Now having entered orbit around Vorix Haley opened a communication link to Edward's location in Devex containment and said, "We are prepping for touch down on Vorix sir."

"Great!" Edward replied, "After dropping her off I want you to set course for the Guncod capital right away."

"Yes sir!" Haley replied before returning to her duties.

Fidgeting around Gwen then squeezed Edward in her grip before she threatened, "This better not be a trick or you will be the first I kill if this so called freedom isn't real."

Looking up into her yellow eye's Edward knew that behind her tough expression that Gwen was scared. Seeking to ease her tension he replied, "Really Gwen it's not some trick or plot against you. Very soon you will be with someone of your own kind and our intent will be proven clearly."

Grunting the colossal alien blue woman bulked and refused to answer as she felt vibrations in the flooring. Time crawled by Gwen as building anxiety had kept prodding her. Then in select moments that brimmed with depth in Gwen's eye's the massive door opened and reveled a whole new world. Blue vibrant rays beamed into the metal surfaces of the ship. While looking out she caught a glimmer of yellowish skies and unable to contain herself Gwen stepped out into the soft red grounds that slightly sank from the weight of her figure.

Triggering mechanisms in the entrance of the Devex hideout it soon retracted it's cloaking field and reveled a simple dwelling big enough for Gwen to live in. Along with a female Devex that was smiling as she came out to greet them all.

"I can't believe you saved another Devex so quickly." Zara beamed, "Oh and for the new girl my name is Zara and it's fantastic to meet you."

Not convinced of this situation Gwen hesitated as she looked around searching for the catch, the hook, the scam, the gotcha, the fooled you moment. Because surely no one in this galaxy could sincerely care about her. Except there was no trap sprung, ship coming down to grab her or even walls in this open clearing preventing escape.

Almost forgetting her composure Gwen asked, "How long have you been here?"

"Three days with my cute adorable little guy." Zara replied glowing with delight as she answered.

Attempting to sense her surroundings for other Devex with her tail Gwen wondered about this man she was clearly in love with. Frustrated she couldn't detect other Devex in the area Gwen questioned, "Oh really? Where is this other Devex you have been with the last three days?"

"There is no other Devex with us. My human boyfriend is right here though." Zara giggled while hinting at the wedge between her breast.

Revolted by those words Gwen's eye's both widened turning red as she boiled in seething rage. It was blasphemous affront to everything Gwen had been raised to believe and she was going to confront this offense to natural order immediately. Without delay Gwen then exploded, "HOW DARE you spit on and think you know better than the great architect! This relationship is the unnatural abomination of fools! YOU CAN NOT love thinking prey!"

"Well I do love him!" Zara proudly declared, "The old ways failed us all and I believe the great architect meant for us to change as we learned more about our existence!"

Offended by this display of pride Gwen ranted, "How can you say any of that! Our tradition's is what saved us 300 years ago! Drifting away from natural selection in the name of so called progress is what killed society! Everyone in school knew our weak blind welcoming male leader led to the oppression of our kind upon first contact with thinking prey!"

"Gwen, nothing could have saved us from that invasion." Zara replied attempting to deescalate this conversation.

Holding out Edward in front of her Gwen snapped, "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! You have allowed humans like this one to brainwash you! Humans are thinking prey and THINKING PREY IS ALWAYS FOOD!"

"That's horrible! Speaking like you do is why the galaxy hates the Devex!" Zara shouted as indignation flared up within her turning once green soft eye's into sharp red orbs glaring in spite.

Hard as stone Gwen seethed, "NO! Weak Devex like you are why our kind lost the war! ALL defective abomination's of nature including you that feel empathy toward thinking prey should have been locked up!"

After Gwen's venomous reply the conversation swiftly descended into mindless shouting as rage swelled within them both. Cashel didn't like this one bit as his ear drums throbbed in pain while their voices boomed fiercely at each other. Cashel struggled to understand the meaning of hostile words traded as they drifted away from common speech patterns. He didn't even understand the Devex personal insult's exchanged as they used profane words that had no translated equivalent.

Meanwhile Edward felt his patience running thin as he was jerked around within Gwen's loosing grasp. This Devex was some extra pain in the ass he thought while enduring the heavy booms of their voices shouting each other down. Just when he didn't believe this situation could get more chaotic Gwen's fingers suddenly released him to make some offensive hand gesture. Plummeting toward red clay Edward activated his electromagnetic boots. Moments later his feet impacted the moist reddish clay surface. Pain inflicted him only for a while until his military grade nano bot's repaired strained tissue and bone structures.

Now under a towering blue knockout screaming her lungs out Edward carefully started running toward his ship. In the following moment he saw Gwen's massive blue foot lift off the ground. Knowing the risk of being under her once the huge appendage came back down Edward changed direction. Sprinting with haste Edward managed to avoid becoming a gooey red paste under her foot as it crashed into the ground next to him. Hardly able to catch his breath Gwen then shifted her foot and knocked Edward over. So consumed in their feud it was clear that Gwen and Zara were utterly oblivious of his plight. Dazed he laying on his back stared up between Gwen's sparkling blue legs. In laying on this moist red clay Edward's last straw burned in a lake of fire.

This ordeal broke his patience for waiting them out. Edward requested a normal quantum teleport while under the duress of massive beings flaunting their rage before him. In moment's he stepped off the pad designed to conduct quantum entanglement of matter. Remembering when he stole this technological marvel from Black Triad Intelligence Edward grinned. Moving forward he walked into a hallway and made a bee line for his debriefing room.

Upon entering his personal conference room Edward took a seat at the table able to easily seat eight people. Haley was the only person besides Edward in this sparse calculated room. Placing his palm upon the cool table Edward leaned forward and gave Haley one prolonged unsettling glare. Then finally he spoke, "Our supporters on this day need help because in the darkest hour of the Guncods only the devil offered them salvation. The foul corrupt political establishment set the entire civilization on fire and like terrified people in a building set ablaze in the chaos they ran toward the exit not thinking about what's on the other side. The massive shit show of a powder-keg finally blew up. What's taking place against the occupation and evil establishment politicians was simply inevitable."

"Sir" Haley asked, "What are you saying? That monster can't really be their answer can he?"

"One person's monster is another's furious dark messiah denouncing the hypocrisy of their times." Edward replied, "All we can do now is get our people out before they are killed."

"Right" Haley said, "I drew up a plan with Daniel to lead an extraction team to get them off world."

Getting up from the table Edward glanced at the 3d model displaying routs in the city. Then walking behind her Edward stated, "Make sure we got the mini holographic projectors with correct data on mask worn by protesters because our team needs to blend in the chaos down there. I'm going up now to deal with the new Devex."

"Yes sir!" Haley replied as she went to double check the newly created mask for the strike team.

Upon entering the cockpit Edward used the main speaker to communicate. Setting it to broadcast outside the ship he said, "That's enough girls!"

Both Devex females already tried of arguing turned their attention to Edward and waited for him to speak. Cashel stuck within Zara's chest quivered as his ear's still rung from the powerful voices of two grown Devex screaming at each other. And being honest with himself Cashel now feared what getting Zara angry with him might be like.

Seeing their faces burn yellow from spent rage Edward's proceeded to explain, "Our goal is getting Devex to respect and live peacefully with other sentient beings no matter their size or other factors. Gwen you aren't being forced to feel empathy toward other sentient beings, but from now on you will not harm them in any way. I have transported you to a safe place and I expect you to act honorably since I kept my word. If you harm Cashel there will be justice fitting whatever you do to him. That also goes for any other sentient being you come across. I recommend you see Zara as your role model and despite your current differences that you learn from her. Now I can't promise the day will come where galactic society allows the Devex to live among them, but I can promise this fight won't end until that comes to pass or until they put us all in our graves."

Looking at the ship Gwen hated to admit it, but Edward indeed kept his word. Disgruntled by the wounding of her pride Gwen puffed, "For a human you have acted in honor, but don't expect me to change what I know to be true."

Feeling Cashel within her bosom Zara hoped she didn't cause him too much trouble. Glancing at her new roommate Zara felt a tinge of anger flare up again. Zara saw what she did to her owner and knew it must have been hard, but hated the toxic culture she dragged in with her. If there was anything Zara wished perished in that war it was the culture of Devex predatory dominance. Pushing that aside Zara then beamed, "I will do my best! Thank you so much Edward! We are forever in your debt!"

After their farewells had been spoken Edward's ship launched into space and headed toward a planet populated by the Guncods to rescue their own people. The girls had both watched as the powerful engine blasted this huge black cube into the golden open sky above. For a time they both stood quietly almost like chilling wind swept by them. Then Gwen's intestines moaned as her body signaled a bowel movement was soon coming.

So Zara walked back towards the bunker while giving her new roommate space to defecate in the woods. Pulling out Cashel from her breast she knew he was scared out of his mind. Gwen wasn't the roommate she hoped for and Gwen's view of human beings while blatantly atrocious to her she thought it must beyond terrifying for Cashel.

And Zara was correct to believe Cashel felt terrified of this new roommate that perceived him as food. Primal chilling fear bobbled to the surface as he remembered the way he felt when Zara first picked him up in the zoo. However this was much worse because there was no unknown here. Gwen's belief that he is prey and should be food couldn't have been more clearly spelled out. The natural place for him in her vision of the universe was being digested inside her as nothing more than a small floating meat sack worth virtually nothing other than providing nutrients to her massive body. Not only that, but Gwen had more than proved her willingness to swallow human beings alive. It was almost enough frighten him out of his own skin. If not for Cashel's silver lining in hoping that Gwen's faith in acting with honor might outweigh both her rage toward humans for being imprisoned and dogmatic cultural belief of predatory dominance.

Coming into the bunker Zara gently pulled Cashel out from her cleavage before finally she in a motherly tone asked, "Did you get hurt? Was that too loud? Please Cashel tell me....... Are you okay?"

Blinking his eye's Cashel still felt his ears ringing from the explosive argument Zara had with Gwen. Putting on a smile as he stood up in her open palm looking into her soft green again eye's Cashel gulped, "I'm fine."

The fear in his voice just couldn't be hidden and the reason couldn't be more transparent. Zara felt anger stir within her knowing Gwen's attitude imprinted him with a living nightmare that wasn't leaving his mind anytime soon. Bringing her boyfriend level to her lips Zara gave Cashel a light kiss and comforted, "I know your scared, but I won't let her hurt you. Not ever no matter what!"

Looking into the huge sweet eye's of his guardian angel Cashel felt his fears melting away. He wasn't sure of how Zara would keep him safe, but trusted she would. Smiling Cashel nodded before he said, "Even if something happens to me I don't regret being here with you."

"Don't accept that!" Zara replied, "I would never forgive myself if I let the worst happen to you."

Worry over her future compelled him to insist,"Please Zara, I really want you to forgive yourself even if I die because none of what's happened is your fault."

"Alright little guy I promise, but you better remember I won't let her hurt you." Zara proclaimed

"I'll keep that in mind while swimming in her stomach." Cashel joked

Zara's face scowled at him as she didn't find this funny in the slightest. Angry Cashel so lightly considered his own life she growled, "That's not funny Cashel! If she does that I WILL kill her! Then cut her belly open with my bare hand's to save you. Don't make light of your life being in danger because it hurts me even thinking about it."

Guilt washed over Cashel as her words penetrated him. The burning anger in Zara's eye's was enough to frighten even the dead awake. She was taking Gwen's presence here very seriously and displaying a side of her that really meant business. No matter how sweetly she treated him she remained Devex with every natural impulse that came with it including protecting a mate to the death.

"I'm sorry Zara" Cashel began, "It's just I was still a little scared and by making fun of danger I hoped to fully put it behind me."

Bringing him up to her cheek she rubbed Cashel's body gently against it while letting out a purring noise and then she gently replied, "It's okay love because I've decided you are going to sleep in my bra tonight to keep you safe."

Just as things were getting cozy Gwen entered the bunker and looked upon the couple with disgust. It was an utterly repulsive sight that was a revolting blight to every fiber of her being. Unwilling to keep her thought's to herself Gwen said, "Just looking at you both gives me a horrible stomach ache. I doubt even the ocean here could wash the filth on me away from just being in the same room as you two. Your parents would be branded with shame if they were here to see this gross insult to their name."

"Don't mind her Cashel!" Zara comforted, "Gwen's just cranky because she feels lonely."

"That's not it!" Gwen exclaimed before she rolling her eye's questioned, "I mean really Zara being this close with thinking prey, didn't your parent's at least put you though the second rite of hunting?"

Tucked within Zara's grip Cashel looked up at her face and it was like a ghost spooked her expressionless. As the moment's crawled by oppressively her eye's betrayed gears turning within her mind. Then finally Zara meekly answered, "Yes.........."

"That means YOU ATE thinking prey!" Gwen pressed as her eye's widened in delight.

"It's not.........." Zara cried unable to finish her reply.

Laughing so much it nearly hurt Gwen went to rub in more shame as she smeared, "YOU ATE and SHIT OUT thinking prey yet look down on me for knowing what I am! For knowing what a Devex is meant to be! What a massive hypocrite you are!"

"No......stop" Zara mumbled in tears

Getting closer Gwen patted Zara's belly and taunted, "Your body knows where Cashel naturally belongs even if you don't. The predator in you is just waiting for the right excuse to eat him up and spit out his bones."

"NO! YOUR WRONG!" Zara shouted pulling away.

Wary of starting a screaming match again Gwen marred by frustration with a sigh asked, "Are you going to break that little runt's heart or do I have to explain what the second rite of hunting is?"

Calming down Zara took a moment before she finally replied, "I'll do it Gwen."

"I don't understand, what's going on here?" Cashel asked nervously in bewilderment over the entire conversation.

Carrying her boyfriend over to the desk Zara looking at Gwen said, "I want you go outside for a while."

"Yeah sure whatever! I'll give you love sick degenerate's privacy." Gwen replied with a smirk as she went outside.

After the main entrance doorway shut Zara placed Cashel down upon the desk. With shyness inflicting her tone Zara then said, "I understand if you won't forgive me after I tell you this."

"But I will forgive whatever you did before Zara!" Cashel reassured, "Because I know you are a good person!"

After a deep belated sigh Zara confessed, "I'll tell you and explain the truth best I can. As Gwen said our society loved hunting. It's been an important part of Devex tradition for more than nine thousand years. So to honor our customs when I turned three my parent's put me though my first rite of hunting by placing a small rodent in my room. Passing was important to honor my family. So I caught the little helpless creature and easily ate it. My mother was so proud of how well I learned to hunt that she took us all to the beach for a weekend."

"Your mother would likely be just as proud of you now Zara." Cashel remarked positively.

Licking her lips momentarily Zara then felt guilt as she teared up and lamented, "No she wouldn't be proud of me. Nearly everyone thought like Gwen does in Devex society."

"Well I'm proud of you even if the whole galaxy and your own kind is against you." Cashel replied

Opening her mouth wide Zara let Cashel gaze into the agape dark cavern for sometime before she explained, "No Cashel, what I did is awful! My parent's had me go though the second rite of hunting because our people expected us to subjugate and destroy other civilization's. You just don't understand the shame, the ridicule and terrifying punishment that went on against the weak of predatory heart. I still remember when my daddy told me that if I didn't pass the government might take me away. I would have just disappeared if that happened and my parents would never see me again. So one random evening he placed two Bellogorg in my bedroom. I easily sensed them despite trying to blend in with my bed and played with them. After catching them I tried speaking to them, but they kept trying to escape my hands so I swallowed one and told the one left to be good. That only made his struggle more frantic and the wailing sound he made was heart breaking. Being 6 years old though I found that sound irradiating so I placed the poor creature against my belly and proudly told it that's where mommy said thinking prey goes. I was a monster Cashel and didn't even know it. The second one screeched as I swallowed it down and then my parents checked my stool afterwards to make sure I didn't throw them back up. I killed them Cashel!"

Watching her cry after spilling her guts Cashel struggled to process this. Speechless he watched as Zara fell to her knees whimpering, "I-I killed them......I'm..........a monster.....A.....MONSTER"

Crushed by her display of guilt Cashel shouted, "NO! That's not your fault! You are a good caring person!"

"BUT!" Zara gasped, "I-I-I ate them"

Cashel seeing Zara so broken up with guilt felt a swelling anger toward her parents and the government that she lived under. Lashing out Cashel yelled, "Your parents killed them by making you do that! You couldn't help it! You aren't to blame!"

"No! My parent's loved me!" Zara crying replied, "And I loved them enough to do whatever they said. Losing them was like this galaxy crushed my soul. I wished the bio-weapon had killed me as well after humans captured me and they showed me the evil I had committed. I sat in that zoo for the longest time wishing the architect would strike me dead. You just can't understand how that all feels."

Pausing in shame Cashel felt like a huge asshole by shitting on her parent's in the heat of the moment. Living on the Devex home world sounded like hell even if her kind was the most privileged on the planet. After all it doesn't amount to that much under the crushing thumb of a ruthless empress. He remembered in school being forced to watch videos on what Devex did including having their offspring eat sentient beings, but Cashel thought for sure Zara never would have done it and came from parents better than that. They told him it was because they were evil and just enjoyed doing it. This idea of a government mandate never crossed his mind.

Finally lifting his head Cashel then apologized, "I shouldn't have said that about your parents. It's just I know you have a good heart and I was angry they did that to you. Losing my parents would crush me Zara and I don't know how you kept going after that, but it proves how strong you are. I honestly believe your parent's would be happy you survived more than anything. Honor them by living a joyful life because I'm sure that's what would have mattered most."

Wiping her tears Zara thought of his words torn because she knew it wasn't that simple, but that glimmer of hope in his tiny eye's put her at ease. After taking a few more breath's she replied, "It's going to be okay because I know you love me and that's what really matter's now."

Finally returning to the room Gwen snickered, "Hope your crying session is done because I want to try watching a human movie and laughing about how much your kind suck at creating entertainment."

"Isn't that just so beneath you?" Zara spat while rolling her eye's.

Gwen with a toothy grin causally mocked, "Even thinking pray can make good shit every now and then after passing though one of us."

"Just admit you are bored already!" Zara replied growing tired of arguing over her childish remarks while gathering Cashel into her hands.

Gwen not even acknowledging the statement grinned, "How about we let Cashel pick and if the movie sucks we punish him a little."

"Quit joking about him or I will teach you a few manners on the rocks." Zara glared while holding her boyfriend.

Settling down they after more bickering finally selected a movie off the database on the local system in the bunker and began watching. Zara kept Cashel in her bra as she honestly liked feeling his tiny body on her. Cashel loved having such an affectionate tender girlfriend as he stroked his hand over the bare warm blue flesh encasing his lower body. While Gwen rolled her eye's as the overkill display's of affection.

@@@-@@@-@@@

Meanwhile on Edward's ship they attempted to enter orbit around the capital world of the Guncods. However unfolding before them danger nothing short of a war zone stood in their way. Plasma cannon fire lit up the upper layers of the atmosphere while in the streets below rioters armed with 3D printed bolt plasma weapons stormed every coalition base they could find.

Breaking the silence in the cockpit of the ship Haley asked, "Sir, do you really think Cashel will be okay on that planet with Gwen?"

"That young lad is safer with her than going into this warzone." Edward's replied, "Besides as I said before Zara won't let anything happen to him."

Agreeing with her superior Haley went back to prepping the smaller craft designed for escaping the ship in case of dire emergency to land near a government complex.

Daniel while sitting ready for deployment in the debriefing room watched a live intercepted video stream from the planet below. It clearly was inside a large office building. There was chanting, screaming and yelling as Guncods hopped around the room. One human extremely unfortunate soul in a suit covered his face in terror as the croaking of his enemy's grew ever louder.

Then in unison the crowd repeated, "Castrate thieving banks! Death to all thieving bankers!"

"I did nothing wrong!" The banker cried.

"Bullshit human! Fuck lying coalition scum!" Members of the crowd rebuked.

One member of the crowd then stepped forward enraged as he explained, "We are forced to keep our credits in one of your private banks at negative interest meaning we pay your sorry asses to sit on it. Then while all of us watch our hard earned paychecks get eaten up you use what little we have trading on the intergalactic exchange for massive profit. You greedy fuckers steal our damn paychecks for buying mother fucking luxury ships while none of us can own a damn thing!"

Panicked the frightened banker deflected, "No it's not my fault! The Intergalactic Monetary Fund set the interest rate not me!"

"Enough of this!" A female Guncod yelled, "It's time to charge his ass an arm and leg!"

"FUCKING HELL YES!" One Guncod shouted while pulling out a huge plasma heated blade.

What unfolded next sickened Daniel as the banker's screams were drowned out by cheers. The burning hot blade mutated the wealthy mans left arm and then severed it. The appendage dropped onto the floor cauterized and scared from the intense heat. Then right as Daniel saw his leg get decapitated the signal dropped.

In attempting to reestablish the signal Daniel instead discovered a new feed coming from a news room filled with angry croaking rioters. One Human, one Bellogorg, two Fari and one Heic making five reporters in all were tied up on the floor. Destroyed screens, desk and doorways only punctuated the atmosphere of boiling anger ready to spill over into bloodshed at any given moment.

This chaotic storm of rage quickly escalated when one Guncod pulled the Bellogorg off the ground and announced, "The day has come for justice! Your fake liberation, fake democracy, thieving banks, lying media and murdering peacekeepers will be exterminated! For the people have risen up to stop this oppression!"

"You people have fallen for bullshit conspiracy theory's!" The Bellogorg shouted

Slamming the reporter against the wall a female Guncod screamed, "Peacekeepers killing my son is a fucking fact you monster!"

"Peacekeepers only kill terrorist." The Bellogorg replied glaring at the crowd.

In response three Guncod's swiftly grabbed this defiant reporter and began slamming him repeatably against the wall. Then one of them blistering with rage yelled, "Liar! Our people's voices have been quelled in the vast deplatforming you assholes cheered on for long enough! It's time for this motherfucker to get a taste of his own damn medication and see if he likes getting his ass deplatformed!"

"Wait!" Began the human female reporter as tears ran down her face in begging, "It's not our fault! Only vetted information is approved for broadcast! None of us decide what the galactic public gets!"

One Guncod slapped the woman before they replied, "Damn you wicked souless creature! I remember your cold eye's as school children protesting were shot in the streets because it was just so fucking dangerous for them to have a so called platform! This evil monster with a lying face should burn!"

"Death to corporate propagandist! Death to souless lying faces! Death to oppressors of truth!" The crowd screamed as blood lust hit a fresh new high among them.

Then removing her massive wide footwear a female Guncod then used it to savagely beat the Bellogorg on the face. In short order those in the crowd yelled, "Dishonor before the judgment!"

With brown fluids dripping upon his face after quite a harsh beating the Bellogorg reporter condemned, "Fuck all of you! Those children had weapons! They were setting off a disinformation apocalypse and it worked!"

"No fuck you and your genocide hoax!" A Guncod shouted before another one added, "Yeah the damn lizard fell for coalition propaganda! There were no fucking Bellogorgs in Devex breeding camps!"

One more Guncod then shouted with burning rage, "NO! That fucking lizard knows he is a monster whoring out coalition propaganda!"

"Eat the profiteer of lies! Death and dishonor to lying scum!" The screaming crowd declared.

The scene rapidly descended into chaos as Guncod's swarmed the Bellogorg and began savagely dismembering him with makeshift bladed instruments. The blood curling screams only seemed to entice them more as they cannibalized the reporter alive.

"We have the dirt fake souls!" The crowd raged as member's dragged a human male from his office and shoved him onto the floor before them.

Coughing up blood he whimpered, "Please......I'll talk.......just don't kill any more of them."

"Then speak chief editor of lies!" A Guncod shouted

Scrambling to appease this raging mob the chief editor spat, "Those leaked video's are true! We put out fakes! Most of those kids were unarmed and the peacekeepers shot first."

"Sir that can't be true!" The female human reporter cried.

Croaking together Guncod's yelled, "Light to truth! Our vengeance is justice! Dishonor to lying scum!"

"It's true......" The chief editor moaned, "We lied hoping to keep the peace. Our intentions weren't some giant evil plot. I only did this because peace was worth the fight to keep it."

"That's a whole fucking load of bullshit!" A Guncod shouted, "You are a propagandist selling us everything between fake child terrorist to hoaxing genocides! Dishonor to his house, his kind and his evil government! Death to great manipulators! Death to souless creatures! Death to evil among us!"

Then one Guncod yelled, "First punish lying scum! Cut out his lying tongue!"

"Cut out his lying tongue! Cut out his lying tongue! Castrate all liar's, manipulator's and evil propagandist!" The crowd screamed.

On his cold knees the Chief Editor's eye's widened as he gazed upon the crowd surrounding them. He swallowed the tense atmosphere like a nasty lump of food as their sharp croaking filled the room. While their scream's echoed into a deafening roar shaking him to the core of his being. Their rage had finally blew a whole new top as Guncod's began mindlessly beating every last reporter in the room. For the last of reason had finally left those Guncod's. It then finally dawned upon him that despite his confession those in the crowd had long forsaken their quest for truth and replaced it with an implacable hunt for vengeance.

The video stream degraded right before getting abruptly redirected over to a new stream. Daniel watched as some reporter seated in a news studio explained, "A rouge group took over broadcasting from our system and released a manufactured deep fake scene. What you saw in that news room on the Guncod home world did not actually happen. Hackers are using the limited riot's led by a handful of extremist to sow disinformation among the public. The current situation is being handled by police action and we expect the arrest of extremist illegitimate leader Matzel to be uneventful. We shall provide factual updates as information is properly vetted and processed."

Walking into the room Edward shut off the poor excuse for reporting and said, "Enough of watching their bull shit. Let's fucking go already!"

"Yes sir!" Daniel answered standing upright in proper form.

Now with his small infiltration team together in the landing craft Edward readied them for plasma cannon fire. Strapped in Edward piloted the craft though a thick layer of clouds that blanketed the entire sky. When the craft made it though into clear open sky Edward witnessed drones fighting each other in a blaze of plasma cannon fire. Swiftly coming in on approach the strike team witnessed a massive blob of armed Guncods swarming the peacekeepers and slaughtering them.

Upon reaching the rooftop of a government building Edward barked, "We have 10 minutes to extract them before our electronic countermeasures fail and our craft is detected! There's no room for error here!"

"Yes sir!" Haley replied as the others stood to attention for their commanding officer.

Pouring out from the craft in tactical gear the strike team made there way toward a door leading down to the top floor of the building. Daniel scanned the other side before signaling the all clear to breach. Heated plasma swiftly cut though old metal as Haley carefully used a plasma blade on the joints holding the sealed entrance shut. Before long her job was done and the door simply was pulled off. Moving in armed to the teeth Edward led his team down the stair case.

The sound of choking reverberated though narrow halls as the strike team begin searching rooms. Event's burred together as Edward discovered two Zeni a species of feathered mammal hiding behind a flipped over desk. Their feathers ruffled, green eye's flashed and clawed feet kicked as a gut panic reaction kicked in. Scratching up the cool metallic floor they begged, "Have mercy! Have mercy on our souls!"

Deactivating his projection Edward replied, "We aren't Guncods friend's. Now let's go before you need mercy on more than your souls."

"Shit you guy's are them!" A Zeni quipped, "You fucked with the human elite busting out that Devex!"

Edward wide eyed shouted, "And that's why we need to get out now!"

Without delay Edward's team escorted the Zeni though narrow poorly lit halls. The lights began to short out as thundering booms disrupted the very structure around them. On Edward's scanner he picked up the massive firefight between galactic peace keepers and the Guncod uprising flooding into the very level they were on. Pulling ahead Edward then stopped for a moment before he whispered, "A coalition wet team is here working with peace keepers because I am a hot target. I can sense them guarding the roof top. They must of followed us down and planned on an ambush. Everyone wait here until I clear them out."

"That's nut's sir!" Haley insisted, "Let me and Daniel help you!"

Patting her on the back Edward snickered, "I've got this shit as I know their MO better than they know who they are fucking with..... because when I do that wet team it's going to be dry and rough as hell."

"Let him go!" Daniel said, "The boss is going into rampage mode on their asses."

In what to everyone waiting seemed like a blurr Edward dashed up and in a few moment's the 10 man hit team got wiped out. It was almost like dark magic to everyone upon walking up to the roof seeing the bodies with burns and deep long cut's scattered randomly in all directions. Edward however seemed off as his finger's twitched and trembled before dropping his weapon. Bending over quickly Edward swiftly grabbed his plasma rifle and barked, "Nothing to see here! Let's GO people!"

"It's gotten worse" Haley whimpered over to Daniel as she then texted over helmet to helmet communications (Edward's pushed himself too hard. He might even forget this mission now since he used his boost mode like that.)

(Don't say that. Our captain will be fine.) Daniel replied in text as he got seated in the landing craft waiting for takeoff.

Compared to landing their return to the ship was relativity uneventful. Take off went smoothly and conflict in the air occurred far enough away to be less than threatening. So upon returning to the ship Edward went into his personal quarters and read a message ordering his immediate physical appearance to the Vanguard syndicate of advocates for review. In other word's being recalled to HQ for his recent actions. Groaning Edward walked back up to the cockpit and ordered, "Haley, take us straight to Prime base."

"Yes sir!" Haley replied as she complied with the order.