"Oh my God.", it was the only thing Maggie could
 say.  The destruction before her was beyond words.
 
	Most of the Exofleet compound was in flames, and
 the rest of it had collapsed on top of itself. 
 Besides the damage to the buildings, there were people
 laying scattered about on the ground as well as others
 who were trying to help the injured.  Maggie jumped
 from her frame, grabbing the first-aid kit, and ran to
 the nearest person.  She recognized him immediately,
 "Hollis!?  What happened?" 

	 He was awake, but he wasn't able to move.  "The
 Neosapiens...they escaped.", he said with great
 difficulty.  Maggie knelt next to him, "Are you hurt?"
 
	"My exoskeleton's damaged, but I'm fine.  Take care
 of the others first.", he said. 

	"How did this happen?  How did the Neos escape?" 

	"Livia tricked the guard into opening her cell.  She
 killed four of them before anyone else know what had
 happened.  She let some of Phaeton's
 more...loyal...followers go.  They attacked the
 compound only a half hour later; no one was prepared.
  It happened so quickly, we didn't stand a chance." 

	"How many were killed?", Maggie asked. 

	"Including the four guards...ten at last count.",
 Hollis replied dismally. 

	"It's amazing all of these people got out.", she
 muttered, looking around. 

	"Most of them owe their lives to the jump troops.",
 he stated.  "They hauled a lot of them out." 

	Maggie's head snapped back toward him, "Where's Lt.
 Colleen O'Reilly?  I need to talk to her." 

	Hollis glanced away from her, about the only action
 he was capable of with his exoskeleton out of
 commission.  "Hollis...where is she?", Maggie insisted. 

	"She was with the last group of jump troops that
 went in, to try and contact you.", he looked back at
 her, "They never came back out." 

	Maggie's jaw dropped, "Where did they go to make
 the transmission?" 

	The main comm. room.", even as he said it Maggie
 looked up to where the room was located...or had been. 
 The entire top portion of the building in that wing
 was caved in. 

	Maggie gasped, glancing around to find Alec.  He
 was bandaging a  young girl who was crying in her
 mother's arms.  "Alec!", she called when he'd finished.  He
 twisted to face her; she motioned him to join her. 

	The somber look on his friend's face worried Alec,
 "What is it?" 

	"There were people in the comm. room when it
 collapsed...five jump troops.", Alec turned his gaze
 toward the direction of the crumbled section of
 building. 

	"There's no way they could have survived that.", he
 said sadly. 

	"We've got to make sure.", she persisted. 

	"Maggie, the people here...", he began. 

	"We can't just leave them to suffer, or die.", he
 still looked skeptical.   "Colleen was with them.",
 Maggie said softly.  

	Alec closed his eyes and pursed his lips, "All
 right, we'll check it out.  

         But don't get your hopes up, the chances they
 survived are slim." 

	"I know.", Maggie said simply. 

	Get your frame and I'll meet you there in a
 minute.", Maggie nodded as he left. 

	She grabbed Hollis' hand and lifted his arm up. 
 Pulling a pair of pliers from her belt, she bent back
 a piece of metal on his skeleton and clipped two
 wires.  She twisted them together opposite of what they 
 had been and bent the piece back down, "Try it." 

	Hollis bent his arm, "It works.", he sounded
 astonished as he stood up, "Thanks." 

	"You'll have to get it fixed as soon as you can,
 but it'll suffice for now.", she thrust her first-aid
 kit into his hands, "Help the people here.  We'll be
 back as soon as we find the jump troops.", she was in
 her frame before he could argue. 
               

         _______________________________________________________ _________ 
                
	"J.T.?. Rita inquired, sounding slightly annoyed. 

	"Yeah?", he replied. 

	She sighed before repeating her earlier statement,
 "Our fusion packs are about dead.  We aren't gonna
 make it much further without charging 'em up." 

	J.T. looked at the red light on the panel in front
 of him, "Okay.  As soon as we find a place to land, we
 will." 

	"How about right here?", Kaz inquired. 

	"No way we can land with all these trees.", Bronski
 said. 

	"Tell that to my fighter.  The packs too low to fly
 on.  Either I land or, in about a minute, I crash.",
 Kaz sat his fighter down next to the river that ran
 through the thick masses of trees.

      
	I guess we don't have much of a choice.", J.T.
 said, "Set 'em down wherever you can." 

	Kaz was out of his fighter before anyone else had
 landed.  "Don't wander off.", J.T. ordered.  "The
 jungle's an easy place to get...", he was cut off by 
a yell from nearby. 

	"Kaz!", Bronski and Jade both cried.  Jade jumped
 from her 

e-frame, followed by Wolf.  "Kaz?  Are you okay?", she
 called. 

	"Yeah, just a little embarrassed.", Jade looked
 around.  It was getting dark, and the trees blocked
 out what little light there was.  "I can't see a
 thing.  Where are you?" 

	"Up here." 

	Jade looked up and almost died laughing.  Kaz was
 hanging about ten feet off the ground, suspended by a
 rope around his ankle that was tied to a tree branch. 

	"What's so funny?", Wolf asked as he came to a halt
 next to Jade.  She pointed at Kaz, still catching her
 breath after her fit of laughter.  

         Bronski chuckled, "Good goin', kid." 

	"Ha ha...now could someone get me down before my
 head 

explodes?", Kaz complained. 

	"I dunno...that might be kinda neat to watch.", Kaz
 glared at Jade, "Okay, hang on."

	"Like I have a choice.", Kaz replied sharply.  

	Jade grabbed a branch and hauled herself up to his
 level, "Don't get cute, or I'll leave you like this.",
 she took a knife from her boot and cut through the
 rope. 

	"Ow!", Kaz sat up and rubbed his head, "Did you
 have to do that?" 

	Jade dropped to the ground next to him, "You asked
 for help, I helped.", she grinned at him and ignored
 the scowl she got in return. 

	"Are you okay?", J.T. asked Kaz as the rest of the
 squad joined them. 

	"Yeah.  But someone has this place booby-trapped." 

	"Well, keep an eye out, we don't want any more
 surprises." 

	Everyone went off to get their stuff from their
 frames except for J.T. and Marsala.  Marsala knelt on
 the ground , examining the rope.  "What's wrong?",
 Marsh asked. 

	He held it out for J.T. to see, "It's a tow rope.",
 he stated. 

	"So?" 

	"From an e-frame.", Marsala finished.         
                                              
	
         

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