We soon make it to where Fin and Auri are waiting and I reluctantly let go of Kal's hand. Not before Fin notices, of course.
"Nice of you lovebirds decided to show up." He shoots us a grin. "You two want the good news or the bad news?"
I scan the area around us, not seeing anything that looks particularly useful.
"The bad news." Kal and I say at the same time, causing Fin to snort.
"The bad news is none of the ships here are going to have a core compatible with ours." He glances at me and shrugs. "Looks like you dirtchildren were still using simple plutonium drives back in the day. But the good news is, I think I can still synthesize what we need. I just need to get the colony reactor going."
"How far is that from here?" I turn to look at Auri.
Movement out of the corner of my eye causes me to freeze and I have my rifle pointed in record time.
"They sssshould not be here." A voice hissed and I bared my teeth. It was like seeing Patrice's face all over again, the flowers for eyes and moss clinging to their skin.
Unlike the GIA officers who wore those pristine suits and mirror masks, vines wrapped around the colonists as clothes and wound around their arms and legs too.
"Holy cake.." Auri whispered, drawing the attention of the woman.
"Aurora..?" She asked, her voice sounding sweet. It made my skin crawl.
Kal stepped in front of me, his blaster raised. "Come no closer."
I reach an arm out to Auri, pulling her behind me. If they're like the GIA agents, they're going to come after her, damn the rest of us.
"She deliversss herssself to ussss?" The woman's voice was now snakelike, hissing at us. The vines around her limbs began to move and I wasted no time in pushing a blaster into Auri's shaking hands.
"Jayla," She said slowly, having recognized the woman. "Jayla Williams."
The name seems to confuse the woman, watching Auri and me with those succulent shaped eyes.
The largest of the three colonists is watching Kal, his eyes an unsettling shade of blue. The third and final colonist hissed continuously, rocking on his heels, waiting to pounce. The vines all around us reacted, rocking the deck that we stood on and slowly creeping towards us.
"They will not sssstop the ssspawning," the woman says, shaking her head and baring black teeth. "They sssshould not be here!"
"I will not warn you again," Kal says, his voice steel.
The young man looks at him quizzically and takes one step closer.
"...What issss 'I'?"
Kal wasn't given the chance to answer as the three of them jumped forward at him. Kal manages to get two shots off, decapitating the large man and burning a hole through the younger. The woman is on him before he can get a third.
"Auri, go!" I aim my blaster, widening my stance to cover the girl. I can't get a clear shot though, and the woman notices me and surges forward.
I turn my body to use my blaster to take some of the blow, using my other hand to shove Auri towards Fin.
I cry as she wrentches the rifle from me and sends me sprawling onto the deck. I roll onto my side but the vines snare me again. I hiss in frustration, kicking and struggling as much as I can.
Kal tackles the woman, the fury on his face clear. But it was also clear that he was struggling. The woman was extremely strong and had help. Vines ensnare his shins and immobilize him, letting her get the advantage.
