There was no doubt. It was the same man from the photo Byrne had shown us of the doctor. The photo had been years old, but this was him. His eyes were pale blue, his skin tanned, and his hair dark against his eyes. A faint scar cut across part of his chin. He looked like the kind of guy a woman would cross the street to avoid. I stood over him, gun aimed at his face, and catching my breath. His thoughts spun darkly. "Damn it all to hell."

     "So where's your other two buddies?" I asked him coldly. "The man from Zoel and Satov, the woman from the street? Leave you to dry?"

    He spat at me. "I'm not telling you shit, Autumn."

    Byrne finally got up fully, wiping away the blood. "How do you know her name?"

    "Same reason I know yours, Olivia Byrne," Tase snapped. "Shit, shit! How the hell am I supposed to get out of this one?"

    "How are you alive?" I cut in. "Because unless you're a carbon copy of someone else, you were alive forty years ago to publish a paper about sekrite use. And you're not older than thirty."

    Tase chuckled darkly, his fingers twitching. "Still haven't figured it out, have you? Maybe you should ask your bloody captain who we are. He knows." His face twisted into a smirk. "Maybe ask why he was discharged from his position in the military while you're at it."

    My eyebrows drew together. Byrne suddenly inhaled. "Wait. You're British."

   Tase looked her way, but she jabbed a finger at him. "You're using British dialect. And no one in this side of the Milky Way has been to Earth for years. How do you know British lingo?"

    Finally, a crack appeared in his resolve. He snapped his jaw closed. "Damn Intelligence Officer. Too perceptive. Gah, where are they?"

   My back tensed and I realized he was waiting for help. Byrne heard it too because she glowered. I quickly spoke to the rest of the Bridge crew. "We've got him trapped but he's waiting for backup. How close are you guys?"

   "Bird and Decker are the closest," Edwards replied. "The Captain and Peterson and I are taking transportation but it has to stop somewhere else first."

    "If the man from Satov shows up, wearing the same technology as this one, we're in trouble," said Byrne. "I landed a lucky shot on the power supply of his suit. But we saw it fix itself last time we interacted with one. That one took about two minutes before it was able to get him untouchable. We've only got thirty seconds until it's been two minutes."

    We'd been silent too long. Tase scowled up at us. "What's going on?"

    "Funny how you say you know our Captain," I finally said softly, my tone dangerous, "when we've all been hidden for five hundred and forty-nine years."

    "And what's to say we haven't?" His mouth remained closed but I heard it anyway. My eyes narrowed but I immediately dismissed what came to mind. There was no chance that this man had been cryogenically-frozen like my crewmembers had. Or he'd be suffering the same side effects, and I couldn't be able to hear his thoughts. But what else was that supposed to mean?

   His side suddenly sparked and lines on his suit glowed blue. He smiled. "Time's up, Genevieve." His form suddenly went transparent and he got up. I lunged for the sekrite grate but his suddenly solid foot connected with my chest. The air in my lungs was forced out and I gasped. Byrne kicked the grate to his ankles and sent him stumbling. She tried to heave up the grate but wasn't able to before Tase got to it first.

    I shouted as he spun it into Byrne's side. Her head connected with the ground and her body fell limp. I snarled and grabbed the grate, cutting off two long pieces with the aquarius and racing after Tase. I threw the first at his head and it hit him, making him trip and crash into two people. My gut sank as I recognized the man from Satov and the woman from the . They caught his arms and the woman snarled at me. "Now, Emrys!"

   I lifted my arm to shoot at them but a shadow covered me. My eyes turned upwards to see a black ship diving toward the settlement. It was a sleek, small, and I saw the two weapons on the side just as they whirred and aimed down toward me. I looked at the three in front of me, aghast, as the ship started to fire.

    Yellow energy shot down upon Settlement Vilara. People around me began to scream and ran for cover. Snarling, I ran for the three in front of me, but they were getting away easily. The ground shook and cracked under me, broken debris falling from buildings. A blast shot right in front of me and I suddenly remembered Byrne. She was lying unconscious not far away and surrounded by the rogue ship's fire. My eyes turned back to the three escaping and I knew that I had no choice.

   I turned around bolted for Byrne. She was somehow unharmed but I knew that wouldn't last. I hooked my arms under hers and began to drag her limp body. A blast hit where she'd been seconds ago as I hurried, sweat dripping down my neck. My back finally hit a wall and I looked up to see the two large weapons on the sides of the ship aligning right for us. And I had nowhere to go.

   One of the weapons suddenly exploded. I covered my face from the blinding light and footsteps ran for me. Bird suddenly slid in front of us, his sniper rifle aimed, and he fired. The ship seriously listed to the side to avoid his shot. He reloaded his rifle, his face scarlet with anger. "Are you okay?" He shouted whilst aiming.

   Decker appeared from another side and aimed his own gun. Peterson and Edwards ran for me and Byrne. There was no sign of Captain Thorn. The ship's thrusters turned and the ship began to pull away. It lifted out of sight and then there was utter silence. Wheezing from the hit earlier, I forced myself to stand up. Edwards felt for Byrne's pulse and let out a breath. "She'll be awake soon. I think she just got dazed." He looked toward me. "What happened?"

    "Where's the Captain?" I asked.

   Peterson shook his head. "We were separated once we got off of the transportation pod. I haven't seen him since."

   I swore under my breath. "Captain?" I tried asking it again, but I got nothing back. "Either he's out of range from us or he's unconscious. What exactly happened?"

   Peterson shrugged helplessly. "I don't know, First Officer. I blinked and he was gone." His voice was small.

    "Shit," I cursed. "We're about to be swarmed by the local enforcement. Decker and Peterson, I want you to get to the nearest law station and track that ship. Edwards and Bird, take Byrne to the hospital. I want reports every minute, understand? If I don't hear from you, I'm assuming you're unconscious."

    "We're splitting up?" Peterson's voice was small.

   I understood he was probably nervous but I grimaced. "We have to. We need to follow that ship, find those three, get Byrne medical attention, and find Captain Thorn. Decker, if they say that you have to follow the ship by flight, don't hesitate. Tail their damn ass. We can't let them get away this time, we've got no leads if they disappear now."

   "Yes, First Officer." Decker caught Peterson's arm and then they were running down the street. Edwards and Bird heaved up Byrne's limp arms over their shoulders. Bird met my eyes. "What about you?"

   "I'm going after Captain Thorn." I drew the pistol from my side and chambered it, aware of the blood trickling down the side of my face. "I want you checking in constantly. I'll keep you updated likewise."