Page 87 of Dark's Savior

"Your team must go to level three immediately," was the krull's answer. "We are here to take you. Are you ready to comply?"

Aly didn't answer at first but didn't see how she had much of a choice. Cautiously, she stepped out of her unit and allowed the enforcers to circle her. She followed them over to Mark's unit, where the krull knocked on his door.

A moment later, Mark opened it, his eyes first meeting the krull's then slipping down to Aly. "What's going on?"

"You are ordered to follow us to level three. Gather your things and meet us in the hall," said the krull.

Mark hesitated. He looked back at Aly, who only shook her head. "Okay," he said. "One moment." He closed the door then, only a couple seconds later, stepped out into the hall with them.

The enforcers led them quickly down the hall and out of the hub to a waiting elevator, which they all entered.

"What's this about?" Mark whispered.

Aly glanced over and shook her head again. "No idea. They just said the team is going to level three." Her heart was racing now. She tried to prepare herself for what she feared might be another interrogation. Maybe they had caught on that something wasn't right. Maybe they had seen her leaving for the bottom or returning. Maybe they knew her techband was faulty. She was surprised at how calm she seemed on the outside, considering how afraid she was now. Her eyes shifted over each enforcer. She needed to get a message through to Ryziel but not with them watching so intently.

They got off the elevator onto the third floor and headed into a larger and taller building cut deep into the rock that rose up to the second and first floor, all the way to the top. Aly realized neither she nor Mark had ever been this close to the surface, at least not since they had arrived on Lethe. They made their way through the wide corridors and across one bridge, over a stock room, until they came to a pair of doors that opened as they approached. Beyond was a huge circular area with a wide-open ceiling that could be seen all the way to the top, surrounded by white and blue lights. Ahead stood what she estimated to be more than half of all the enforcers stationed on Lethe Maws (which wasn't many) and near to them was the rest of her crew.

"You two all right?" Julian asked as the enforcers brought her and Mark in with the group.

"I think so?" said Mark, uncertain.

"What's going on?" Aly asked.

Kate, who kept close to Julian, shook her head. "Not sure, they wouldn't say."

Braxin came out of the fold of men and women to stand before them. His yellow gaze studied them briefly, his mouth set in its usual hard frown. "The Xolis Council has decided," he said sharply. "Lethe Maws will no longer be your home."

They all stood in shocked silence, Aly worst of all.

"So, where are we going, then?" Ethan asked first.

Braxin did not speak. Instead, he bowed his head and left them without a word. As he stepped away, a wind shot down from above, like a sudden whirlwind. A ship covered over the open roof then dropped downward until it landed soundly in the center before them. The doors opened and three nillium stepped from the ship. Two they didn't recognize, while the third they knew almost immediately.

"Fuck," someone muttered. Aly stood rigid, her body gone cold.

Marzin walked across, with the two others at his sides, his black uniform billowing in the wind. As they stopped before the team, he looked them over without so much as a 'hello.'

"The bands," he said.

Right away, before anyone could argue or even struggle, the two nillium unsheathed a pair of red blades and cut the techbands from each of their wrists. They tossed them over to the other enforcers, who quickly dismantled them.

"Where are you taking us?" Julian asked.

Marzin nodded his head, and the nillium duo went around and began shoving them down to their knees. All the men anyway. Not the women. Marzin looked from Kate, to Cilia to Jamie and then to Aly. "You are to come with us back to Nihl," he said plainly. "Where it will then become your permanent home."

Aly thought she might be sick. "No," she said aloud before she could even stifle the words. Marzin stared at her, but Aly couldn't stop. "No, No!"

She thought she might scream. This couldn't be happening. The other women began to grow restless around her.

"What do you mean?" Kate said, stepping away from one of the enforcers, who tried to reach for her. "What do you mean our permanent home? We are supposed to return to Earth."

"No," Marzin said. "The Council has decided. You will remain in Xolis." After a nod of his head, the enforcers took hold of them. Julian and Davis started to stand but were promptly pushed back down. Jamie cried out, and Cilia wrenched her arm but couldn't break free. They shouted and cursed, trying to pull away.

"What are you doing? Why are you taking them and not us?" Julian said, struggling in one enforcer's grip.

"Take them to the ship," Marzin commanded. The nillium did as ordered, dragging them away. Aly dropped to her knees, and Jamie, beside her, screamed. The other enforcers came around and helped carry them. Aly heard the men shouting. Julian rose again but was shoved back down.

"Answer me! Why are you taking them?" Julian shouted.

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