The Nemesis

One week later,

The Excalibur left the Earth for Eqxtron. With the engine of Excalibur, it will take 48-52 hours at the speed of light. There were 12 people on board. The commander of this crew is Araceli Decker. Jasper Cowell is the astronaut who is making it fly.

After that duration, they landed on the Eqxtron. It is in a different solar system. There are eleven more planets with it. They all revolve around the Redstar sun. It's the 9th from the sun and the 3rd enormous planet in that solar system. Climate is strangely cold. And the whole land is a complete desert.

Here a single day lasts up to 30 hours, and a year lasts 443 days. This planet has no sign of water bodies. It is 3.5 times larger than Earth, and its gravity is about 1.88 times. Only one moon orbits the plant.

Life is impossible here. But that's not the reason Arachnid send Pollux here. To be safe, they landed Excalibur a little far away from the position of Pollux.

Araceli orders that they all will divide into three groups. One group will stay at Excalibur, another one will approach the Pollux, and the last one will provide immediate backup if suddenly something comes up. Everybody was split into the group immediately and started to carry out the order.

As per the plan, the first squad reached the destination. The scene was not good. It looks like Pollux was crash. But it was in good condition when landed by the information provided by EMCR. Soon after, on that wreck, they found the machinery and computer. As expected, the power supply of Pollux is down to 0%. The whole setup of solar is gone, too, with the emergency supply. Who knows what would've happened there.

They found the dead body with a tag of P4. The body was beheaded. Expect him everybody else is missing. Rapidly they gave a power supply to the computer for retrieving the data.

Moments later, they successfully got everything they need. They got backups and two heavy boxes. An unexpected event happens, the second squad went missing. On the way to Excalibur, they are under attack by unknown beings. Immediately on the call of Cody, they headed to take cover. They saw the creature.

Cody faced off against one of them. He analyzed some details.

These creatures are a type of Reptile. They have two arms and six legs, with a short, muscular tail. They have four eyes that sit gracefully in their sockets and can often make them appear to be evil. Their eyesight is adequately good.

Their big mouth and tiny noses often make these creatures appears angry, but looks can be deceiving. Ears are well hidden, and their hearing is impressive. Also, they have small horns across their backs.

Their skin is elastic and muscular. It is cover in small, coarse scales. The scales' colors are primarily dark brown, black and dark silver. In a moment, they found themselves among dozens of them. Although they have weapons, still their numbers are too much to take them down. Behind the covers, they all are desperately fighting. Giving cover fire to each other, they somehow keep the danger away. Araceli is simultaneously giving gestures to fall back. The situation is getting more and more difficult. During the fight, one of the creatures brutally consumes one guy. It makes all of them shaking in fear. In all of that, they lost one of the retrieved boxes.

In the nick of time, the help arrived. The patrol units of the Space corps came to their aid. Their weapons were far more advanced and effective against them. Even though they temporarily got away from them, some creatures were still in pursuit. Patrol units informed them that some people went to aid the missing squad.

In the meantime, the second squad is safe. The guy named Edwin Miller saved them. Among the crew members, Tracie recognized him. Edwin Miller is a human from Earth, a former astronaut of the Arachnid. Tracie used to be his teammate. And even now, a good friend. With Jasper, they both went on a space mission once.

Patrol units helped everyone to get them on their feet. Edwin gives a hand to Tracie. Tracie thanked him for reaching to them right before they get killed. Edwin's captain confirmed the situation of all units and ordered all of them to head towards Excalibur. Tracie never imagined that he would show up here. Edwin left Arachnid two years ago. It is like a joyful reunion. She told him that Jasper is there too.

On the way, Tracie asks Edwin about the Space Corps. In response to that, Edwin told her that he joined the Patrol unit to explore the Universe. Again he informs her that Space Corps' main branch is beyond imagination. That place is like nothing they have ever seen. Currently, he is on the fleet Battlecruiser Pyrrhus. That fleet is half light-years away from Eqxtron. He admits that the fleet received signals for help. In response to that signals, we, the patrol units, arrived here.

He also requested not to tell anyone in the Arachnid. For a moment, Tracie thought about something. Then she agreed but, in return, she asked to tell everything after the reason become known. Edwin, too, approved.

Suddenly, when they all were heading towards Excalibur, the different species tried to pursue them. For getting rid of it, Patrol units speed up, but there was no use.

These creatures were able to fly at rapid speed. And on top of that, they are swarming in great numbers. Edwin immediately contacted his captain. In a few seconds, he got a reply to use himself as a decoy. Their captain told him to save both his friends and the people of the Patrol unit. The Araceli's squad already reached towards Excalibur. And Excalibur did a quick launch because of the circumstances. Their mission is complete, so is ours. You know what to do now.

When Edwin told him, everyone nearby him, only Tracie disagreed.

Edwin convinced Tracie that it doesn't matter orders are orders. My captain trusted me with this, and I'm capable of stalling them for long enough to make you all off to this planet. Edwin told Tracie that he would be seeing her off on the way to the Earth.. He took his Blaster and jumped.