The Ictaran General who had been placed in charge of aiding in the search had despatched many ships from Psion Four. The ships arrived at Tela. This was a place that they had visited many times, but after today it would not be worth visiting. The Ictaran destroyer stationed itself in orbit and launched its bombers and several fighters as an escort. They started there run over the surface of Tela. Right now, they didn't know or even care whether anyone was on the planet or not.

Dakkel could hear the ships overhead. Then he heard the explosions as the bombs hit the ground.

"Quickly, follow me," he called to the others.

After Ully'anni, Shepa'lai and Kern had been to the old ruins that they had mentioned during their visit. Dakkel had been curious something else he had not been accustomed to. Yet the new friends they had made, set him to thinking new things. It also made it that he was not wanting to participate in the testing by Riff'Na and so they never reacted to his presence anymore. They would act as protectors, but the young one had started to make himself aware and he had chosen to seek things he wanted and not what was expected of them. He had eventually ventured to the ruins and looked at what was there. They led downwards underground. The roots from nearby trees had grown across the passageways that led downwards. He had explored it thoroughly and this is now where he led his brethren. It opened out into a large chamber that had lots of old machinery and other things that meant nothing to them. Having seen a Mooks home and workshop when he was younger did realise that they may belong to Mooks so he had spent sometime her. Being able to see in the dark and also the exceptional sensory ability each of them had they would be safe here. Too dark. If you stayed to the walls or even the ceiling no one would find you.

"Lagnar the bombing is complete," said a warrior to the General.

"Have the ground troops land and do a sweep ensure that there is no one there. If you find any human remains report it."

"As you wish General."

Troops were despatched to the surface. It was not necessary for Lagnar to stay he instructed the helmsman to move the ship on to Bellan the same would be happening there. It was necessary to flush these humans out. If they were here then he would find them. If he had been given command in the first place then Lord B'arnduug would not be so displeased, but he had been given specific instructions to mass a force on Psion Four and so he had complied.

"We are approaching Bellan General," said the helmsman.

He turned to someone near him. "Instruct the next wave of bombers to deploy, then have the first wave reload munitions for the next target."

"At once General."

Ne'Youn had already been warned their sensors had been monitoring airspace for sometime and so they had been alerted to the approaching destroyer. They were quickly gathering things that they needed and were desperately trying to get everyone on board the ship that they had made. It wasn't a fighter; just a means of escape so was very fast and sleek.

"Forget that," she said, talking to her assistant.

"But..."

"No. Run."

The bombers had already arrived and started there run. The pilots had picked up on their sensors life forms and so altered their course to intercept the Mooks. Although they didn't know what they were.

"General, this Ochre one."

"This is Lagnar."

"We have life on our sensors, currently intercepting. Thought you should know."

The General gave instructions for ground troops to follow immediately he wanted no survivors.

The bombs were hitting the Mooks homes it was not enough that they knew early. They just didn't want to leave too much behind. A bomb struck the centre of the camp. Ne'Youn was thrown across the ground. Riff'Na had come back as they were lagging. The ship was ready to leave. He found her and helped her to her feet. She was still groggy from the effect of the impact blast. Her assistant had not been so lucky.

"We have to go now, or we all die," said Riff'Na.

She nodded. Riff'Na helped her to the ship. He could already see other vessels coming into land. It was now or never.

"Close the cargo hold," he called, as he entered the ship. "And get us out of here."

Someone arrived to help him with Ne'Youn.

The engines fired up and the pilot quickly engaged the throttle to launch the ship. Riff'Na was not impressed.

"Here let me," he said and sat down at the secondary console and took control. "Escape means quickly."

He didn't care they were still on the surface. Pushing the throttle forward the ship started to accelerate. Then he gunned it. It sped away at an incredible speed the ground in its wake was scorched, he targeted the ground troops that had now landed and some were caught in the engines flames as they sped upwards and out of the atmosphere. Riff'Na was laughing hard and loud.

"Now that is how you escape. You can continue. Head for Tralor they will not dare attack the city there."

The original pilot resumed control of the ship and slowed it down a touch. He had never seen Riff'Na react like that before. Then again they had never tried an escape either.

The General caught sight of the ship leaving order, but he didn't even get a chance to give instructions to follow as the ship literally vanished off his radar as quickly as it appeared. He had never encountered a ship moving that fast out of orbit.

"Are you able to track it?"

"No, General. It was moving way to fast. Its trajectory would suggest towards Tralor."

"Bah. Contact our spies there to see what ship arrives. If it is human, they are to intercept."

"Understood, General."

"Move onto the next moon."

The next wave of bombers was despatched. Cendarla was its target. The Jericho had not yet arrived back from Dy'lun it was still on route back from that system. The only ones on Cendarla were those mining. Every available elite had been ordered aboard the Jericho. They had limited defences, but no one to defend those there.

"Marcus, what do we do?"

"Head for the tunnels. Forget the plant just get out of here," he said.

"What about those excavating?"

"Let's just hope that they have seen them too and have the sense to hide. The Jericho is on route back."

"How long?"

"Unclear. We just have to hide until then."

"Scarlet three to General Lagnar."

"What do you have?"

"HUMANS."

"Kill everyone of them. Engage your fighters to slow and stop them have the bombers do a low altitude drop. Watch for our troops. None escape."

"Yes, General."

Scarlet three gave instructions to the rest of his fighter squad and then to the bombers too. They flew in low and fast hitting ever human they could. None would escape this time.

"Ochre one, bomb all structures.

"Sir, we have movement of vehicles to the south, two fighters and two bombers disengage current target and go to that location."

The ground troops were dropped close to the base camp and were moving. In they had no intention of dishonouring their brothers who had fallen to the Sentians in the past. Now they would have retribution for that day. As soon as they were on the ground, they opened fire on every target they saw. The pilot had seen humans running and dropped the warriors within range of them. None survived. Some tried to run, but hounds had been brought with them this time. They gave chase catching them quickly and ripping them to pieces. These hounds were bred to attack and were fierce. As soon as a target was down and not moving, they went after the next.

"They are closing in Marcus."

"Shop and run. Once in the tunnels they will slow down."

"So, will we though."

They kept running hounds had already taken several behind them. There legs were moving as fast as they could, but the hounds were faster. The person running with Marcus looked back and lost his footing. Within seconds the hounds were ripping him apart. Marcus reached the tunnels, but he had to crouch to get in and could only start to move slowly. He suddenly felt a breath on his neck behind him. Marcus was dragged from the tunnels by his legs and out into the open. He screamed hard and loud, but no one would hear him. They were already dead.

Chief warrior Ikran was in charge of the ground troops.

"Check everywhere and kill anything that moves."

A shot was fired. One human was trying to crawl away. The warrior then saw a white creature at the edge of the camp watching. He shot at it and ended its life. They literally had no intention of leaving anything alive. The buildings in the camp were completely destroyed nothing was left standing. It was totally decimated. Ikran moved in the main command centre of the camp.

"Do you have it?" he asked, looking at one of his warriors.

"Yes, set it up."

"Sir."

They were leaving a surprise for any human that came looking. Once they had completed everything, they left it was time to see if Lord B'arnduug wanted them to bomb anywhere else. At least now they had found humans. The device they had left would let them know if more arrived and if they did arrive and inspect it, that would be enough for them to find them no matter what.

The Jericho arrived a day later. Smoke from the ore plant was still venting into the atmosphere. It would burn for sometime. They had no reply from any communications, but were not overly concerned at the time as those there were usually working hard and no military detail had been left on the moon. It had all been going well for them. It was only as they approached the moon that even from the high orbit within the moon's atmosphere, they were able to see the plume of dark smoke rising from the ground.

"Colonel, something is not right. Our sensors cannot detect anyone in the camp."

"Deploy carriers and fighters immediately."

General quarters were sounded and everyone was on alert. Troops quickly moved around the Jericho.

"Jericho, this is Mercy. What's happening?"

"Something is wrong on the surface there is black smoke in the sky."

Mercy didn't hesitate she was in her fighter and off the Jericho before anyone had given her the all clear. Hammer, Rico and Hennessey were following, but had permission to leave the ship.

Mercy was already flying over the surface. Her sensors detected nothing. There was no life at all. She landed, as it looked like whoever had done this was already gone. The others were just touching down as she walked into the base camp. It was gone. Everything that they had built and worked hard to achieve was gone. There were bodies everywhere. She stopped in the middle of the camp and dropped to the floor. Hammer found her just sat there. He sat down next to her.

"Their all gone," was all she could say.

"We didn't know," said Hammer.

"We should have known that the Ictarans would not let the rescue be the end of it."

Major Raynes had arrived with a carrier of elites. Mercy briefly looked up, but she did not want to know. It was just another reminder of the past. The Ictarans needed to be ended, or at least the one responsible for this.

"Major have your men check the camp for survivors," said Hennessey.

He gave orders and they spread out in search that someone was still alive. Rico and Hennessey left the camp in search of the tracks that they had seen on arrival. Perhaps some had been able to flee and were still alive. Major Raynes moved into the command centre with two other elites.

"Sir there seems to be some sort of device in the centre of the room."

"Don't touch it," ordered Major Raynes.

He approached it himself. It was spherical and seemed to have no means of opening it. Running his fingers around it the top flipped upwards and it felt like something pricked his finger. He looked down at it he had a cut. Perhaps from the edge of the lid. He moved towards the door looking for his medic. The others remained in the room.

"Sir," one called. "It's making a noise."

Major Raynes paused at the door and listened. It sounded like a countdown.

"Out now," he ordered.

He had just gotten clear of the doorway as the device exploded. Mercy and Hammer heard the explosion and came running as did other elites. The command centre had gone. Raynes had been thrown clear, but was out for the count. Hammer peered inside the command centre. The two elites were dead.

"Check for other devices," called Hammer to the other elites assuming command.

Mercy relayed back to the Jericho and another carrier was despatched to recover the Major and to send others to assist in collecting the dead. She had also spoken to the Colonel and suggested that Eliza did not come with them considering these were here friends. She had gone through enough. She would report back later when she knew more. Colonel Kchetsky also said that he would let Kern know immediately and have him return straight away.