The elevator creaked open and Skaarg stepped on with glee. The time had finally come. After months of preparation, Commander Traarg's plan was going to come together. The blue-shades would finally be accepted.

It had been a while since they last met. Skaarg knew stealing the Ivarozzan's plasma was bound to put him in Traarg's good books.

The lift rumbled. Skaarg felt his stomach jump up to his throat as it began to take him to the lower platforms of Voidlight Base. He hated travelling on these things but that didn't matter. He had to do what was right for the mission. He would risk anything to achieve his goal and no silly elevator was going to stop that.

The lift stopped.

The doors pulled open and Skaarg's heart sank as he found himself face-to-face with a red-shade. The hulk of its figure towered over Skaarg and he looked away so the red-shade didn't think he was staring. This was all part of Commander Traarg's plan. Keep his head down, avoid getting seen. Remain invisible.

If Skaarg was to trip up and get caught, he would be of no further use to Traarg. Their plans of liberation may never happen.

The red-shade wrinkled its nose as it surveyed him. "This isn't the place for you, blueberry," it spat. "Didn't you see the sign?"

The sign he was referring to was the one which explained blue-shades were prohibited from riding this elevator. But since it was the only one which led to Platform X, Traarg's secret place of operations, he had no choice.

Skaarg bit his lip and remained quiet. The red-shade got in his face.

"You deaf and all?"

"I am here on business that doesn't concern you," Skaarg said, trying to remain as polite as possible. "If you don't want to ride in this lift, wait for the next one."

The red-shade thumped him in the face. He smashed into the ground as his attacker stood over him. All four hands balled into fists. "Do you want to say that to me again, blue bottle?"

The red-shade pulled back his left fists and clapped Skaarg in the face. He cried out as the right side took a hit too. He didn't fight back. To allow this beating might make the red-shade lay off from reporting him. With each hit, he tried to focus on the mission, the reason he was here. This red-shade wasn't going to know what hit him.

Skaarg roared as the red fists drew blue blood which seeped down his cheek. The pain was nothing new. Skaarg had grown used to this kind of behaviour through the years, he had it down to a fine art. He focused only on his breathing and let the red-shade pound into him. He collapsed back into the lift, hardly noticing its movement anymore.

It wasn't until the red-shade stood back that Skaarg started to feel it. His entire body felt like it had been hit by a moving cargo carrier.

The lift pinged as it arrived and slid open. The red-shade was gone without another word.

Steam hissed as Skaarg staggered out of the elevator. He hobbled through the smoky mess that was Platform X.

Loud music clanged against the ebony steel walls. He kept his head down and focused on the direction he was supposed to go.

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His trip into space had been short-lived and left him with a thirst for more. He hoped Commander Traarg would take this into consideration. He had more than earned it by delivering that plasma from the Ivarozzan mining planet.

Skaarg wiped blood from his lips and pulled up the hood of his maroon leather jacket. He kept his head down to avoid getting anymore attention from the red or green-shades down here. Everyone knew Platform X was the true underbelly of Voidlight Base. Though no one ever admitted it and no one who wanted to avoid trouble ever came here.

Skaarg tuned out the distant screams as he made his way along the street. If someone were to have been kidnapped and to wake up here, they might truly believe it was part of a planet. The Voidlight Base often felt more organic than technologically engineered. The ceiling had even been designed to mimic different coloured skies. It was always night time on Platform X.

Skaarg spotted a group of brawling green-shades. His entire body tensed as he passed. He half-expected them to notice him but they were too engrossed with their argument. He would be glad when his meetings with Commander Traarg didn't have to be in secret anymore.

He took a sigh of relief when he arrived at his destination. A battered old inn with a wonky door. It had a sign hanging off it which read 'The Pit.' The inside represented the name perfectly. Lights flashed pink, purple and red over a square floor space. Green-shades and red-shades danced around to the beat of the music. Skaarg kept his head down and pushed through the crowd. He walked over to the bar and addressed the perky little orange-shade behind it.

"You know why I'm here, Bliirg," said Skaarg.

"You still owe me for that ruckus you caused," said Bliirg.

Skaarg sighed dramatically. "Are you ever going to let that go?"

"Are you ever going to pay off your tab?"

Skaarg rolled his eyes. "Is he here or not?"

The orange-shade nodded. "This way."

He opened the bar and lead Skaarg through to a dingy room upstairs. The dust caught at the back of his throat and he had to stifle a sneeze. Commander Traarg fixed him with a pursed smile as he entered the room. He looked like every other red-shade, his huge structure stood at over eight feet. His four arms were at work pouring Skaarg a drink while taking a sip from his own. Skaarg still couldn't believe they were working together.

"If it isn't the blue-shade that could," he laughed. "I must apologise about the delay on this meeting Skaarg. I fear if they get too frequent, who knows what the High Leader might suspect."

"That's ok," grinned Skaarg. "It's not like that plasma is going anywhere, is it?"

Traarg pushed a drink his way. "That was quite the feat. I can't deny that part of me doubted you were even going to pull it off," he said, then spotted Skaarg's purple eye. "How did you get that?"

"Oh Commander Traarg, don't be silly," said Skaarg. "We both know any blue-shades that come to Platform X are bound to get a beating or two."

"Did you catch who did it?"

Skaarg held up his hand and shook his head. "Leave it, I'm fine. I came here to talk business. So tell me, now everything is in place, when do we start the attack."

"We don't," said Traarg and Skaarg felt his heart drop.

"What?"

"We can't," said Traarg. "Not yet. Not now. The High Leader has begun negotiations for the attack in Valaxoria."

Skaarg gritted his teeth, the anger raced to his heart. "You told me once we had the plasma nothing could stop us."

"And it won't," Traarg said. "But we've got to be smart about when and how we use it."

Skaarg slammed a fist on the table. "Until we kill that scumbag of a leader, things like this..." he motioned to his eye. "...are going to stay the norm on this platform. With all due respect Commander, if we don't act soon, I'm not sure how much longer I can sit by and take it."

Traarg took a sip of his drink. "I know how desperate you are for this to happen but we need to be smart," he said. "I've got another mission for you. Once you complete it, you will give the people of Voidlight Base a better reason to support us."

"Yeah, yeah, you always have a reason," snapped Skaarg. "I am not your dog's body so if you want something else doing, take it to someone else."

Skaarg down his drink and walked towards the door.

"The mission will take place on Displincia," said Traarg and Skaarg stopped in his place. If he was to walk out of this room, he could be throwing away his last chance to visit space. While it was annoying to admit, Traarg could give him more than he would ever be able to do on his own. Even if they didn't use the plasma now, they still had it. Everything was ready and prepared for. One more little trip into space wouldn't hurt.

"What do you need me to do?”