It had been nine hours since they stormed the GF-compound. Ridley paced back-and-forth along the base's landing pad. The Mother-Brain was sending the compound's new commander and he had been charged to greet him and discuss the plans for it, much to Ridley's dislike.
Morning sunlight was beginning to pour over the compound. Ridley looked over what had been a battlefield not to long ago. The clean-up crews managed to do a remarkable job at removing the bodies and damaged equipment. If the sun had eyes, it never would've been able to suspect what had happened while it slept.
"How long 'till he gets here?" Karolyn's mental voiced sounded agitated. "I'm starving."
Ridley shook his head slightly. "What? You didn't have your fill last night?"
"You know I don't eat them, they taste terrible. Honestly, I don't know how you do it," Karolyn replied, sounding disgusted.
"Once he gets here, then we'll eat," Ridley retorted, beginning to get a bit annoyed.
"It might be better if we ate before he gets here. Otherwise we might find ourselves without food," she commented half-jokingly.
"Well, I can't say that I don't disagree with you. If we're lucky, the slob might overlook something, " Ridley said. "Ah, here is now."
Ridley's head craned upwards as a Space-Pirate cargo-ship was flying into the compound. The ship featured the usual ovoid cockpit, but it had an extra-large cargo storage compartment equipped with life support systems that could be seen on the outside. It produced a rather displeasing effect on the eye, but it was not nearly as grotesque as what was inside.
Slowly, the ship hovered over the landing pad at a slightly tilted angle, its engines dying down from a roar to a dull buzz as it descended onto the metallic platform. The ship groaned as its dependency on the engines waned and finally landed with a hard thump onto the platform. Ridley stood erect before the cargo doors with his claws behind his back.
"God, I hate him," commented Karolyn's voice as the metal doors of the cargo-ship began to pull apart.
"I know, I do too," Ridley said.
A steel ramp extended out of the dark interior of the cargo hold. Sick slithering sounds and heavy breathing could be heard inside. Heavy footsteps made their way towards the ramp.
First, his head emerged from the hold two-stories above the ground. He had a green snout that lead up to three wide, red eyes stared hungrily at anything he looked at. His mouth hung halfway open, thick saliva dripped down unchallenged along his crooked teeth and long tongue that lazily swung left and right. His three-holed gut bulged grotesquely out from his frame, which seemed to have been trapped to its heaving stomach. Somehow, he managed to move his proportionally small feet and walked off the ramp and stood in front of Ridley. He recalled at how he first thought the obese lizard simply acted as a large security door for Pirate bases. He had learned since then. He knew that an ingenious tactical mind rested behind that gluttonous gaze.
"Hello, Kraid. You seem to be as lively as ever," Ridley greeted with a dry smirk against his snout.
The large green head cocked over to its side, his fat sagging against his face. "Ah, Ridley, so good too see that the cloning process went successfully," Kraid responded. He mouth did not move while he spoke, for his jaws could not replicate language coherently. So, a vocalizer was attached on the side of his cranium, enabling him to speak with his thoughts. His artificial voice always sounded scaly and thick, adding to his sinister and sickening persona. "What is that death toll of yours now? Six?" He reared his flabby head back and his jowls bounced up and down as a throaty laugh escaped his throat.
Ridley fist began to tighten at his side. Kraid looked upon this with amusement. "Touchy as ever on that subject I see. Very well then, my dear friend." He lifted his bulk up and began to tread off the platform, breathing heavily as he went along. His head rotated left-to-right as he examined the compound from the landing pad. "They established a very good air-defense. A shame they invested too much of their attention in that particular area, so goes their undoing. Short-minded fools." His arms slung helplessly against his side as trudged his way off the pad.
"The Mother-Brain and I have collaborated on a plan for our newly acquired area." He stopped and glared down at Ridley, studying him with an eerily focused gaze. He looked back up and headed toward the cargo-elevator of the compound.
"We believe that the Galactic-Federation won't give up such a rich supply of Nalrynium so easily. They won't let this go without showing some pitiful resistance," he said sternly while staring straightforward. "It's very likely that they would have figured out we've taken over operations here. They will attempt to retrieve it very soon, in fact, I expect them to be making preparations for that feat at this moment."
"What about our campaign in the Tyrin region? They couldn't afford to send a full-scale attack force here. They're running dry as it is." Ridley stared up at Kraid, trying to hide his disgust of the creature.
"Your definition of attack force is small. An attack force doesn't necessarily need to be a multitude," Kraid lectured.
Ridley's eyes widened in realization. "Wait, do think…do you think that they'll send her?"
"With their resources being stretched so thin as it is, I believe that they don't really have any other alternatives."
"What exactly do you have planned for when she gets here? Our defenses aren't prepared for an assault from the Hunter," Ridley stated with a slight hint of urgency in his voice.
Kraid chuckled softly. "We should have a replacement generator running the turrets in about four hours, and we'll have four more Assailants in orbit by tomorrow."
Ridley shook his head and said: "I've seen her ship, it's too fast to be hit by those turrets, and it's probably able to outrun the Assailants."
"Ah, but she won't see our Assailants, they'll be cloaked. The turrets will be mostly for effect, for the Hunter at least. She'll land on the outskirts somewhere and try to make her way into the compound. We will set up a group of disposable troops to put up a good show for her. Once the persistent bitch gets inside we'll lock the doors and you and Karolyn will attack her simultaneously. Should you fail, we have six Assailants in orbit, each carrying over four-hundred troopers." Kraid looked around. "Speaking of which, where is that infectious little Space-Dragon?"
Right on cue, Karolyn swooped down and landed right behind Kraid. He turned around sluggishly and gave a scaly sound of surprise. "Ah Karolyn, my darling, its been far too long."
"Ugh, not nearly long enough," she thought. Ridley received this and surpressed a laugh.
"What happens after we kill her?" Karolyn questioned.
"Well, depending on you and Ridley's method of death we will either salvage as much of that marvelous suit as possible, or be thankful that an extremely annoying thorn has been removed," Kraid explained.
"Very well then, I've always wanted to try my claw against this Hunter," Karolyn said.
Kraid nodded approvingly at this expression. He stepped onto a cargo elevator that led to the depths of the compound. Karolyn and Ridley stayed off.
"What is the status on the PDGF-cruiser?" Ridley asked.
"Ah, yes, the cruiser. The Marauding Supremacy was quickly able to subdue it. The boarding teams have managed to dispatch most of the crew members, although there are still some stragglers that are being most troublesome."
"You wouldn't happen to have any information on our drop-ship pilot?"
Kraid's eyes widened slightly, he turned and stared at Ridley. "That foul-mouthed old bag? Yes, the Assailants arrived and he was giving that cruiser a run for its targeters. His ship did take a few hits, but it's still useable. He's being returned to our base on Xivex-8. Now, I'm quite hungry, if you'll excuse my haste, I will be going to my post now. Would either of you like to join me?" His head quickly glanced over both of them for a response, holding it longer over Karolyn.
"No, that's fine, I'm not really hungry at the moment." Karolyn answered.
"Yes, I'm afraid that I have other business that I need to look over." Ridley excused. "Oh, do you happen to know if they have brought my ship?"
Kraid tilted his head slightly. "I believe they did, yes." His eyes stared oddly at Ridley. His tiny arm quickly flew out and pressed a button that started the elevator's descent.
Karolyn turned from the elevator and began to walk. "God," Karolyn shuddered. "He's a vile thing. Did you see the way he was looking at me?"
"Yes, best to ignore it. He stares at everything that way." Ridley reassured.
"I know, but it's just…I just hate him! Why did you ask about your ship?"
"I'd like to learn about our pilot. I have a very strange feeling about him. I'm going to go call it in." Ridley said and headed toward the main radio tower.
"Fine. I don't think that he completely ruined my appetite. I'm going to get something to eat," she said.
Kraid stood still on the elevator. His breathing was the only thing audible over the loud grind of the elevator. Ridley was asking questions. Mother-Brain would want to know about this as soon as possible. Yes, yes she would.