Maria half expected that she and her compatriots would be put through some tedious security screening. But instead of walking through a scanner or getting frisked, they were met at the huge doorway by Nerlharg. The Dorarizin wasn't wearing power armor this time; he was clad in a knee-length outfit that looked like a Mandarin's robes.

Nerlharg pulled a small flat tablet out of his pocket. "[Welcome! Just before we start, I'll need to scan anything you're carrying.]"

The Jornissians shrugged and presented their holographic prop swords. Nerlharg waved the tablet near them and nodded. "[Fine. And that?]" He pointed at the guitar case slung on Oscar's back.

Oscar slid the case off of his shoulder. "Scan away. Just be careful, this thing's older than me." He set down the case and unzipped it to reveal the instrument within.

Nerlharg chuckled. "[I assure you our security scans aren't that strong.]" He swept the tablet over the guitar. "[And this is also fine. Is that real wood?]"

"You better believe it," replied Oscar.

"[I look forward to hearing what it sounds like. His Excellency bids you all welcome. Unfortunately, we cannot permit your security drones indoors.]" He pointed at the hovering spheres near each human.

"This is a hell of a time to find that out," said Oscar. His jaw set as he glared at Nerlharg.

Rgrarshok looked pretty pissed as well. "[I assure you that these only use nonlethal protection methods. Scan them yourself if you don't believe me.]"

Nerlharg looked very apologetic. "[It is out of my hands. [Sssnnathor] does not want them admitted into such a large party. He's worried about them deploying a net or taser by accident, what with so many bodies moving around.]"

Oscar and Rgrarshok shared a long look. Maria knew that the Captain was asking the human do you want to go through with this? without saying a word. Finally Oscar shrugged in a sure, let's go for it manner.

Maria kind of wished she'd gotten a chance to throw in her two cents as well; she hoped that the big lug wasn't being cavalier about her safety. Or his, for that matter.

"[Very well,]" said Rgrarshok. "[We'll program them to remain here. Will that be acceptable?]"

Nerlharg nodded with a slight smile.

"[Good. What time do we start?]" asked the Captain.

"[In [one hour]. In the meantime, [Sssnnathor] requests the honor of your presence among our guests.]"

Maria groaned inside. The last thing she wanted to do was make small talk with a bunch of fearsome aliens who were, oh by the way, a bunch of criminal assholes as well.

----------------------------------------

Much to Oscar's annoyance, one hour became two. On top of that, their presence at the tyrant's party wasn't a simple case of 'walk around, mingle a bit, then go and do the show'. No, from the outset Sssnnathor seemed determined to keep them circulating among the considerable number of well-dressed party-goers. But Oscar didn't let the outward civilized veneer fool him for a second.

He was glad Myyreh wasn't there. The poor girl would have been crawling right out of her fur to see him in the midst of so many untrained xenos. At least they were polite enough to keep their distance when asked.

Right now he was holding a drink of some fruity-tasting cocktail. At least the glass was human-sized. He was chatting with a gray-furred Dorarizin who was wearing what looked like a frock coat with a lacy 'ruff' which accented the alien's mane. Several other huge xenos hovered around them, clearly waiting for their turn to talk to the human. In the meantime, Oscar kept himself facing the Dorarizin so that the nanocams in his suit could get a good look.

"Got a positive ID on him!" said Egrwreh's voice in his ear. "Ghranzor-of-Ahnz, known trafficker in small arms, suspected of Green smuggling as well."

Oscar nodded, both in response to the information as well as to a question from Ghranzor.

"[So you are enjoying your stay thus far?]"

"I sure am, sir. Didn't think I'd get to go this far into space, let alone meet so many people!"

Ghranzor gave a little bow and motioned to the several-foot gap between them. "[I'm pleased to hear that. I feared that you would be overly paranoid about us, given how much personal space you requested.]"

Oscar shrugged. "I gotta admit I'm a little worried. Can't be too safe, right?" He caught a nearby Karnakian's eyes and winked. "Remember what happened the first time we tried to shake hands with y'all." He used his free hand to mime pulling his other arm off.

The Karnakian floofed out her neck feathers in anger. "[Really! It was an honest accident!]"

Oscar waved his free hand. "Relax, I'm just kidding ya!"

The Karnakian subsided and let forth a little trilling, yet forced laugh of her own.

Oscar motioned with his glass overhead, where the party's main source of light floated. The hologram consisted of two bright suns floating in the atrium's center. Around both suns coiled a massive, scaled body which endlessly moved in a figure-eight formation like the living representation of infinity. Another coil emerged from the huge figure to reach out and circle another, smaller blue-white sphere which floated near the larger figure-eight. There was no real head or tail that Oscar could see; the hologram just gave an impression of never-ending sinewy strength.

"What's that?" he asked.

He heard Sssnnathor's smooth hiss-purr behind him. "[That, [human], is Sotek-Who-Circles-The-World.]"

Oscar turned casually to face the tyrant, and noted how everyone around Sssnnathor stood with a slight bow to their head. Not wanting to stand out, he followed suit.

"[Oh, please, you all honor me too much,]" said Sssnnathor. Oscar picked his head back up and saw the Jornissian looking up at the hologram. Oscar was still figuring out Jornissian facial expressions, but judging by the tilt of Sssnnathor's hood he could swear the tyrant had a look of longing.

Sssnnathor pointed at the encircled binary star system. "[Sotek coils the earth and sky in himself. He holds all fire in the sky, and lets out just enough of it to warm the world.]"

"Huh, neat. Sort of a sun god, then?"

"[Not just that. A god who encompasses eternity. He lives forever.]"

"Hey, who wouldn't want that?" replied Oscar as he took a casual sip of his fruity-stuff. It was time to do a little fishing and see if he could draw Sssnnathor out as to his true intentions.

Sssnnathor slithered towards Oscar with a gleam in his eyes. "[That's exactly what I say! Everyone desires eternal life, even if they're too craven to admit to it!]"

The surrounding courtiers moved away, and from their startled body language Oscar got the sense that this passion was not something they were used to.

"[Those fools in the Senate refuse to see the truth,]" continued Sssnnathor as he continued to approach Oscar. "[The universe is unimaginably old compared to even a few thousand [years] of existence. Why not at least give us the option?]"

There was no Junior to give a warning noise, so Oscar raised a hand. "That's close enough, sir."

The statement snapped the tyrant out of his trance. He chuckled and motioned with his snout down at Oscar. "[It's a pity you have to resort to such coddling just to have a chance at a any life, let alone an eternal one.]"

"Times change, sir. Sure we're fragile and endangered now, but we won't be forever. And I dunno, a thousand years or so sounds like a pretty good run to me."

"[Of course you say that now, you're barely out of a clutch! But a thousand [years] from now, I wager you'd be very receptive to living a thousand [years] more.]"

Oscar gave a noncommittal shrug. "[Maybe. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

"[The [powers that be] won't let you,]" replied Sssnnathor. "[After all, they threw me out for daring to even think of the possibility.]"

The tyrant's hood flattened out in anger, and those around the pair drew back in fear of being the recipient of some of that wrath. Oscar figured he should get the conversation back to light and fluffy.

"That's a shame, sir. Still, looks like you're doing all right for yourself, eh?" Oscar grinned and waved his glass in general at the huge atrium.

Sssnnathor's hood relaxed and he gave a Jornissian shrug. "[Yes, I suppose you're right.]" He looked at the fearful faces around him and gave a wide, fanged smile. "[Please, everyone, drink! Smile! This is supposed to be a party!]"

Before anyone else could chime in, Captain Rgrarshok moved her way into the circle around Oscar. She kept glancing off into the distance in irritation as she moved.

"[Sorry to stick my paw in, sir, but my performers need to make their way backstage,]" she said.

"[Of course they do,]" said Sssnnathor. "[I look forward to your performance. I'm sure we all do, yes?]"

Amid the hasty assurances and declarations that followed, Rgrarshok gave another irritated glare. Oscar followed her direction of interest and saw...

Bgrarh-of-Arhraz stood a ways away, also ringed in by partiers. He gestured casually with one paw as he chatted with a female Dorarizin. His deep blue eyes twinkled as he talked. The alien wolf-woman looked about ready to bear his pups, judging by the way she stared at him.

She wasn't the only one. Among the circle of people surrounding him were quite a few females (some not even Dorarizin) who looked at him with equal entrancement.

Oscar heard a faint grinding noise and realized it was the Captain's teeth. He decided to draw fire for his friend. "Er, boss, want me to go fetch him?"

Rgrarshok drew in and let out a deep breath. "Yes, please do."

Oscar grinned in general at those around him and gave Sssnnathor a bow. "Sorry folks, sorry sir. The show must go on!"

As he trotted away, Oscar heard Sssnnathor say something to Rgrarshok about an announcement. Fortunately the surrounding crowd parted as he called out "Make way, please!". The sycophants around Bgrarh at first looked annoyed at hearing his call, then they looked a lot more interested as they laid eyes on Oscar.

"'scuse the interruption, Bennie. The boss wants us backstage."

"[Of course!]" replied Bgrarh. He reached over, picked up the paw of the Dorarizin facing him, and gave the back of her paw a gentle kiss. "[It's terribly unfortunate we have to part, my dear. But duty calls.]"

The kissee stared after them like a poleaxed steer as Bgrarh and Oscar walked away.

----------------------------------------

Rgrarshok-of-Ngraz took another deep breath to calm herself as she strode towards the stage. It was set in the geometric center of the soaring atrium, consisting of a knee-high circular platform which was expansive enough for all of the acts. The partygoers were already crowded around the stage perimeter, but they still parted to make way for her. Along the far side of the stage sat a temporary domed hut which acted as the backstage area.

Both the stage and hut were supplied by Sssnnathor, which meant the latter was certainly bugged. She'd impressed on the whole team that there was to be absolutely no breaking of their cover until they were all back on safe ground.

Her face remained impassive as she berated herself. Why was she getting so worked up over Bgrarh's antics? The specialist could be a little annoying at times, but he was always a loyal pack member. He was just acting a part, not really flirting.

But the knowledge still didn't calm the little churn of unexpected jealous anger in her gut. She'd been on the cusp of striding into the middle of that circle and showing that hussy of a female who was the real Alpha. Bgrarh was hers, now and forever more.

Rgrashok slowed as she neared the stage. Sssnnathor was already coiled up in the middle of it, and he lifted his upper body to tower over them all. As he held up his arms the crowd quieted.

"[My friends, you gladden my heart by your presence. I have enjoyed my time here during these past [sixty years], and I look forward to many more such celebrations. But that is not the only reason to throw a party. As you may have heard, I've recently come into possession of an artifact which has a long and storied history among our [Karnakian] brethren. I've taken great pains to display it with the reverence due its status. It is my pleasure to present to you all...the Sacred Claw of [Ta'irrl'qc]!]"

Sssnnathor gestured to his right, and the partygoers on that side parted as a smooth polished stone plinth rose up out of the marble-tiled floor. The plinth's top split open and folded back down along itself to reveal the artifact which Rgrarshok and her crew had been chasing this entire time.

The Claw was a polished, nut-brown sickle shape which lay on a blue velvet cushion. At its root were embedded emeralds and rubies that sparkled in the light from Sotek's hologram above them.

As the crowd gave the appropriate oohs and aahs, Rgrarshok had a fleeting notion of simply grabbing Sssnnathor and holding him hostage while her team escaped with the Claw. But no, that would put the [humans] in unnecessary danger. Instead she made sure to smile and applaud along with everyone else.

Sssnnathor nodded to her and slithered his way back off of the stage. He coiled himself possessively around the Claw's plinth with a very satisfied expression on his face.

----------------------------------------

"[I don't believe it,]" whispered Tk'rii'na.

"[Don't even think it,]" said Resh'skk.

Maria didn't like the way the Karnakian's fore-claws twitched as he peeked out the ajar door. It looked like Tk'rii'na was getting ready to do something really stupid. She walked up beside him and placed a hand on his arm.

Stolen novel; please report.

"Hey, Tarky? Relax. We'll..." she glanced around the hut and tried to choose words that wouldn't blow their cover to anyone listening in. "I know you're worried about the performance, but you'll do great."

"[But it's right there.]"

Frick chose that moment to try and pull Tk'rii'na away. "[Let me see!]"

Tarky pushed back against the tug, resulting in a brief round of the two raptors squawking and slapping at each other.

"Both of you COOL IT!" hissed Maria. She glared up at Tk'rii'na. "You remember you swore to protect me? That includes not putting us in danger by causing a scene!"

Tk'rii'na hung his head. "[You're right. I'm sorry. I shall cool it, as you request.]"

He looked so literally crestfallen that Maria's anger evaporated. She patted his arm. "No harm done."

----------------------------------------

Rgrarshok strode into the middle of the stage, turned, and bowed deeply to the assembled throng. "{We thank you all humbly for your attention. The Company of the Long Dance of Fghrealh is pleased to bring to you a wide range of entertainment from around the galaxy. Including that of our newest comrades, the tiny-chompers!}"

That last part drew a nice round of applause.

"{We shall begin shortly, starting with an amazing display of [Karnakian] congretory singing!}"

Rgrarshok spun and walked towards the hut. Its door slid open and Rgarshok ducked inside. It was a small windowless space with a few tables along one curved wall and another door at the rear. The hut was made even more claustrophobic by the presence of the performers.

Rgrarshok raised a curious ear upon seeing a few feathers on the floor near the entrance door. She glared back up at the four Karnakians. "{Is there a problem?}"

"[No, just nerves before the show,]" replied Maria. "[Right, guys?]"

A big paw touched Rgrarshok's shoulder, and she turned to see Bgrarh giving her a wide smile that she found herself automatically returning. She just couldn't stay mad at him.

"{Are you ready for our performance, darling?}" he asked.

She put her stoic 'Captain in Charge' face back on. "{I am, just don't draw too much attention to yourself.}" That warning should be sufficiently vague to throw off any listeners.

Bgrarh moved close and slipped an arm around her waist. "{And what if I want the attention of somebody in particular?}"

Rgrarshok blinked as a welter of conflicting emotions ran through her. Bgrarh was a pack member; he was also strong, smart, and athletic. In ordinary circumstances his advances would be welcome to any pack's Alpha. But hers wasn't a normal pack and she wasn't just the Alpha, she was the Captain. She had to set herself apart, be a strong leader for them all...but his eyes were so deep and pretty, and he smelled so nice...

She leaned in towards his face. "{Not now, Bgrarh. We have a show to do.}"

Bgrarh didn't lose that infuriating and adorable grin. "{And after the show?}"

"{We'll see.}"

Rgrarshok gently peeled his arm off of her and cleared her throat. "{Singers, you're up.}"

She stood aside as the Karnakain quartet moved towards the entrance. Rgarshok noted with amusement that there was now a lot less glaring between the two pairs of guards than when they'd first come on board her ship. Now they all just looked nervous at the prospect of that most dreaded of things, Screwing Up.

----------------------------------------

Ter'yeik put on his best disarming smile as he pushed a big wheeled tub towards the service entrance. This was no grand archway, it was instead a smaller square portal guarded by one bored-looking Jornissian in low-profile armor. A rifle leaned against the wall next to the guard, within easy reach.

A voice hissed out from under the tub's cover, a voice just barely audible to him. "|Stop smiling, you idiot! Look bored and put-upon!|"

He did as The Silken Feather instructed and slouched a bit as he continued pushing. The Jornissian looked just as bored as he held up a hand. "[Hold up. You with the catering crew?]"

"|Yeah, we had a last-minute menu change. [Sssnnathor] wanted some namptha soup added.|"

The guard held his rifle at the ready as he coiled himself up higher, now looking a lot less bored and more ready to dispense some violence. "[We weren't told.]"

Ter'yeik kept his feathers from trembling with a supreme effort and tried his best to sound peeved. "|Really? That's typical. I get a work order, bust my tail making this stuff, and the Diarchy-cursed paperwork gets lost! What am I supposed to do with [two hundred gallons] of namptha soup? I sure as hell can't eat it!|"

Unbidden, the guard reached forward and plucked the cover off of the tub. Ter'yeik froze as the Jornissian gazed on the sight within. It was a sea of red, with white spheres floating here and there within it. "[Hmm. That does look tasty.]" His tongue flicked out and back in. "[Smells good, too.]"

Ter'yeik flattened his crest in mock distress. "|Listen, can you just check again for the work order?|"

The guard nodded and tilted his head as he checked his implant. "[Huh! Whaddya know, there it is. Musta got held up in the system for a bit.]" He stood aside and waved at the entrance. "[You know where to go?]"

Ter'yeik managed to keep his voice from squeaking as he replied. "|Yep! To the right, isn't it?|"

The hallway beyond the entrance was metallic and utilitarian, its walls bearing the scars from many years of heavy equipment moving through it. Ter'yeik waited until he was well out of sight of the door before breathing out a huge sigh of relief. He reached forward and took the cover off of the tub again. This time, instead of being full of soup it was full of Silken Feather, crammed awkwardly around a small pot of red-and-white soup.

"|Now aren't you glad you let me have my hacking and holographic toys?|" she asked as she uncoiled herself and stood up out of the tub. She shrugged her shoulders, then flexed her neck. "|Ooof. Not my most comfortable entrance ever, but I've had worse.|"

"|I was wondering why you insisted we stop off to buy that stuff,|" said Ter'yeik. "|I didn't think about the smell.|"

The Silken Feather reached forward and patted the side of his snout as if he was a mere hatchling. "|That's why I'm the master thief and you are not.|" She concentrated, and her appearance suddenly shifted into that of a mottled gray Karnakian.

Ter'yeik started back. "|Wait, what's this all about?|"

"|I'm not about to go walking around wearing my own face. [Sssnnathor's] security team knows what I look like.|"

A low, powerful moan drifted down the hallway towards them. The moan rapidly rose in pitch, followed closely by another moan whose harmonies worked in counterpoint with the first.

"|Ah, it sounds like the show has started!|" said The Silken Feather. She stepped out of the tub and held out her arm to Ter'yeik. "|Shall we?|"

He stared in confusion at the proffered limb. "|What?|"

"|In order to steal the Claw we need to see where it is, silly. Therefore you and I need to crash the party.|"

"|We can't go walking in there! I thought we were going to do more sneaking around.|"

"|There's no time for stealth. Besides, there's plenty of people milling around, we'll just blend right in. A confident attitude is the best disguise. Trust me and above all act casual.|"

After another moment of hesitation, Ter'yeik took her arm.

----------------------------------------

Nerlharg-of-Aergh nodded along with the song as he stalked through the party. Most of the crowd was pushed in around the stage, but there were a few stragglers circulating around the food and drink tables.

The melodic structure was odd but interesting, even if the words were now a jumbled mess to his translator. He made a mental note to look up other examples of Karnakian congretory singing and see how this compared.

Nerlharg's nose twitched as a scent hit his nostrils that he wouldn't expect to encounter at a party. It was the smell of a Karnakian in the grip of mortal fear, a scent he knew well thanks to his experiences in Sssnnathor's employ.

He kept his expression neutral as he turned to scan the nearby partygoers. In the distance, the four Karnakians' crests bobbed in time with their singing. Closer to him was another pair of Karnakians. One of the pair was a mottled gray alien standing arm-in-arm with a cream-colored one. He discreetly sniffed again. The lighter of the pair was probably the source of the fear.

"[Doesn't it sound marvelous, dear?]" exclaimed the darker Karnakian in a low, throaty voice. Something about that voice sounded familiar to Nerlharg.

"{Yes darling, quite nice,]" said the lighter-colored raptor. His voice had a little squeak in it as he fidgeted his claws together.

Nerlharg sidled up next to them and cleared his throat. Upon making that sound he got another spike of fear-scent up his nose.

"{Pardon me, but I'm not familiar with congretory singing. Is this a good example of it?}"

The darker Karnakian shrugged her crest. "[It's a little unusual compared to the norm, since you have the pairs alternating instead of all singing together. But it's still quite lovely.]"

Nerlharg was sure she was deliberately pitching her voice lower. More to the point, he was pretty sure he'd heard her voice before. He nodded amiably at the pair and strolled off. As he did so, the fear-scent subsided.

He reached out with his implant to Sssnnathor. "{Pardon the intrusion, Excellency. We have a situation. I believe I've spotted the Claw's thief among the guests.}"

The distant coiled-up figure of the tyrant didn't twitch, and his subvocal response was nothing but amused. "[Trying to steal back her stolen property, eh? I suppose she doesn't lack for bravery. I imagine these entertainers are in on her scheming as well.]"

"{That is also my assessment, Excellency. Shall I arrest them all?}"

"[No, let's let the show finish. Although, I supposed if you get a chance during the performance to grab them, take it. But I want the [tiny-chompers] unharmed, understand?]"

"{Of course. What about the others?}"

"[Capture them if you can, but don't worry too much about their health. If they resist too much, go ahead and shoot them.]"

Nerlharg cut the connection and sighed. Tiny-chompers were so notoriously fragile that even grabbing them too fast could seriously injure them. Not to mention they were in the midst of their friends. He'd have to get creative on this one.

----------------------------------------

Maria Vargas strode out into the center of the stage with Coleridge's words fixed firmly in her brain. She told herself that this was just a simple recitation, nothing at all to worry about. By this point she could do the damn poem in her sleep.

She reached the center, took a deep breath, raised her eyes...

And froze.

A sea of gleaming eyes stared back at her, eyes which bore every color of the rainbow. Those eyes were attached to huge forms sporting far too many claws and fangs. Her hind-brain shrieked at her to flee, that she was a mouse under the gaze of many predators.

She glanced to her left, and saw Sssnnathor staring at her intently with a silvery gaze. Next to his hood sat the Claw, the thing that had brought her to this moment of danger. Neither sight helped her nerves, and she could feel her heart hammer faster.

Maria faced back to the crowd and tried to swallow, but it felt like she had a golf ball lodged in her throat. She wetted her lips and closed her eyes, which helped a little.

"It is..." she began with a raspy, choked voice. She paused and told herself that, even with no drone, Reshy was watching over her. That knowledge helped slow her heart even more.

Maria opened her eyes and this time deliberately kept her eyes unfocused on the crowd in front of her. As far as she was concerned, the assembled throng was nothing but a blur of color. She cleared her throat, and when she spoke again the rasp was gone.

"It is an ancient Mariner, And he stoppeth one of three..."

Once Maria started speaking, instinct kicked in and the words flowed easily. As the poem wound on and the ship in the tale went through first storms and then ice, she began to half-notice the crowd instead of treating them like nothing but a backdrop. Their rapt expressions emboldened her, and by the time she hit the part where the Mariner's becalmed ship ran into the ghostly hulk captained by Death himself she knew she had them.

"...A sadder and a wiser man, He rose the morrow morn."

After Maria finished, there was a moment of silence.

"[Amazing!]" Sssnnathor called out. His exclamation seemed to break the logjam, and the crowd followed suit with a chorus of various whoops and trills. Maria ignored the pounding of her heart as she smiled, bowed, and left the stage. She did her best to keep the wobble out of her knees.

Hrathra'sstah gripped Maria's shoulder after she re-entered the hut. Hrathra's face was still set in its ususal intense glare, but from the set of her hood Maria knew that her boss was ecstatic. "[Excellent job!]"

"Thanks, boss." Maria stared at the floor and all but panted.

"[Are you all right?]"

"I'm good, Boss. Just got a bit of stage fright there. I just need a while to calm myself down."

Hrathra gave her shoulder a squeeze and moved off. The crew was now busy getting the Captain and Bgrarh ready, so for the moment all eyes were off her.

Not getting stared at anymore helped, but Maria really now needed some alone time. While everyone was looking the other way, she ducked out of the hut's rear door.

There was nothing behind the hut but a short 'alleyway' between the temporary structure and the sloping wall of Sssnnathor's main pyramid. Maria leaned forward, placed her forehead against the wall's smooth cement-like surface, and let out another shaky breath. After a little moment of doing nothing but paying attention to her breathing, she stood up again.

She was feeling a lot calmer now, an emotion that lasted for all of ten seconds before she felt the faintest whisper of air and realized she was no longer alone.

Maria spun around towards the hut and drew in a breath to yell just as an invisible paw clamped tight over her mouth.

----------------------------------------

Oscar peered out through the half-open door to the stage. Bgrarh and the Captain whirled in a complicated dance that he could barely follow. It looked a little like a waltz but with a lot more airborne bits to it. To his uneducated eye it looked amazing, and the Captain actually looked happy, something that Oscar had never seen before.

He turned away and picked up the guitar. It was about as well-tuned as he could get it, but fiddling with it gave him something to take his mind off of his nerves. He'd done a few open-mic nights back on Earth, but this was something much more serious.

Plus there was the whole threat of being found out and getting involved in a huge firefight.

Oscar peeked back out again, this time scanning the crowd instead of paying attention to the dance. It looked like they were digging it, just like they'd dug Maria's recitation.

Speaking of which, where was she? He turned away from the stage door and looked around the hut. He performed a circuit of the backstage, dodging around the Jornissian and Karnakian forms. He didn't ask anyone if they'd seen Maria; that might trigger a freak-out, especially in Resh'ssk. There was no need to worry anyone just yet.

As he walked by the rear entrance, he heard Maria's quiet voice. "Oscar? Can you come out here, please?"

The others were busy prepping, and didn't notice as Oscar set his guitar down and cracked open the door to poke his head out.

Maria leaned casually against the sloping wall across from the door, staring off into the distance.

"What's up?" he asked.

She didn't answer. Oscar glanced to each side and saw nothing. His brow wrinkled as he moved himself all the way out of the door and approached her. "Maria? Are you okay?"

She ignored him and continued to stare off, unmoving and silent. It wasn't until Oscar got within a few feet of her that he realized just how unmoving she was.

As unmoving as if she was a hologram.

On pure instinct Oscar threw his arm up to ward off anyone trying to get him in a choke-hold from behind. He managed to get his sleeve up in front of his face before his world went dark and he found himself unable to move.

----------------------------------------

"[I'm getting a strange reading from the drones onboard the Claw,]" said Egwreh's voice in Tk'rii'na's ear. "[Plus the telemetry from the [humans] is looking oddly muted.]"

He and Irr''kttz turned from watching the dance onstage. The Karnakians known as 'Tarky' and 'Frick' to their [human] friends both scanned the hut in increasing panic.

"|I don't see [Oscar] or [Maria].|" said Tk'rii'na.

Both saw at the same time that the rear door was now open. After one quick glance at each other, they sprinted as one for the back door.

In true Karnakian fashion neither bothered to open it wider. The temporary structure shook as the entire rear of the hut all but evaporated, sending chunks of composite ricocheting off of the rear wall and onto the surprised guests.

Irr''kttz pointed. "|THERE! I see them!|"

Tk'rii'na followed the claw with his eyes and saw two faint whirls of familiar sparkly light floating in the middle of the air. There was nothing visible around the pair of sparkly souls as they rapidly approached a side exit.

----------------------------------------

Onstage, the pair of whirling Doaraizin spun to a sudden halt as the resounding crunch of the Karnakians' dynamic exit sounded through the atrium. Rgrarshok ignored the bits of former hut bouncing off of the top of her skull.

"{REPORT!}" she barked. She saw guards here and there among the party starting to stand up straight, but she ignored them for now. She glanced around in rising panic, and realized she saw no sign of Sssnnathor.

The plinth that had once held the Claw was now empty.

Irr''kttz's voice yelled in her ear. "[THERE! I see them!]"

Tk'rii'na spoke, sounding a lot calmer than his counterpart. "[I see them too, they've been wrapped in optical camo. Heading for the exit to your right, Captain.}"

"[Got it,]" said Rgrarshok. She and Bgrarh exchanged one look, to which he gave a Dorarizin nod.

"{[Calvinball],}" they said simultaneously.

Bgrarh sprinted for the hut just as Rgrarshok charged towards the edge of the stage nearest the indicated exit. The confused murmuring of the crowd now became an earnest screaming at the sight of the rampaging Captain.

The Captain's trigger-word also reactivated the drones hovering near the far-off main entrance. Each immediately locked onto the telemetry readings from their respective [human]; rather than waste time maneuvering through the doorway they both 'decided' that the quickest route between them and their charges was a straight line. Two loud bangs sounded from the main entrance as each drone smashed its way into the atrium.

In the middle of her icy rage, Rgrarshok noted the trajectory of the two drones. Following that line, she caught the merest hint of a pair of heat-shimmers in the air; several panicked partygoers bounced off of the cloaked figures as they sprinted for the side-exit.

Rgarshok leapt off of the stage; the crowd beneath her parted with great alacrity to get the hell out of her way. As she landed in a crouch, a lone Dorarizin guard pushed out of the mob to block her way. He thrust a shock-baton at her chest which she didn't even try to block. The armor did its job, hardening with the impact and allowing that baton to skate off to the side.

Rgrarshok shoved herself upright as she grabbed the guard's weapon-arm. He was wearing low-profile armor as well, so instead of wasting time punching at him she settled for a overhand throw that flung the guard away with a wet crunch which signified a ruined shoulder.

The Captain continued to push forward, but couldn't move fast enough through the panicked mob. Rgarshok decided that now was not the time to play nice and began throwing people out of her way. Even a Jornissian or two found themselves the target of her flinging. The only good news was that the drones had reached the doorway and now hovered in the path of the cloaked goons carrying the tiny-chompers. They each projected a targeting grid, trying to lock onto the cloaked goon without hurting the tiny-chompers...

Both two drones sparked and fell to the floor with smoking holes drilled neatly in each of them. Two more Dorarizin in full armor and wielding rifles stepped over the wrecked machines.

The guards parted to let the heat-shimmers pass between them, then stepped back together and came running towards Rgrarshok. Her attackers didn't use their guns for their intended purpose, instead they used the long weapons as clubs to smack aside the partygoers as they moved towards her.

Rgarshok roared in response and charged.