Ohemone tilted his head, then walked closer, his finger still perched on the trigger.

His eyes widened with a squint as he looked to the side.

"Vyok'um... One of Asfar's captains. But how did he—"

Ohemone took a step back, his eye glinting in one of the Encroacher's pincers dripping with bloody-blue entrails.

Adalae walked past the door with a huff. "What... What was it?"

"Adalae, stay back!" Ohemone shouted.

She jolted and then scooted back with a nod.

Ohemone scrunched his nose as he turned back down to the mangled, now hole-filled corpse. Black hot steam protruded from its back, where most of the shots landed. A single ray collided with their head, spritzing burnt tissue and crisp feathers onto the wall.

Ohemone took a few steps back and then crossed his arms. The Encroacher laid penetrated through the wall, its glossy-white cockpit rippled calmly like a dissipating current.

"Can I... Can I come over now?" Adalae murmured, still peeking over the wall.

Ohemone nodded. "Yeah, just, uhm… There's a body. But, I think he was… Dealt with, before we got here."

"Ah, okay…" Adalae walked behind him, gazing up at the vessel with searching eyes. "Who's is it?"

"Don't know, and I don't want to find out. We should get out of here."

Ohemone began walking toward the hatch at the end of the room. Adalae turned her head, then inched closer toward the rippling lilac cockpit. A faint humanoid figure appeared through the glass as she squinted her eyes.

"Ad…! Watch out!"

Ohemone shoved Adalae to the ground, and they both sprawled. She looked up at the Encroacher's black mesh exterior form small spikes that shot at her initial spot like homing needles. The needles wiggled into the air before straightening themselves and launching at them again.

Ohemone jumped in front of Adalae, shielding her with his entire body as he braced himself.

"… Stop, ship!" Orimi shouted while jumping from the cockpit.

Several black needles slithered back into the ship, only mere inches from piercing Ohemone's back. Orimi then ran over and touched his shoulder with a concerned gaze.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

"Are you alright? Did anything get—"

Ohemone swiftly took hold of her hand and restrained her, then forcefully threw himself onto her back. He then took his cutter from his holster and placed it on her head.

"Name, affiliation, and status of said company, or I'll shoot you right here and now." Ohemone commanded.

Orimi winced and locked eyes with Adalae, who glanced at a glimmering Patroller badge on her pink fleece jacket.

"W-wait! She's from the Federation, Ohe!"

"What?" Ohemone looked down at the Patroller emblem on Orimi's collar, causing him to step back. "Mufa… Fuck me…"

Orimi rubbed her hand and stood up from the floor, giving Adalae a hand. "Oh, you recognized my badge. You must've met one before."

Adalae took her hand and nodded. "Yeah, well… I guess they sent someone else… I thought that…"

"Enough!" Ohemone flicked his gun toward Orimi with a glare. "Did he send for the feds? No… No, he wouldn't… Why then… Why are you here?"

Orimi scratched the side of her cheek with a nervous smile. "Ha, ha, well… If I remember correctly, we were supposed to be tracking someone down on this ship, but to be honest with you… I may have forgotten what we came here to do in the first place."

Ohemone lowered his gun with scrunched eyes.

"H-hey! Don't look at me like that! I'm just a trainee, okay. I wasn't even suppose to go outside the ship, but I couldn't let Encro do that stabby thing!"

"Encro?" Adalae repeated.

"Uhh, yeah!" Orimi ran over and pointed at the black vessel. "See the ship is called Encroacher, or that's what I think I heard… So I thought of a cool nickname, Encro! It sounds a lot less scary."

Adalae blinked, then glanced to the side. "I guess there's all types in the Federation, huh…."

"I-I heard that! What is that suppose too—"

—BANG CLINK

A metallic clang followed a brisk green beam from Ohemone's cutter as he lowered it from the air. He then pointed it back at Orimi with a glare.

"I've had the unpleasant experience of meeting a few Patrollers, and you're nothing like them."

Orimi tilted her head with a sincere yet naive smile. "Thanks, I think?"

Ohemone sighed. "Is your superior officer on board?"

"Yep!" Orimi shook her head. She then slowly puffed her cheeks." But… I'd rather not speak to them right now. They're… They're mean!"

Ohemone widened his eyes before turning to the hatch at the end of the hall. "Seethe'cha clore…"

He grazed his fingers across the two hand indents carved into the now parted doors, creating a gap with just enough space to slide through. The panel on the door had another dent, as if someone punched it with enough force to malfunction and shut it off.

"Now, this is the Patroller we have to worry about," Ohemone murmured.

He then turned around and pointed to Orimi. "I can't have you making any unnecessary comms. You're coming with us."

"W-what? Why me?"

Ohemone's twitched his eyebrow. "Did you just ask 'why you?' Are you feebas?"

(Kilesian: Feebas - Similar to stupid, but as derogatory as retarded.)

"Hey! No name-calling!" Orimi pouted.

"Yeah, there's no way you're partnered with her. I think you'd be dead." Adalae remarked.

Ohemone narrowed his eyes, then turned around. "They most likely opened all the doors ahead like this one here. We'll be following their lead."

Orimi groaned and began walking after him past the parted gate. Adalae looked down, then glanced at the charred and hole-filled body near the Encroacher. She cleared her throat as a physical shiver trailed down her back.

“N-no… Ohe said they were already… So, I didn’t…” Adalae exhaled, shook her head, then walked forward. “No, I-I didn’t….”