The moment the deal was accepted, Nikolai immediately gone to the bedroom quarters as he began to rummage through the corpses. Using the keycard he got by swiping on any items still functioning that survive from the onslaught. Mainly anything that could give him a upper hand no matter how small it was, despite his great reluctance to rummage the corpses, alien or not, the smell and the sight of it makes him irked. However, not enough to make him stop, especially with the current scenario of being chased down.

  As time passes, the view on his HUD got more noisy. It was being interfered by the encompassing enemy, so he has no choice but to turned it off to give him visibility at the cost of extra information. Giving him ample clearance to clearly see his grave robbing action. Nonetheless, with sweat pouring from his forehead, Nikolai grabbed the items that can be compatible to human hands.

  The first set was a rifle, though the correct term is a portable concentrated direct thermal rifle. It's naming terminology aside about the lack of rifling on a magnetic based weapon. The thing looks like a oblate clam shaped weapon, in which the hands go inside the opening where it's controls are from his fingers if he wore it, it will covered his forearm, which reminds him of integrated weapon arms. Still, if what he learned from classes are accurate, then this could give him long range capabilities, which he wished he might not get the chance to use it.

  He grabbed two and let it hang heavily on his sides that the hazard suit has provided as the ship shook once more, and the neutral tone of the computer reminding him again of danger of the hostiles detected.

  The second set were all the energy containers he can carry. Take it as ammunition for the thermal alien rifles that he will be using. Heavy as it is, they can also be used for makeshift grenades if enough pressure is being done to their container... technically making him a makeshift bomb as well while carrying this many, once more, it's better than nothing as Nikolai ran back to the main area, taking a last look at the corpses before turning away where he could see the noble alien girl, holding... a sword?

  Rather more appropriately, it was attached to her forearms like a protruding growth on her suit of a curve corona that glows with odd words on it reaching about roughly three metres in length. Thankfully, only one of the pairs of forearms have that attachment. Despite Nikolai's questioning thoughts of bringing a sword to a gun fight, it's not important right now as one touch of that glowing blade, will be enough to cut straight through his suit or possibly even armour. Though, he is more alarmed of how she's going to use it than it's potential, especially with how off balance the noble alien looks holding herself upright despite having one more pair of legs than him.

  Whatever the case was, he immediately got to her side and asked her questions.

  "Before we do anything, I'd like to ask some questions. First, what's the strategy in taking you back? Second, what can you do personally in defending yourself? And third, are there any lifepods or emergency ejection systems? And if so, give me a map on this ship." Nikolai hastily asked, as another rumble vibrated throughout the ship. It has been roughly four or five minutes, and Nikolai doesn't like one single bit of how much the insurrectionist take their sweet time if they can just easily take her right there at any moment. He heavily doubts they are playing around either, they are aliens and for all he knows, it could be an actual tactic that worked!

  "[With how much time has passed, I am suspecting they are taking the wreck to a nearby mother ship, via a gravitational appendage. The logic being, if I have hidden myself deep inside the ship, then the easiest way to ensure escape being difficult for me is to take the ship itself. It is a common tactic for certain situations like this.]"

  Nikolai cursed to himself, but at the same time, was also relieved that they didn't attempted to break in to board them, as their chances of surviving would be close to zero. Or, at least his survival being close to zero, as he's the only human here that'll be definitely shot first. That is also if the ship's structure didn't collapsed from being lifted up and killing them first outright either, which destroys both side's goal in capturing and escaping. The alien noble typed quickly after as a hologram also shows the layout of the ship.

  "[Unfortunately, the blade is all I could do with my current capabilities. Even then, my skills with weapons in general are not my forte of expertise, but I have basic training in close quarter combat as per tradition. However to answer you're question, yes, emergency escape modules exist and the same goes for important members of piloting the ship, but I beg to differ how these could help us at our predicament, since they are optimally only used for cosmos environment.]"

  Nikolai clicked his tongue, as that means he will be both the vanguard and support at the same time in their escape. There are no inbetweens. Just as she explained, the escape pod trajectories, or what's left of it, are being shown only ejecting upwards. Atleast, they got that right if they ever did crash on a planet, which is thankfully the case for the plan Nikolai is thinking. Because with what Nikolai have, only two escape pods are available out of 5 in the area. All of it seems to be independently powered from the emergency power of the ship, so they can still work with their own reserves.

  Well... Hopefully that is, if power ain't the issue, then the ship's structural integrity is. By trusting the information labelled at barely 20% shown by the hologram, then Nikolai hopes he can launch them without obstructions.

  Nikolai glanced at the large cracked reinforced window, as the ship made a nasty noise of meltal bending from being lifted from it's place. It reminded him of a virtual scenario of being taken hostage by the aliens and the objective to escape or to send a distress call and survive was the clear condition. Even then, as far as data shows, 92.50% of people, soldiers included, failed at it, and that was the easier ones of the hardest scenarios. Naturally Nikolai also failed at it, and with the scenario he is witnessing right now, it is even worse than that virtual mission. The simulations didn't taught him of hostage retraction and of course, escape by even worse odds with barely any equipment and assistance. Without anything to use but himself and the noble alien behind him. Heck, negotiating with the aliens was even absent as a scenario as killing them is the only option.

  Of course, killing.

  The word of action that has been in the back of his mind this whole time. Nikolai never killed someone, and whatever his actions may be, he is no doubt going to kill someone whether he likes it or not. The only silver lining is he isn't killing humans, but it didn't made it easier as he knows he is taking someone's conscious life. If the noble girl were to use as a representation, they are far from animals, and despite knowing how dangerous and evil they were for invading and masquerading themselves as saviours in this planet, once more... it doesn't make it easier. Nikolai then takes a deep breath and stare back at the noble alien with reluctant determination. "Let me ask you this before we proceed... are you willing to kill you're kin to survive?"

  Frankly, it was bit of a dumb question to ask about knowing they are there to kill and capture them. However, Nikolai still wanted to know, to know these monsters are as sapient as them, that questions of whys keeps on flowing from his first conversation with the noble alien in front of him. There may be information, tons of data in the archives, yet... seeing the real thing in front of him is another story he couldn't describe in this already indescribable situation he got himself into.

  There was silence between them as the alien gave him a perplexed look, at least Nikolai assumed under the suit she was wearing as she tilted her head upon hearing his question. "Let me reiterate, can you kill someone without regrets? Especially you're own kin?"

  At first, Nikolai thought she would hesitate, as she stared back at him with the same silence of thought, however contrary to his expectations, or maybe even hope, she answered without a doubt of hesitation as she typed.

  "[They betrayed one of the Grand Houses that protected the Confederation for solar cycles, far beyond than anyone could hope to muster of our ancient hand that serves the Grand Queen. The moment they have not only draw their claws at us, but thought of insurrection within their depths, they are no longer worthy of life that was given to them by our Goddess. You may not understand human, but death is the only answer of repentance for such unforgivable act. Especially those of unpure blood of Off Worlders who grovel for forgiveness, yet gnash their jaws at the lightened sky.]"

  Nikolai didn't say anything as both of them stared at each other with a tight breath. He has no other answer he could reply or words he could add upon hers, because just as she said, he doesn't understand them enough or even put his shoes in whatever legacy she hanged herself around her shoulders. He is merely a observing eye that peaks through a civilization that wants to eradicate them for Aperture's knows what is it is, and as far as he knows, he was just her employee in their deal of survival. That was their relationship, heck they are even mortal enemies simply by birth from the get go.

  Sensing her answer seems to made Nikolai think of something, she made one last comment.

  "[Human, do not concern yourself with our societal structure, just as I don't question yours. Our lives are at stake, my life being weighed by your's already is a burden to my honour and the sins that are crawled on my wings that are eteched by my Goddess. Do not forget you're purpose and our negotiation.]"

  She was right, Nikolai thought as he takes one more breath and looks away without thinking much of anything as he knows, there was no turning back now. "I understand... please, listen to what I have to say."

  "Engage."

  Ordered the leading Religiosa in his cockpit, pushing a lever with his stubby appendage, as his dark beetle looking craft shooked considerably. It's three pairs of gravitational tethers roared to life in 50% output as the wrecked escape shuttle shook underneath the thick vines and branches of the ridiculously large trees. At the same, two smaller looking beetle like ships, only with two pairs of the gravitational tethers, also began to roar in life as the crashed shuttle keeps on shaking. Dragging the leaves, vines, and other lifeforms towards the gravitational pull. With the boarding swarm on standby and the inspectors on top of the wreck guiding the tethers on the correct area.

  The operation has been going well so far, they have evaded detection from the hu'mn guarding patrol ring, and even luckily slipped their Line 4 mother ship within orbit for extraction. However, the leading Religiosa rider is apprehensive of staying for more than 30 nimbs or even less with their borrowed time. Simply put, he knows how these operations usually goes when activities of areas that are flooded with hu’mn related incidents proceed. When they got too into the operation, a devastating trap will trigger, leave too early, and they'll missed out potentially battle changing key-points. There are no in-between, and they are at that very situation.

  They are at hu’mn infested territory, they are in a situation where a major objective is within their grasp, and the only separation between the objective and them is whether or not their time is sufficient or their fear of a hu’mn ambush may come. The leader of the small swarm has to admit, despite the hu’mns being woefully weak, they definitely can make a full grown Religiosa quiver once they visited the damned planet they are in. Yet, like what they say, it is not good to talk about someone else’s back, if the trees could be listening…

  “(Swarm Head, we have detected vibrations within the ship that is not of mechanical or coordinate. The Heiress must be trying to do something inside, shall we proceed to boarding actions?)” The frequency on his transceiver barked as the Swarm Leader did a equivalent of a grumble with his wings fluttering for a moment. “(I object Lower Claw, we will be risking the structural integrity and the swarm contingent we would sending. Maintain formation and keep the ship balance as we go to upper atmosphere.) The Swarm Head ordered as the Lower Claw confirmed their orders and closed the transceiver. With a chittering sigh, the Swarm Head warily look at the seeker that is now eyeing the crashed shuttle being lifted up from the devilish roots of the hu’mn world.

  The Heiress… Specifically, the Ent Heiress.

  Frankly he was surprised she was even here, the hu’mn Core World which has nothing to show, but only the failure of not capturing it fully under Religiosa control. Not that the Swarm Head cared for the success or failure of this futile attempt for the last solar cycle, he was just surprised that a Grand House Noble of all would be on that Royal Yacht, and not some nobody of the royal bloodline that would never become the successor of the throne.

  Which makes all the situation now more dire, if they fail to capture her, then their plans would be thwarted and the might of the Ent Clan fleet being backed by the Grand Navy will be a fight they could not win. Of course, the planet he was on won’t just be the first, but only one of the many victims would follow if that’s the case.

  However, say the cosmos have aligned, and the True Goddess have call upon their prayers, say the success of capturing her alive were to occur… Then her head would be much, much more important than any throwaway royalty they can bargain for.

  Probably to the point they might suffocate first before they can fathom of such enormity.

  Silence came in reply as he let his imagination run wild for a moment, shaking his head to not let those exciting, but frankly dangerous thoughts to flow into him as he made a equivalent of a nervous, but excited chuckle. If there is one thing he learned after being forcibly deployed in the planet he is in currently, that is arrogance is what kept someone from not going back up after sleeping for one last planetary cycle. As long as he kept his line from crossing, and follow the intel being given without breaking protocol. Then his chances of survival not only got higher, but also kept any of his fellow comrades from meeting their untimely end.

  With a visceral and most definitely horrifying look came to his face of the equivalent of a small smile with his mouth stretching and his mandibles twitching, thankfully of course no human can see it nor the Swarm Head may realize that fact either.

  “(Swarm Head, we are detecting energy readings on the escape shuttle, it seems that the Heiress is trying to escape. Shall we intercept?)” Just as the Lower Claw reported, indeed the escape modules are activated as shown on the hologram, even the ones that can’t launch because of the dire state it’s exits, are also activating. It was quite a futile attempt, even rather amateurish in nature. “(Understood, Lower Claw Ko’I. intercept the second trajectory, I will take over your station. Leave the first decoy be.)”

  With a confirmation of the order, the Swarm Head’s beetle like ship then increased his output to now of 80%. He could hear the shuttle creaking in pain of the sudden gravitational shift of the new tether. The Swarm Head huffed as he skillfully got the integrity of the crashed shuttle under control as he watches the smaller beetle like ship then gone slightly ahead of him towards the destroyed aft end of the shuttle. The other smaller beetle like ship also adjusted themselves to orient their gravitational tethers equally on the bow end as he prepares for the daring but futile attempt of escape of the Heiress.

  WOOOoooosshhh!

  Just as he predicted, the first escape module then fly up and began to adjust it’s trajectory upwards with its electric thrusters gracefully. However, knowing it will be a decoy, he payed no heed to it and then looked at the second escape module that is about to be released. Skillfully, he watches Lower Claw Ko’I catching the module with his gravitational tether as he hears cheers from the transceivers of the inspectors on top of the shuttle and the other beetle like ship. Geniunely impressed by his skills for someone so young, he will definitely ask the Upper Swarm Head for his promotion and maybe even attached him to his small squadron. “(Now that’s how you catch a fleeing prey Lower Claw Ko’I! I knew it you got it in you. Now, wa--)”

  However, that was all for nought, as just a second before he could finish his lighthearted invitation to his fellow conscript. He was blinded by a bright light, a painful bright light for his sensitive eyes, followed by the shattering of his cockpit windows and the pain of being pierced following after, then the immediate engagement of the auto locking mechanisms of the ship to keep the important cargo under them from falling as his sensory adapters were in a disarray.

  BOOM!

  The explosion rocked their surroundings, burned the nearby tree’s upper crown as fire erupted and melting the already damaged shuttle. A agonizing noise of metal bending and separating came to be as huge chunks of the aft of the shuttle spurts bluish purple haze of cloud, dust, and crackling electrical currents. However most importantly, the burning wreck of Lower Claw Ko’I’s ship then crashed into the important cargo beneath him, as the uneven weight distribution have pushed the gravitational tethers to its limits despite the locking mechanism kicking in and the smaller beetle like ship’s efforts. If the electrical explosion didn't kill the nearby boarding swarm and inspectors, then the tilting of the shuttle did as screams can be heard on the now open cockpit.

  Worse of all, the burning wreck then latch into the shuttle with a vice grip, as a secondary explosion rocked their space once more, this time it was the damaged propulsion rods of the beetle ship as it nearly costed their precious cargo. For a quick frightening moment, the Swarm Head’s tethers have detached themselves from the shuttle as a low noise and gravitational pull buckles his ship's carapace. Luckily the Swarm Head have got into manual control and barely managed to control his ship from dropping the cargo. In return, severely damaging his own ship of the sudden return of weight and it's backlash nearly frying the tethers.

  Immediately right after the explosion, emergency channels then pierced throughout the cockpit as it was a mixture of the Line 4, Lower Claw O’Lt, the remaining boarding swarm on the shuttle, some other frequencies he could not discern, and most importantly, hu’mn communication chatter. He quickly reorient himself and shake off the glass and debris that injured his joints and call upon the other Lower Claws, as he pressed the manual activation. “(Abandon the mission, we must leave immediately. We have been compromised! I repeat, abandon the mission!)”

  The Swarm Head practically barked as he hears a confirmation from the Lower Claws. With a chatter and grit from his jaw, he barely able to contain himself from screaming in curses upon the death of his comrades as his mind wonders of what just happened. What is supposed to be a quick catch has turned into a slaughter, his arrogance of dismissing the Heiress' capabilities have lead him to the disaster he is currently witnessing.

  The Swarm Head then checked the hologram which is still thankfully working. His crew is safe, but of the three inspectors and six boarding swarm, only two boarding swarm units survive the plasma explosion. The others being swept away to the forest, with unknown probability to their survival as the plasma discharge have fried their sensors for a moment. However, even if they were alive, getting them back is a danger to the entire lives under his claw and has no choice but leave them behind. Of course, this is without mentioning the lost of a Tether Ship and it's three man crew. Adding the tally even more, and to think his newly appointed Lower Claw would just get killed so suddenly and without warning.

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  It boils him on how did he not think about the trap! Just as the saying, stay too long, and a disaster would strike in hu'mn territory, leave too early, and they'll miss a possible important advantage for dismissing its potential for its riskiness.

  'The only difference here is they got played by the Grand Noble!'

  The Swarm Head thought in agony, but he needs to focus on the the current situation now. He then turned towards the hologram to see the escape pod careening away opposite of their direction, as it turns out, that was not only a decoy, but actually the real escape pod this whole time. He just misjudged it due to how many times hu'mn's did a similar deceptive tactic, he knows the mission is jeopardize now because of that misjudgement. Which is why with the current situation, the Swarm Head be damned on leaving things be without some closure. His mission is compromised, but not unsalvageable.

  Overturning his order, he then barked another, catching everyone's attention. “(Lower Claw O’Lt, abandon the previous order. Go after the escape pod! I will try to safely get the shuttle off on my own and extract our remaining boarding swarm! Go! Waste no time!)”

  He ordered and cut off Lower Claw O’Lt from replying as his ship then lurched in a twisting surge of metal and energy, as he alone now bare the whole weight of the shuttle. He looked at the hologram to see Lower Claw O’Lt chasing the escape module in haste, as he now faces his own problem of keeping the structure of his ship from collapsing on itself, but also try to not let the knockback of putting the gravitational tethers from snapping back and killing everyone on board the moment he lets it go. This was one of the reasons why overloading these tethers is not advisable, even in non military applications.

  "(Everyone, reach you're claws out and help you're comrades on deck. I will try to manoeuvre the ship on a nearby tree to safely dislodge us away from the shuttle. Quickly my comrades!)" He then received a confirmation as he takes a quick glance outside to see the two remaining units of the boarding swarm warily balancing themselves from the turbulent weight of the ship where they can be extracted safely. He looks at the hologram, where it revealed the pressure continuously being delt by the joints would snapped anytime now as he tried his best to manually control the gravitational tethers manually in a rotational manner.

  Boom!

  An small explosion rocked as one of the gravitational tethers snapped and ricocheted itself into the ship, nearly throwing his balanced trajectory to a disastrous tilt from his damaged stabilizers. However, just in time for him to safely got all of units remaining in his ship. It may be cramped, but it's better than anything. With that out of the way, the Swarm Head then turned the ship as the heavy weight of the shuttle erupted into a menacing groan of the uneven distribution of weight from the tethers. Melting and bending the damaged spine of the shuttle, crushing it's remaining structural integrity points as it go towards a nearby tree. Steadily, he got closer and closer as the beetle ship's thrusters are at its maximum ouput.

  With great precision as he could hear and feel the metal scratching and buckling from the nearby branches as avian creatures began to fly off. There, the entire ship shooked as the Swarm Head have successfully even the pressure of gravity in both ends, as the output of the tethers slowly but drastically dropped to natural units. Then, the tree shooked, since there was no longer an greater opposite pull on the shuttle's weight, the branches below it that barely supports the weight of the craft gave in as a groaning noise of metal can be heard and the crunching and smashing of metal as it dropped to the ground with a thud that shook the earth.

  There with baited clicking of his mandibles and fluttering of his wings, the Swarm Head can finally lean himself of intense relief. Putting his stubby mandibles on his face as his wings fluttered each time he inhaled himself some air. It really is a very lucky scientific fact that the hu'mns and Religiosa almost breathe the same atmosphere with some caveats. In his case, he might feel sick later on with some unkown sickness in the hu'mn environment, or even some atmospheric poisoning. Either way, he doesn't care for that at the moment as he needs to calm himself down before getting away from his location as fast as possible.

  Ping!

  Just in time, Lower Claw O'Lt have retrieved the Heiress. At that quick moment, he wish dearly he could kill her pretty neck right there and then for the needless losses. However he kept his cool barely, as he composes himself. With one last flutter of his wings, he then dial the hologram to announce the operation a success, albeit barely receiving solemn replies from his crew and swarm. "(Good job Lower Swarm Head Le'N, thanks to you're efforts we have now successfully retrieved the Heiress on our hands. Quickly return to the Line 4 for the next gathering... the hu'mns are on there way fast and have detected our other scouting vessels. Time is haste. For the True Goddess.)"

  Lower Swarm Head Lo'N grit his jaws as despite the operator not blaming him for the incident, he knows he was the cost of the whole mess that is currently happening. However time is haste as he activated his thrusters and put on a respirator. However just as he was about to close the hologram, there his heart pounded and his wings fluttering with fury.

  On the ground below him, detected two lifeforms running away from the debris of the shuttle. Of which the seekers, have positively identified one of them as... the Ent Heiress.

  R u n .

  That is all what Nikolai thought to himself for not only surviving his insane plan on making a decoy out of the escape pods as makeshift bombs with the energy containers he got, but also surviving the second crash of the shuttle by hiding himself and the noble alien inside one of the lodged escape pods. Since they are very resilient from the outside, it was there best bet on where they can hide. Worse of all, Nikolai thought the bomb wouldn't cook off by the sudden shift of pressure of the sudden stop of motion from the odd gravity tech the aliens have.

  Thankfully however it exploded. Leading to the very situation they are now in currently. Running for their lives as fast as they can.

  "(Where can we possibly go from here on? They already have detected us and I am no near to disable their seekers by my gap in proximity.)" The noble alien asked with somehow no typos on his HUD, as he let her access his private channel. Consequences be damned for letting the enemy tap into his private personal network, but better be alive to face those consequences than dead! "(I already have blasted my SOS to all frequencies in the area! Just run and don't look back!)" Nikolai screamed in fear as then, a bolt of light streaked on his right side by a good 3 or 4 meters as blood drain from his face.

  "(RUN!)" Is all he can bark, but with the slow pace of the noble alien, they'll be catch by no time at all! For something having four legs, Nikolai even expected he would be left behind to die, not the damned opposite! It must be those damned swords! Thought Nikolai in a raging fire as he has no choice but to slow his pace and grab one of the thermal rifles he got from the ship. It may not have enough energy capacity, but it is enough for his use at the moment.

  With a electronic whirr, Nikolai shot his thermal rifle as hot plasma breaks through the air. Honestly, he was surprised it didn't even have any knock backs or have that long of a range considering how garbage of a weapon type plasma is in planetary atmosphere. Yet whatever the aliens have engineered in their xenocidal heads, they definitely are on to something.

  The noble girl flinched when the light fired upon his thermal rifle, naturally he missed some shots or barely grazed the melted surface at the horrifying sight of a ship that looks like a gigantic beetle chasing after them. Clearing anything away or dragging things towards it like a gigantic psychic bug! "What bloody hell is this?! When in Aperture's name did I got transported in some Imperial light novel?!"

  Nobody replied as he pushed the noble girl into some wrecked building that has merged into a tree where Nikolai tried his best not to get pierced by the blades of the noble alien girl as he dragged one of the hands she got. "(Princess! Get those blades back to where they came from or they'll kill me! Now tell me if there is any way I can temporarily, or much better, permanently disabled it?!)"

  It took a second for the noble girl to respond from his question, as then, the thermal blades then retracted mechanically on her upper pair of arms, in which Nikolai realised are actually not biological but mechanical as it then arranged itself on her back with a hiss. "(Yes, it is it's gravitational tethers, they are sensitive to weight changes and are vulnerable when struck. However, that is if you are brave enough to even confront them head on in the line of fire.)" Just then, the wrecked building shakes as dust and debris began to fall on their heads.

  Nikolai immediately grabbed her hand as he went passed through a broken stairway upwards and jumping out of the broken wall, together with the noble girl, carrying her like a sack of potatoes as he can hear some noise in the comms channel from her. Surprising him on how bloody heavy she was and the metal he can feel inside the suit. Just as then the building collapses for the pressures it endured on all sides. Which made Nikolai think how in the actual world is he even going to disable that?! It may look easy on targeting the tethers, but it's computers and pilot are smart enough to not make them vulnerable by deliberately making a shield out of the debris. If that is not enough, though the thermal rifle was hot enough to melt metal, he is no sharp shooter and the environment around him is too uneven to help with that!

  'Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Think Nik! Think! There's gotta be a way!' Nikolai desperately thought, but no matter how he sees it, unlike in the crashed ship where he has some prep time, in this case he even has no time whatsoever to stop and think, else they die! Especially now the beetle ship has dislodge itself and are now taking it's pace very quickly. There's gotta be! Anything!

  Then a dangling item then was upon Nikolai's vision as a idea struck him. "(By the way, is the keycard a frequency base chip or a proximity based one? And how many orders can it provide?)" Nikolai asked as the noble alien girl somehow still managed to reply without typos. "(It is proximity based, did I not tell you on how it works by merely letting it go near a desired item to activate or deactivate? And no, it is not of my Universal Keys, on it's basic points, it is just a remote device under my control.)"

  That is more than enough. Nikolai thought to himself as he turned his body to a another direction to another merged building into a tree. There, he hastily dropped the large noble alien down so his legs can finally breathe in relief of the weight gone, he then grabbed the keycard necklace from her neck as he wrapped it around his basic thermal knife. "(Hey, let me ask you this, do you trust from what I have to do right now?)" Nikolai asked with a clear nervousness in his voice as the noble girl recovered from her drop and replied with what Nikolai hints as sarcasm. "(Do you think I have a choice at the moment human? Go and do our desired plan of escape. I have already given command of the key to deactivation, march onwards human.)"

  With a nod from Nikolai, he then grabbed his pistol before Ash could realised what he has done, a blast of bluish light flooded her eyes upon her vision. Not only that, it made a disorienting mess of her display on her helmet as she contemplated on taking the helmet off. However, that wasn't the one that got her attention, it is rather the human, or rather, his absence.

  Not only physically but also his absence on her holomap. However that's not really the case, though very feint, his heat signature is still somewhere within the ramshackled spire that she could not detect accurately. Whatever the case the human did, he somehow managed to not only kept his frequency silent, but also managed to hide his static holosignature. Ash is not sure whether or not this is another human trickery, but at this moment, her future endeavours are now at his claws as she gave him her only weapon against the pursuers.

  Just like the evil of legends, a large portion of the building then opened up forcefully as it was thrown elsewhere by the gravitational appendages of the Tether Ship. There, Ash stood still as several lights was casted upon her like a star being greeted on stage. At this moment she was caught, but she knows that a plan has been crafted. If only she is as combat capable as her mother, then she wouldn't have to resort to this situation while being aided by a inferior species. However she is here now, and her choices have brought herself into this very cycle.

  With a brief breath and fluttering of her wings under her suit, she composed her anxiousness away as she greeted her pursuers with poise.

  "Greetings Lower Swarm Head Le'N. How may I of service to you, oh traitors of the Confederation. To what you owe me a witness of you're untimely visit to my presence, to I, Ash'Ent of Clan Ent?" There was some silence as only the droning of the ship's thrusters and static flow of the gravitational tethers came to be. Then at the corner of her eye on her holomap, there she can see the human's small heat signature move about as she huffs her chest in confidence. "No replies of the visitor that personally came to me? Towards the Heiress of Ent Clan? Does you're manners bound to nothing for not only wasting my time, but also pursuing you're Grand Noble?... Then again, filthy traitors wouldn't know of manners or loyalty to begin with for you're sinful betrayal."

  This time there was a response as the lights have now reduced into one source, which allowed her to see the sorry state of the Tether Ship and it's pilot on the wrecked exposed cockpit. "Ent Heiress... it would be very wise of you to stop prolonging this farce now that you're drone have left you behind in fear. That is to his benefit for serving a loyal drone you are to you're fake Goddess. Kneel down and surrender. Or else I have no choice but to resort to force... you know yourself we are not setting up an act. So surrender, noble one."

  There was silence as Ash didn't move nor attempt to kneel down as the ship rider continued. "I see, of course you're pride wouldn't allow that. Else you wouldn't be a noble in the first place. Forgive me heiress, but I shall now apprehend you with force." Before he could make a move, Ash replied with a raised claw as she looks upon her holomap to see the human's feint signature now dangerously close to the Tether Ship. "You are correct rider, a noble would not simply back down for something as meaningless as a encounter like this. Know that as pride and honor of our species wouldn't allow such pitiful capture, a pitiful capture of a Grand House as nonetheless. Now, before you apprehend me, I will cooperate. However, listen to my words first beforehand."

  She then use her stubby hands to raise a point finger. "Collaborating with the rebels will do you no good, you think I did not know of you're crew of less sapient descent? I assure you, you are doing things the wrong way of fighting for you're wishes. Traitors among them in you're ranks, and those of free will are already trampled before you know it of you're false Goddess." Silence stretched forth as tensions rised up between them, with Ash gritting her jaw before continuing.

  "I see... you do not heed. It seems not only you toss my branch of good faith towards you, but also how you tossed yours in this relentless, and futile struggle of False Fate. I am sure you realised, but I doubt you trust the words of a True Blood." Before she could continue, the rider then spoke up before her.

  "Isn't it natural we don't trust the likes of you, after what you all did to us? Common folk, uncommon folk, whichever may be, there are no exceptions on you're egoistic drive Heiress. Now cease, and crawl forward." Upon his words, Ash fluttered for a moment before composing herself once more as she raise another finger, and this time, pointed at their direction as her next words have allowed her to hear the heightened chatter in their transceivers and panic from the rider as something fell on top of him.

  "Human."

  Just then, a card dropped on the cockpit, the ship immediately lurched as a choking noise reverberated within the insides of the ship, followed by the sputtering of the engines shutting off and the gravitational tethers shutting down the moment the deactivation code came to the system. Dropping the ship into the ground with a shaking thunder. There, Ash watches as the rider of the ship struggle in the cockpit, before his life was cut short. Lights flashed, frying and melting the cockpit and anything around it as fire erupted in stupendous fashion.

  The human didn't stop as he keeps on firing. The thruster area, the tether appendages, the cargo hold on it's back. Until eventually, he stopped. Dropping both of the standard energy rifles as he takes a breather. There, the front end of the helmet opened, but Ash couldn't see his face as he takes a large breaths. There, his signature finally appeared on the holomap. With a flutter from her wings, she looks on the wreck in front of her as silence came with her hand conjoined together to make a silent prayer to the Goddess.

  Nikolai breath hard, taking in the oxygen as his second risky game pays off. Turning his life support system and computer forcibly down with the EMP blast after effects of the plasma pistol. Since his suit was made to also cover his heat signature, it was only a matter of time before he killed himself by the nonfunctioning gas mask. Next time, he prefers to have one that doesn't need to run in electricity. Either way, it payed off.

  Yet... Nikolai's shaking hands beg to differ as he still couldn't bounce back on killing someone in front of him. Unlike what he did to the escape pod bomb, where he could not see the devastation. His actions currently in front of was a experience he wish he wouldn't get used to in the future... but knowing the future of his planet, perhaps his wishes wouldn't be fulfilled anytime soon. "Oh Aperture... Fuck me..."

  With a curse to himself and the reactivation of his hazard suit, Nikolai plans to deal with any potential pathogens later as for now he needs to deal with the noble alien girl. As he closed the polymer back, he got down from the upper floors and there he met up with noble girl, waiting for him. "(You nearly risked my life, but I'll excuse you're actions for you're effective handling of the traitors.)"

  She typed on his HUD as Nikolai sighed and rolled his eyes as Jhonn's face appeared and his voice echoing in his ears. At the same time, Nikolai wonders how in the world she is so calm despite facing that beetle ship. Nonetheless, it's over now. This fact made his shaken self calm a bit as he looks at the downed ship. Still surprised to himself that he taken down a behemoth with his bare hands. "(Is the keycard salvageable or important?)"

  With what Nikolai assumed she made a raised brow and quizzical look, she typed. "(Not exactly important, however it will come in fruitful events. If it isn't melted, then it must be salvage and will be my acting Universal Keycard.)" With a nod, Nikolai then walk and climbed his way towards the still hot plates of the ship. Luckily, the surface was roughened up, so it was more like easy wall climbing. Minus the hot plates of course.

  When he reaches to the top and prepares himself not to gag, there he almost did spit his breakfast as the partially melted and intact body of the pilot leaned itself on it's burned and melted seat like area. He holds his chest for a moment to feel his heart thumping, his hand twitching, and his bile at his throat before backing down. With a very deep breath, he looked at the console to surprisingly see it intact, including his thermal knife even. After getting it out and inspecting it with a small chuckle.

  At the corner of his eye, he sees a charging light, and instinctively, he let himself fall to towards the steep slope of the beetle ship, as the plasma bolt passes through and barely grazing him. But it was enough for the build-up of heat to bleed through the suit as he fell back first to the ground, much to the noble alien's surprise. That surprise immediately turned into caution as she looked at where the light was from and froze.

  Despite his body aching, he pushed himself up and grabbed the noble alien towards the back as plasma bolts cut through and melting them on the walls of the merged building. It was there Nikolai now realised of the dangers he is in, that they weren't using lasers of some kind, but plasma, and the one he is using earlier was also plasma! Normally, the aliens would have used chemical lasers, not plasma!

  "(Princess! Any counter?! Anything?! Can that keycard do something about them!?)" Nikolai asked as he takes a defensive stance and brings out his short range plasma pistol and blocked the noble alien's view from the coming duo of aliens as they fired upon them. Drastically destroying their cover as they melted with each precise hit. "(I can only disable their weapons, even then they will noticed you throwing the keycard and destroy it. And even if you do, they will have a back up when that happens.)"

  Nikolai cursed himself as they have now run out of options. They could try ro hide in the beetle ship, but they will be caught in the line of sight and shoot. For the worse, they most likely call for backup even! So their chances are now lower than even the chances they got on that ship. His HUD can calculate all the best tactics and trajectories to kill them, but as long as he ain't Cecilia, attempting to dodge something faster than a traditional kinetic weapon is a death sentence!

  Nikolai bit his lip, as there is truly nothing they could do with their current skillset. If only he has a drop of Cecilia's skills right now and things could have gone a different way!

  . . .

  Ping!

  "(Need some help Nik.)"

  It was not a question, but a demand. The noble alien wondered why Nikolai froze in his place, but within his suit was a stupid relieved grin as Nikolai did then excitedly punch the area he is in as formalities are no needed. "(Area J-21, 129m above sea level, 98m smoke, clear patch, 2 hostiles!)" That was all Cecilia needs as the channel cuts off, Nikolai then looked back at the noble alien as he raised a thumbs up, much to her confusion. "We're saved." Is all he said as two thumping noise then echoed, surprising the noble girl as she straightened up for a moment.

  "(I presumed you're human allies have arrived. That is for the better.)" Is all she replied as the two of them peaked outside. There were two headless aliens, one body still twiching as few metres ahead of them is a sizable crater of what Nikolai assumes is Cecilia's 105mm anti-armour linear rifle. That stupidly large gun she sometimes always carry, by the size of the crater. AP type ammo must have been used.

  Still it didn't need help him ease his worries of the twitching body and the noble girl beside him watching warily on the scene. "(Do you know of this person? I sensed a rather personal ordeal with the way the traitors have been handled.)" She typed as both of them then look in the sky to see two aircraft coming to them.

  One of them is what Nikolai recognised as a Light Attack Helicopter, escorting a much larger VTOL Combat Troop Carrier as they quickly got to their direction. One of which he sees a familiar redhead hanging out on it's railings dangerously.

  Beside him, the noble girl didn't say a word as the noises get louder and louder and eventually, they have reached above them as the engines of both rotor and hybrid combustion screams like a predator finding it's prey. Not long after multiple drones of varying sizes separated itself, followed by jamming and distortion field being implemented. Then finally, ropes were dropped, as the soldiers sling their way downwards. Unlike the ones with armoured suits of varying weight sizes who just dropped themselves from the sky forming a kill circle. Then finally, there arriving almost at the same time was Cecilia wearing only a gas mask, showing off her usual attire, followed by Instructor Takamiya wearing the same when he last saw him, and... on his hands was a small doll that shows a stereotype of a android.

  However that is no ordinary doll, it was the SAI. SAI Venture herself, but only it's personification of it in a doll... however, that's not what is on the top of his head as the noble girl warily got so close to him that they are practically glued nervously. Though mostly Nikolai whom is clearly nervous than whatever expression the noble alien is wearing under the suit. "(I am aware this is not how humans greet each other in my learnings, unless something changed, but correct me if I am wrong. How come you're kin are pointing their weapons at us?)"

  Once again, he is surprised that there are no typos. But he is more surprised he can even reply without breaking a cold sweat. "(Maybe it is a welcome party?...)"

  "[Nikolai Freeman. Xeno.]"

  The SAI started as the world went silent, including the noble alien as most likely, the SAI have hacked her computer systems as well effortlessly as she was now staring at the doll, just like Nikolail.

  "[I hereby announced the arrest of Nikolai Freeman, for the pretense of collaborating with the xenocidal xenos, under the RA 989991, of the new Jurisdiction of the Emergency Government. Furthermore questioning shall be done until proven innocence. Until then, Nikolai Freeman, Xeno Collaborator, both of you will be under house arrest. Do not resist.]