Laughter and general boyish ruckus erupted from the corridor of the Terradon labs, the doors opening to unmuffle the noise. Pouring through the doors was the full team of Terradon scientists, the Raptors, Repton's guards, and leading everyone in, Repton; who had his arm wrapped around the shoulder of Oppensaur. The lab they had entered was reorganised into a banquet hall of sorts, a long table with rows of seven chairs sat lengthways across both sides of the table, as well as two larger, more ornate chairs and both of the table's heads. Repton and Oppensaur laughed together, stood a few paces from the top of the table. The rest of the dinner party navigating to their seats around them, as well as Repton's guards standing at ther door to check the room before leaving once more. The Terradon scientists, many of which without mention of name to the Raptors, all sat along one side, and the main Raptor team sat along the other. The Raptor's side had Repton designated at the table's head, Leugey sitting on the first seat next to the head, Spitz chose the next spot over, and Hoerk, noticing Beaker sitting opposite the third chair, took his seat there. Noticing everyone sat down, Repton scrunched his fist across Oppensaurs head once or twice before letting go and tapping his back, moving over to his seat at the table. With all but Repton's guards sat at the table, Repton began a small speach. 'Welcome, lizards. We sit safe tonight, safe behind our brand new, fully operational air defence grid!' The table all cheered, bursting into a mild applause. 'With this grid, Terra Bogaton will be untouchable, and Master Cyclonis will bend the knee to us. We dedicate our feast to the hard work and success we have all endured' finishing his sentiment, Repton whistled loudly, and his guards all rushed into the room from the corridor, pushing trolleys of various meats, condiments, vegetables, even drinks of many, many colours. The guards layed the food out down the middle of the table before taking their own seats at the table. Leugey started to salivate over the golden birds and aromatic joints of meats, he started to reach with both hands to grab one of the meats before Repton clasped one of his hands and gently reminded him 'Patience brother, there is plenty here tonight' Leugey shook his head excitedly and waited for the table to start passing food around.

The volley of hands and dishes moving up and down the table made it hard for Hoerk to see what Beaker had chosen to eat for the evening, but eventually he saw her stop filling her plate once it reached a fairly conservative size. He nodded once looking at her plate, taking the hit and having a smaller portion than everyone as well. Normally this meant an early leave for a member, only eating enough to be sociable, as any more could cause lethargy, making the evening last longer still. Quickly filling his plate to a similar size, he poured a little extra gravy just for flavour's sake and started to eat with everyone else. Beaker peaked back at his plate and smiled sincerely at Hoerk, before quickly pulling away, neither side wanting to draw attention to any kind of connection the two could have.

Slowly the feasting stage of the night gave way to conversation, with Repton gloating about various aerial victories between the Raptors and anyone else who dared to stop them. His stories and general sense of ease when telling them made him compelling to listen to, with the party all cheering, gapsing, or laughing. Seemingly on cue. Soon he reached a point where after a second of silence, he opened his favourite story, 'My favourite victory, our most memorable battle, was of course, the Interceptors. Isn't that right?' the other Raptors all confirmed nodded, still engrossed in the same story they had heard time and time again. 'This one was a battle not long after the Storm Hawks fell. I hear one of their own joined Cyclonia. But bringing it back to our prey in this fight, we spotted them all swarming our Terra like flies on a corpse. We took it upon ourselves to defend our Terra and take back anything that was stolen. We tailed them most of the way back to Terra Mesa before we could strike...' Repton continued to tell his story, but slowly Hoerk felt his attention slip. Looking opposite him, he saw Beaker staring at the various scraps on her plate wilst spinning her fork. Feeling a presence, she looked up at him. Hoerk tipped his head for the door, and Beaker gently nodded. Hoerk stood from the table, making the whole table go silent. He quietly asked to be excused, looking at the bemused Repton. Repton played it into his story, 'Sure, but you can be my witness, too, the whole team fell, didn't they? all of them gave a good fight, but all would fall in the end'

Hoerk responded frankly, remember a single parachute dipping below the clouds as the rest of the Interceptors fought for their lives all those years ago. 'All but one, a young impressionable thing, it disappeared under the cloudline before I could give chase'

Repton stared at him for a short while, blank in the face, before playing it off 'Well, if they really were young, then surely they won't bother us again' Repton waving his hand to let Hoerk go. Beaker asked to excused herself as soon as Hoerk left the room and into the corridor. Repton flicked his eyes to and from her before waving his hand again.

Finally outside of the party, Beaker and Hoerk sat on the facility's drawbridge and gazed out at the sunset. 'So is that really what you do with your life? Fight everything you see?' Beaker asked. Hoerk swung his head to her and then back at the sunset.

'The Atmos is a big place, everything wants everything dead. Were we Skyknights, we wouldn't fight people as much, but there's still beasts out there. The only safe place is this soil, and it's us that keep it that way' Hoerk explained.

'You fight so we don't have to, then' Beaker replied. Hoerk hummed in affirmation. The pair stared in silence a little longer before Beaker spoke again 'They all are going to find out about us at some point'

'I know' Hoerk replied.

'So what will we do when that happens?' She asked.

'I don't know' Hoerk replied, in the same tone as before. Beaker quietly, pulling her thoughts together.

'Well, if your skimmer was anything to go by, we may be able to exploit their mechanical weaknesses if we need to escape' She joked. Hoerk looked down at her with an intrigued look.

'You would consider leaving the Terra?' He calmly asked.

'I've been shown only a little bit, but with you, I think I'd be willing to see more with my own eyes' She Earnestly answered. Hoerk chuckled for a small while before throwing his arm around her and pulling her in.

'It's the adventuror's bug. It keeps must of us in the sky, and most of us fighting. If the chance comes, we'll see what happens' The pair fell silent once more as the sun fully disappeared from the mildly cloudy skies and under the horizon, slowly revealing more and more stars in the sky.

Inside the hall, everyone else still sat at the table, all of the food nearly gone. Most had finished eating, except Leugey, still scarfing down the last of the scraps. Repton sat at an angle, resting on arm solely on the table. Oppensaur, opposite him, held his hands together, touching at his fingertips. He spoke, 'Now, Repton, perhaps we should discuss payment. This project has not been as cheap endeavour. We have considered the fact that it is personal defensive equipment, so are willing to cut a deal. But first we need an offer to work with' Repton sat up straight and faced him.

'Well, that was never discussed' We nonchalantly dismissed.

'Repton, we have been building your little projects for a long time now, and our payments are seeming to shrink. You forget we work together on this Terra, and if we don't get payment, we will have to withdraw our development on your little toys' Oppensaur warned.

Repton slowly started to anger, 'Nobody works with me, only for me. And you will keep making our weapons and projects, or you won't get a smittence out of me'

Oppensaur looked at Repton with a deadpan expression for a few seconds before dropping his hands and responding. 'Well, we're at an impasse. Because we will not lift a finger until the bill is paid in full'. Hearing this, Repton stood and smashed his foot onto the top of the table in an effort to intimidate the Terradons. Most flinched and inched back. Oppensaur, however, snapped his own fingers, and behind his seat, two turrets sctivated. Both standing by, waiting to fire. 'Party is over, Repton, leave. And take your Raptors with you'

Repton growled, and all of his men stood and began to leave. 'Fine, kick us out your little labs, but you will never leave this Terra. You made sure of that yourself' Repton pulled his foot off of the table and barged in front of his Raptors as they all left.

All but Leugey left silently, Leugey musing to himself, 'This was fun, we should have more of these, boss'

Oppensaur watched his guests leave, still sat down. Leaving one last thought in their heads. 'We'll stay here Repton, waiting for payment'

Hoerk and Beaker were entering the labs again when they met the whole of Repton's party leaving. 'Where have you been then? come on!' Repton barked, steaming by and out of the facility. Watching everyone else leave, Hoerk and Beaker looked at each other again.

'What happened?' Hoerk asked.

'I don't know, but it doesn't look good. Either way, good luck out there' Beaker replied, throwing her arms around Hoerk and holding him close. He wrapped his own arms around Beaker, for an amount of time that felt long, but still much too short for the both of them.

Breaking from their embrace, Hoerk waved at Beaker as he left. 'I'll see you soon, Squeaks'

Beaker held her own hand up and quietly mumbled back as he left. 'Bye...Muscle'