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Riley and Klaes manage to observe the moon-bound craft and determine they include a small transport and a pair of fighter escorts. The fighters are identical to the ones previously encountered in the recovery of the Kingfisher and in the jungles near the alien ruins. Returning to the spaceport, they discover that Khaine has managed to gather all the information he can on the black market for dead bodies. He plants a tracer on a body and the entire crew boards the ship to observe its movement from low orbit.
They are able to determine that the criminals dump bodies in a pile near the coast where another party picks them up and transporters them over the sea and then overland on the northern continent to a previously unknown space port. The crew then observes another small transport with fighter escort depart and head for the moon. Trailing the ships, they decide to run silent and make a pass over the moon and see where the ships land.
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| The Kingfisher's Ship Record |
Unfortunately they are detected. The fighter escorts turn to intercept and are joined by two more craft from the moon. The Kingfisher makes easy work of the smaller craft, but sustains some hull damage.
Below, the crew discovers a crater that has been conferred to an airfield where a dozen more fighter craft are beginning to scramble for launch. On the rim of the crater is a large, round structure. The transport approaches and enters through a large hangar door on the top.
Hernando is able to capture transmissions from the installment but they are in the same alien programming code encountered with the cyber-organic creatures they’ve fought before. The crew determines to make a break for it rather than face a full squadron of enemy fighters. The Kingfisher lacks armor and isn’t equipped for a prolonged fight. They break orbit and head farther out into the system before looping back to Tinath and landing.
All loser look at the body dump is needed. Hernando implants a transponder on Khaine, who then puts himself into a psionically induced state of suspended animation. While Klaes repairer the ship’s hull and Hernando countinues working to crack the alien code, Sally sells Khaine’s “body” to the one of the criminal gangs.
Sally and Riley then follow the transponder signal to the dump site. Khaine, along with a number of actual dead bodies, is dumped on the heap. One of the criminals approached the window of a small structure and some sort of exchange is made before the criminals get in their vehicle and depart.
Shortly after Khaine (still in a state of suspended animation) is left at the body dump, a g/transport arrives and two people begin loading the bodies. Knowing that Khaine is about to be shipped halfway across the planet, Riley decides to try and sneak on board the transport. He discovers the controls have been attached to some sort of autopilot mechanism. When the two humans loading bodies finally notice him, it is clear they are nearly delirious on some sort of drug. He is able to easily convince them he’s a security guard sent to check on them.
Sally returns to the starport to update the others. Klaes has repaired the hull of the ship and Hernando has finally begun to crack the alien coding language. The crew decides to head back into orbit and be prepared to descend on Riley and Khaine’s location if needed. While in orbit, they manage to salvage part of one of the alien drone fighters they destroyed, giving Hernando additional technology to study.
Planetside, Riley and Khaine arrive at the alien starport.
The alien cyber-organic beings have been kidnapping humans for some time and transporting them to their facility on the moon. Some are used as forced labor, while those that don’t survive are harvested for other purposes, as are the dead bodies they’ve been acquiring on the black market. The laborers are used to assemble mechanical parts and occasionally a group are pulled aside to come back to Tinath and pick up bodies or new captives.
Riley decides to remain on board and allow himself and Khaine to be taken to the lunar facility. He is able to coordinate with the others, who plan to follow behind and attempt to communicate with the aliens. Hernando is able to decipher their code well enough to at least communicate a lack of hostile intent and a desire to meet. The Kingfisher is instructed to touch down on the landing field near the lunar facility. An entryway into the facility is visible.
Inside, the transport lands in the hangar. Riley is warned that if he is seen armed, he’ll be accosted. He finds a tarp and is able to conceal his rifle. Exiting the ship, he is immediately confronted by two humans and ordered to empty his pockets and hand over any belongings. It seems a gang of human collaborators helps control the prisoners in exchange for more freedom and better treatment.
Riley flashes his gun and is able to intimidate them for the time being, but the thugs note that there are two cyber-organic guards nearby that will attack at the sight of an armed human. They refer to the creatures as “troxbolgs”.
The bodies, along with Khaine, are taken out of the hanger by still more human laborers and dumped in a cold storage room. The human thugs indicate that Riley needs to get on the nearby elevator so he can be taken for processing as a prisoner.
Outside, the others don vacc suits and exit the Kingfisher. They are met by four troxblogs (also in vacc suits) who escort them to the entrance, which turns out to be an elevator. The external doors close abs the chamber pressurized. The internal doors open into a hallway and the crew finds themselves staring at Riley, surrounded by prisoners and troxblog guards.
One of the human collaborators attempts to snatch Riley’s converter rifle away but isn’t fast enough. A shootout occurs and the crew makes quick work of the troxbolgs and capture the two human collaborators.
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