~Yunho's POV~

The plan was dangerous to say the least.

The concoction I'd created earlier burned hot with potency in my stomach. It was so hot in fact that I felt like I was feverish, sweat soaking through my clothes and dripping down my face. But I could feel it working.

The power was snaking out from my stomach and anchoring me to the pool beneath me in the observation deck. The cool water served as the perfect conductor for the magic I'd casted. It gently rippled out from underneath me as I hovered cross legged over the pool. Another invisible tether was linked to the crude doll that sat in my lap, symbols as old as time itself drawn onto its body in charcoal.

Aquaceria shone bright blue in the dead of space at the forefront of the ship. The eye of a storm, like a bad omen, travelled in a spiral over its face.

I'd never pushed myself this hard before, like working an unused muscle the strain was starting to fatigue me. The effort made me cinch my eyebrows together in deep concentration.

Although it became harder and harder to maintain that concentration when I thought back to earlier that afternoon. The argument I had with Hongjoong sat uneasily in the pit of my stomach. It wasn't like him to risk someone's life but then again he hadn't seemed the same since Jongho went missing. Something in the guilt the captain carried with him had made him sharper, colder, more calculating. I knew in my bones he'd do whatever it takes to protect any one of us.

But does he think of Ten as one of us?

I shook my head vigorously trying to clear my mind.

Then it finally appeared. A ship lurking in space slowly headed for the ATEEZ. It was using some sort of cloaking device to hide in the blanket of the cosmos but I could sense it was there.

I've got you, I thought a smile creeping up to my face. It won't be much longer now.

~Hongjoong's POV~

The match had begun.

An announcer loudly shouted Cerian into the rolling masses, which were becoming more frenzied by the second. I could smell exhaust in the air and hear the grinding of chains as the doors opened up to reveal the battling EXO suits. I glanced at San who screwed his eyes shut and listened. Then in his soft voice he began to translate the announcer's monologue.

"Born to nomads and raised on a distant planet of wind and rain our contender came to be. Beast of bloodsport and slayer of champions Uranaan the Undaunted..." Aquacerian's stamped their feet until it began shaking the floor of the stands. An alien near where I sat pounded his chest and yelled in Cerian, the bangles on his wrists clanging together.

Uranaan's EXO suit was covered in shining steel that reflected in the lights of the stadium. Claw marks from past battles adorned its reptilian body and it wore them like badges of honor. It crawled out from under the door low on four legs, large bladed tail sweeping over the ground behind it. It fixed Yeosang's EXO suit with two eyes that glowed green within it's long face.

"His past is unknown but his skill in the ring is renowned, hailing from the stars and born of their dust came the warrior from the void. Deus Ex Machina, the God in the Machine..." The applause and shouts in the stands swelled at the mention of Yeosang's old name. Yuyaga raises his fists to the sky inciting a chant from the surrounding onlookers. "Deus! Deus! Deus!" They thundered in Cerian.

Through the opposite doors Yeosang's EXO suit stepped into the ring brandishing a wickedly sharp broadsword. Like a knight from legends of old, it's body was protected by a suit of armor, lit up from within by a ominous blue light. Chainmail swung around it's large frame as it squared off against its opponent.

"Fight for the glory of Hala Hala. Kill for the bloodlust and bring honor to it's masters..." San finished. I felt worry fester within my heart as those words, like a harbinger of destruction, buried deep.

"Yeosang is smart," Seongwha said tilting his head towards the crew. His eyes darted around the ring studying the two EXO's deadly dance. "He knows not to take any unnecessary risks in a fight."

Wooyoung nodded his head watching the circling suits. "Look at the way he moves, how he keeps his distance from that bladed tail of Uranaan's."

My second in command clapped a warm hand on my shoulder. "I know he'll be all right Hongjoong, he's going to bring Jongho home." Mingi said this with such conviction in his voice it almost quelled the anxiety crawling under my skin.

The two EXO suits stalked each other slowly within the ring as if eyeing for an opening. Lightning fast, Uranaan took a preemptive strike at Yeosang which he dodged with the same incredible speed, the reptile EXO dug into the mud whipping back around to charge at his back.

Within the suit Yeosang blocked two more attacks from behind with his blade. With a shriek he backhanded Uranaan, sparks flying as metal made contact with metal. The reptilian EXO had part of its face cave in on impact disfiguring it beyond recognition. There were quite a few cheers from the crowd at the successful blow and I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding in.

Thank the stars he's holding his own.

Yuyaga laughed boisterously nudging another master in the side. He loudly bragged to him in Cerian, sloshing alcohol from his glass. His dancers, scantily clad and shining with silver slave marks, sat at their feet. All of his guards, including Fang, stood in a line behind the seats with their gaze forward, acting as silent sentries to their lords.

There were also lower level slaves present to attend to any other of the masters needs. They stood quietly huddled together with their heads bowed. They all wore the same plain clothing and hoods that hid their faces from view. What could be seen was the area around their eyes which was smudged with inky black makeup, further masking their identities.

Monster and his three men observed the fight from the other side of the balcony. They watched the match and quietly whispered among themselves as the EXO suits furiously fought below us. Monster's gaze never left the ring as he held a fist tensely to his mouth. His eyes flitted up to meet mine and I glared at him a second before looking away.

"Ssstar King," Yuyaga began. "I knew I wasss right to enlist help from Deuss. It seemsss he hassn't lost his touch in the ring."

"I believe in Yeosang," I stated as Yeosang landed a spinning kick to Uranaan sending him careening into a wall. In a cloud of dust Uranaan's head peered out, the damage from earlier marring it's face into a harsh grimace. "He's a hell of a fighter."

Uranaan swerved to one side and whipped his tail forward, sharp points dragging over the front of Yeosang, leaving behind deep grooves into the suit where they struck. Yeosang used the opportunity to grab onto the tip of the tail and rip the blade free. He flung it into Uranaan's retreating foot, which stopped him cold and anchored the suit to the ground.

"Impresssive," Yuyaga praised, the slits of his gills on his neck flared. A guard at his side leaned over to whisper something in his ear. Whatever was said seemed to please Yuyaga greatly because his mouth turned up into a smile, razored golden teeth gleaming. "Although not nearly as impresssive at your propensity for deceit Ssstar King.." I felt my throat tighten at the accusation but kept my face on the ring trying not to give away anything as I felt his eyes scrutinizing me.

Yeosang charged forward with his weapon raised, feet pounding over the ground. Right before he could bring it down over Uranaan's head the reptile lashed out, rear leg glancing off the sword and knocking it out of the knight's hands. The force made Yeosang stagger, Uranaan seizing the opportunity to swipe a clawed hand against Yeosang's knee, bending it backwards with a squeal of metal. I noticed I had jumped to my feet, my hands clenching the railing white knuckled in front of me.

"I heard sssomething interesssting a while back. About you and your crew appropriating a military vesssel. But that'sss not even the bessst part," Yuyaga smiled widely pleased when I turned to give him my full attention. "I've heard you also came to possess a powerful cyborg along with it..."

My heart thudded in my chest at his words but I was quickly pulled back into reality when I heard the crowds screams.

Yeosang was now grappling with Uranaan who's body had wrapped around his torso. It repeatedly smashed its barbed tail into the knight's shins until they gave in with a crunch sending EXO to it's knees. The light flickered within the suit as it lost power under Uranaan's vicious barrage of attacks.

The reptile bit into Yeosang's suit, eyes shining with malice, sinking it's fangs in deeply. It jerked it's head and ripped a mouthful of armor away from the heart. Yeosang had no weapon to fight back. His sword had sunk into a concrete wall, cracks like spider webs formed around the blade as it sat tantalizingly beyond his reach.

"Don't you know by now that it's futile to hide from me Ssstar King?" Yuyaga growled. I made to grab the hilt of my sword but felt strong arms hold me back. I looked up into Mingi's amber colored eyes, emerald scales glinting, and saw them filled with a silent plea. "Captain, Yeosang is still out there fighting..."

Yeosang had managed to claw out one glowing eye from the reptile's head which hung uselessly from sparking wires. It swung from it's eye cavity as Uranaan bit down once more pulling the last bit of protection away from the EXO's heart.

Revealing a very battered Yeosang to the night air.

"What I want isss sssimple..." Yuyaga said resting back in his chair confidently. "Override the cyborg'ss sssytem and sssurrender them both to me. I'll let you and your men, including Deusss, walk out of here alive and with Jongho'sss coordinatess. Do we have a deal Ssstar King?"

"And if I refuse to give you the override?" I asked narrowing my eyes. Yuyaga rose to his feet, all teeth and rippling muscle, towering over me.

"Then I'll blow her right out of the sssky." He threatened. I knew from his tone that Yuyaga would make good on that promise. In my attempt to keep my brothers safe I walked them right into Yuyaga's trap and the more we resisted him the more hopelessly entangled we would become.

This was his plan all along, I thought closing my eyes as dread made my limbs feel like lead. I fully realized the choice I was faced with. It wasn't ever just about the match. It was about luring us here so they could take the ship...

"What will it be Ssstar King?" Yuyaga said triumphantly. I cast one final glance at the ring spotting Yeosang. He had his head bowed within the heart arms shaking as he held Uranaan at bay. Blood from a gash on his head wetting his hair and dripping to the ground.

"Your ship or your friend?"

~~~

Back on board 10-24 sits alone in the dark of her room as she waits. She has her hands clasped tightly together on her lap. She knew she was going to be taken and for the sake of the crew she would not fight back. The only sounds that could be heard is the ticking of the clock on the wall counting down the inevitable and her steady breathing. Then she hears it...

Two pairs of footsteps and the sound of doors opening down the hallway as they search for her.

She doesn't move from her bed as she hears the footsteps growing ever closer until they stand just outside her bedroom door. Scattered conversation shared between two voices in a language she can't understand could be heard through the door before sliding open, spilling light from the hall onto the floor.

The two marauders who stand before her are strangers, sent by Yuyaga to take her along with the ship. One life in exchange for another's, just like the Star King had predicted.

But 10-24 knew her life had never truly been hers.

One alien roughly grabs 10-24 by the shoulders and pulls her to her feet. She doesn't resist even when they restrain her wrists together in front of her. She's numb to how rough they are, not even registering when the binding begins to cut into her skin. When the alien clasps her chin to look her in the eyes she looks back at him, her gaze unfocused. "What'ss your name girl?" The alien demands, hot breath blowing in her face.

10-24 is unresponsive, her eyes are dull as if the light that was once there had been extinguished. The other alien, with a growl of impatience asks the question again. When she doesn't answer right away he backhands her, hard. So hard it makes her see stars and knocks her onto the cold floor. She lays there on her side, dark hair falling into her face and the taste of blood blooming in her mouth.

"It doesn't matter..." The marauder grumbles in Cerian to the other before laughing loudly. The sound echos off the walls in the hall and within the dark empty room, a painful reminder to 10-24 that she's completely alone. She stares blankly ahead as Aquaceria peeks through a porthole on the far wall like an angry God looking down on the three of them.

"Tell massster Yuyaga we have both the ship and the cyborg."