"Rodriguez," Chief said. The stocky Yumen engineer looked up at the tall marine questioningly. "If Molly's right, then this is a military matter."

Rodriguez wore bulky red armor and had a square jaw. There was no helmet covering his shaved head. The man looked like a walking tank with a human head attached to the top. He clenched his fist. "We'll find out just who did this."

"I think we may already have an answer," Molly said, lifting a laser saw, which dangled from her gloved right hand. "All we need to do is find out who this was checked out to. Easy enough."

Molly pressed a button on her datapad while holding it over a small barcode underneath the power tool.

Bling!

The datapad chimed as it confirmed ownership.

"Well," Chief said, tilting his head to one side. His voice inflected upward as he spoke. "Whose is it?"

Molly stared with wide eyes. "I'd never—"

Rodriguez, the hulking marine, placed his hands on his hips. "Out with it."

"Sir," Molly said. "The system says that this tool was checked out to Xander Corvinus.

Chief gaped. "Xander would never do such a thing. He's a recruit with a bright future ahead of him."

"How do you vet your recruits?" Rodriguez said. The marine took one step forward, his metallic boots clinking loudly against the ground below."

"He's from the Martian Institute of Technology," Chief said. "He has no criminal record. Clean as a whistle."

"Well, now he's got a death warrant on his head," Rodriguez said, narrowing his eyes. "Men, send out an alert for Xander Corvinus. Shoot to kill."

"Sir," Chief said nervously. "With all due respect. We don't have proof that Xander did this. All we have is one of his tools. Plus, there's the Space Union."

Rodriguez held up his gauntleted hand, gesturing for silence. "This is now a military matter. Union rules do not apply."

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"But," Molly said. "Who made you judge, jury, and executioner?"

"There is no judge or jury," Rodriguez said, his eyes glaring. "Only executioner."

"I —" said Chief.

"This Xander is a threat to the safety of us all," Rodriguez said, pulling out a metal sword and waving it toward the group of engineers. "When we find him, there will be no quarter."

The five engineers had a look of shock across their faces. It was as if they'd each individually been impaled by an underling's stinger—straight through the gut.

The marine known as Rodriguez glowered at the civilian engineers. "I want all of you out of here. We're going to run a full sweep of the engine room, and I'm calling for reinforcements. We will find Xander."

Chief gulped and dropped his head. Then he trudged out with the others.

Arachna watched the events unfold from her hidden nook underneath a metal floorboard. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. So the Yumens thought one of their own would have tried to destroy their own ship? Who would believe such an incredible story?

Her instincts told her that no Krath would be so foolish to believe such a tall tail. Not that she had any experience with other Krath, but it just seemed so insane the way these creatures behaved. These Yumens so quickly jumped to the worst possible judgments about one another.

There was something very wrong with these Yumens. Not that she would complain. Certainly, the mistake worked in her favor. It at least bought her a little bit of time.

Rodriguez walked directly above her. The man was very large. His metal boot stomped noisily. The metal floorboard under which she clung vibrated with each of the man's steps. Horde, could he try to be any louder? Stealth apparently wasn't part of this soldier's repertoire.

The marines passed over her and climbed toward the upper levels of the metal floors encircling the engine. Horde, if they made it to the top they'd find the remains of not only Xander but also her host, Carlsen. She had to do something.

Stomp, stomp, stomp

Quick, what could she do? How could she think with that noisy racket clammering on with every step? A few more minutes and she'd be discovered.

For all their faults, this type of Yumen didn't seem like it was as easily frightened as the first type. These marines seemed designed to kill as opposed to the engineers, which were designed to think.

So far, she preferred engineers.

But there had to be a way. She was the one who needed to think. Horde, if only that noise would quiet down.

She didn't have enough time to climb to the top level and set traps for three marines. Knowing how quickly she'd worked the last time, she might be able to construct a trap for one if she was lucky. It wasn't clear if a simple web would hold a marine given that their armor appeared to provide enhanced strength.

No, she didn't have time to set a trap. Maybe another tactic would work. Horde, that noise. Wait, that was it—noise.

Instead of climbing up to head off the marines, she dove downward. Dangling from a thin strand of thread, she lowered herself to the ground.

These marines were looking for a Yumen engineer who would most likely be on the run. If that was what they wanted, then that was what she would give them.

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