"Welcome to our sanctuary. My name is Luna, and your friends, no doubt, will be very pleased to see you."

Jarin tried to mask his surprise at this woman's forthcoming. "They're OK?"

Luna nodded. "Of course. Once we determined that your two soldiers were not under the enemy's sway we allowed them to walk freely, without weapons, of course. And now you may do the same."

Luna gestured for the team to follow out of the cargo container and out onto the deck of the rig. Passing under an arch of ropes, the men noticed they were hanging freshly killed game from the makeshift overhang.

Smith pointed at one of the bigger pieces. "You hunt on the mainland? That looks like some kind of mountain lion."

Luna nodded. "When there aren't enough fish to feed our people, we send teams out in the woods to bring back what they can find."

The answer only spurred Smith's curiosity. "So why not just trade with the people at Polis?"

Luna seemed to bristle at the question. "We stand apart from them, from their way of life. We want nothing to do with them."

Jarin glanced back at Brian, who seemed to get the hint to back off. Jarin, however, wanted to get into something Luna had mentioned. "You said that you thought we might be under someone's sway, what did you mean by that?"

"There will be a time for answers, Jarin Taylor, but it is not now."

The group cleared the overhang, and came out on the open platform of the rig, just time for a steel door, on what Private Smith surmised used to the main office, opened up to reveal both Rod Lopez and David Grissom, alive and none the worse for wear. The duo broke into a jog close the gap and greet their teammates.

The two groups quickly exchanged handshakes, while Trent and David shared a rather awkward hug. Trent broke it off first. "Yeah, that was…that was weird." He eyed David up and down. "You good?"

David scoffed. "Yeah, we're alright. I mean, outside of them testing our pain tolerance for about 30 seconds." He held up his forearm and rolled back the sleeve of his uniform, showing off several small burn marks.

Trent held up his own arm. "Hey, at least you're not bleeding all over the deck."

Meanwhile, Jarin and Rod had separated from the group, standing along the railing overlooking the ocean. Far below, the lights from the dock played off the water, and both men stared down in silence for a few moments while their team swapped stories off their last few days. It was up to Rod to first break the ice.

"What you thinking about man?"

Jarin braced against the railing. "Honestly, I don't really know what to think right now Rod."

Rod rubbed at the burns on his arm. "Yeah, I know what you mean. This wasn't exactly in the mission briefing, you know?"

Jarin saw Rod's motion on his arm. "Need that looked at?"

Rod shook his head. "Nah man, I'm good. They stopped as soon as we started showing that it hurt, put some salve on the burns. They helped for a while, but it's wearing off."

Jarin stared out over the water. "What the hell is all that about, what enemy has them so freaked out their cutting and burning, and kidnapping, random strangers?"

"Those are good questions." Luna's voice surprised both of them as she suddenly came up behind the two. "But they will wait until the morning. For now, I believe Roderic-"

Lopez cut in. "Just call me Rod, ma'am."

"Rod can show you and your men to your rooms."

"And what about the people we left back at the beach?" Jarin sounded rather insistent with the question.

"We will send two crews in the morning to find them. You were lucky; the waters of this area are home to several very large and dangerous predators. We rarely risk travel at night, and will not risk it tonight. Now go to sleep, and you're warriors will hopefully be here when you wake. We'll speak in the morning."

As Luna left Jarin saw the lights to the dock shut off in sequence, leaving the dark to once again cover the water. After one last glance at the night sky the lieutenant motioned for his team to follow Lopez and to finally get some shut eye after what were literally days without anything more than a token rest.

Despite several attempts by Rod to rouse his CO, it was the whine of the creaking steel door that finally broke through Jarin's slumber. He sat up to see Trent pushing the door to the room open even wider.

"Dude, they made us breakfast!"

Jarin rested back on his elbows, looking at up Rod. "What?"

Rod shrugged. "Yeah, they have this thing about group meals apparently. I mean the food's not bad, but you know me, not the best with crowds."

Jarin raised an arm, which Lopez used to pull him to his feet. "Well don't worry sergeant; I'll make sure the big bad fishermen don't cramp your space."

"You're a dick."

"Yeah, still your CO though, so how about we go grab some food?"

Lopez nodded and the two got up to join the rest of their team. On the way down the hallway Rod looked sideways at Jarin. "Damn, I forgot how fast your beard grows when you don't shave all the time."

Jarin ran a hand over the thickening stubble on his face. "I think this time I'm going to keep it. No Commander Williams being all 'Your face is part of your uniform, solider.'"

"Damn right."

The two rounded the corner into what Jarin assumed was the main hall of sorts. The buzz of the crowd died down sharply once the two walked in, with most of the people in the hall turned their heads to get a glimpse of the new arrivals from the night before. Jarin quickly spotted the four other members of his team, who waved both he and Lopez over to their corner of the room. Taylor quickly made his way over to them, being careful not to disturb any of the haphazard groups scattered around the room as they ate. Their curiosity sated, the people turned back to their conversations, leaving the team of six in peace for the time being.

David slid a plate of food to each of them as they sat down with the four others making room around their small circle. Rod picked up the plate, examining the contents, unsure whether or not it would be worth it to track down one of the team's food packs from their supplies Luna had confiscated. They might not be any good, but they were always the same, a known quantity.

Brian noticed Rod's hesitation. "It's not too bad actually. The meat, I think, is from that big panther looking thing. Saw them cutting it up this morning when I was walking outside. The sauce has got some kind of spice in it, got decent kick to it. Goes real good with the bread they have."

Rod looked over at Brian on his right. "Bread?"

"Yeah, there was a bit of bread with the stuff." Brian saw the lack of the stuff on both Jarin and Rod's plate. "Oh…"

Looking around, Rod easily picked out Trent across the way actively avoiding his stare. "You're a real piece of shit Trent, you know that?"

Suddenly a shadow crossed over the group, the tell-tale sign someone was standing behind them, blocking the light. Jarin looked behind, and saw Luna standing there, looking down at the group. In her hands she held a small basket, holding a few small pieces of bread which she offered to the group.

Jarin took one for himself and motioned for her to sit. "If you have the time, I happen to have a few questions to ask you."

Luna nodded, stepping out of the light and sat down between Jarin and Rod. "And I have several for you and your warriors as well."

Jarin finished wolfing down the bread he had soaked in the meat and sauce. "We're not warriors, at least not in the way I think you look at things."

"How so?"

"Warriors are the ones who live to fight."

Luna looked at him quizzically. "And none of you do not?"

"No. Well, not exactly. We're soldiers. We all volunteered to defend our home against its enemies, but that doesn't always mean going out to fight whenever someone pisses off."

Luna's eyes narrowed. "So we're simply savages?"

Jarin shook his head. "Oh not at all." He looked around the room, noticing everyone had stopped what they were doing to look their way. "I think you, and your people, are quite a bit more than that. You're a lot more like our own people, removed from the larger world, but still keeping your ear to the ground. And the way you handled our own weapons showed you know what you're doing."

Luna motioned for one her guards to make their way to her while she commented on Jarin's remark. "You're observant." She looked up at the guard, who had crossed the room. "Prepare the others, release them at my signal." She turned back to Jarin. "So we've established both our people are not the bloodthirsty monsters we fear, then perhaps you wouldn't mind telling me what it is you and your soldiers were doing in The Commander's territory."

Jarin scooped down the last of the food. "We're looking for someone."

"Who?"

Now it was Jarin's turn to size up his verbal sparring partner. "Well, if you want to know, you have to answer a question of my own." Luna nodded and the lieutenant proceeded. "Why take two of my men prisoner?"

Luna's face was as passive as ever as she answered. "Your symbol." She pointed at the NASA logo on the sleeve of their uniforms.

Rod ran his right hand over the patch. "What's our patch have to do with anything?"

Luna spoke to Jarin to answer. "My people have seen it before, a generation ago when men and women with the same mark came into my parents village. So when my scouts spotted you at the southern border of the forest we began tracking you."

Now David chimed in, resentment still clear in his voice. "But why take us, and drug us?"

"The more pressing reason is that the symbol on your arm is present in many of the facilities below. We had hoped your people would be able to help us in our fight." Luna turned to face David. "I am sorry for the extreme measures, but even our own brothers and sisters on the mainland do not know where this place. In fact, my brother Lincoln is the only person who has ever been allowed to walk freely in both places."

Jarin didn't like that sound of that. "So I take it we wouldn't be allowed to leave?"

Luna stood up. "That has yet to be decided."

As she turned to leave Jarin quickly popped up to stop her. "Wait. You answered my question, so I'll answer yours. The people we're looking for, I'm told you would know them as Sky Crew?" Luna turned back around, the stone façade across her face cracked slightly, showing surprise either at the forthrightness of the answer or the answer itself, Jarin couldn't be sure which. When she didn't turn to leave again he decided to press his luck. "I was hoping that you could help us find them. Given our little quid pro quo session this morning, I'm thinking if we help you first then you'd give us your word to let us leave and find the Sky Crew. So, what do you say to that?"

"I would say you shouldn't offer such a thing without knowing the enemy you would face."

The rest of Jarin's team stood up behind him. Lopez crossed his arms beside the lieutenant. "Hasn't been any enemy we haven't beaten before, so why don't you fill us in?"

Luna turned her head. "Clear the room." Within seconds the people quickly grabbed their food and filed out of the room without an argument.

Trent leaned up to whisper in Jarin's ear. "Um, this seems to have taken a dark turn man, you sure you want to commit us to helping Miss Frizzle?"

Rod answered for Jarin. "The LT's got it right. We aren't getting off this rig, and won't be able to complete our mission if we don't get on her good side. End of discussion."

"Yes, sergeant." Trent weakly replied as he took a step back.

Once given the all clear by the guards Luna turned back to the group. "When my people first found this place, they thought it would provide them a safe place to hide from the bloodshed of the Commander's wars. And for a time they were right. And when given their safe harbor, they didn't even ask how this place had come to be. But when I arrived, I always wondered how it was possible such a place had survived, who built it, and why? That's when I found what at the time I thought was a miracle." She walked over to the wall, pressing her left palm to the rusting steel. Suddenly, the panel pulled back with a hiss and slid sideways, revealing an elevator and leaving Jarin and his men completely stunned.

Luna laughed when she saw their faces. "I suppose I looked the same when I found this. The ride down takes quite a long time so I will just tell you the important facts." She placed her hand back along the wall and the steel door slid back seamlessly into place, perfectly hidden in plain sight. "The people who built this place were trying to survive something, and based on the bodies I found down below, some of them managed to live here for a time. But given the growths on their bones, radiation from the bombs, likely absorbed before they could enter the facility, killed them slowly."

Private Williams pushed his way past Rod at the front of the group. "So are you saying you actually know what happened to the world?"

"I do. And I know what did it as well."

Jarin covered his mouth, trying to process the hard left turn things had taken. Finally, the impact of Luna's last statement hit him. "You know about the AI."

"And that is the answer to your earlier question, that thing is who we will soon have to face."

The guard Luna had ordered away earlier entered the room, drawing the group's attention. Luna smiled, the show of emotion disconcerting to the team. "We can discuss more about the situation later. Right now, there are a few people who I believe wish to see you."

At her words the doors to the main hall opened, pushed wide by the remaining six members of Taylor's team. The newcomers froze, shocked to see they're friends, except for Jenn Blake. She marched right across the room to where Jarin was standing and grabbed him a hug, finally able to let go of the fear she'd never see him again flow out of her. After a few seconds she broke away, looking over the others.

"When we didn't hear from you, we thought you'd been killed."

Rod smiled, reaching out to hug the smaller woman. "I thought we might be too for a minute there. But despite the fact that we were kidnapped, I think we're in good hands."

Luna coughed slightly, cutting the reunion short. "I'll have your equipment returned to you by nightfall. For now, please rest. There is much to be done in the days ahead."

Blake stared at the woman as she left, taking her guards with her. Jenn looked up at Jarin, clearly confused as to what had all happened in the last 24 hours.

Jarin looked over the rest of the team who had wandered over slowly. "There's a lot to catch you up. For now, it's enough to know you're all alive. We'll figure out what comes next in the morning."

A/N: So in this little AU of mine, Luna knows quite a bit about ALIE and we'll get more into things in the next chapter. Please review!