Irisa screamed.

The blue laser bolt missed Nolan's head by a centimetre, ending up blowing a chunk off the stricken hull behind the group.

Nolan let out a deep breath, he turned to his young companion as she was struggling to break the grip of Silass who was grabbing her arms.

"See kiddo. I told you those sights were off".

Silass cried in anger, "Tyran...finish him!"

The Irath gang member raised the rifle again, but before he could move a finger four shots rang out from behind the hull. Tyran fell backwards, smoke rising from his chest; three other Irathians also fell where they stood.

Nolan instinctively crouched down, while Silass grabbed Irisa's bag and pushed her away from him, twirling to see this new threat.

"So... this is your lawkeeper business you were so keen to get to?"

Datak Tarr stepped out of the shadows behind the hull with two pistols drawn.

"No no. Please everyone relax. Drop your weapons", he said as the remaining members of he gang tried to draw their weapons on this new target. The nearest raider to Datak was younger and slightly quicker than the others and had clearly decided to make a name for himself by swiftly trying to lunge at Datak. A loud crack sounding through the silence an instant later was an indication that this was a fatal mistake.

"Your new friends dont seem very bright Nolan. Looks like I was right to follow you.", concluded Datak.

"On your way Castithan!", Silass shouted, "This doesn't concern y..."

Even before the leader could finish his sentence a loud explosion hit the ground a very short distance from the standoff, scattering the lucky ones...dropping the rest. Another explosion hit just behind the group, the incoming projectile just over shooting its mark.

In the chaos and dust Nolan, Irisa, Datak, Silass and his remaining two gang members all tried to scramble for what little cover there was - Nolan and Silass ending up crouched behind the ridge that the gang members had emerged from minutes earlier.

Silass looked down past his feet, the bag had spilled the medallions onto the floor.

"Those hardly seem worth the effort...human" he shouted over the noise of another explosion.

Nolan, looked at the man who had just been trying to kill him.

"Are you serious?", he said, keeping his head down.

Silass took a quick look over the ridge edge and laughed "Not always human, and not with someone who I'm trying to forge an alliance with",

Nolan snorted "What ? What are you talking about - you just tried to blow my head off"

Silass laughed again, stealing another look over the mound of dirt "ah, that ? But it seems as though such a lot has happened since then...I propose a truce". Silass motioned with his head beyond the ridge in the direction of the explosions.

"A truce?", Nolan moved positions to see what the large Irath already knew.

Across the clearing he counted eight heavily armed dark clad figures circling their position. Irisa and Datak were pinned behind the charger; one of the remaining raider gang had not made it to cover, the other emerged chose his time to emerge from behind a bush, only to be cut down moments later. Nolan moved back into position beside Silass, "The Volge..." was all he said.

Silass smirked "that's right my new friend, and the Volge don't take prisoners", he was readying Nolan's vo-tech rifle that he had now claimed as his own.

Nolan could not believe what he was about to say, but the odds of escape appeared slim at best; he needed all the help he could get. He sighed. "Ok then...Silass. The name is Nolan, and you've got yourself a truce"

Silass nodded and with a roar stood up from behind their hiding place, firing the rifle even before he had completely cleared it.