Finding an open area large enough for the RP-1 to land proved the most difficult part after that.

The best spot they could locate was almost ten klicks from the site they were investigating.

They may not be worldsloggers, Pirra thought, but her espatiers weren't afraid of a little walking.

Mwanajuma took care of Lal's concussion, declaring him fit for service.

"Good," Pirra told him. "You would just have to wait in the ship anyway."

"The Responsemobile," he corrected absently.

"We've got ten klicks of ground to cover," she said to the team, ignoring his comment. "Let's get what we need and get moving."

They had two Mobile Utility Carrier Units with them, quadrapedal drones just a little bigger than a person that could carry half a ton of equipment over any terrain a person could traverse. They were little more than legs and a flat surface to strap things to, and standard kit for worldsloggers, though relatively novel for espatiers.

"Oh man, I love these guys," Jack Lal said. "Who's a good Muckie?" he said, patting the machine's sensor-head.

"I am!" the MUCU replied happily, letting out a purr. They were all programmed to have slightly different personalities, which helped troops to bond with them. Pirra was amused to see that this one was more affectionate than most, and it leaned into Jack Lal lightly as he pretended to scratch it where the ears would have been on a dog.

"Don't give it a name or you'll end up keeping it," Kiseleva said, amused.

"Too late, he's Muckie," Jack Lal replied.

"I love you," Muckie said, leaning against him again.

Pirra sighed. "Just get them loaded up."

Their gear for planetside was different from what they used on-ship. The rifles were longer, and owing to the larger fauna on the surface, each fire team had been issued one larger-bore hunting rifle.

"Suon, Zivai," she said. "Take these." Second fire team needed one, but didn't have a designated Marksman. She glanced at the records, saw that Kessissiin scored highest in it for the group. "Here," she added, giving him one. "Are you familiar with a big-bore?"

Kessissiin studied the rifle. "I've been trained," he said, a puff of pride in his voice.

"Lal," Pirra called. "Are you up to commanding your team?" she asked.

The man hesitated. It was answer enough. "Lal, you're in my team, swap with Najafi. Bascet, you take charge of team two."

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Jack seemed unhappy about it, but accepted the move without protest. "It's not permanent, right?" he asked.

Pirra didn't answer, just gave him a slight smile. "Depends how much you annoy me."

They set out. The jungle was dense, but drones went ahead of them, flailing razor-thin carbon wires to slice a path. It was still rough going; the roots of trees, pits of mud, sharp rocks, and sudden pitfalls slowed them considerably.

Pirra had hoped they could cover this ground in less than two hours, but at this rate it might take them twice that.

"Is this like the jungles of Enope?" Kiseleva asked her with a grunt, hopping a log. "I've heard much about them."

Pirra was already past the log, scanning the horizon. They had picket drones out, but she still wanted to watch for large lifeforms.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I've never been to any of Enope's jungles. From the holos and films, it's similar in the way that all jungles are . . . but I think things on Enope have more color."

"There aren't any flowers here, are there?" Kiseleva noticed. "Perhaps they have not evolved yet."

"They may never," Pirra replied. "Even if the moon wasn't falling. Evolution can lead to similar outcomes in similar situations, but we can't make the mistake of assuming it will always follow the same steps."

Jack Lal hurdled the log. "What are we talking about?" he asked.

"I was asking if these jungles were like those of the Commander's homeworld," Kiseleva said.

"She's not going to know anything about the jungles," he replied with a laugh. "Her mom's a big wig, she wasn't allowed outside. I dunno if you know much about Dessei politics, but kidnapping is still-"

"Lal!" Pirra snapped. "Shut up."

The look on his face showed hurt. But he didn't say anything else.

Glancing at Kiseleva, Pirra saw surprise and curiosity - but little else.

"Let's just keep our eyes on the mission," Pirra ordered curtly.

"Yes, sir," Kiseleva replied. Lal just gave a nod.

"Commander," Suon's voice came from ahead. "We've got movement. Something big is coming towards us, and fast."

Pirra signalled the alert, the whole squad moving to cover, readying their rifles.

That something appeared faster than she expected, bursting through a dense wall of hanging vines and ivy with a roar that shook the ground.

It was almost four meters tall, with long, powerful back legs, a sweeping tail, and arms big enough that it could have moved on all fours if it had wanted. Its head was massive, lined with fangs that protruded from its mouth even when it was shut, and its bright, forward-facing eyes fell upon them.

The clearing drones were still flailing, their cutters slicing into the creature's skin, and it swatted at them with huge, clawed arms, knocking a few out.

But we're its real target, Pirra knew. "Open fire!" she called.

A dozen guns barked. The standard, armor-piercing rounds hit and left little impact on the surface, only little flashes of yellowish blood, but they'd tumble and cause heavier trauma within. The heavy-caliber hunting rounds hit with far greater force, though, and she could see the creature's flesh ripple from their energy.

It reared back, in surprise, and the next heavy rounds took it through the head. It must have had something like a brain in there, as its eyes unfocused and it fell, the ground shaking with the impact.

"Hold position!" Pirra called. The drones were registering new movement.

Something burst from the left - something even bigger.

It was the same sort of creature, but it had come around their flanks.

It moved with a swiftness that seemed impossible for a thing its size. Its jaws opened and it dove in, crunching down onto one of the MUCU's, which had placed itself in a vulnerable spot - by intention. It was preferrable to lose equipment over an espatier, and even their armor wouldn't stop something of that magnitude.

The quadrapedal drone and its cargo were crushed to pieces by the raw power of the animal's bite force, though the metal edges cut into it at the same time, causing it to recoil in pain.

Then a heavy shot took it between the eyes.

The creature tumbled face-first into the ground. It lay there, unmoving.

Kessissiin had taken the shot, she saw. He stepped closer to it, and put another round through.

"Just to be sure," he said.

"Good work," Pirra breathed.

"I thought it could have a mate," he said. "That first one was a male, I believe. The reports say the females are even more dangerous."

"RIP, Muckie," Jack Lal said sadly, looking at the destroyed remains of the carrier drone. It was beyond recoverable.

"Drones have completed scanning the area," Kiseleva called. "There are no other large animals nearby, but there is a structure over there."

A structure? "Fire Teams two and three, keep positions. One, with me."

The four of them moved in the direction the animals had come from. Could these have been trained guard animals? It seemed absurd, but it was always possible.

The structure was not what she had been expecting. It was not a sapient-built structure, but a nest.

The walls had been laboriously made of mud, perhaps pushed with snout or claw. They were high, and Pirra had to step onto the side to get enough height to peer in.

And inside, among masses of grass, leaves, and bones, were four huge eggs.

"Oh," she said, realization dawning.

Lal peered in, and when he stepped back his face looked bleak. "They were just defending their nest," he said.

Pirra felt the guilt, but then wondered if their deaths now were quicker and more painless than the ones from the looming death of their world.

How bizarre, she thought. Life was carrying on here, unaware of what was coming all too soon.

"Let's go," she said, forcing herself to put the thought aside. She didn't need the distraction. "We still have ground to cover."