Captain Connor monitored his console with Hans and Jim watching from behind.

  “Come on, Come on,” he said under his breath.

  He could see the J Rocket had lifted and they could finally see it approaching them. Based on their distance and estimates provided by both the J Rocket team and Houston, they should connect in about an hour. Everything in the ISS was safely secured and the exit door was ready to open. They had the life support working so their helmets were off for now. Once they were docked they should be able to exit and get into the cramped J Rocket cabin within five minutes. Theoretically they would have plenty of time but Connor had an uneasy feeling in his gut. It was very like the premonitions he had while flying combat missions and this time he had no guns or speed.

  “And there it is!” shouted Connor pointing out the screen in the opposite direction of where the J Rocket was approaching. Coming their way from the direction of the moon was an alien ship. It didn’t look armed but that didn’t encourage him. He had seen what those hunters had done during their hunts on Earth.

  It approached closer until the ship was only about one hundred meters away. Connor, Hans and Jim could clearly see the rat like aliens standing behind their controls looking directly at them. One of the aliens raised its hand and waved.

  “I think it’s waving?” said Hans.

  “Like the ones we saw last year,” said Connor as he stood and waved back, waiting for an explosion of gun fire which did not come.

  ****

  “Sir, there they are,” said Clinton.

  “Approach closer,” commanded Harrick, “a little closer. Yes, that should do it.”

  Harrick, Hendon and Clinton stood up and watched the Dirtlings in their primitive space station as the Dirtlings stood and stared back.

  “What do we do now?” asked Clinton quietly out of the side of his mouth.

  Harrick shrugged while Hendon just stood still and watched.

  Clinton remembered the unofficial report and smiled. He raised his hand and waved.

  One of the Dirtlings hesitatingly waved back.

  “Sir,” said Clinton, “I think that’s the same Dirtling who waved at the IES crew.”

  Harrick looked closer, “I think you are correct, Clinton. Good work.”

  “Now what, Sir?” asked Clinton who thought just waving was getting a bit stale.

  “Sir!” said Hendon urgently, “Hortense is here.”

  Clinton looked out his window and saw a large, ugly Federation cruiser approach them. Unlike the IES Scout Ship or the HTI shuttle, the Federation cruiser looked like it meant business. Dangerous business. Obvious guns with menacing intent were mounted on either side of the ship with numerous holes surrounded by blast marks obviously containing more.

  “Move to intercept,” commanded Harrick as Hendon sat down and manoeuvred the HTI shuttle between the cruiser and the Dirtling space station.

  “Clinton, kindly turn on the energy shields,” Harrick instructed.

  Clinton did so and said, “They won’t last long if Hortense actually fires at us.”

  “I know. But we just want to buy us some time.” Harrick answered, pointing at the console screen which showed another dirtling ship approaching.

  “They have more space ships?” asked Clinton, “Aren’t they NC?”

  “Is this a party?” muttered Hendon.

  ****

  Hortense approached the primitive Dirtling ship and prepared to fire. He ignored the HTI shuttle that was to one side as that wasn’t his concern.

  The shuttle then moved between him and his target.

  Hortense directed his crew to move around the shuttle, but the shuttle kept manoeuvring between him and his target. He stared as if his will alone could make the shuttle get out of the way. He had a job to do and he would do it.

  He tapped his communications officer on the head.

  The communications officer knew what to do without words and a screen opened showing Harrick sitting comfortably in his command chair on the HTI shuttle.

  “Hortense!” Harrick said amicably, “Fancy meeting you here. Didn’t know you were coming or we could have arranged dinner.”

  Hortense grunted in dismissal at the obvious lie and commanded Harrick, “Move!”

  “Sorry,” said Harrick, “Afraid I can’t. Not yet.”

  Hortense pointed at the navigation officer and gestured him to move the cruiser to a better firing position. Destroying the shuttle would mean complications. Hortense did not like complications.

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  The shuttle matched the cruiser movements and remained in between.

  Harrick remained on the screen, waiting patently.

  “Move!” commanded Hortense.

  “Nope. Sorry. Still can’t,” said Harrick.

  Clinton, meanwhile, closely monitored the new Dirtling ship as it approached and then docked with the space station. Now he understood why Harrick had requested the shields to be raised. Federation Energy Shields were designed to reflect any energy or projectile weapons. As part of the process, they also provided interference for any detection equipment directed past or around them. While the shuttle remained between Hortense and the Dirtling space station, Hortense couldn’t see the space station. And if his focus was on them, they would probably miss the Dirtling space ship too.

  “Now come on, Hortense,” said Harrick, continuing his efforts to distract the cruiser, “Why are you here? This is just an NC planet. Not at all important for someone as experienced as you. Aren’t you normally sent to all the big dangerous events?”

  Hortense listened and repeated, “Move!”

  He then thought a little and added, “Or else.”

  Hendon looked up in concern but Harrick continued, “Or else? Now, now, now. Hortense. We are fellow members of the experienced Federation military. There shouldn’t be any ‘Or else’s’ between us.”

  Clinton watched as the dirtlings from the space station hurried out of the quickly opened hatch and tumbled in to the space ship’s cabin. There was not much room in there, but even before they could be properly secured, the rescuing ship started to move away. The dirtling that had waved at him looked back at the shuttle from between his legs. He had landed upside down in the cabin and hadn’t righted himself yet. Clinton waved and he could see a faint smile of the dirtling through the helmet. The dirtling stretched out his hand and held a thumb up. After Harrick had shown him the original report of Dirt’s discovery, Clinton had been watching many of the recorded communications. He knew from one of the shows Harrick’s men had watched that an upraised thumb meant appreciation or encouragement. Clinton stretched out his hand and poked his thumb up in reply.

  “Clinton?” whispered Harrick out of the side of his mouth as he smiled and bantered with Hortense.

  “Sorry sir,” Clinton said, “They’re rescued and the Dirtling ship is moving away.”

  “MOVE!” yelled Hortense as he tapped his weapons officer on the head. The guns on the cruiser started generating energy.

  “Ah. Is that the time?” said Harrick looking at his communicator in feigned surprise. He tapped Hendon to get them out of there, “It’s always a pleasure to chat. We must meet up again.”

  The shuttle quickly moved out of the way and once the cruiser had full view of the space station, it fired its energy weapons. The space station exploded in a ball of fury and fire as the energy bolts ripped straight through both sides and the hull burst outwards. A second burst pulverised what was left of the destroyed space station. In a short space of time the International Space Station joined the other space debris orbiting Earth. Over time some of it would burn up in the atmosphere.

  ****

  “Can’t wait! I’m coming in!” yelled Connor as had leapt in to the cabin while Hans and Jim were quickly strapping in to their seats. “Ninety seconds. It was amazing how adrenaline can make you fly,” he thought. Before Connor could orient himself properly, Doug closed the door and started moving away from the doomed space station, their home for the last few years.

  Looking between his legs Connor saw one of the aliens watching him. That alien shuttle had intercepted themselves in between them and the large alien ship that was obviously designed to kill and destroy. Why? Connor had no idea, but was thankful for their efforts. He couldn’t wave and even if he could that would look stupid waving upside down between his outstretched legs. So he stretched out his free arm and gave the alien a thumbs up in thanks. To his surprise, the alien gave a thumbs up back. Maybe the aliens weren’t all bad, Connor thought. At least some of them.

  Then the ship was jostled sideways as the ISS exploded into thousands of pieces big and small. Connor was jostled by the movement and was splayed across his fellow passengers, while Doug struggled hard with the controls. The explosion gave them a bit of a boost and Connor watched out the window as the two alien ships stayed in the vicinity, looking like they were in a stand off.

  Connor watched closely, hoping the shuttle would be OK.

  The military ship then turned and sped away, back past the orbit of the moon and into the distance. The shuttle remained as Doug regained control of the J Rocket and quickly moved away.

  “Get your leg out of my face,” said Jim, helpfully joining Hans in manoeuvring Connor properly into his seat.

  “Thanks guys,” said Connor and turned to Doug, “Great flying man. Let’s go home.”

  ****

  Harrick watched Hortense survey the remains of the destroyed dirtling space station. The shield saved them from any damage caused by the cruisers energy bolts which was very fortunate. The cruiser then turned and left without a farewell or recognition of the shuttle.

  Clinton sighed, “Phew. That was close.”

  “Still glad you rejoined us?” asked Harrick.

  Clinton grinned, “Yes. I think I am. I have made contact with that dirtling. Well, some basic contact, but I am pretty sure he thanked us for what we did.”

  “Good. Now, let’s see if we can rescue those hunters,” Harrick said and directed Hendon into position.

  They used the shuttle scanners and located where the hunt had ended, in the grounds of some larger building complex. “I gather you didn’t get a chance to see anything of the area when the hunting party were returned?”

  “No,” said Hendon, “The crazed beasts caused chaos and by the time we tried, all the systems were wrecked and we had already moved too far away. We have some preliminary footage from the earlier call, but that matches what we see now.”

  Clinton asked, “How can we find the hunters? They don’t have their communicators, and probably not any equipment. And they won’t be where we last saw them, especially considering the messages the Dirtlings sent us with the beasts.”

  Harrick sat back and sighed.

  “I don’t want to leave them behind.”

  “Neither do I, Sir,” said Hendon, “The missing two looked like two good lads. They listened to the instructions and weren’t stupid or headstrong.”

  “What do they look like?” asked Clinton curiously.

  Hendon brought up the photos from his communicator and shared them with Harrick and Clinton.

  Clinton and Harrick looked at the pictures and then looked up and at each other. “Sir, aren’t they …?”

  Harrick agreed and recollected the original report he had recently viewed again, “Yes, they are Heron and Byron, two of the discoverers of Dirt. Why are they here?”

  Hendon said, “No. That’s Hyron and Beron. That race has such similar names. Easy to be confused.”

  “Very clever pseudonyms,” said Harrick.

  “We have to get them back, Sir,” said Clinton.

  “But how will we find them?” asked Harrick.

  Harrick’s communicator dinged with a new message.

  Surprised, Harrick looked at the message and grunted in appreciation. “Well, well, well,” he said, “I think I have found a way.”

  “Hendon, put the shuttle on auto, Ensure it remains above our position. Clinton, gather the troopers. We’re going down to Dirt.”

  Clinton looked at Harrick with a questioning look.

  Harrick grinned, “We have some local intelligence. He will be waiting for us. Let’s go!”