We were in a science lab, observing the creature that was now in a transparent glass capsule. Cords and monitors were hooked up to the cell, and Ghor, Admiral Dane and I were listening to Gandrayda explain what it was.

"I've seen these things since I was a little kid. On Jovia XII they're called Xorth. But, in translation to english, we call them Chromia. Little fish like creatures that have the ability to communicate through telekinesis. Chromia like to group together in numbers since they are harmless, and talk to their herds with kind of a brain network. All of their minds are connected to the Head Chromin, which, the one that Rundas found, is a Head. You can tell by the thickness of the corneas," Gandrayda traced along the surface of the glass the Chromin's eye, which was very large and ruby-like. It hissed. "I bet you the Chromia that were on Phrygis were all members of the herd it had. You too, Ghor."

I was frazzled. "So they tried to put the Head Chromin onto me?"

She nodded. "I don't know why, though. Chromia usually seclude themselves from other Jovians and creatures of Jovia XII. More or less, it would have never come after you on its own."

A scientist approached, a clipboard in his arm. "I've done some scans. This Chromia has been exposed to high levels of Phazon. It's mutated from the original, defenseless creature it had been. Now it has a mind of its own, can alter how someone thinks, and will potentially control a body that is larger than itself," he flipped a few dials, and some x-ray lights came on. We could now see through the Chromia's body, which was pulsing blue. "Phazon literally breaths through it."

"But it doesn't make sense! How could Phazon be corrupting this thing if none of it is left in the galaxy?!" Admiral Dane complained, pounding his fist on a tabletop.

Ghor leaned towards me. "I told him, but did he listen? No..." I laughed a few times, trying to keep it silent as to not rub it in.

Gandrayda folded her arms. "Well, now we know that there's still some left-"

A transmission from the speakers on the walls interrupted her. "Attention all Galactic Federation personnel, we are being infiltrated by a massive fleet of three armies," Aurora Unit 242 warned. The panic lights blinked red, as did the computer and monitor screens. "warships from a trio of planets are attacking. Everybody get to battle stations or safety. Be armed with heated weaponry: we are being assailed by the Phrygisian swarm. Also use cloaking, the Jovians are present. And be cautioned, the Wotans are here with the largest ships."

"Go, go, go! You heard the AU! Get to battle stations, hunters!" Admiral Dane ordered, forcing us to escape the lab. Before I left, I grabbed the Chromia's case and cradled it under my arm.

"Where's Samus, Dane?" I asked over the loud alarms that started to blare once the ship lurched.

"She's safe, don't worry, Rundas. Last time I saw her she was doing some diagnostics on her suit, also getting upgraded," he responded as we ran down the halls behind Gandrayda and Ghor. "I wouldn't be surprised if she's out fighting the armies as we speak."

Sure enough, Samus's gunship soared past the window in the corridor, guns aimed towards the large horde of multi-purpose, multi-species shuttles. I stared. The invasion force was massive.

I stopped, with Dane skidding and looking behind him. "Are you coming?"

I shook my head. "I'm going to my ship,"

He nodded. "Be careful out there, Rundas. It's a mad war zone-" A bright light from a neighboring flagship caught his sentence as it exploded, Olympus shuddering in the aftershock and knocking everybody to the floor.

"What the heck was that?!" Gandrayda shouted.

"Wotan Eliminator!" Ghor replied as the lights flickered. "Except that was far more devastating. Ugh! I should've never taken that Elysian technology to Wotan VII, they've meliorated!"

"Were you out of your mind, Ghor?!" Dane screamed at him. "How could you lose something so powerful to a murderous race?!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The cyborg apologized several times, though I was sure he hadn't meant it. "They attacked me by surprise, I didn't think they would take it!"

A squadron of twelve Phrygisian battleships zoomed across the window, and more of the occupants in the hall cried out in fear. Six of the ships reared right, pillars of hollow ice shooting from the sides and breaking the hallway's outer wall. I recognized the boarding process, and shoved the Admiral forward. "Get moving!" He obeyed my rough handling, and fell in running step behind Gandrayda and Ghor as they approached a security door.

They stood aside for Dane to type in the pass code. He frantically typed in the combination as six Phrygisian men barged into Olympus. "Where's Rundas?" One of them called, and I panicked: they found me. "There he is! Get him!"

All of them flocked towards me, forming ice around their hands lethally. I whipped around as the Admiral finished keying, kicking the door down and throwing the three of them into the next hall. I dove in and slammed it shut right when the Phrygisians were almost upon me. Thuds and grunts came from the other side as they collided with the door.

Panting, we each were in a daze. "They want you?" Gandrayda said breathlessly, staring at the locked porthole.

I shrugged, getting up from lying on the ground. "I don't know. But if they do, then we need to get out as soon as possible. I don't want to put anybody else at risk."

The Jovian, Wotan, and human nodded, standing and following me as I walked down the empty hallway. I felt a nagging at the corner of my thoughts, like I was... missing something...

I looked down in shock to find I was empty-handed.

The Chromia gone.