Waits wasn't at all torn up over Stein leaving nearly a week after the mountain expedition. "All she did was stick her nose where it didn't belong," he muttered once her shuttle left the colony's landing platform.

"On the bright side, LV-112 will see substantial growth in a couple of weeks," Brooks said.

"You think you can handle a bunch of new people?"

"Better than you can."

Waits shook his head. "Smartass."

"I'm being honest, though."

"I know. I don't think I could do this without losing my head in the process."

Brooks gave Waits a sympathetic look. "Remember how I told you not to be so harsh on yourself?"

"Yeah? What about it?"

"Try not to underestimate yourself. I think you'd be a great Head Marshal. Kinda surprised you've never held that position."

Waits glanced at Brooks, unsure of how to respond. There were several reasons he had never advanced to being head of a Bureau on any colony. He never wanted the position, a lot of people he served with didn't want to see him in that position, and he never stuck around on a colony long enough. He preferred moving around, seeing different places.

Deep down, it was because he was hoping to find someplace he could stay for the rest of his life. A part of him was wondering if LV-112 was it. Nowhere else he was stationed had called to him like this. It was quiet, there was plenty of land, plenty of space for him live the rest of his life in complete solitude. Before realizing his feelings for Aslett, Waits had convinced himself that it would be for the best if he retired and lived alone. Esmeralda wouldn't like that, but if Ashton kept antagonizing him, perhaps removing himself entirely would work better.

It definitely seemed like a good idea if he was forced to retire early. It would spare him the embarrassment and shame.

He left the Bureau for the day, pondering how much he had changed in the last several months. He felt a little less alone. For him, that was a major change. If something happened now, leaving the Marshals would seem easier. He knew he could trust Aslett to help him.

There was still plenty of daylight. Waits headed into the park containing all the compartments he and the rest of the Marshals stayed in. He hesitated at first when he came to Aslett's compartment, as he heard running water, but knocked anyway.

"Who is it?!" Aslett called.

"It's Jethro! Are you naked?!"

"I'm in the shower, so, yeah! You can come in, though!"

Waits entered the compartment. A cloud of steam was billowing from under the bathroom door. "You know, you should lock your front door before going in the shower."

"I forgot. Shut up and help yourself to anything in the fridge."

Shrugging, Waits opened the refrigerator. Aslett was definitely better stocked than him—and far more organized. Waits was careful not to knock over the containers of leftover potato wedges and baked chicken as he pulled out a box of pizza. After setting it on the table, he opened it to reveal only one slice was missing.

"Where do you keep your dishes?!" Waits shouted.

"In the cabinet next to the one with the mugs, above the coffeemaker!" Aslett replied.

"Thanks!"

Five minutes passed before the water turned off, then Aslett left the bathroom in civilian clothes. Her first sight upon entering the kitchen was Waits eating a slice of pizza over the open box. She smirked. "Are we planning on just finishing my pizza tonight?"

"No," Waits grunted with his mouth full.

Aslett closed the box and put it back in the fridge. "So, what brings you here?"

"Just wanted to see you."

"And eat my food?"

"I'm starving. Haven't had anything since breakfast."

"Then stop using your breaks to smoke and actually eat something for a change."

Waits didn't respond. "In all seriousness, I did come to see you."

"Are you bored?"

"No. Well... maybe a little."

Aslett grinned. "If you're bored, mind if I make a suggestion?"

"Sure, go ahead," Waits said with a shrug.

"Remember that walk by the lake I wanted to do?"

"Yeah."

"We still have plenty of daylight. We could go now."

Waits hadn't planned on going on a hike that day, but wasn't opposed to the idea of simply spending more time with Aslett. "OK. If that's what you wanna do."

"Yep. Go put on your walking boots."

The lake was five miles west of the colony. It stretched on as far as the eye could see. Some areas were crystal-clear; others were muddy and cloudy from sediment kicked up from the bottom. Trees surrounded the sandy beaches, and dead needles littered the ground before giving way to tan sand. A very pale pink-orange color was starting to form in the horizon, and shadows were beginning to stretch further and further.

Following close behind Aslett after they stepped out of her truck, Waits's thoughts turned back to earlier, when he was thinking about how he wanted to retire. The lake was calm. There was the gentle sound of water lapping at the sand, and the breeze whispering through the trees. The air was full of the cool, refreshing scent of evergreens and fresh water.

A spot across the beach where he and Aslett were standing caught his eye. A natural clearing of sorts. There were thick bushes and shrubs, but Waits found it perfect. "Right there. That's a good spot."

"What is?" asked Aslett.

"Right across from us, that clearing. That's a perfect spot for a cabin."

Aslett was quiet for a moment. "Are you... thinking of permanently settling here?"

Waits turned to face her, a little embarrassed. "Retiring here, yeah."

"You? The man who's been avoiding retirement as best he can?"

"When my time comes, and that's not now."

"Did you decide this just now?"

"No. Been thinking about it for a little bit." Waits walked down closer to the shore, and sat on a rock. "I think this is the place."

"After all the times you've complained about how boring it is here?"

"It's boring in terms of work for me to do, but... I'd be okay with buying land and building a cabin and spending the rest of my life here."

"What about your family?"

Waits adjusted his posture on the rock. "Not sure. Only person I'd want to see is my sister, but I know I can't have that with her husband around. I can only imagine what he'd say if he found out this is how I plan to retire."

"Why is it any of his business?"

"It's not, but I know why he is the way he is. I'm never home. I'm never involved. I never stay for more than a couple days when I visit. My nephew doesn't remember me that well, so why should I put in the effort to see him?"

"And he just... verbally abuses you over it?"

Waits nodded.

"You can't let him treat you like that."

"He's not wrong, though. I can't fight him on that. It's entirely my fault that I put my career above everything else."

"That's still no excuse to—"

Waits held up his hand. "It's not something I can argue with anyone about. I put my career above family, and now I'm paying the price. If I have to live alone, away from my family, just to not feel miserable, that's what I'll do."

"And prove him right? Jethro, you can't—"

"It's not something I can argue about." Waits went back to staring at the clearing. "I thought this would make me happy. Now... that's kinda changed." He looked down at the sand, blushing. "I want you with me."

Aslett sat next to him. "Can we even live together? I mean, we've slept together, and you are a horrible snorer."

Waits grinned a little when Aslett wasn't looking at him. "Hey, you did say I'm a good companion in bed when I'm not half-pushing you off, and, for the record, I'm a lot more organized than you think I am."

"I've seen your kitchen counters."

Waits shrugged. "Sometimes other things get in the way of cleaning."

"I'll keep you on your feet, then."

"Thanks." Waits let out his breath, looking up at the cloudless sky. The blue was beginning to darken, as was the pinkish-orange color on the horizon. A single dot of light appeared. Then the dot split into several. Waits frowned, sitting up straight. "What the hell is that?"

"I don't know," Aslett said.

The dots of light grew in size, until they could see that the dots were actually ships. Two of them disappeared into the mountains, and the rest kept coming. They were dark blue in color, with wings that unfolded as they entered the atmosphere.

"Those aren't ours." Waits watched the ships break formation. The smaller ones veered toward the colony and his heart stopped when he saw what could only be a muzzle flash, followed a moment later by the echoing thunder of gunfire. "Damn it, we gotta get back to the Bureau!"

The two sprinted to Aslett's truck. Aslett was starting the vehicle before Waits had closed the door. She slammed on the gas while Waits turned on the radio scanner. He flinched when he heard an explosion and muffled sirens. "Brooks! Brooks, come in!"

"Waits! Where the fuck are you?!" Brooks shouted.

"Aslett and I were at the lake, five miles from the colony! We're on our way! What's the situation?"

"Alien fighter crafts of some kind just swooped in and started shooting at the buildings! We have no external communications, I repeat, we have no fucking external communications! We can't call for help!"

Waits suddenly felt like he was going to throw up. "This is bad. Any casualties?"

"I don't know yet. Just get your asses back here!"

"Yes, sir." Waits looked at Aslett. "External communications down means no help. We're on our own."

It felt like hours went by. Waits's thoughts were racing as they sped through the road. His thoughts came to a halt when he looked up to see a dark shape coming down from the sky toward them, and screamed, "Lace, watch it!"

A bolt of blue energy crashed down into the ground in front of the truck. Dirt burst up, and the force sent the vehicle off the road and into the woods. The two were jerked hard as they slammed into the ground. The vehicle was now on its side, driver's side in the churned-up grass and dirt. It took Waits a moment to realize he was sideways, held only by his seatbelt and the divider between the passenger and driver's seat. He was dazed, and felt like everything inside his body had been disconnected and jostled around.

"Lace," he breathed, grunting in pain. He reached over to touch Aslett's shoulder. "Lace, are you okay? Honey, talk to me."

Aslett was gripping the wheel hard. Her eyes were wide, and her face was contorted in an expression of shock and fear.

"Lace!"

"What?!" she screamed.

"Are you okay?" Waits repeated.

"I'm okay." Aslett drew in a breath. "What happened?"

"Motherfuckers shot the ground in front of us and we flipped over. I'm gonna try and get us outta here. Don't move." After unhooking his seatbelt, Waits yanked his Model 4506 free from its holster. "I'll pay for a new windshield when this is over." Flicking the thumb safety off, Waits fired several rounds into the windshield. Cracks spread swiftly from the bullet holes over the glass, which quickly took on the appearance of a massive spider web. When he emptied the magazine, Waits turned the gun around and smashed the butt against the glass as hard as he could, sweeping it back and forth to force the glass to fall apart. His hands were bloody as he slid a new magazine into his gun before putting it back in his holster. "Unbuckle yourself. We're gonna have to run back to the colony."

Aslett was shaking as she pulled herself free from her seat. "I owe you one, Jethro."

"I'm just doing my job." Waits pushed some glass out of the way as he crawled through the windshield, grunting in pain. "Careful, honey." Bloody handprints appeared on the truck's hood. Waits was soon straddling the side of the vehicle, holding his hand out to Aslett. "Come on, I gotcha. You're alright—okay, pull yourself upright."

Aslett steadied herself against the truck while Waits climbed down. They looked over at the crater left by the fighter craft's blast. "Whatever they are, they're not friendly," she breathed.

"No shit." Waits looked over his shoulder at the flipped truck. "I'm just glad we weren't actually hit."

"Yeah. We better get going." Aslett took off running, and Waits began wishing he had taken more running lessons from her.

Alien fighters screamed overhead. Waits pushed Aslett into the woods, ducking and hiding under the thick green branches of an evergreen. "I think we should avoid the path, but stick close to it. We don't want them seeing us." Waits gestured for Aslett to follow him. "How far from the colony do you think we are?"

"Less than two miles," Aslett said.

"You already know my fat ass can't run one mile," Waits snorted. "If I fall behind, don't wait for me."

"Then your fat ass is gonna have to run fast. Let's get moving."

Waits's ears pricked when he heard screaming, then turned to see four civilians running down the path. He jumped out in front of them. "Hey! Where're you all going?"

"We don't know, Marshal!" a woman shouted. "Th-The ships started shooting at the city! Where do we go?!"

"You can shelter in the Marshal Bureau," Waits said. "Come on. Stay close to us. Lace, can you watch the rear?"

"Yeah." Aslett jogged to the back of the group.

Waits gestured for everyone to get into the woods, looking up each time a fighter came shrieking overhead. "Never thought I'd see an actual alien invasion play out before my eyes," he muttered. This certainly was nothing like the movies.

The colony was being turned into piles of fire and twisted metal. The ground was soaked with oil, blood, diesel fuel, and water from burst pipes. People were dragging the wounded, screaming for help. There were charred holes on the top and sides of the Marshal Bureau. Several buildings had been completely destroyed. The skeleton of the Weyland-Yutani office building had toppled over. Waits could see people trapped under the beams. He fought an urge to go to them. He couldn't lift the beams, and there were too many for him to save on his own. "We gotta see how many Marshals survived," he said. "I'm gonna check to see if the building's stable. Keep watch over these people."

Waits pushed the doors open, finding ceiling panels on the floor, plants knocked over, and papers strewn everywhere. The water cooler in the lobby had toppled over and a massive pool had spread across the floor. Wires it came into contact with were sparking. One body lay on the floor, a younger Marshal named Slater. Blood was covering the floor around him, flowing from a wound in the back of his head.

"Fuck." Waits knelt next to him. Noting a bloody ceiling panel nearby, Waits could guess it fell on Slater's head. He didn't want to leave the body, but knew he needed to take care of the living at the moment.

Remarkably, the card reader on the doorway to the armory still worked. Waits swiped his card, and the door unlocked. He jogged down the stairs, and found a group of civilians, and the rest of the Marshal staff.

Brooks was being tended to by a nurse and another Marshal named Shea. A bloody bandage covered most of Brooks's head. He was trembling from shock, and his uncovered right eye was unblinking.

"What the hell happened?" Waits got on his knees in front of Brooks.

"We were getting these people down here—" the nurse gestured to the civilians, "when a fighter craft shot the building next to us. Brooks was hit with debris."

"What's the status of the hospital?"

"That was the first thing bombed."

"How's he holding up?"

"He's gonna need more extensive treatment. I'd be surprised if he didn't walk away with some level of brain damage. He hasn't been very responsive to any outside stimuli."

Waits looked Brooks in the eye. He could see nothing but shock, and his stomach twisted hard when he realized his boss wasn't in there at the moment. "If he's outta commission, that means I'm in charge."

Shea glanced at Waits. "If you have any plans, now is the time, sir."

Waits looked down at the floor. As he thought, Aslett came running in, the civilians they found in the woods behind her.

"Jethro! It doesn't take that long to check the stability of the—oh, fuck..." Aslett knelt next to Waits when she saw Brooks.

"He'll be fine if we can get him outta here soon," Waits said.

"I don't think that'll happen."

"And whaddaya want me to do?! We'll be picked off easily if we try to evacuate—"

"Staying here will be like shooting fish in a barrel for the aliens," Shea said.

"Not if the fish fight back." Waits stood up, throwing his jacket on a bench as he went to open a locker containing bullet-resistant vests and helmets. "I want two Marshals to stay here and guard the civvies. Aslett, Shea, and Nicosia, put these on, black out your badges, and go load up some AUGs."

"Sir, there's no way we can fight against unknown ships with these little things. We don't know what the ships are made of," Shea said, gesturing to the rifles on the wall.

"Unless this is just a hit-and-run, the bastards are probably going to send in ground troops. If so, we're gonna be there to greet them." Waits tossed a helmet to Aslett.

"Are you prepared to deal with a species that has armor that'll resist our ammunition?" Shea asked. "I don't think anyone here has seen these guys before. There's no telling what their capabilities are."

"We'll figure that out if it comes up." Waits tightened the straps on his vest. "Either way, we'll make them regret coming here."

"You're sure you wanna do this, Jethro?" asked Aslett.

"Positive," Waits replied. "They flew in and hurt the people we're supposed to be protecting. They're not getting away with this, not while I'm still breathing."

The air outside the Bureau was a smoky haze. Waits knew full well the risk of being seen if he left the building. He stepped outside, and gestured for his team to follow. The fighter crafts were still flying overhead. Then they were joined by a much larger ship. Hidden under the rubble of a building, Waits glanced at the other three Marshals. "Best guess is that thing's a troop transport," he said.

"Doesn't look like a bombing craft," Nicosia replied.

"Yeah, plus I think they would've sent those already." Waits watched the large ship disappear behind the trees.

"They could be sending in hundreds if not thousands of soldiers," Shea pointed out.

"Possibly, but a colony of this size wouldn't require that many. That's why I think we've got a chance to fight back." Waits adjusted himself, laying on his stomach and putting his AUG's scope to his right eye. "I'm kinda curious what the fuck these guys want with a quiet little place like this."

"You're not going to attempt to communicate with them, are you?" Aslett gave Waits a horrified look.

"No. The second they opened fire on innocent civilians, all bets were off. Unless they want to negotiate their surrender with me."

"Honestly, this does beg the question of where the colony administrators are," Shea said.

"Hopefully hidden, but under these circumstances, we're in charge."

An agonizingly long amount of time passed before they saw any movement, and what their enemy actually looked like. The aliens were roughly the same height as a human man, thinly built with taut, pale, sky-blue skin. Their eyes were violet, with black pupils and no whites to be seen, and they had pointed ear-like organs on the sides of their heads, while dark purple veins covered their necks. They spoke with somewhat rasped voices, in a language none of the Marshals had ever heard. They all wore black armor, and carried rifles of some kind. Waits took note of the fact that the rifles' magazines were glowing blue.

"Energy-based weapons," Waits murmured. "More advanced than us... uh-oh, what's this?"

An alien whose armor bore a purple ring in the center of its chestplate shouted something to three soldiers closest to one of the colony's department stores. The soldiers kicked down the glass doors. Waits's stomach turned when he heard terrified screaming. A second later, the soldiers emerged with a group of civilians. No questions were asked, nothing was said. Bright blue flashes burned themselves into Waits's memory as the aliens shot each colonist in the head.

Rage boiled in the pit of his stomach. Waits cursed and pounded his fist on the ground. "Shit! Fuck!" He wished he had run out from his cover, distracted the soldiers long enough to let the civvies get away. He wanted to attack now, but something was holding him back.

Aslett touched his shoulder. "Jethro, getting upset isn't going to help. What's your plan?"

"The best thing I got at the moment is to do hit-and-run shootings. We go, shoot, and hide as fast as we can. If they're susceptible to bullets, great. Kill them all. If not, we regroup in the Bureau, and start building explosives. Alright, we're running out of time. Aslett, with me. Shea, with Nicosia. On my mark... go!"

The four dashed out from under the rubble, getting behind cover before opening fire on the alien soldiers. Purple blood sprayed from the holes appearing in their armor, and three soldiers dropped in seconds. The one with the circle on his armor ducked behind a fallen beam, then reappeared, shooting bolts of blue energy in the direction of the Marshals.

"At least we know bullets work!" Waits shouted to Aslett over the gunfire.

"Now the question is if we have more bullets than they have troops!"

"I know, but I don't think they'd commit their entire army to one planet! If they don't call in an orbital strike on us, we'll be able to hold our own!"

"Are you sure about that?"

"Well, I'm not fucking giving up, not after what they've done! Surrendering isn't an option with me!"

When the alien began shouting, Waits began wondering if it was a commander of some kind. Within seconds, more soldiers started running down the street.

"Split up! Don't make it easy for them to find you!" Waits hollered. "Lace, go!"

"And leave you here?!" Aslett snapped.

"I said, go! I'll be right behind you!"