LOTF: Dark Matter/Chapter 5

24 hours later

"Operation Supernova is a go. I repeat, Operation Supernova is ago."

Hans and Cade stood in a corner, drinks in their hands. Filling the building were flashing lights, loud noises, and partygoers of all shapes and sizes. Ranulph had patched them into the communications of the Exarch and given them fake IDs to get into the party, the only piece of information he had been able to get from the ship's servers before someone shut him out. It seemed this new Antimatter Squadron had its own hacker to boot, probably the same person who had saved Cade.

"You see that?" Hans asked. Cade looked up at the entrance to see a purple-skinned, one-eyed Rodian enter alongside a rather well-polished human.

"It's Praxon. Gotta be." Cade responded.

"Who's the other chump?" Though he couldn't follow a Rodian's eyes, Cade could definitely tell the man was scanning the crowd, looking for something--or someone.

"Initiating life form scan..."

"It's gotta be Morrow. A chance to take out a leader of their biggest rivals? They wouldn't miss it."

"Two targets identified."

Hans and Cade quickly looked at each other. Though neither spoke, their faces reflected the moment of panic experienced at the exact moment one realizes their likely impending demise. Cade gripped his pistol.

"Identifying: Dani Morrow and Hans Cerrano."

"What?" Cade asked, partly due to Hans' and partly at the absence of his own.

"Cade, we've got problems." Hans replied, looking away. Cade followed his eyes back to the suspicious man. He was now looking intently at Hans across the crowd.

"Where's the other?" Cade scanned across the room for signs of the Rodian, but he was nowhere to be found.

Looking back at the man, Cade saw he had a small blaster pistol drawn. "Down!" he yelled as he grabbed Hans and dropped to the ground. A blaster bolt soared over their heads as the partygoers erupted into panic. Cade grabbed his own blaster, preparing for the fight ahead.

...

Under the cover of the distracted crowd, Praxon grabbed her. Dani tried to let out a scream, but he covered her mouth as he exited through the back door. The door lead them into a dark alley, illuminated only by what the ajar door let through as it opened. Praxon made sure to leave it just slightly open so that Dani could see what was about to happen. Looking around, he tried to determine which of the buildings towering over him from afar DX-245 was located on, but couldn't identify it. He let Dani go, and she stumbled forward for a second. As she turned back around, Praxon saw a fire in her dark green eyes as she threw a punch. Praxon responded by catching her fist in his left hand, and raising his weapon in his right, aimed at her chest, with his finger off the trigger. Her eyes widened as she suddenly realized the identity of her captor. "You're his assassin," she whispered.

Aboard the Exarch, Asura tracked the movements of each member of Antimatter Squadron. Using a computer to see things from DX-245's vantage point, watched as the droid scanned the building. Inside, a firefight had broken out between Kev, Hans, and an accomplice of Hans'. Asura was almost certain it was Cade, but there was no way to prove it. Outside, Praxon was talking to Dani at gunpoint. Using DX-245's audio receptors, she listened in on the conversation.

"Not anymore." Praxon gave her his weapon. "Stop him!" Taran yelled. He activated the nerve controls, and Asura saw Praxon fall to the ground in agony. "P-please," Praxon begged Dani. As she raised the weapon, Asura quickly knew what she had to do and input several fast commands into DX-245. The droid raised his right arm, set to sniper mode, and fired. The shot zoomed through the night, striking Dani in the head just microseconds before she could pull the trigger. Her body dropped to the ground, still clutching the pistol, as her life signs faded from DX's scanners. "No!" Praxon screamed as the nerve controls finally won the struggle for his body. Then, silently, he stood up and started making his way to the extraction point.

Inside the building, Kev hid behind an overturned table. Miraculously, it seemed all the civilians had made it out alive, leaving him caught in a shootout with Hans and the other kid. He'd already requested backup only to receive static on his end of the comms. It seemed that his assailants had help. As another shot flew over his head, Kev checked the power cell on his blaster, only to find it empty. "Blast," he muttered.

"I surrender!" He yelled. He stood up, raising his hands, and the two attackers quickly subdued him. Pointing a gun at him, Hans started the interrogation. "Talk," he said.

"Ragnan--it was all Ragnan! He threatened us... He's on his ship now, it's here, I can--" He suddenly stopped. He tried to open his mouth, but he couldn't. Quickly he realized that he couldn't move his eyes, or his limbs; not even a single breath could be produced of his own will.

"What are you doing?!?" Yula asked over the comm, having penetrated whatever barrier had been made. Whoever she was talking to, Kev was in no position to respond, yet words came out of his mouth as he felt his own face make a menacing smile.

"My, my, if it isn't the Senator's boy." Hearing these words, Hans slammed Kev's head against the ground, sending waves of numb pain through him. Still, he kept talking. "He really misses you, you know. You would've made an excellent team."

Hans put his blaster to Kev's head, right between the eyes.

"I'll do it," he said, suddenly eerily calm.

"Does little baby Hans miss his moth-"

The last thing Kev saw was Hans' finger tightening on the trigger.