Her fingers flexed on the grip of her sidearm. She felt naked in the cloning chamber. Though the cloning tubes provided cover - likely very valuable cover to the colonists - they did not provide any concealment.

Right now there did not appear to be anyone else present. There wasn't a lot of need, other than the occasional check-in. The systems that ran the place were high-spec, and seemed able to work on their own once set up and provided with raw materials.

"Phosphorous is essential for human growth, especially of bones and teeth," Cenz was saying. "A solution that contains it is therefore vital for the cloning process. I can sort of see a logic - the Governor clearly decided to help boost their population by simply creating more workers. Still, it's a very questionable decision."

"It's a horrible decision," Pirra replied sourly. "They're barely feeding their current population. How are they going to feed these?"

"I presume the Governor feels he can ramp up the algae paste production to meet demand. I agree, though, that this is a foolhardy move. Something borne out of desperation."

"And stupidity. Is it me, or do these clones look unhealthy?" Pirra pressed her face to the tube, looking at the human within. It surprised her for a moment how warm the glass was.

It was male, though overall it appeared there were more females. While she knew humans grew in a curled position, the spine on this one appeared too curved, to the point where he would have a hunched back.

Even the man's head looked . . . smaller than it should have been.

"You're quite correct. From what I've seen, I would estimate that 60% of these clones will not survive to maturity. Among those that do, most will suffer severe physical and mental impairments."

Pirra pulled away from the glass. "Sixty percent?" She clicked out a curse that gave Cenz pause.

"I have no idea what you just said."

"You're better off not knowing," she replied. "But that death rate is horrifying. Shouldn't it be a fraction of a percent at most?"

"Yes. Under optimal conditions, the death rate is small, even if it is frequently unethical. But the colonists are doing things that are unusual - such as attempting to alter the genomes of the clones. I believe their goal is to create enough variation in the population to prevent inbreeding."

Pirra shook her head. "Atrocious. I wonder what-"

A clanking noise came from outside and down the hall.

"Cover," she hissed. Cenz was already ducking to move behind one of the larger pieces of machinery.

Someone - no, several someones - were approaching. Steadying her grip on her sidearm, she angled a small sensor out around the corner to watch. The view appeared in her HUD, and unless they were actively scanning it was unlikely their own systems would notice it.

Three men entered the room. They had the emblem of colony security and were in full kit.

A thread of fear went through her. Unlike the sloppy guards she'd seen in the rest of the colony, these men moved like professionals. They were certainly no strangers to zero-g combat, and were holding rifles that would rip through the suits she or Cenz had on with ease.

Their armor would be proof against her sidearm, if it came to violence. Only a lucky shot - or a carefully aimed one - would have a chance of taking one down.

They didn't say anything, but checking for comm signals, she found that they were using an encrypted frequency.

A message appeared on her HUD, from Cenz.

They're using a simple code. I'm in their channel - sharing now.

She heard a voice crackle in her ear. Their audio was clear, but she couldn't tell one speaker from another.

". . . passive detectors noted heat signatures. Not one of ours," one said. His clipped tones didn't sound local. A mercenary, perhaps.

"Too much heat from the cloning tubes at living temperatures to pick out an intruder. Fan out and find them."

The second voice had a different accent, but likewise did not sound local.

"Do you think it's the xenos?" The third voice did sound local, but it had adopted the more professional tones of his allies. She knew that meant they'd trained together for some time, he was not likely to be a rookie.

"Possibly. They disappeared from the hunter squad hours ago."

"Shoot if you see them, we're taking no chances. Even dead they have uses," the one she took to be the commander said.

"The Governor said-" another cut in. The local.

"Screw him, he's not out here. We don't know what these SU-types are packing, but they're armed. I'm not risking my ass for the Governor's games."

Pirra had hated the idea of surrender, but that cut the option out entirely.

She studied them for further information, but aside from the colony emblem on their armor, they had no insignia.

It was the kind of move that those who had experienced the worst sorts of combat used. They didn't want to make their commanders a clear target, so dress them the same as the regs.

She sent a signal back to Cenz.

We don't have a lot of movement options.

We go up at the first chance, take to the ceiling, Cenz said. Human perceptions work best horizontally, not vertically.

It was a fair point. Being on another plane would affect neither her nor Cenz to any significant degree. It was the barest of advantage, but she'd take all she could get.

The three began to spread out, a slow and cautious search pattern, but one that would find them. Her suit estimated forty-five seconds.

Reaching into her pocket, she felt for something - anything - that she could use as a distraction. As it was, they would be noticed if they attempted to go up. She had to create a noise to draw their attention another way.

She felt something hard, and pulled it out.

Her singing stone.

There wasn't time for sentimentality. Pirra didn't hesitate, throwing the stone down the row. She sent it at an angle where it hit the base of a tank and ricocheted, hitting another in a zig-zag pattern.

The stone sang for her as it flew. The sharp, keening cry was like a lament to her kind, and even humans rarely failed to be unnerved by the sorrow in its voice.

"What was that?" one of the searchers said immediately.

She jumped towards the ceiling.

"It's a distraction - they went high!" she heard the shout over the comm, and knew they'd been spotted. It had been a dim hope to remain fully unobserved, their sensors would have spotted them. But she'd hoped for a few seconds.

"Cenz, you head for the exit, I'll distract them," she said.

"Negative," came his reply.

She realized he hadn't jumped when she had; he had remained down below.

It made some sense; they had angles that would put the guards at a disadvantage, but that didn't make their weapons any more effective.

Then she saw him run out at the nearest soldier.

She couldn't see them aim and fire from her cover, but the shots slashed through the Coral's suit like it was made of paper. They pierced a cloning tank, leaving clean holes that the liquid inside spilled out through.

Cenz went out of sight, but shots continued to ring.

Pirra was in shock. Had the Coral just sacrificed itself for her? Had it been expecting her to cover it?

Before she could even overcome her shock, she heard a scream through the comm.

"It's got me!"

"It won't go down!" another cried. The shots stopped, and she dared to put her sensor over the cover, risking her hand rather than her head.

Cenz's suit had gaping holes ripped in it, and most of the water had poured out. But through that she could see part of the powered skeleton of the suit still intact.

There was nothing else in it. None of the rocky body she had only ever caught glimpses of.

And It had one of the soldiers pinned to the wall.

As the other two rushed it, she saw something scuttle by below. Chunks of rock held together with thick pink strands, covered in things that looked like wilted flowers. A pale, clearish plastic suit covered most of it, giving just a glimpse of the rock and polyps beneath. It didn't walk like a human, but crawled with a sprawling gate, like a bizarre spider.

They were flashing patterns, and she was shocked as her system provided an audible translation.

"Run, Pirra!"

She kicked off the ceiling and grabbed a bar on the side of a piece of equipment to swing herself around and give her the momentum to head towards the door. Letting go, she began to sail through the air.

"Behind!" the voice came over the comm signal.

She saw the two begin to turn, their rifles raising. She couldn't hurt them back, but she didn't want to die without at least making a last act of defiance. She raised her own sidearm.

Cenz lunged for one of them. The man was caught off-guard, and the Coral smashed into him.

The other soldier tried to snap his aim to Cenz, but when the being became mixed up with his comrade, he began to lift his rifle back towards Pirra.

She couldn't take him out of the fight, but she could neutralize his weapon.

Her sidearm barked once, twice, three times. The first two shots hit the man's armor, bouncing off and doing no harm. But the third hit his rifle itself. Gouging into the side, it deflected off the barrel. But the soldier bit out a curse and dropped the weapon, shoving it away as the chamber flashed and it mis-fired.

The man stumbled back, and Pirra hit the floor hard on her shoulder as her path from the ceiling finally brought her to the floor. Pain jolted through her, but she didn't drop her sidearm and shoved off towards the soldiers.

Cenz was still embroiled with the man, his strange body seeming like it was a match even for the larger human who surely had enhanced muscles.

The man's hand was grabbing for something sheathed on his side; a glint of light revealed the knife.

Pirra didn't know if it could harm the rock that consisted of most of Cenz's body, but if he stabbed one of the polyps, a part of Cenz would die.

Catching a grip bar on a cloning tank with her hand and breaking her momentum with her legs, she swung her sidearm up to the man's neck.

"Drop it!" she yelled over an open frequency.

The man's helmet tilted towards her, but he didn't drop it. No, he pulled it back for a thrust-

She pulled the trigger.

Maybe the man was certain his armor would protect him, but at point-blank range, with the muzzle against the thin armor of his neck, it didn't.

The round tore through, but couldn't pierce the other side. Blowback splattered her hand, and the man went still.

Cenz let go of him, and Pirra raised her handgun to the man she'd disarmed. He had been fumbling for his own sidearm, his composure finally broken - but now he froze.

They were only a couple meters apart, and she didn't think her sidearm could pierce his armor at even this range. But the man clearly did not want to risk it.

The last one had finally stopped struggling, still pinned by Cenz's suit.

Cenz rose, flashing to her.

"Thank you. Good work."

Pirra nodded. Hopefully he'd understand that, but he was without his own system.

She waved to the door for him to go.

"Let's go."

She'd taken her eyes off the surrendered man, and saw a hint of movement; the man was going for his pistol again.

"No!" she said.

He got it clear of his holster and fired at the same time she pulled the trigger.