“Is this a joke?” Alexandra turned to Markus. “Look at them… I mean just look at them!”

“Welcome to the fringe, I suppose.” The mechanic shook his head.

The image on the screen was the source of their ire. The video feed showed nearly a hundred and fifty men and women standing at a mockery of attention within the docking bay. Their beige riot suits were in shambles. They were either too big or too small or outright kept in a state unworthy of an Academy graduate. Alexandra could see stains, chafed paint and dents on almost all of them and nearly a third had gang tattoos and marks, either on their faces or armour.

To say they had been gathered as a force by scraping the bottom of the barrel was putting it mildly. Even the one standing at the front of the rabble was no different. Security Chief Donovan Rex might have the stance of a proper soldier, but his face had the subdermal implants so common for those born on Cathran III. She was sure that if she did a simple check in the system, she would find that he had affiliation with at least two of the crime syndicates, that had spread like a plague through the UR, from that damned world.

And then, there was the old man standing next to the Chief. There was no mistaking the black and gold uniform of a Commodore, which marked the ancient thing as none other than Alexei Neverok. Why he would not have retired by now, was beyond her ability to guess. Either the propaganda officer had some really good connections in the Academy or they had simply forgotten about him.

“You could look at the bright side, Mistress.” Markus shrugged and forced a smile on his lips.

“And what might that be?” She looked at him, wondering if his brain had finally stopped functioning.

“You will be quite busy for a while, trying to put those… soldiers, back into shape.” Using that word to describe the mob in the dock station, had left a bad taste in the mechanic’s mouth, based on how his face twisted.

“This place will be my tomb.” She whispered to herself and jumped off the catwalk leading to the observation platform in the hanger.

It was a foolish act because it only placed needless stress on the dampeners of her armour. However, she had to feel alive, even if it was for a moment. She could not let this place break her before she had set foot on Last Hope. Without pausing she span on the heels of her boots and faced the fifty Innari shock-troopers. Their black armour and filtration mask were painted to look like scales, trimmed by slight chrome lines at the edges. Each of them was armed with a kinetic auto-carbine. It was the perfect weapon to use when boarding a station or a ship. That was why Alexandra had insisted that the special-operations unit accompany her in arresting Overseer Tharks.

“Major Khalid, I hope your men are ready.” She addressed no one in particular because all of them were identical and with no identification signs, picking at random would only make her look like a fool.

“We await your command, Mistress von Eisstahl.” One of the men saluted.

Alexandra could see he was nervous, he hid it well, but she could see it. She knew that she was impressive in her armour. Her dark red body glove with its bright blue markings was a technological masterpiece, which allowed her to fully integrate with Scolia’s systems. And the deep-sea blue of her chest plate with the Snake and Sword carving only emphasised her status as a Knight Protector and the fact she was a true hero of the United Republics. There was no greater honour than anyone could possess, it even gave her the right to take a seat of Council chairman, once the current one passed away. Although Alexandra was willing to bet her life on it, the old geezers would never allow it. It was all because of the Snake and Sword, to earn it, one could not be a pawn.

She adjusted the locket of her ginger hair that had come undone after her jump and looked at the leader of the Innari.

“Squads two through five will keep the security staff under lock in the docking bay. Major, squad one will accompany me in detaining the Overseer. Only Commodore Neverok and Security Chief Rex will be allowed to come with us.” Her green eyes stopped on each soldier.

“At the moment we do not know how many of Last Hope’s security are loyal to the UR and how many to the overseer. Be prepared for trouble. Should they attempt a break, you are allowed to execute them.” Alexandra pulled the ceremonial blade attached to her waist.

It was a clunky thing, a relic from a forgotten age and one which she hated having around. The bloody thing was just getting in her way, but regulations were clear. She had to look the part and so she did.

“The United Republics are strong!”

“The United Republics are Freedom!” The Innari answered the cry.

At the same time, the Knight Protector gave Markus the signal to open the large door of the ship’s cargo hold. Yellow warning lights flashed as the massive hydraulic arms retracted and allowed the twenty-ton slab of scandium and titanium to slide down and form a ramp to the docking bay. Alexandra had to admit was somewhat anticlimactic to have the entire process take full ten minutes, but she had lowered her expectations as of lately.

Donovan could think of a dozen reasons for a Knight Protector to want to visit the mining complex. Most of them ended with him being dragged in chains back to the academy. But nothing he could think of could merit the attention of Knight Protector von Eisstahl. The woman was the embodiment of regulations. He had to find a way to contact Monic and tell her to throw the extra credits in the smelters. However, with Neverok having a tap on the security network and standing next to him, that was out of the question.

On top of that he could not allow the damned hound to know of the trouble they were in or she would take full charge of the complex and a lot more things would be found out than his little dip in the miners’ wages. At least the Commodore was of the same mind on that topic, the old pain in the ass, would not like to have his late-night visits to the solely female barracks made public knowledge.

“What do we tell her?” Donovan asked from the corner of his mouth.

“Just a junkie who managed to swipe a gun off Hunter.” Alexei’s rugged voice was kept low and level. “The report on Lemetal?”

“Instructed King to convince Dr Saiko to write down an ordinance malfunction. That would cover Kurtz as well.” The Chief watched the dust from the cargo hold of the ship shake and the door shake.

“Dr Kruger is at HQ, that leaves only Dr Werner.” The Commodore straighten his back and adjusted his immaculately kept jacket.

“I’ll have a Kodiak keep her under house arrest. Drunken misconduct or something like that.” Donovan could feel the tension build in his shoulder.

The last time he had stood at attention for so long was back when he was a cadet at the Academy. And it would be quite some time more, because the ship that had entered Docking station 2-24 was an Atlas class ferry, in poor condition at that. It would be about ten minutes before he could stand at ease again. Donovan allowed himself a moment to look around and his face twisted in a scowl.

“Where the hell is Overseer Tharks?” He whispered after failing to spot the thin balding man that passed for someone of authority.

“Oliver thinks himself too import to come and greet a Knight Protector.” Alexei shrugged, somehow without messing the perfect line of his jacket.

“I have a bad feeling about this.” Donovan sighed wanting to ignore the feeling in his gut.

The Chief could hear low chatter from his subordinates and wished he could beat some sense into their heads. He had allowed them too much freedom because he was too lazy to actually do his job. If by some miracle he managed to escape this situation with his skin intact, he vowed to change. It was the same vow he had made almost every month, but for the first time, he meant.

One look at the large door informed him it would still be a few more minutes. Now that he and Alexei had come to an agreement on how to handle things, he might as well use it to give Kodiak his order. Discreetly Donovan tapped the micro control console on his wrist activating a private feed to King.

The message popped at the corner of his vision. It was not what he had expected to see. There were two, maybe three possibilities for this to happen. The least worrying of which was the usual system glitch and that would be fixed shortly. The feed could also have been jammed by the damned von Eisstahl woman, which was bad, but he could work around it. And in the worst case, his clearance had been revoked. That could spell way too much trouble for him.

Donovan weighed his options. He couldn’t ask one of the guards to run back to HQ and do a manual check. That would look too suspicious at this point. He could share his concern with the Commodore. No, that would only tip the balance in their little power-struggle.

“Are you ok, Chief.” The old man on his right smirked.

Damn him! For a man who was about to celebrate his ninety-fifth birthday in a few months, he had sharp eyes. No wonder he had managed to cling to active duty after passing the recommended service age.

“It’s nothing. Just some indigestion.” Donovan shrugged.

Alexei had clearly wanted to say more, but at that time the door finally touched the docking ramp. A platoon of Innari troopers stormed down the opening with weapons ready and pointed at the security staff. In their midst walked the Knight Protector with her face locked in a displeased mask. What had frozen Donovan’s men was the battle-frame behind her. The Scolia.

The four and a half meters tall mech was an imposing sight. Its shoulder-mounted turbo-cannons could lay waste to the entire docking station and it could still march to a new engagement. Its right arm was a siege claw while the left was a devastator cannon. Its fusion core was located behind the reinforced plating at its back and the pilot’s bod jutted forward. It gave Scolia the visage of a bipedal dog. That was also the reason everyone called the Knight Protect the Councils hound.

The famed war machine sported the same red and blue pattern as of that worn by its operator. It was the best and most terrifying thing Donovan had ever seen. He had seen the recruitment posters and the propaganda videos, but being just twenty meters away from it. That was something else.

“Security Chief First Class Rex, tell your men to stand down and surrender their weapons.” Alexandra shouted without breaking her stride.

“Do as Mistress von Eisstahl says.” He repeated the order as if he had any say about it.

“How can be of assistance Knight Protector?” Alexei offered with his usual expression locked between boredom and suspicion.

“Security Chief Rex, you and the Commodore will come with me to the Overseer’s office.” The woman stopped a few steps in front of the two men.

“Just a moment girl, who do you take me for! I am Commodore Alexei Neverok! My ancestors were the foundation on which this Union was formed! Do not mistake me for one of those brownnosers that you are so used to seeing at Sentinel Hill!” The man’s face had turned scarlet and spit cover his mouth.

“I know very well who you are.” Alexandra spoke levelly after the tired had ended. “But you, Commodore, seam to have forgotten who I am.” The way she stressed his rank did not bode well for the old man, Donovan was sure of it.

Before anyone could say a word, her head snapped to the side and she issued her command.

“Major Khalid, arrest the Commodore on charges of misconduct, abuse of rank and insulting a superior officer.” Without delay, two Innari troopers grabbed the apoplectic Alexei and pushed him on the ground.

“Where is the brig, Chief Rex?” She turned to face Donovan and he wanted to squirm under those green orbs.

“Section 3-17.” He managed to say.

“One of your men will show the troopers the way. You with me.” She walked past him with a ten men squad on her heels.

Zoë wanted to cry, but could not, not right now. She had really messed up this time. Somehow, she had missed Helix and she had seen only Doctor Werner. She could have made an excuse that it was because of the drugs and the treatment, but that would have been a lie. She had been careless. Zoë should have noticed it when he told her that her reward was coming.

Only when the first shot was fired had she noticed. But then it was too late. She knew Helix had killed Hunter, but she had not seen it. Now, she had and it terrified her. Kodiak had died of the blood loss, of that she was sure, at least he had gone in shock and had not screamed. Zheng had been the lucky one, his life had ended the moment the bullet exploded on his armour. It was all done with mechanical efficiency. The two idiots were asses, but that was no way for them to die.

And his voice when he called her over for her reward. That was the voice of a born killer. Emotionless, exact, inhuman. You knew that from the start girl, she told herself. Yes, she did, but she did not want to believe it. Zoë could not understand how, but she had managed to someone convince this monster not to kill Felix. No, that was wrong, she had nothing to do with that. Felix had the security codes, he was useful. Which meant she no longer was.

“Miss Kurtz.” Helix’s call made her jump. “Please, join me.”

He stood like a predator at the far wall, his head constantly moving from side to side. He was scanning the room, looking for signs who to kill next, she was sure of it. The pistol was no longer in his hand, instead, he had taken the Ripper that had been attached to his back. Armed with it, even if everyone in the room rushed him, they would not make three steps before he ended them.

Unsteadily she stood up from the chair and walk to him. Perhaps this was it, he was going to tell her that she was no longer needed. Zoë stopped two steps away from him and closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She only hoped that the bullet would turn her head into a mist before she could hear the shot.

“I want you to keep an eye on the scientists.” He said after what felt like an eternity.

“What?” She did not need to fake surprise.

“As I told the big guy, I am need of friends. You Zoë, are the only one who doesn’t have any other choice but to accept my offer.” She could picture that smug smile, he was so fond of, behind the helmet.

“You want me to be your friend?! Are you insane?” Although her voice was nearing a shriek, she had to be honest that that was a tempting offer.

“Miss Kurtz, I am starting to think that the requirements for security here are not that high. You are a smart girl, I thought you had figured it out.” He tilted his head slightly.

Zoë could not understand what he was talking about. She was a nobody, but she was a guard and an Academy graduate. How could she be his friend?

“I see…” There was disappointment in his voice. “You, Zoë Kurtz, are a traitor. You betrayed your people. You are the one who led me here and kept the guards occupied.”

“No! That was all you! You used me!” She hissed at him.

“That is not how it looks.” He jutted his helmet at the security cameras positioned in a circle on the ceiling. “Dr Werner could use that excuse, but not you. When your Chief sees the recordings, he will see just a junkie who did an awful thing to get her next fix. You, Zoë Kurtz, are my accomplice, whether you like it or not.”

Damn him, but Helix was right. He had set her up. She would be executed without a trial. If she really thought about it, there was no reason for her loyalty to the UR. And there was no reason at all for her loyalty to the Last Hope’s security force. By the looks of things, Helix was going to be the one running the place very shortly. Zoë might as well join the winning side while she was ahead. In the hour she had known him, he had proven far more competent and professional than anyone on the complex. Most of all, he had kept his word to her and given her the antidote, when he could have simply let her die.

“See, I knew you were a smart girl.” He placed his hand on her shoulder, the way a friend would. “Why don’t you take a gun and go make sure the good scientists don’t do anything stupid.”

Lucas let out the breath he had been holding when Zoë nodded and picked the pistol from one of the dead guards. He had made a real mess of the entire situation. If Virgil had been around, he would have chewed him a new one. Taking hostages was the most stupid thing he could have done. That was not what they did. The mobile assault team Demon went in, destroyed its objective and went out. Rarely did they need to be quiet when doing so.

He should have killed them all, but his conditioning would not allow for the needless disposal of civilians. However, he could not keep guarding them and the room for a long time, not without help. That was why he had made a calculated gamble with the security girl. Her line about the tech Felix had given him the idea that she could be convinced to switch sides. What surprised him was how easy it had been to turn her.

Virginia would be easy to convert. Her curiosity was the chain that would bind her to him. Lucas could use her to get the physician Saiko to join his new team. The woman could also lure some of the other scientists. That would secure him access to the equipment he might need and actually free him some time in replenishing his depleting stock of chems.

The other security techs in the room would be a useful asset, even if their skills were questionable. From what he had observed in the last few minutes, they were following every command Felix gave them. Lucas had also noticed that the big guy respected strength, as the average thug would.

“Felix, my good man, have you finished locking the network?” He asked forming a new plan in his head.

“Yes… sir.” The man was trying to act professionally.

“Very good. I knew the two us would get along very well. Open channel SMA-1A.” Lucas instructed.

“But that is…”

“I know what it is. Don’t worry, there is still a lot for you to do.”

Virginia had managed to get a hold on her emotions. Seeing the cybernetic kill two men and practically cripple the entire security force within seconds had been too much for her. Additionally, she had to deal with the accusing stares from Dr Kruger and his assistant. The only reason the two had been here, was because she had asked them to help with the decryption of the warnings that she had triggered. In the end, she was to blame for everything.

She and the stupid security girl. At least her own mistakes were caused by misfortune. While guard Kurtz had turned traitor. Virginia had doubted it at first, she had even felt sorry for the girl because she thought she had been injected with the same toxin as her. But seeing her now patrol between the monitoring station with a weapon in hand, there was no longer any doubt.

“Tell me, Virginia, why did you do it? Why did you help him?” Dr Kruger sat next to her between the cables. “I’ve known you for years, you would have fought and resisted against an imperial loyalist.”

“No Anton, not against him.” She shook her head and stifled the new wave of sobs. “He is not a loyalist; he is an Imperial soldier, however.”

“What are you talking about? The only known nest of those monsters is located on the other side of the galaxy and is under siege by every great power.” He looked at her with concern in his eyes.

“I told you, he is not a part of the Third Empire.” She closed her eyes trying to erase the image of the two guards getting shot. “He can speak Unue.”

“You must be delusional. No one living can speak…” His words were interrupted by a loud artificial voice coming from the inactive speakers hidden in the walls.

“Registrita provo de aliro. Provizi aŭtentokodon.”

“That… That is Unue!” Kruger’s astonished voice was something Virginia had not heard in a decade.

“Trust me, the surprises are just starting.” She pointed at Helix who walked in the centre of the room and removed his helmet.

“Heliks, Lucas. Identigo nulo-sep-a-tri-kvar-g-t-a-a. Movebla sturma taĉmento Demono.” The young man spoke and smiled.

“That… That is…” Anton opened and closed his mouth a few times, but could not find the proper words.

“That is why I did it.” Virginia gave him a bitter smile and buried her face in her knees to hide her tears.

The moment Helix had spoken, she knew she was going to be known as a traitor. She had to learn more, she just had to.