were intense and fierce. Now it was finally time for the verdict.

"All rise," the judge said. "Has the jury come to a verdict?"

"We have your honor. We the jury, find the defendant, guilty on all charges."

Darin was on the deck, looking out over the ocean. Taking in everything round him and being thankful for having returned home safely. It had been over two months since Kreg had been found guilty on all charges against him. The worst of all was attempted murder of a protected planet, which carried a penalty of a lifetime in prison.

Darin felt a hand on his shoulder. He closed his eyes has he felt it slid up and down his back. Then he felt a familiar set of lips kiss him. Darin turned to see Shora beside him with a smile on her face. She was happy to have him home and just in time for the concert.

Shora stood next to Darin and leaned on the railing as she looked out at the sea, now free to warships and battles raging. Finally it was peaceful.

"It hasn't been this quiet in a while," said Shora.

"I wouldn't know because I've been too busy managing a war." Darin replied.

"So my husband is a warlord now. I like the sound of that," Shora said giggling.

"I like to think of myself as a master of proving that I have nothing to prove." Darin said.

"That doesn't make any sense," Shora said.

"It's not supposed to," Darin replied.

At that moment, Selin approached them.

"I hate to interrupt this reunion, but, are you guys finally ready for the concert?"

Darin and Shora looked at each other. Disappointed that their alone time had to end; they turned to face their bearer of bad news.

"You're right, we should be going now. Our fans are probably rioting in the streets by now," said Shora.

The whole house pilled into the tour bus and drove off to the downtown beach where their stage was waiting for them. Once the bus had parked, everyone got off. Robert, Sethi-Arh, and Jasmine went into the crowd while Darin, Shora, Selin, and Fiara went up on stage. The band plugged their interments in and took their positions on the stage. Shora kissed Darin who was standing next to her. She leaned and whispered into his ear, "Are you ready for this?"

"I've been chased by a crazed alien, had my can kicked and almost died. I was not ready for any of that but this I can handle." Darin replied.

"And now, you have waited for it! An encore concert of the greatest hit band, DEMON'S LAW!!" the announcer shouted through the microphone, causing a loud applause from the people.

"Its show time," said Shora.