"Well, well, well. Three trespassers. Three humans. What are you doing on our planet?" He said toying with the staff he carried. It was black with a silver figure of a bird at the end. None of the three prisoners recognised what kind bird of it was. It must be one that is indigenous to the planet.

"Well seeing as you know so much about us, it's only fair we should know a little bit about you." Trip said trying to avoid the question.

"What were you doing on this planet?" One man had moved over towards Marlaya and was walking around her. She was uneasy about the fact she had a man eyeing her as he walked around her, but she kept her position and just watched how Trip was handling the situation.

"We were exploring. We're explorers. We didn't know that any one lived on this planet. You must've activated some kind of field that prevented our scanners from seeing anything." Suddenly the man walking around Marlaya grabbed her hair. Trip looked over to see what was going on. "Hey! You leave her alone!" The man holding her hair spoke up.

"Kosha! This one isn't human." The man who seemed to be the leader of the group, Kosha, moved over to her, with one hand he grabbed her chin, with the other he grabbed her arm, pulling her slightly closer to him while the other man kept a hold of her hair. "What species are you?" he let her chin go so she could speak.

"Tarnisian." The man let go of her.

"I have heard of you, but I thought you were only a myth." He placed the head of the staff under her chin so that he could inspect her even more.

"Maybe because there aren't many Tarnisians left alive." Trip called. He was hoping his intervention of Marlaya's interrogation would make the two men leave her alone.

"How many are left alive?" Kosha looked at him.

"Four." Trip said, keeping his posture up.

"Four hundred? Four Thousand?" Kosha questioned wondering what the 'four' meant.

"No. Just four." Kosha was in complete surprise. He even laughed a bit, and that angered the three of them.

"What are we going to do with her?" He said stroking her hair. Both Trip and Malcolm were getting annoyed with the way they were treating her. "Kosha?"

"Bring her with me, Dorn." Kosha turned to leave. Dorn grabbed Marlaya's arm and was about to start pushing her out of the room.

"What are you gonna do with her?" Trip asked. Kosha was nearly out of the door and he turned round to Trip in anger. He didn't often have prisoners ask him questions.

"That is none of your concern!"

"I think it is. She's a member of my crew. You will do nothing to her." Kosha moved over him.

"A member of your crew you say? Does that make you the… captain of your vessel?"

"No. I'm the commander. I'm second in command. And you are not going to do anything to any of us." Kosha then whacked Trip round the ribs using his staff and Trip fell on the floor in pain. Malcolm tried to run at him, but another of the men quickly ran to him and using his weapon as a barrier pointing at him stopped him from going anywhere near. Marlaya turned her head away from the torture, horribly being reminded of the day when he had had the fight with Triaan. Trip wrapped his arms round his body to protect his ribs ready for Kosha to hit him again, and he was about to. He raised the staff in the air ready to hit it round Trip's neck this time. Suddenly another man burst into the room, he looked a lot younger than the other men, and this young one didn't have the facial markings the others had, this then proved to Trip, Malcolm and Marlaya that they were markings given to them when they became older. Kosha lowered his weapon, madness flared in his eyes.

"Kosha!"

"What did I tell you? I said no interruptions!" He spun round in fury to look at the young one who had burst in stopping him from hitting Trip again.

"But 4 more aliens have been brought to the settlement. 3 are human one is a Vulcan female." Kosha looked at Trip.

"More of your crew?"

"Yeah. Trapped in your little force field you had set up." Trip managed to say between taking deep breaths. Kosha smiled.

"That worked well didn't it? 7 prisoners. 5 being humans and 2 others." He turned to the young man that had entered hurriedly. "Get them sent to the other room."

"Yes Kosha!" he was about to turn round when he noticed the young girl. He looked into her eyes.

"Get moving Nailos!"

"Yes sir." And he quickly scurried out avoiding the fearful stare of Kosha. The three prisoners noticed his actions.

"You'd better make yourselves comfortable. I'm sure you'll be here for a long time." And with that they all left. . With the interruption from Nailos they had completely forgotten about taking Marlaya with them. Malcolm helped Trip up and then moved over to Marlaya. He put his hands on her shoulder.

"Are you ok?" she just nodded her head. "What are we going to do now sir?" He said turning to Trip who was looking out of the window and pacing back and forth between the door and the window.

"I have no idea." He took a deep sigh. They were in that room for several hours. They tried to mess around with the window, but realised that the bars had electric currents running through them. Then they tried the door, but realised that if it was opened from the inside an alarm would sound immediately. After 4-5 hours of sitting in a corner Kosha and the others returned. The three friends stood up upon seeing them.

"Come here!" He said pointing at Marlaya.

"I told you that you weren't to do anything to her." Trip said stepping in front of her for protection.

"You are in no position to make compromises commander! Now come here!" Trip moved forward towards Kosha.

"And I told you. She's staying here." Trip said going right into his face. Suddenly without warning Trip punched him round the face. Malcolm quickly attacked one of the other two men and Trip attacked the other while Kosha was down. "Marlaya get out of here!" Marlaya looked at her two friends fighting, not wanting to leave them behind. "GO!" he shouted. Kosha tried to jump on her but she saw him advancing and quickly got out of the way. She then saw her chance and ran out of the door, darting out of sight.

"After her!" He screamed!" Trip and Malcolm continued the fight with the three captors. Marlaya ran along the corridors as fast as she could. As she turned a corner she was grabbed, a hand covered her mouth and she was pulled into a room kicking a screaming.

"Hey, it's all right, calm down, please." Marlaya turned round to face her attacker and realised it was the young one, Nailos. "I want to help you."

"Why would you do that?" She was breathing quiet heavily, trying to get her breath back after running so fast, and then after screaming a bit.

"Because I can help you escape. I can help all seven of you."

"Why would you do that?" Marlaya was confused

"Because I like you. My name is Nailos." Marlaya looked at him. He held out his hand and Marlaya looked at it, then at Nailos

"I'm Marlaya." She took his hand and shook it. Nailos moved over to the door and opened it slightly. Several guards ran past the door. He carefully closed it again once they were gone.

"You must follow me." He took Marlaya wrist and led her out down the corridor. They carefully looked round every corner they came to, to make sure no one would attack them. They made it out of the building and through the settlement and soon they were out in the woods. Nailos then suddenly turned round to go back to the settlement. Marlaya turned round and grabbed his arm, turning him round to face her.

"Hey! Wait a minute, what about my friends?" She said. Worry for her friends pounding in her head.

"I'm going back for them. But once your vessel leaves this planet it'll be in immediate danger. We'll have patrol ships up in the air waiting for you to shoot you down. You'll need to contact your ship. I'll go back for your friends." He began to run off. Marlaya watched him worried for him now. He was risking his life for these humans he didn't know.

"Nailos!" He turned back to face her. "Thank you. And good luck."

"Thanks." And he turned and disappeared. She suddenly realised that in her hand she had a small device. She looked at it and realised Nailos must've given it to her so she could get through the force field.