The Grey Chronicles Part Two: Under Siege.

Chapter 26: An Explanation For All the Damned Skittering In Part One.

Anarchist landing site, surface of Stonehaara One, August of 8096 AL.

Korana started towards the hatch, uncertain of what had happened. She heard scuttling, and a loud thump which she recognized as a body hitting the floor.

"Salem?" she called out. No response, it dawned on her whose body had fallen.

She rushed to the hatch, ignoring the odd scuttling that drew closer. It was surely nothing, just some noise the engine made normally. The Anarchist had remained sealed after landing, no animals could be in here. Unless of course, they had been here before it landed.

Something flashed in her peripheral vision, she ducked out of reflex and turned towards it, realizing she had been wrong; a parasite similar to those the Stonehaaryns had used, was flying towards her face. It was the size of a dinner plate, with six legs on either side of its crab-like body and a sting protruding from its rear. The legs reached out to grab her head, the sting positioned to strike at her neck.

Korana raised her hand and released an energy pulse, flinching as the creature's squishy body exploded into a thousand pieces. She started for the hatch again, she heard more scuttling.

What are parasites doing here? she thought to herself, They had to have been planted here, but why would the Stonehaaryns do that?

"It's entirely possible they have nothing to do with it," her AI, Juno, chimed in, "The Stonehaaryns have no reason to attack us like this. It is possible that they put them here as a contingency in case negotiations did not go to their liking. Though, I find it more likely the Titanus placed them."

How would they have done that? And when would they have had the opportunity? Korana rounded the corner and dropped from the catwalk to the floor, she could see the hatch directly ahead of her. She made out a pair of legs sticking through the door, and the Baron standing open beside it.

"They did board the Anarchist some months back, correct?" Juno's voice was simple and dry, she only said what was necessary. Korana appreciated this; she heard enough snide remarks from her family, she didn't need them in her head as well. "As I recall, they had captured the elevator shafts. They could have planted eggs or larvae in the elevator, then the parasites would naturally find the warmest place they could after hatching."

I hope you're right, otherwise we'll be fighting two wars, Korana reached the hatch and grabbed Salem by his shoulders. He was unconscious, his skin pale and clammy. She picked him up and shoved him into the Baron, the armor hissed as it closed. Korana looked over Salem's shoulder to see three more parasites scuttling across the floor, then she stepped aside and raised her hands, holding her open palms out to them. She fired two pulses, killing two and catching the third with a grazing blow that removed one of its legs. Something moved in her peripheral vision, and her hand flew to fire a pulse as it wrapped its tail around her neck. If not for her armor, the sting would have pierced her throat. Its legs clawed at her head, trying to distract her as it stung over and over again. She grabbed the creature and pried it away from her face, glaring at it and firing a pulse from her hand. The parasite exploded, showering her in chunks and an oily liquid that coated her visor.

Korana shook the filth from her hand, then looked around, checking her minimap for movement. She heard no more scuttling, but remained wary. A light blinked on his helmet, Korana reached up and opened a port on the back of his armor to access the console. She pulled a cord from a compartment on her leg and connected their armors via the consoles. She immediately felt another consciousness enter her mind, a familiar voice spoke to her.