I S T H M U S

-maverick recap

Rykr awakes to three strange ghaengste, and a cave covered in petroglyphs. His head aches from the fight with Kodo, but he attempts to hide his weakness and remain threatening. He tells them who he is, realizing he's in no condition for a fight. They introduce themselves after calming him down but ultimately leave him alone in the cave to process the information on the walls.

After discovering the story in the petroglyphs, Rykr insists on going back to his clan to tell them. Leida argues that he can't and must either join them or forget all about them and the cave. He is torn, but Leida's words assure him that his family will benefit from him serving their cause. He understands that it is a sacrifice he has to make, and reluctantly agrees to temporarily join their clan. The group bonds as they descend down the mountain, getting to know Rykr and even hinting at friendship.

Tahro, the youngest prince of the Ramus clan, is abandoned in the forest by his older brothers, but takes solace in the beauty of the trees around him. Avias, his mother, collects him and brings him back to the clan, where she meets up with the rest of the lunai to discuss the manner in which to proceed with the alien invaders. They decide to send the tunahk, the most advanced warriors, to monitor the colonists in order to give them something to do.

Meanwhile, Captain Short and Sergeant Fischer share a steamy encounter to take their minds off the tenseness of the mission. Short fights with his own guilt over sending Private Taylor to his death, and fear of what lurks outside the compound. The scientists discuss what exactly is out there, and what should be done about it. Sherri believes they should continue on as planned, and find out as much as possible. She brings this to Short, and they compromise on continuing with research on schedule, but the scientists will have to be accompanied by soldiers on all outings. While eagerly awaiting their first adventure, Sherri does as much as possible with the samples pulled from the dead private's recovered hat. With Marshall's help, she discovers trace elements of a potent venom mixed with the blood. This discovery leads to several different reactions among the scientists, including some reluctance to go outside even with soldier supervision. Sherri passes her agonizing time confined to the compound by snooping through the personnel files, and learning important details that might become useful in the future.

The morning of their newfound freedom begins with chaos. Captain Short discovers that not only did Sherri polish off all the Apple Jacks, but she left the empty box in the pantry. This is the last straw in a series of stressful events for the captain, and he explodes. The two start the morning with a screaming match, before Short storms off.

Marshall is awoken by the screaming, but by the time he makes his way into the commons it's already over. He sits with Sherri while she works, sharing a bit of a tense moment as they almost kiss.

Finally, it's time. The crew has spent an entire month on planet 7355264Z, and they prepare to see the planet from outside the safe walls of the compound. The minutes tick by filled with bickering between Sherri and Captain Short, and before they know it they're standing in front of the door waiting for it to open. After several suspenseful minutes of whirring and clicking, they're finally free to explore.

It begins.