We went down, with the Genge keeping a very close eye on the second ship with the Inaad's sensors.

"Nothing as yet sir. No life readings" he reported as Asen continued to descend down towards the ship. I felt my stomach lurch a little as we went down a little faster, then a funny feeling nagging at me. But I tried to ignore it as we got closer to the moss-covered ship. From the looks of it, it had been down there a while. Then I saw a familiar arrow-head...

"It is the Aerionna!!" I cried as we began to see more of it.

"Yeah, but what brought it down? Another ship... or something from that planet?" Jake asked, biting his lip. It wasn't something I saw guys do often.

"Well... we won't know until we go aboard" Ithiell said, looking just as doubtful as Jake.

(I presume we will be taking the necessary security precautions) Kayleese said, looking at her commanding officer, her stalk eyes trailing over the rest of us.

"Yes Kay, we will" Ithiell assured her. He then manoeuvred his way to the back of the ship, then issued us with Jara guns, the Chanaiben equivalent of a Dracon beam or a shredder, I guess. Then he gave us little earpieces with a microphone that arched down toward the mouth. It could also be adjusted to suit human as well as Chanaiben heads. I saw Ithiell give Kayleese and the male Andalite something that looked like earphones, only with a little disc that connected to just above their cheeks.

"I want one of those" Rachel muttered as she fixed her own earpiece.

"Not likely to happen. They are specially designed to pick up thought-speak, and if worn by someone like you or I, chances are our brains would literally be fried" Ithiell explained to her as he got a headpiece for himself, adjusting it so it fit. We all did the same, fussing with it until it didn't feel like it was going to crush our brains or fall off the minute we let go.

"And what about the toxic gasses?" Amanda asked.

"Chances are they are harmless to us. Maybe a little smelly... but other that..." Asen trailed off, looking a little embarrassed.

"You mean like stink bombs?" Jake pulled a face "Oh yuck!"

"Well, we'll be going straight into the ship, and if we're lucky... it won't have penetrated the hull of the ship that deep. Emergency systems would also keep the breeches at bay by a force field. So..."

"When are we ever that lucky?" Marco asked rhetorically.

"Hey, we're still alive. So I'd say that's a miracle in itself" Amanda said as the Aerionna now loomed huge on the viewscreen. Asen moved the docking ship carefully, and we slightly bumped against the hull. Immediately the cutters on the outside went to work, cutting into the hull like a chainsaw, and making all of us grit our teeth. At least, those of us with teeth.

"Cutting complete. Docking clamps in place, and... pressurising the hull with... okay, that should do it" Asen said, smiling a little at his work.

"In other words..." Rachel trailed off.

"In other words we're attached to the ship like a leech" I supplied, smiling wryly at her.

"Oh"

(May I precede first, sir?) The male Andalite asked, bowing his head a little and showing respect. Ithiell nodded in return.

"Go ahead Ovatt, but be careful"

With Ithiell's permission, he clopped forward and towards the hatch. He opened it, stepped into the pressurised room that separated the two ships, then pressed the hatch to open and stepped into the darkness of the Aerionna.

(Sir, I believe we may need some artificial lighting as...)

"Yes, I see that Ovatt. We'll take some handheld torches with us" Ithiell said, going over and pressing a panel, revealing a whole rack of black and red earth torches.

"You've thought of everything, haven't you?" I asked in wonder.

"Not quite, but a lot" he said as we were all given one, and Asen joined us as we moved to the hatch opening. Kayleese gave Ovatt a torch, and they shared a look, before the two stepped into the darkness first, flicking the torches on and swinging them this way and that.

(Sir, it appears to be empty. The toxic gasses have not entered the ship as yet)

"Good. Let's get going" Ithiell said as we all stepped out into the darkness, and I felt a chill run down my back. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

I turned my torch on and scanned the hall we were in. Ovatt was right. It seemed to be empty. The others did the same, and I was grateful there was now ten beams of light shining this way and that, making the place just a little lighter.

"Check your mikes. See if they work" Jake instructed, fiddling with his. I did the same, until I heard the others on the bridge of the Inaad talking. But of course, Ithiell had made sure we could keep in contact with our friends in case something did go wrong.

"Testing... one, two, three" Marco tapped his mouthpiece, and I cringed at the sound that came from my earpiece when he did that.

"Ouch! Don't do that!" I hissed, jumping about five feet as I finally heard Cassie's voice in our earpieces.

"Hey guys? You ok?"

"We're all right. For now" Jake looked at Ithiell "Now what?"

"Well, I guess we start searching for answers. Maybe access the systems and see how much power we can feed into getting the lights to work" He thought for a minute, listening to the others on the bridge chattering between themselves, then looked up at Jake, who gave him a nod, then us.

"All right, here's what I think we should do. We split up into groups of two to search the ship. Marco and I will go to the bridge, since I might need you to go into the crawlspaces to pull some levers. Jade and Kayleese, you go to the engine room. If we're able to start up the ship, it could try and go into an overload, so I need you to be able to grab that coolant lever if that does happen. Amanda and Jake can check the sickbay, as well as check if we really are all alone on this ship. Rachel and Asen can check the storage bays, and see if you can find anything that could tell us how the Aerionna ended up in this condition. Ovatt and Mulynn will check the living quarters... see if there's anyone there" He looked at each of us to make sure we understood. We all did.

"Okay, let's go solve a mystery" Jake said with a little laugh.

-----------------------------------------------------x-------------------------------

FWAAPP!!

Kayleese's tail cut straight into the engine rooms door, then cut again, just enough for me to be able to wedge my fingers through the cut she made and trying to pry them open. Kayleese helped, but it moved slowly, inch by inch.

"I wish we had Marco's gorilla morph right now" I groaned as I pulled with all my strength. Seconds later my earpiece crackled.

"Oh, how sweet. You miss me already" Marco chuckled.

"Hey, you've got the easy job" I replied as we finally got the door open enough for us to slip through. The door stayed wedged where it was. I think we were both glad about that. I saw Kayleese's chest heaving as I turned around and picked up the torches and guns from just outside the door.

"Not true. I have to jump into a shaft about three feet across, crawl..."

"So do I. And I just had to pull a door open" I retorted.

"Okay you two, enough competing. Jeez, how did you two ever become a couple?" Jake asked from somewhere else on the ship. I smiled and shook my head as Marco replied.

"I really don't know either buddy. Bad luck? Wrong place, wrong time?"

"You fell in love, it's as simple as that" Amanda said laughing.

"We did? Marco, did we fall in love? Gee, I didn't know that" I joked, watching as Kayleese gave me a funny look. I heard Marco and Amanda laughing at me.

"Well, we're in the bays. It doesn't seem like there's anything that suggests they were hit or anything. Asen says there's just a whole lot of metal boxes stored... kind of like spare parts and stuff. But there's no one here" Rachel interrupted, turning our attention back to our task. But she couldn't help but add "You two just make me sick"

"The bridge is empty too" Ithiell's voice "No one here"

"So, no one home huh? What the heck is going on?" Jake asked.

"If I knew, I'd tell you" Ithiell replied "Ovatt, Mulynn, did you find anything?"

(Ovatt here. Nothing so far sir. But we'll report in as soon as we find something)

"Good. Amanda, how are you holding up?"

"Um... all right" was her soft reply. I guess she snapped back to reality, just like we did.

"She's actually attached herself to my arm, and the rest of my arm is going numb" Jake told us. I guessed he wasn't lying either. Amanda can get a pretty good grip if she's scared enough.

"It's just... so dark, and I... sorry..."

"Yeah, we know. But don't worry, it won't be for long. Marco?"

"Almost there" his voice sounded strained as I looked up at Kayleese again.

"A minute more...." Ithiell told Amanda.

"It's ok. She's let go of me for now. We're walking around one of the rooms of the sickbay. Nothing much to see really"

"I'm good" Amanda tried to sound confident, but her voice quivered.

"Oh man! The damn thing's locked or something! Ithiell!"

"Here, try this" I heard something clunk, then that thing was moved as Marco thanked Ithiell for giving him whatever it was he gave him.

"Ahhh-!!" Amanda. And her cry sounded like it had been cut short.

"Amanda?" Ithiell and I asked in unison.

"I... I don't know what happened! She was just there, on the other side of the table... Amanda!"

"What?!"

"Amanda..." Jake paused, and I heard his breathing had become raspy "There's... her earpiece is here, and her torch...on the ground, but... Amanda!!"

"Where is she?! Where's Amanda!" I yelled at him, terrified now.

"But... there's nothing here! Nothing!"

"Jake, what happened? Can you tell if she was dragged off or something?!" Ithiell asked, and I heard Rachel let out a curse.

"I... I can't see her... oh crap! What was that?!"

"I knew there had to be something here! Dammit!"

"What was what Jake?"

"I just saw something, moving in the shadows... too big to be Amanda..."

"Shoot it!"

"I can't even... ahhhhhhh!!!" I heard him firing, then static greeted my ear.

"Holy... Ovatt, Mulynn, forget checking the rooms, I want you to go straight to sick bay. You're the closest..."

Nothing. Nothing from them, anyway.

"Ovatt? Mulynn?"

"Forget them! I'll..." Ithiell cut Rachel short.

"No! Hold your position. You too Asen. You're too far away, and we don't know... Jade, Kayleese? Do you think you can...?"

"We'll do what we can" I replied as we both slipped back out of the room, with me leading the way to the sickbay.

"What about...?"

"You and I will keep working on the lights. You got it?"

"Uh... yeah. Done! Try that"

"All right... there!" Suddenly, the hallway filled up with bright light, almost blinding us.

(How much further?)

"This way. Come on!" I lead her down another hallway, running as fast as my body would let me go. I grabbed my gun, readying myself to shoot anything that came at me. Kayleese was right beside me, pulling a head a little every now and then.

Finally, we reached the door that had been half opened buy Jake and Amanda, but there was hardly any light in there.

"Kayleese?"

(I'm ready)

"Okay, let's go then" I stepped forward with my torch and gun in hand, peeking carefully around the corner of the door. I aimed the beam of the flashlight here and there, but saw noting besides some wires hanging down, sparking every now and then. I pulled my head back out, leaning on the side of the door and taking a deep breath, looking at Kayleese and nodding to let her know we were going in.

"Jade? Be careful"

"We will"

(Shall I go first?) Kayleese asked, readying her tail and stepping forward.

"All right, but be careful. And keep your gun levelled so your ready for anything" She nodded, then stepped carefully towards the door, peering in, then stepping confidently through, her tail blade raised and ready for an attack. I slipped in after her, keeping alert, my heart pounding in my chest.

(There does not seem to be...) that's when we saw it. A shadow... not ours... darting out of sight to the left of the room.

"Amanda? Jake?"

(What was that?)

"I wish I knew?"

"What? What is it?" Rachel's voice now.

"Something in the shadows... moving very fast...I can't"

(It has me!) Kayleese suddenly cried, and I jerked my head to see something like a black void wrapped around her middle, pulling her away from me. Her hooves skittered on the floor and her arms pushed away from it with all she had.

"Hold on!" I yelled, dropping my torch and preparing to shoot. But it was too late. Not even her tail stopped the thing from getting her.

"What's going on, what was it?!"

"Something just got Kayleese! I... I don't know what... I... NO!!"I yelled as it started coming at me, and I raised my weapon...

Wham! I was down! The gun skittered away from me... I was helpless.

It grabbed my legs, pulling me back into the darkness, and I screamed. I tried to pull the thing off me... but it was too strong! Then more blackness... surrounding me! Choking the life out of me!

I struggled, but it was hopeless. I lost consciousness with the others screaming my name...

And there you go. More of it. Next chappie... you'll find out what the black thing was... hehehe... I am so nasty!