“Oh there's no rush. I'm going to be here for the next few days.” Getting dressed for the situation, armed and acquiring any necessary survival gear was something that needed to be token care of.

Viryon required a good explanation. It was tough for her to grasp the concept of a safari. To her that was just life in one fashion or another. Sometimes you were the prey. Other times you hunted. She was far from the top of the food chain but far from the bottom too. Feasting on smaller lizards and bugs was something she did. Granted not since becoming a chimera. Once she grasped the idea she supplied her skills. Skills that had never come up before.

“Oh tracking is easy if you have the time. The trick is doing it while disguising your trail least you be tracked in turn.” Viryon was always eager to be helpful. The safari neither interested her or disinterested her. She simply enjoyed spending time with the former agent.

“If your friend wants to come the more the merrier. Luna has all my contact info and I'm staying at the same hotel as she.”

Opting to contact Kurgan Phoebe was approached by one of the alien communicators when she was ready to make that call. The Keldorians sensed their needs or the tech they had had extraordinary algorithms based on what they heard, saw and experienced and where just that good at predicting a person's needs.

Contacting to the Voren was a sync.

“Hm.” He pondered over the safari. Hunting was in the blood of the Voren even though the doctor didn't do much of it himself. Most of that had to do with his size and being shunned by others of his kind. His skills in the regard to the hunt had been minor seeing how out of practice they were. Still, there was something that called at him the few times it came up.

It was hard to resist those urges. Kurgan did well enough with pouring himself into other passions. “I wouldn't be much good but I'll tag along if you'd have me. Oh, almost forgot. I whipped up a new candy. I was overlooking the obvious for the longest time.

“Essentially it's a jaw breaker. Not as potent as the other stuff but longer lasting. It can transform a blazing inferno into a dull ache for hours rather than eradicating symptoms entirely for shorter durations.” Of course once he and Luna got together between the pair of them he should be steered in the direction of a breakthrough adapting some of that agent's serums with his own knowledge. It wouldn't lead to a cure but Kurgan thought that he could prolong that duration and increase that effectiveness.

For other results he would need a ton of time. With their resources Kurgan was able to keep up with his research. A part of him didn't want to find a means or reversing the effects brought to her. Her needs only benefited him in the long run. The rational part of his brain told him that little would change if he were successful. Given her past and experiences thus far her views about sex were more relaxed.

Arranging a met up Phoebe had a bit of time to relax, change or look into these matters further.

“What's that?” Viryon pointed out a shooting star that streaked across the sky. A few people noticed. Some looked. Others got cameras out as if expecting a meteor shower or hoping for one. None came other than that single incident.

If she decided to back to the hotel Hope would remain with them until they got there otherwise she would depart. Kurgan could met them there or elsewhere as she willed.

Having a few more days made planning easier and took some pressure off the former agent to make her choice up right then and there. Phoebe obviously meant to head out with her friends and companions, the old as well as the new, savoring more of the local entertainment available. “Alright then. We’ll get in touch once we’ve made up our minds as to when we’re free for one of those safaris. Or, you just contact us whenever you and Luna feel like it. Shouldn’t be any trouble with all those floating kiosks around.”

She was also delighted to find Viryon open to the idea. Tracking on the ground may have been different from doing the same thing in space though the same principles applied. Still, this one was mostly for the fun of it and Phoebe wouldn’t mind coming back empty-handed. Of course, if the competition stirred a bit of her pride, then perhaps they’d be in it for a few trophies of their own.

Once settled, however, the blonde went on to speak to Kurgan. They had their ‘special’ relations, but there must’ve been no denying she couldn’t scratch every itch he had. Naturally, that wouldn’t keep her from appealing to it all the same, even for something as simple as heading out into the wild together. Playful, if not a little flirtatious, her mind had already been made up as to whether he should join or not. “Well, I’d like you to come along. It wouldn’t be the perfect vacation without you around, now would it?”

Listening to his progress on the candy certainly improved her mood. “Thanks for your help, Kurgan. You really are the best. As long as it’s got some actual flavor to it, that is.” She couldn’t help but smile at that. Purging those symptoms completely would’ve been preferable, but as long as they weren’t all there, things would be a lot better than they were now. Simply having a chat made those cells tingle in the most delicious fashion. “Ahem .. Anyway, looking forward to tasting your newest work. We can meet up at the hotel or grab a bite to eat somewhere else first, if either you or Viryon are hungry.” Routes could be changed accordingly. If he or her reptilian friend declined having a meal together, meeting up at the hotel seemed best.

She opted for a casual stroll to their meeting spot, with or without Hope depending on where they were going, all while keeping Viryon close. Shining yellow eyes peered up at the girl’s question to find the beautiful streak of light across the sky.

“That’s a shooting star. It’s basically a meteor burning up in the atmosphere.” It only dawned on her now they hadn’t been on planets long enough to ever see one of those. Most of their time had been spent aboard stations or ships, which was as much a necessity as it was a shame considering there was much more to observe than Phoebe had ever taken Viryon to see for herself. They really were in dire need of a vacation, huh?

Another thought came to mind as she looked at her with a warm expression. “You should close your eyes and make a wish if you’re lucky enough to see one. That way, anything your heart desires will come to you. At least that’s what my mother used to say, although I’m not sure it was ever true to begin with .. Wanna give it a try?”

It must’ve been a small meteor nonetheless if the Keltorians, even without an active military force, didn’t bother destroying it in space. Still, it made for a subtle piece of visual delight for those lucky enough to look up. This place really had it all, it seemed.

For now, however, it was time to reunite her companions. That way, Kurgan would have a chance to see her out of that flight suit and admire her new casual outfit though it hardly was anything too flashy, quite unlike what’s been waiting in her shopping bag the entire time as well. Something reserved for more private evening hours probably matched his interests more anyway, though it was nice to just be herself and wear an outfit more befitting of what couldn’t have been described as anything but a truly lovely day.

Kurgan confirmed that the latest candy did have a flavor. Rather than loosing it's taste after a short while like gum. At the moment he only had a grape flavor not having much time to concoct an array of flavors. In the near future she'd have something to look forward to.

He arranged to met her for a meal. Kurgan had a bad habit of skipping them when he got side trekked and busy tinkering with this or that. Far behind him where the days of monotony in repairing injuries. He hoped that in his absence the other slaves had an easier time of things. The Voren wouldn't want to break their toys and without a doctor to mend them they would be less harsh until getting a replacement at least. Or so he hoped.

Hope went off as she and Viryon made their way along to the restaurant selected. Pausing at the sight of the shooting star With her transformation things that had alarmed her in the past didn't. And many of the things that had ended up diminishing in time after an explanation or two.

Viryon was quick in learning and adapting. Things that she wouldn't have comprehended before her experiments were picked up. She had an easy of learning. While she didn't always understand the how's and why's of things she had a knack of excepting things and taking it from there.

“A wish?” Viryon gave some thought to the matter. What to wish for? Viryon was rather simple. Until recently looking beyond simple survival was something she didn't contemplate. Immediate concerns had fueled her mind for the most part.

As they moved along most of the guests appeared human or near human to her eyes. There was nothing threatening at least and she wondered if the others saw members of their own species in place of humans. Viryon and Kurgan were familiar to her and appeared as they did normally. Kurgan had already been at their destination waving them down.

He was seated at a table out doors. The name of the establishment didn't exactly roll off the tongue. The restaurant in question was close to the hanger section so Kurgan had arrived first. As usual he was wearing his lab coat. After the pair was seated he produced two wrapped jaw breaker candies for her.

He had only been here a short time but managed to get a lot done. Making those candies were second nature to him now. As long as he wasn't attempting to enhance them he could follow a basic recipe. This allowed him to tend to other things. Like baking there was time that he could fill with other things while waiting after everything was put together.

“That safari isn't the only thing in that section of the planet.” Given that the resort and amusement areas were smaller there was a whole world out there. Still there was only so much that the guests saw. “There are races too. Different sorts. Vehicles for the most part. I'm not sure if there is anything with space craft. There might be off world.”

He pointed up to the heavens. “Or maybe a simulator. Any way, shortly after I called you I got wind of a different sort of safari. Apparently a ship crashed out there recently. From what I overheard most tech doesn't work out in the wastes. Weapons and short range stuff. Coms, drones, sensors, none of it works properly. I suppose that is the main draw for those that take in the hunts. None of that fancy equipment is reliable. Anyway, there is a huge prize to anyone that can get to the wreckage. Salvage rights among them.”

From what he knew it was challenging out there. Whether the Wastes had been a large section near the resort or the rest of the planet was something he didn't know. What Kurgan was aware of was that the ship was a distance away and so far not many people knew of it. With many hunters already out there on safari they wouldn't get wind of it until they returned. As far as he could tell that would be at least a day. Many of the safaris were much longer than that seeing that the creatures they hunted were farther from the area. Learning to stay clear due to the past hunts it would seem.

Kurgan himself had limited desire in hunting either creatures or tracking down a ship. He couldn't pilot that well. He simply passed on information content to be around her without people shooting at them. And if she happened to have one of her episodes well he wouldn't complain about that.

The wish would be up to Viryon. Phoebe hadn’t bothered prying either. She really just mentioned it to spark some imagination in that pretty little head of hers and have her ponder on the matter for a while. Starting off in that alien’s dungeon, traveling with the former agent and Voren by her side, coming here to this paradise world; a lot of things could happen though she was always being dragged along more often than wishing for anything herself. If nothing else, it’d be food for the reptilian woman’s thoughts for a time.

All those humans around them were becoming less and less surprising. The natives did a splendid job masking everyone’s true appearances to her senses and as far as the others were concerned, Phoebe figured they saw whatever came closest to ‘normal’. A few specimens still stood out and as such it was the white wolf who soon found her arms, warmth and body pressed up against him as soon as they met up and he offered up those candies.

Jaw breakers, meant to be long lasting remedies no doubt. Phoebe caught a whiff of grape from them, nothing particularly special but it was certainly better than nothing at all. “You’re a lifesaver, Kurgan,” she complimented his handiwork with a smile before tucking them away for now. “Thanks for these. I’ll try one of ‘em after we’ve had a bite to eat. Next time we’re out for lunch we’ll have to get you something a bit more .. casual to wear. You’re really sticking out in that coat of yours.”

Aside from giving her friends a moment to reunite on their own terms, the blonde sat down and was waiting to order something to ease her grumbling stomach. Shopping set aside, followed by a brief chat with the waitress, her attention lingered on Kurgan who picked up on one thing or another while he was out.

“Salvage rights, huh? Sounds mighty generous ..” Looking around, the Keltorians probably had little use for one small vessel when they had this vast resort to generate income. Still, calling dibs on such a thing was an appetizing thought, and depending on the type of vessel they may be in for quite the haul even if the shell itself turned out to be too damaged for timely repairs. Not that they couldn’t buy anything they needed with the wealth she’d amassed, but the accomplishment in combination with recovering potentially exotic tech made her quite a bit more curious than usual. “What kind of ship are we talking here? How much damage are we expecting? Does anyone know?”

Something to consider was the likely location of that ship. Was it the supposed meteor they’d seen earlier or something else? What about the people on board? Weren’t there going to be survivors? What if the Keltorians themselves dumped a ship there for tourists to try and grab for themselves? Either way, it could be worth a shot, but the craft wouldn’t be up for grabs for long. Others likely heard of it before they did.

“And to think I came here to relax ..” Phoebe blew out a sigh, causing her to grimace at the tingling shards of molten bliss running through her mouth and throat. “We really haven’t got much time if we want to get there first, do we? I’m not sure our ‘new’ friends would like it as much as a safari either though if that whole thing fails we can always deviate to a hunt from there ..”

She didn’t even know if Kurgan brought it up for the sake of conversation or gauging her reaction and thus interest in such an undertaking. Still, her mind was already going over the possibilities of maneuvering this place without a whole lot of modern tech. It sure had enough appeal to make her seriously consider going. “What say you, doctor? Viryon? Shall we bag ourselves some salvage or take it easy for a while? You’ve certainly earned it.”

Kurgan shrugged then held his arms out so she could get a better look at him. “You do realize that I only have a bunch of these in my wardrobe. I figured it's less conspicuous then running around naked.” Like many eccentric beings Kurgan only had one particular set of clothes. Deciding what to wear on a day to day basis was something he didn't have to worry about.

As talk turned to salvage Kurgan answered her questions as best as he could. “I'm unsure about crew and what not. I'm guessing no survivors since we wouldn't be able to get salvage claims. No telling how they know … then again that's galactic naval law which applies to space. They probably have different laws that apply.” He was uncertain as to how that applied to planetary law. Maybe the government or governments of the world landed upon seized such ships to recover any damages they did.

“Regardless the ship is out there. As best as I've worked out there's the amusement park, the hanger, resort and everything else is the wastes where they do the safaris. I'm willing to bet that there are other cities but nothing close by.

“If we find nothing or someone gets there first it would be easy to deviate to a traditional hunt. We really don't need the salvage. It's different and probably easier than the safari any way. With other hunters out there they won't get word about it until they get back so only those that are already here or have come after. As a Voren the thrill of the hunt is more appealing than tracking down a ship. So unless that ship has something really interesting or valuable many will ignore it I think.

“I'm not sure how big it is.”

Viryon pondered for a moment. Thinking over her choice. “I cannot track inanimate things in most situations. So the ship only appeals to me if there are survivors to be rescued.”

“Don't know if there are or not. In either case I haven't hunted since … gosh … slightly older than a pup. My talents directed me to other pursuits. So either or neither is fine with me. It's a vacation and neither action rewards us.”

“Unless there are survivors to help.” Viryon chirped in.

“Well. Yeah. There's that. I'm guessing the government could intercept that crash site ahead of everyone. I'd even say they already checked it out to rule that out had the event not just happened a short while ago. Either they don't care or more likely scanned it for life signs.” Kurgan didn't know for sure. He had been getting vibes off of the natives. Neither good or bad but something told him they were off. Maybe it was there scent.

He order the girls a round of drinks. Eating while they talked and discussed their plans. Whatever she decided to do was fine with him. Likewise it seemed that Viryon was pleased enough just to spend some time with her rather than on the specifics of what they were doing.

Even if Hope wasn't enthused about this it was easy enough to meet up with her after or go from one to the other. Chances were good that they would have to deal with native species along the way. Arranging logistics was something Kurgan could accomplish easy enough with a few calls. Getting a skiff for transport, weapons, food (mostly water) and whatever else they would need. Medical equipment just in case and so one.

Neither was in a hurry following her lead. If Phoebe pressed for speed then they would. Otherwise Kurgan was rather lax.

Selfishly making the choice to go when neither of her companions seemed all that excited about it made her think it best to make it up to them somehow. Phoebe’s been thinking about going to the amusement park with childlike enthusiasm ever since they set foot on the planet. The whole thing sounded like a fun day out with her companions, but at the same time those thrill rides weren’t going anywhere. The salvage, on the other hand, could still be claimed by others. The prospect of getting there first was the cause of her excitement while actually making it would be the reward.

Survivors must’ve been accounted for by the Keltorians, but if they hadn’t it couldn’t hurt to reach them sooner rather than later. She’d push for speed, if only a little, but that was after they had a pleasant lunch out. Phoebe forwarded the necessary payments for the meals and whatever equipment Kurgan deemed necessary while making a few calls to Hope and Luna herself. Asking them along was supposed to be her treat for the simulator experience earlier.

Although the thrill of it couldn’t quite live up to a safari, nothing about going prevented them from deviating to a hunt in the long run. It was more about the challenge of getting there first anyway. If they came in second, third or whatever, they still had an alternative to work with. If they got there first, Phoebe mostly planned on getting a quick look around. As Kurgan stated, they really didn’t need the salvage and should the Keltorians not keep an eye out for scavengers in her stead, she’d be fine with extracting the more interesting and useful equipment then leaving the rest for opportunists to recover.

After finishing up at the restaurant, the group set out to their purchased equipment. If they were coming along, she told the other girls to meet them at the designated location. Traveling in a hurry right after lunch certainly wasn’t the most pleasant experience though they could likely rest up for a while once they had gotten underway.

Likewise, it provided another opportunity for her to extend an arm around Viryon’s shoulder as they walked. “Say, would you like to pilot the skiff yourself?” It was a small token of trust, but she seemed content to just be around her and this was a chance to work closely on one and the same thing. “You’ve already proven yourself a capable pilot. It’s a little different than flying, of course, but I’d be happy to help you learn. I’ve got some catching up to do on being at the helm of one myself anyway.”

“I hear you cleared the game. Impressive. A salvage trip? Hm. Hope's will be up for it. The area is in the wastes which is were they do the safaris so it may be dangerous. And I love the challenge about whatever dampener they have against tech. I'm sure I could finagle something.”

Luna and Hope would accompany them. After authoring a few payments Kurgan arranged the rental of their skiff and supplies through a kiosk. Weapons and tools among other things like food and medical equipment. Not knowing what they would face he stocked up on two days of rations. He was more practiced with surgical tools but got the basics that they may need in getting into a ship such as plasma cutters along with things that would help in stripping or removing components. Likewise his selection of weapons had been limited.

With the tech in the wastes being suppressed he went with old slug throwers. Getting a sidearm and rifle for each of them outside of himself. A few primitive weapons rounded things out like machetes and knives. Back up ammo so they each had a spare magazine or two. As well as some low tech explosives. Not that he had a clue as to how to use them but between the agents they probably knew. The plasma torches might not be enough to breech the ship so it was better to have them and not need them then finding that they could use them.

“I can pilot?” Viryon blinked and considered. Excited at the prospect of piloting a land vehicle. It was different. Piloting was far more complicated and Phoebe was sure that Viryon would pick it up readily enough.

Going to the hanger after changing or not they found their open air skiff waiting for them. It resembled a large pick up truck. The supplies already loaded allowing Kurgan to check everything off while she and Viryon went over the controls. The vehicle hovered about a foot off the ground and couldn't go higher than that like an air car. Terrain hindered it too. It couldn't hover over water and would fall into holes only able to hover close to the ground.

The vibrations it caused while moving usually didn't set off IEDs unless they were very sensitive or calibrated to trigger with little pressure. Both Luna and Hope were already in the hanger. Neither was waiting for them but each had been in their own ship getting outfitted for the wastes. Hope arrived first in a black battle suit. She had a blaster pistol that might not be of much use but her real sword strapped to her back was probably what she'd be using.

Luna arrived a little late. In a skin tight red body suit she was unarmed. Save for a tool kit, a scanner that she was tinkering with had been in hand.

“I've been attempting to boost the range with little luck so far. The natives really don't want foreign tech to work all that well.”

“Or something on the planet impedes it and the Keldorians found a way to bypass it.” Kurgan suggested. “Everything's here. Any last minute things I've forgotten? Last chance before we head out into the wastes.”

Changing into a familiar flight suit concluded Phoebe’s personal preparations for the upcoming trip. Between her most recent escape from another nightmare, reuniting with Kurgan and winding up on this paradise world, not much time had gone into shopping for more capable armor and weapons, let alone those that would function around here. She assumed it’d be enough for a salvage trip out in the wastes though only time would tell if she was to be correct on that assumption.

Unlike the other women on site, her outfit really couldn’t live up to their standard. Phoebe’s expression softened at the sights in front of her. Not that it was the time to think about such things, but both agents really wore their respective suits well whereas hers alluded to feminine contours underneath, but not to the extent a most alluring skintight bodysuit might have. Thankfully, they weren’t here for their looks.

The dark flight suit itself, complimented by a visored helmet, combined protection from environmental hazards and a closed cycle breathing system for extreme circumstances. The integrated comms were likely quite useless on this planet, but the suit offered sufficient comfort and mobility overall. Although Hope certainly had more adequate equipment for tackling danger, diving into an unknown vessel was Phoebe’s preferred job on this little adventure. She would be taking point unless the blade wielding warrioress insisted on doing that in her stead.

Low tech equipment made the most sense and the pilot picked up binoculars on the go, just to have something that’d work for reconnaissance under any circumstances. Whatever charts and mapping gear they could get their hands on might also be of use unless Kurgan acquired something along those lines. As unlikely as losing their way out there really was, Phoebe wanted to make sure they found their way back.

A hand rested over her belly while looking things over with Viryon one last time. Aegir’s anchor piercing was still there. Aside from wondering whether it was advanced enough to surpass whatever forces were at work here, she had her doubts about having to call the telepath anytime soon, but it was soothing enough of a sensation to know she may have that option if things went well and truly, if not horribly wrong somehow.

“Well, you’ll have quite a while to tinker with that. It’ll be quite a ride until we reach the ship,” Phoebe noted with a faint smile when looking at the brunette’s likely fruitless endeavor to get a scanner working here, of all places. As for getting anything they might’ve forgotten, the young woman shook her head ‘no’. “I’m all good, I think. Just making sure Viryon and I got a good grasp of steering this thing and then we’ll be off.”

Preparations made they set out into the wastelands. The terrain was devoid of plant life from what they could tell. It was arid and rocky. Major terrain features consisted of rocky out croppings and mesas reminding Phoebe of some of the desert back in her native state well more than a million miles away.

Fighting was what Hope was good at so she insisted on taking point outside of where stealth came in with the exception being in dangerous areas. Stealth wasn't much of her strong suit. Her team went in and eliminated problem areas. Boarding actions against pirates, smugglers and to eradicate invaders. Especially the xagi before they could establish a foothold in this dimension.

Luna indeed tinkered all the while. Viryon picking up how to pilot the vessel easily enough. Most of the terrain was wide open so there wasn't much she could hit. Nor were there many ravines or other features that the skiff couldn't handle. The elevation changed from time to time but the skiff handled that well always staying a foot or so above the ground.

The sensors were all but worthless considering the ranges they function at. Only if something was buried in the ground were they any good seeing that most of what they could detect was in visible range. By the time they got any detailed information they were virtually on top of things.

The binoculars helped a great deal. That and information before they set out on the trajectory of the ship steered them in the right direction. Phoebe did spot animal life from time to time. Strange small dark scaled lizards scattered at the approach of the skiff soon vanishing behind rocks. From what she could tell they had wings and barbed tails almost resembling Slarr but much smaller and solid from what she saw.

Within half an hour they came to a section of ground that was turned up. The earth and rock here turned aside. A ditch was here suddenly starting and continuing on for quit a ways. Through her binoculars she thought she saw the glint of metal here and there. Smoke rose up ahead though she couldn't see anything.

Kurgan's head went up. He sniffed the air expecting the scent of smoke but checking if there was anything else amiss. “The ship's close. There's something else. Get ready.” He was more alert. Nothing immediately happened though Phoebe had the sense that they were being watched.

Following the trail the crashed ship made they came across a piece of the ship every so often. At the end of the trail they found themselves looking down a ravine where the ship was. Split opened from the fall. Smoke emitted from the engines and through her binoculars Phoebe could see scorching on the rear section of the ship indicating that it took weapons fire.

“There looks to be a path over there. Getting to the bottom of the ravine will take some time.” Kurgan surveyed the area. “I don't think we'd have to climb much. It looks like there are several paths down.” Some safer than others though getting down was tedious rather than a deadly challenge.

“No luck on boosting our tech much more than we have right now. Is everyone going? Are we leaving someone to watch the skiff and equipment?”

“Well if there's wounded I should be there. Something feels off though. I keep getting the feeling that someone or something's already here watching us. I can't see anything and I cant see any place to watch us and remain hidden.”

“Well all the more reason not to split up. We can disable the skiff so no one runs off with it and take what we can of the equipment.” Hope suggested.

Not much outside of the terrain reminded Phoebe of home. The climate and scenery were fitting enough, but beyond that almost everything appeared alien to some extent. Their equipment, means of transportation, wildlife and even her own companions weren’t entirely human. She relished it all the same. With Viryon in charge of handling the skiff, the blonde pilot let the warm breeze comb through her hair and sunlight cast across the woman’s fair skin. If it were not for the fact her eyes were open this entire time, she almost could’ve convinced herself to be riding in some sort of convertible, well and truly away from all the horrors she’d encounter since her first day on Shokushu.

Scanning the premises revealed a thing or two about the land, but more so about the crashed ship once they got close enough to have a look at more than a tower of smoke. They appeared to be the first on site, but then again, looks could be deceiving. Phoebe filled the others in on approach, lowering the binoculars briefly in order to convey her findings. “Seems like this one’s been shot down, or at least took some weapons damage before winding up here. Carved a nice ditch during the crash, too.”

Gathering near the crash site instilled her with the same sense of suspicion as Kurgan. She trusted his instincts, but even her own gut told her something was wrong. It could be the natives spying on them in one form or another, perhaps confirming who got to the salvage first or something along those lines. At least she was hoping that to be the case. After their most recent misadventures, she wasn’t one to rationalize these concerns anymore. They best stay alert even as the skiff came to a halt.

“I agree with disabling our ride. Even if it takes time to get it working again, no one’s going to run off with it. If there’s someone already here, we ought not to make ourselves better targets by splitting up either. Try not to stick too closely together,” Phoebe proposed, observing the scene a little longer though there wasn’t anyone or anything she could make out. “Well .. Let’s hope we’re just being paranoid. Grab what equipment you can after we disable the skiff. If things go south, we’ll want to have some supplies with us.”

Disabling it would deny them a quick escape though it was better than finding the skiff stolen by someone else which would just leave them stranded out here. For the moment, the former agent gathered her gear, a little bit of everything though most importantly weaponry, ammo and those handfuls of explosives. Some food was welcome though all this equipment was wearing her down quite a bit. As long as it didn’t stay with the skiff, however, no one could make off with it.

“We’ll take a closer look at the ship before anything else, see if there’s any kind of ramp we can use to get in without breeching the hull. If there are survivors, maybe they already made it out that way.” One would think there weren’t any given the locals and those salvage rights to the first on scene, but she didn’t want to crush Viryon’s hopes quite yet that there was someone they could help out. “If anyone hears, sees or smells anything out of the ordinary, let the others know. I’m not too keen on surprises.”

Thus began the descent if no one else chimed in. She’d offer a helping hand to Viryon or Kurgan if they had any trouble getting around. Safer routes were mostly devoid of obstacles that’d keep them from moving deeper in though she’d not want them to slip and fall this far into their trip.

Soon, they’d have a chance to inspect the damage more closely. Above all, she’d not want to risk being near a volatile wreck, the engines of which might as well blow up at any given time if they hadn’t already. Such matters always were a gamble when working off of visuals alone. If anyone or anything came out of the ship prior to their departure, they would also know the answer to that in due time.

Luna got on disabling the skiff once they came to a stop. She of all of them had been a bit clueless to her surroundings. She got immersed in tech and rarely was in the field. When she was it was often in the role of an expert rather than anything that placed her in combat situations. Exceptions were rare. Luna was known for her role in research and development.

Swiping a component so the skiff wouldn't start a would be thief would have to replace the part as well as bypass the minor tinkering she did to sabotage things. This was a double layered effect. To get the skiff operational again she'd need about five minutes. Seeing that they were going to be at the bottom of a ravine they wouldn't be hastily making their way back up.

Hope packed up the equipment they would need. She was good at that sort of thing. Given that she was often loaded[ with equipment she worked out the best ways to pack it while making packs feel a bit lighter. The worse thing to do was for someone to take an over burdened pack down the ravine. The descent was safe in most cases but something that unbalanced them could lead to a dangerous, if not fatal, fall.

Heading down into the ravine where the ship eventually fell into they managed alright. Viryon offered assistance except in on the way don. Once at the bottom Luna produced a hand held scanner. The range was pitiful but being on top of the ship they could get scans of the outer hull and immediate area.

Luna's brow scrunched up. She fiddled with the device. “No radiation leaks. These blasts. It looks as if someone was targeting the engines to disable the ship. My guess is pirates. I thought I picked up something. A life form but then I lost it.”

Kurgan gave Phoebe a look. Viryon seemed clueless to what that could have meant. She looked hopeful that there was someone to rescue after all. Of course that could have meant that the person just passed shortly after the scan.

“The hull is too thick to get a good reading.” Kurgan added as to not dash Viryon's hope. He double checked his medical equipment as they moved towards the ramp of the ship. Not surprising the ramp was still up since the ship was on it's belly. There were a few smaller breached areas that they could fit their arms through if they wished. Unless they wanted to use the explosives to breech her the already breached hull point would be easier. They had yet to completely circle the ship o there could be other breached areas.

One of which they soon found. What was once a wing had been sheered off allowing admittance into the vessel. There was red emergency lighting but everything inside still looked dark. The smell of ozone was strong around the ship. Hope pointed out something just outside of the ship. Her features going pale as she immediately drew her sword using it to point at some green sludge.

“This is bad. Xagi.”

Luna comprehended he alien species. She seemed alarmed and confused at the same time.

“What's that?”

“Extra dimensional beings. Some of them use slime. That green stuff is pretty sticky.”

Luna was already scanning the slime. “It's not an exact match. Fairly similar from what I can tell.”

“We got to save whoever you detected.”

Hope still seemed concerned about the situation. Her gaze flicked around the area then returned to the ship. “I'll take point. Stay close. We're still doing this, right?”

Work on the skiff commenced in little time. The group packed up their equipment and descended into the ravine with little difficulty. So far, they encountered nothing out of the ordinary. The damage to the ship was well within approachable limits. Alien lifeforms weren’t preying on them. What seemed a bit off was that Luna caught signs of life on her scanner. The fact they ebbed could either mean the lifeform expired or that it left sensor range. She had her doubts about the agent using faulty equipment or not getting it working to the point of showing somewhat accurate readings. Whichever the case, apparently the natives hadn’t bothered with any kind of rescue efforts for some reason.

Phoebe examined the breeches from afar while rounding the crashed vessel. Nothing really stood out except for when they encountered a larger opening in the ship’s hull. Emergency lights were active inside. Some strange goopy concoction had been scattered about. The smell practically caused her nose to wrinkle though it was the reactions of those in the know about the Xagi that roused the blonde into an alert state.

“Well, they’re our problem now. Weapons hot, people.” Seeing how they spoke about them and acted in response to their findings, there was no point taking chances with them. Despite being a recon on the side, Phoebe spent most of her time as a pilot and didn’t get in contact with a great many races, but she never even ran into these particular alien creatures since her escape from slavery either. “While I’m not sure what they are myself, you two seem to know what we’re up against. The same can’t be said for whatever groups arrive after ours. If we leave these Xagi be, and they sound like pretty bad news, things could get ugly for them.”

“We’ll help those we can,” Phoebe added with regards to Viryon’s eagerness to save the survivors. If there’s someone she’d not want to see harmed or captured again, it had to be her closest friends. “However, if they turn out to be a threat, we’ll have to take them out. I’m not putting anyone at risk like last time.”

It was the same selfless desire to help another escape captivity which stabbed them in the back. That one decision cost them dearly, separated them all and forced them into slavery. Degrees of humiliation and suffering may have varied, but it was no desire of hers to embrace such a fate again. They would’ve likely been lost forever to their respective masters if not for Luna’s assistance.

“That smell though ..” Phoebe directed attention to the heavy odor of ozone, uncertain whether it came from the ship or that strange green slime as eyes wandered to the brain of their operation, that being Luna, for a moment. “What do you think? Does the scanner show anything? Is this air ‘safe’ to breathe?”

Thoughts raced even if her heart remained calm. She’d been through enough as of late to have grown slightly accustomed to such tension. Still, with the sludge near an opening to the outside world, had one of the Xagi escaped the ship already? Was that what they thought was watching them earlier, or was it really just a gut feeling that proved to be true? Strangely, they hadn’t seen any bodies nearby either. Perhaps those creatures just leaked slime wherever they went and this was just one of those places near the hull and really nothing special in the end. Instinctively, Phoebe checked for tracks nearby though if not even Viryon spotted anything thus far, there either were no tracks or they’d been masked well.

She thought it best to just follow Hope’s lead on this. They couldn’t leave anyone outside if they were going in, however, not with one of those things potentially lurking the area. It was either everyone or no one though they’d probably be safer moving as a group.

“The air's safe. It's going to smell funky … burnt out components. Might have been a fire. Though fire suppressant system must have dealt with it. I haven't gotten any areas that have high thermal readings.” Luna continued with her scans.

Circling the vessel with the diminished abilities of the sensors she hadn't picked up any more life signs. Nor areas that would indicate an ongoing fire. Granted she couldn't gt much penetration so there could be a raging fire at the center of the vessel. In any case she would be aware of any trouble before stumbling into it.

Choosing to stick together Hope noticed Phoebe glancing around as if looking for something. “There drones fly. I don't think any would have gone far.”

“Not Xagi. The slime's similar. At least I hope it's not.”

Everyone save for Hope armed themselves and checked their weapons. Hope opted to use her sword as the diminutive agent took point. Luna had been next since she had that personal scanner.

Viryon stuck more to the middle of the group by instinct. Being no good with the blaster Phoebe had to give her a quick crash course seeing that she hadn't used one before. Kurgan brought up rear. Inspecting things as he went. His sense of smell diminished given the ozone in the air concealing other scents.

The dull red light cast a lot of shadows. It was hot inside the vessel but not unreasonably so. Occasionally they came across some of that green slime on the floor or walls. It had the same make up to that outside. It was when they came across a mix of blue and green slime where Luna paused. Hope was on heightened alert casting glances here and there. Taking note of vents and he ceiling as well.

To Phoebe it looked as if the blue slime overlapped the green or had been spread around it. Almost as if it were used haphazardly to spray on the green. What was left of the green in the areas of blue were small sections that weren't dissolved.

“What the? It's not Xagi slime but close. Same properties. The blue stuff neutralizes the green.”

“Great. Evolved Xagi.”

“Not sure. There are different types. The chemical compound is similar. Tweaked to be more effective. Wait a sec. I'm picking up that lifeform again. Can't tell what is it, damn sensors. Mph ...”

“What is it?”

“More of them. There coming closer … small … coming from behind us.”

Glancing back there was nothing but an empty hall. Still the things were getting closer. Viryon was the first to notice. “Guys, where's Kurgan?”

It was then that they could hear a skittering sound. Something closing with them rapidly. In the walls and the ceiling. Some where in the hall. Phoebe saw movement, the red coloration blending in with the red emergency lighting. Just as she saw movement a glob of green slime was sprayed in their direction coming up from the floor at an angle. Another fired down from the ceiling at a different target.

Small tentacles appeared at floor crates and ventilation panels grasping and moving them to allow admittance to the corridor. Shapes the size of house cats began to appear. Hard to see a pair of tentacles sprouted from the sides of each. Tentacles that allowed them to fire slime at them from the tips. For he moment there were only a few in the corridor but by the number of tentacles working at the vents and crates there would be a lot of them soon.

“Should’ve brought some lights ..” That’s the first thing that came to mind when checking the ship’s environment. All they had was that dull red light to help them see. At least moving through the wastes helped with the temperature on the inside. Beyond that, Phoebe mostly scanned for movement or listened to the more knowledgeable agents. Strangely, they still hadn’t come across any bodies from the crew or whatever else may have been aboard. Was this a Xagi ship or had it been boarded somehow? If those Xagi being around came as a surprise, the blonde assumed things may have gone horribly awry for those stuck here with those aliens.

“So, what does Xagi slime do exactly?” The blue and green slime struck her as odd. The former neutralized the latter for some reason. Were both products of the Xagi themselves or was there some other species specialized in disposing of the green stuff? Warring factions among the Xagi, maybe? Probably not. She had no idea either way. Whatever it was, it didn’t fill her with confidence.

Making heads or tails of this thing seemed impossible. She was no xenobiologist. Whether they were modified types, results of some failed experiment, a product of evolutionary processes, or simply hijacking pests who wound up here one way or another, they were bad news.

Since those thoughts were going nowhere, there was no point dwelling on it. She wouldn’t have time to anyway. They still had that one life sign come up from time to time, but even that took a backseat to a more immediate problem. Luna brought approaching lifeforms to their attention which meant their rather peaceful search and rescue operation had to be cut short for the time being.

“From behind?” Spinning around in alarm, Phoebe discovered what Viryon realized moments prior. Eyes widened in horror while the pilot’s heart pounded inside her chest. Tension rolled through her body as her muscles locked up for a moment. Their Voren doctor had disappeared. She didn’t take him for one to break formation on an unknown ship, not after everything they’d been through together. Something must’ve snatched him up earlier, but when and how did that even happen? There was no scream, no nothing. Stealthy predators capable of such feats could’ve easily taken them all out without anyone noticing, but what else came their way had been anything but silent by comparison.

An ambush? Sounds were coming from everywhere around them. The fact their attackers arrived from the rear indicated intelligence to a degree. The group of four had their escape route cut off, forcing them to either stand and fight or continue into the unknown. At the first sign of movement, the former agent made a mad dash towards Viryon.

“Look out!” She grabbed the reptilian woman, pulling her off to one side of the corridor while shielding her from the slime with her own body. With any luck this alien substance hadn’t made contact though the threat persisted all the same. The young blonde whipped back around at a moment’s notice, seeking out targets among those blending in with the emergency lighting.

Flashes of light and booming thunder filled the corridor at the squeeze of her trigger. Slugs found their mark though given conditions made it hard to tell the extent of damage inflicted upon those creatures. All she knew for certain was that more were bound to arrive in due time. Tentacles sprouted forth from many an access point, attempting to open them up for more of their kind to emerge. Phoebe was far from panicking, but circumstances were far from ideal in a confined space like this one. Three shooters and a blade weren’t going to do much against this many specimens with what sparse cover they had available to them.

“We can’t stay here! More of them are coming!” She called out to the others, gritting her teeth as well as doing her best to dispatch those slime spewing entities before they could fire off volleys of that green sludge. “Fall back to a better vantage point! I’ll cover the rear!”

“If I remember correctly Xagi drones have four different types of slime.” Luna glanced to Hope getting a nod. “The green is the main one they use. Sticking people in place. They use the blue when they need to move their prey. I'm not sure what the clear slime does. From what I analyzed it had a particular enzyme that didn't do much as far as I could tell. The stuff isn't even sticky. Nor does it react to the other slimes.

[color=#FF8000] “Last is their gold slime. It's a powerful aphrodisiac.”

“No it isn't.”

“Oh ha ha Hope. Hope's immune. You She was exposed to it in the womb and developped an immunity to the stuff. I've used her blood to develop my serum. It's effective for a short time, she's only immune to Xagi aphrodisiac but I found a means of manufacturing a drug effective against similar types of aphrodisiac. A lot of them work along the same premise affecting regions of the brain. In short I can dull down activity in these areas for a few hours. Making it a bit easier to concentrate and resist. I've been working on my serum off and on with varying results. So you can thank her on my initial breakthrough.”

Hope was too busy keeping an eye out. Tense with the knowledge that there could be Xagi present.

When all hell broke out Viryon's slug thrower clattered off the decking when Phoebe wrenched her aside. Green slime missed her but splashed against Phoebe's back. But not much else happened fortunately. She could feel the weight of the slime. But she didn't get knocked aside or into anything. She wasn't anchored to a thing like a wall or the floor. Maybe some of Hope's luck was rubbing off on her.

Other globes were fired at them haphazardly. The things weren't aiming as far as she could tell. Just shooting and wishing for the best. Hope dodged between the globs and sprang forward. Then as if something called to her at the last moment she sprang back allowing Phoebe a clear line of fire. At the same time she joined in though the majority of her shots missed.

Luna cursed. Somehow she lost the scanner which was pinned up to a wall along with a torn section of her sleeve. She fumbled for a blaster though the agent was even a worse shot then Hope so she refrained from firing down range.

Phoebe heard squeals. Sizzling sensations as exoskeletons popped leaving behind gooey remains of these bugs. And still they came. A wave of them unafraid of the consequences came forth.

“No!” It was Viryon's turn to grab her arm. Well aware of the hoard advancing on them and what that meant.

“Get going. I'll take up the rear.” One hand on her sword the other discharged her weapon. With the number of targets increasing she hit more often now. The tiny warrior weaved through fired globes while backing up and following thereafter.

Luna didn't argue. She knew her skills and the lack of combat abilities. “This way. I think I scanned a brig up ahead. We can hold up there.” Thinking that that was the best defensible position close by Luna dashed off in that direction. As it were the bugs had yet to materialize ahead of them indicating that they either weren't too intelligent or sprang their trap before everyone was in position. Probably the later.