A holographic projection hovered over the kitchen counter, Mr. Erin clearing his throat before moving through the details.

"This is our target," he said. "The Ursa Grand Amphitheater. If our investigations are correct, we should expect over a thousand smugglers to be there for the Light Binder's rally."

"Which just makes it easier for us to blend in," Mr. Xan added.

Sasha nodded, listening between bites of her cracker bag. Debriefs weren't so bad when she had food to keep her occupied. The screen zoomed in, showing a grid layout of every corner of the arena from the stands to the hidden rooms inside.

"Our goal is firstly to sneak in," Mr. Erin went on. "We've determined three possible points of entry, though it really depends on how thick the crowd is. But it is imperative that we time ourselves correctly. Arrive too early, and we'll stand out amongst the others. Arrive too late, and we may not get seats. And given the second stage of our plan, we'll need those seats."

"What is the second stage?" Sasha asked.

The screen rotated, showing off a top-down perspective of the amphitheater. Three points appeared within the arena's aisles.

"Positioning," the weasel said. "Once we've entered, we'll need to fan out to cover every exit. We won't need to be in these exact spots, but we should aim to have both the arena and the center platform directly in our line of sight."

It rotated again, zooming into the square in the middle of everything. A hidden room was visible just underneath.

"Our target will likely be entering from here."

"Which is when we nail him, right?" Sasha said.

"Easy, killer," Mr. Xan said. "Let's not forget the thousand or so smugglers in the room."

"Agreed." Mr. Erin clicked on his wand, numerous points appearing within the aisles. "There will be a large crowd standing between us, Sasha. A full frontal attack would be too risky."

The panther groaned, shoveling down a cracker. So how would they get to the Comet Man, then? Blasters? Were they going to snipe him execution-style? It could work, though it felt like the coward's way out. It wouldn't let her pound his face in.

"We'll have to wait for our chance to strike," the weasel went on. "And I believe our opportunity lies after the rally is finished."

Her whiskers twitched. "Huh?"

Mr. Xan nudged her. "Think about it, kid. How do you take out a guy with a thousand eyes on 'em?"

She scratched her head a moment. Her immediate instinct was to call for taking out the smugglers, but it didn't take a genius to know that would just be a waste of time. Besides. While they were fighting them, it gave the Comet Man another chance to slip away. At best, they'd put him on high alert, which still gave them a chance to attack, albeit with risk. At worst, he'd freak out and leave, disappearing so Iris had to chase him down whatever nebula he fled to.

No, the best plan was undoubtedly one where he had the least chance to escape. Where the smugglers wouldn't get in their way, and they could handle him and him alone. Which meant...

"We're gonna follow him, aren't we?" she asked.

Mr. Erin smiled. "Precisely, Ms. Panther."

The screen zoomed out, showing not only the amphitheater but the city of Ursa itself.

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"Our third stage will be shadowing."

Jagged lines appeared along the streets, all leading directly from the arena room.

"As soon as the rally ends," Mr. Erin explained, "the three of us will be converging on whichever exit the Light Binder takes. From there, it'll be a simple matter of tracking him back to his residence. Or his ship if he chooses to go off-world. In the end, it doesn't matter much which place he ends up. Because...Well..."

She smiled, cracking her knuckles. "Whacking time?"

The weasel smirked. "Yes, Ms. Panther. You will then be free to whack away."

Her smile grew, a low pur rising. It was finally time for payback. For Shiny. For Liosha. For Torpha. All the worlds that jerk and his buddies were responsible for tossing into chaos. No doubt his friends were all the smugglers at the rally. She'd let someone else handle them. The Comet Man was solely for her and Iris to take down. Wherever the wolf would be.

Mr. Erin tapped his wand against his hip.

"We may only get this one shot," he said. "Let's all try to stick to the plan and stay under the radar. Especially you, Mush Head."

"Hey, I can blend in, Twig. These are my people, y'know."

"Which is exactly what I'm afraid of."

The weasel sighed, Sasha shrugging and snacking on another cracker. As much as she wanted to clobber the Comet Man, she knew better than to ruin one of Mr. Erin's plans. She doubted Mr. Xan was any different.

***

With their plan fresh under their belt, it was time to shove off to the amphitheater. Fortunately, Mr. Erin made sure they arrived at an inconspicuous time.

As they'd predicted, the area was steadily being flooded with people, smugglers from all walks of life moving through the three different exits. From the tops of the amphitheater, drones hovered about, occasionally scanning over the crowd. Sasha kept her hood up, the others doing the same.

As did several of the smugglers around them. Many came in masks and cloaks, very few bothering to show their faces. Sasha recognized none of the ones who did.

"Breaking off," Mr. Erin radioed to her.

Given the nature of their mission, they'd each been given communicators, Sasha's clipped on the side of her ear.

"Taking the north exit," she radioed back, moving through the crowd. The entrance passageways were narrow, but she found her way through the aisles easily enough, taking a spot near the middle. From her vantage point, she could see the stage clearly enough, the square title devoid of any activity. What time does this rally start again? She tried to keep her hands still, watching the many people coming and going.

She could overhear bits of conversation. People talking about news broadcasts and TV stars. Nothing she deemed useful or interesting. Her gaze wandered to find her liaisons, Mr. Erin having the western exit in his sights while Mr. Xan watched the south. Neither stood out amongst the crowds, especially given how many kheprians Sasha saw.

The stands continued to fill up, more and more smugglers arriving through the three exits. Where was the Comet Man? Where was Iris? She kept her eyes focused, moving from the exits to the center platform. Eventually, she did see someone walk onto it. A tall human man.

"Heads up," Mr. Xan radioed. "Looks like it's starting."

Sasha sat up, ears twitching under her hood. That was when she caught the familiar scent. One equal parts concerning and welcoming.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," a canine's voice came behind her.

She looked up, seeing a white wolf plopping down beside her. Her head was covered by a mask, though her scent was easy enough to recognize. Sasha smiled.

"Welcome back, Sulky," she said.

The wolf snorted, her tail grazing Sasha's in greeting.

"Just don't get in my way," Iris said.

"Should be saying that to you, fluff butt."

She focused back on the center platform, watching as the man emerged completely from the hidden room, his face unhidden though he was a stranger to her.

His thin brown beard. The bright green eyes. His hair which hung back in a ponytail. Sasha didn't recognize him, but he made the other smugglers fall silent the minute he stepped on stage. A microphone rose to his lips, a thick accented voice echoing across the amphitheater.

"Ladies, gentlemen, and sapient creatures," the man said. "My name is L Red."

He extended a hand out, flashing everyone a toothy grin.

"Welcome, my friends! The Comet Clan greets you all!"