Two no’n sporting light-gray mecha suits stood by a sliding hatch along a wide hallway. One of the no’n, a Kriq’kir, had white-glistening scaly skin, bulky lower arms, and sea-weed-like appendages swiveling from their head. The other, a Vaze, had tougher skin though more colorful, with turquoise and shortbread swivels around its neck and arms. His curled horns swiveled behind his back, almost as long as his broad arms reaching down to the back of his raised ankles.

The Vaze put his 93-R pulse-shotter on his back and began rubbing the head of a Maskunin, a small neon-blue rotund creature with doe ears, four stubby legs, and pectoral fins sitting on his shoulder. The Maskunin purred in response and released a white powder that the Vaze inhaled.

“You seriously doing nin’ on the job?” The Kriq’kir asked, then also placed his shotter on his hip.

The Vaze nodded, with a euphoric grin spreading across his face. His horns perched up as he turned around, grabbing his shotter with a click on the fingerless trigger. He raised an eyebrow and bent down as a young girl with brown hair wearing a full suit of glimmering black metal strayed in front of him.

Her eyes swelled with tears as she hicked between her words. “I-I don’t know where… I am…”

“Hey, Myu.” Danz licked his lips with his long, forked tongue. “One of the yachminere got out of their cell. Wanna have some fun then escort it back?”

“You’re disgusting.” Myu rolled his eyes, then turned around, tapping the Proatrix on his arm. “And, no. I’ll relay down to the bridge and see what they want us to do with her.”

“Aw, come on. This one looks untouched. Asfar hasn’t gotten to her yet.”

“But he’ll get to us if he figures out that I got pulled into one of your stupid, vaneyeur-esc ideas. Leave it alone.”

(Englysian: Vaneyeur - A race of blind and brainless livestock with long snouts; The -esc is an identifier meaning ‘like’)

His Proatrix blinked twice as he inputted a set of symbols on a long keypad. “Control, left-wing defense armory calling. We got an escaped qarr, advisement from tren-col or higher needed.”

(Englysian: Qarr - Cargo, usually alive)

Myu licked down the young girl’s cheek leaving a trail of green slime. Myu’s eye twitched in disgust as he turned back around.

“Ososiro. Ef’ rhon ozsavob rhoel vob rhon alof'r flozh afnmolo.” Myu’s Proatrix  responded.

(Translation, Fronian: “Execute. If they escaped their pod, they aren’t fresh anymore.”)

The young girl’s eyes widened. She then locked eyes with Danz, a smile curling on her lips. Danz gasped as he latched onto both of the girl’s arms with a pant.

“Haa… Haa… Forget it. They want her dead anyway. I haven’t domed since we took off two starnets ago. Just leave if you don’t want in.”

Myu sighed, then waved his hand. “Whatever. I’m gone.”

—SHING GUUUSH

“… Gaahhurk…”

“Hm. Talk about a quick shot—“ Myu looked at his shoulder, now covered in a yellow fluid. He then pivoted, his eyes widened as he inched for his holstered weapon.

A blade, black as the night itself, was lodged into Danz’s chest from behind, Its steel dripping with his bodily fluids. Smooth as butter, the blade began sliding up, causing blood and specks of yellow mush to spray onto the ground. Before it reached the back of his neck, a hole began spreading through his torso as if someone was tearing it apart from the inside.

Myu’s legs quivered as he stared into a pair of gleaming crimson eyes past the swaying innards of Danz’s open chest.

“Patroller Miya. I need to speak to whoever is highest in command.”

Miya then swiped her blade up, causing Danz’s body to split and lop to the side before falling down with an unnerving squelch. The Maskunin hopped up from the pool of blood and began squeaking at Miya while hopping from side to side.

Without a care, Miya stepped onto the creature while whipping her blade to the ground, clearing it of blood. Myu tripped over himself and fell to the floor, fumbling to his side and pulling his shotter in front of him. Miya threw the corpse forward while jumping to the side. Myu charged his shotter, releasing a combustion of plasma and metal that exploded the carcass on impact.

Before he could react, Miya jumped to his side, kicked the shotter from his hands, and drove her Xacto-blade into his shoulder, making him growl with a painful wince. She then leaned down, the blade shortening at the base before morphing into a smoky-gray, 11-inch pistol with dark-navy metal coolants on its barrel — The Masacre-14.

“Let’s try this again. I’m Patroller Miya, Federation special divisionist of Aestero Pol. I’m here on short notice due to a beacon going off on this carrier. Who do you affiliate yourself with?”

Myu opened his mouth but faintly coughed as he struggled to form words.

Miya dug her pistol into his scalp, making him wince. He then gulped before looking to the side.

“Eofa… Eofaniya Trading Company…”

Miya glanced to the side as if in deep thought, then leaned down and tapped his Proatrix. “Here’s what’s going to— Ngh…!”

Miya winced before clutching her head and slamming into the wall. Her armor began flexing its iridescent, silver-like metal tendrils that flattened in rippling waves across her body. The armor started crawling up her neck and forming a triangular mask around the bottom of her face.

「Who… This… Is…」

Miya’s eyes widened as she looked around, trying to find the voice pounding in her head. Her Linkmare produced another set of ripples, sharpening its exterior into small outward spikes.

Myu jumped from the ground and tapped his Proatrix, causing a green holo-screen to virtualize. “Control! This is left-wing armory, we’ve got a new threat on board! I repeat we have a—“

—BANG GRYUUSH

White hot fumes protruded from Miya’s gun as she dropped it. Myu’s head, completely separated from his neck, became a combination of blue mush on the wall and ceiling as his body slumped to the floor.

「Yes… You’re… Like me…」

“Shut up!” Miya roared. “Show yourself or I’ll— AGH!”

Another wave of pain surged through her body as her Linkmare rippled again. She then shook her head before letting her arms fall to her sides. She grunted and looked to the side, her eyes now bloody-red while her sclera acted as its darkened scab.

A small buzz came into earshot. Miya looked to her left shoulder, where a small mechanical four-legged insect-like creature landed. Its entire thorax blinked red as it fell over.

—BOOM SKAAAAH

The winged explosive created a devastating blast, covering the hall with smoky debris, blazing orange fire, and red fumes.