Chapter 3: Tails

"Zaius... Veer?" The security officer questioned with a tinge of annoyance and a raised eyebrow.

Zaius nodded silently.

Ten seconds.

Five seconds.

"Look, I'm telling you that I don't see anything remotely like that on this docket," The officer said. He swiped and slid his fingers across the holo-tab as if to make a point.

"Try checking just one more time. Please," Zaius begged, both hands clasped and asking for mercy.

The officer sneered and swiped across his tab once more. Zaius' name flickered slightly on the bottom of his screen. He opened up Zaius' security profile, double-checked its authenticity then returned his attention to the young man waiting patiently in front of him.

"Guess these all-nighters are really doing a number on me," He grumbled. He shook his thumb at Zaius and then pointed back. "You're in and you're out. No stopping, no questions. Got it?"

Zaius nodded energetically, trying hard to keep his polite smile from turning into a smarmy smirk. He was almost done. He just had to pop in, grab the package and pop out.

Zaius strode into the loading bay with artificial confidence and made his way past a handful of workers loading up food supplies into a nearby ship. The Stock Docks within Tovarro Station had always been one of his favorite places to visit.

Tovarro itself served as a bustling metropolitan megastructure moving constantly at near light speed. Home to eight billion individuals from more than thirty species, there was a constant need for more- more food, more supplies, more contraband. Cranes and grav-lifts hummed and whirred across the warehouses in a never-ending mechanical medley. Of all the levels and places in Tovarro, though, the Stock Docks always seemed the calmest.

Pops and clangs echoed from the side of the bay, catching Zaius' attention. He stopped for a moment and leaned on the safety rails as workers scrambled on the floor below. The floor manager, clad in an orange jumpsuit, barked orders to turn on the shield guard and set up for docking. The bay doors clanked open to reveal the star sea on the other side, vibrant colors mixing in nebulas far away. A goofy grin filled Zaius' face. Very few got views as beautiful as that.

A flash of blue light erupted outside the shield guard and burned away into the shape of a Rigit, specialized ships designed for docking with Tovarro. The copper-colored craft edged closer to the shield guard, engines blazing a purple trail behind it. A thin polearm emerged from the side and extended through the guard where it was immediately locked down by the scrambling workers.

Zaius could feel the intensity of the situation building below. One mistake, one small error in trajectory and the Rigit would smash into Tovarro's side before exploding into a cloud of metal shards. It inched through, metal scraping and sparking slightly along the bottom. As the Rigit came to a rest, a collective sigh mixed with the sound of hydraulic hiss.

Zaius's eyes wandered across the Rigit, worn down by space and time, and came to a stop on the maroon UIFH logo emblazoned on the transom. He blinked with realization. The ship was carrying the package he had been sent to retrieve. As the workers unloaded the Rigit's cargo, Zaius formulated a plan in his mind.

'Nice and easy,' He thought. 'Not a problem in sight.'

A meaty hand grasped his shoulder and dug in deep. Zaius closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"I thought I said in and out, no stopping," the security officer growled.

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Tovarro Station was always moving forward, but the day-to-day in the Underside never changed. Sky Pannah stared at her caked-up reflection in the greasy mirror and asked herself when, or if, the change would ever come. As the pulsing beats of the nightclub reverberated in the walls around her, she stared at the color of her skin, as blue as her namesake.

Thin lines of circuitry and small metallic squares etched themselves into her body and flowed into her long silver hair. She thought about the nature of imperfection and her species' own desire to constantly enhance themselves. Uvari were knowledgeable but often selfish people.

The music subsided to a dull roar and Sky snapped back to her reality. She saw the reflection of a gaunt lime shadow pressed against the doorway.

"Thinking about your place in the world again, kiddo?" Gen asked quietly.

Sky nodded slightly, then continued her routine. A cloud of glittering dust enveloped her face. Her voice was soft but warm. "My turn already?"

Gen lifted off the frame and walked towards her, hands in his pockets. He shrugged his shoulders. "As always, you don't have to go out if you don't want to."

Sky shook her head. Performing was the only time she really felt free at this point in her life. Gen knew that, but he also wanted to protect her. She stared at his reflection - his slicked white hair, the black glasses that framed his face and his deep honey-colored eyes. She gave him a small smile, then turned to face the real version.

"I promise I'll be fine," She said with a simple nod. "But you have to promise to let me fly."

Gen blinked and shrugged his shoulders again. He let out a titter and stroked his pointed beard.

"I just want to make sure you'll be alright," He responded after a moment. "You and Zaius are all I have."

Sky stood and dusted the makeup flakes off her flowing white dress. She moved over and gave Gen a quick hug, calm and comfort hidden in the embrace. He let out a small sigh as she detached, pirouetting around him and extending her hands in a slight bow.

"On with the show," Sky said with an ecstatic grin.

Gen grabbed her hand as she passed by.

"Fly carefully, Kid."

Sky knew Gen's anxiety probably had him thinking the worst. He put his hands back in his pockets. She ruffled her dress and made her way through the blinding white light of the doorway as cheers and whistles erupted from the other side.

_________________________________________________________________________

Zaius fell through a pile of crates with a resounding crash. The workers around him scattered, unaware of what exactly was going on. The security officer hopped over the railing to the dock level below and made his way over. Zaius scrambled backwards but a sharp pain erupted between his shoulder blades.

"Thought scum like you always landed on your feet," the officer taunted as he encroached. He grabbed Zaius by the sides of his hooded jacket and lifted him with ease, his stale breath hot on Zaius' face. "Act like vermin, die like vermin."

"Yeah, no thanks," Zaius responded, rocking forward to throw the hood up over his head as he pressed a button in the palm of his glove.

Electricity sparked across the jacket's surface, shocking the officer into dropping him onto his back. Both let out respective yelps of pain before Zaius rolled to the side and hit another button. His clothes shimmered then enveloped him within a reflective field.

The officer fumed and threw more crates around, desperate to find the invisible rogue. The latter circled slowly, careful to not disturb any of the crate debris around him. The pain spasmed again as Zaius felt a metal shard dig deeper into his back and he bit his lip to avoid making noise. Small drips caught the guard's attention as a bit of blood pooled at Zaius' feet.

"Found you!" The officer said, punching the air in front of him wildly.

Zaius dodged but the action caused his field to break, exposing him. Thinking quickly, he kicked a small crate into the now-rushing officer, toppling him.

Zaius jumped up a nearby stack of crates back to the main level, pain radiating deeply with every move. The guard shouted obscenities at him from below but couldn't catch up.

Zaius took a moment to survey the area and reformulate his plan. He needed to get that cargo and there was no coming back without it. He reached down the back of his jacket, grabbing the edge of the metal shard and yanking it out as hard as he could. He let out a grunt of pain through clenched teeth then threw the shard on the ground. One problem down, two more to handle.

Zaius took a sharp breath then launched over the edge of the railing and right back onto the officer below. He managed to catch the officer off-guard, charging his fist with green energy and delivering a devastating punch to the jaw. The officer crumpled to the ground and Zaius followed suit, bouncing hard against the metal floor. Only one problem left.

Not giving the pain a chance to catch up to his body, Zaius used his momentum to slide under the targeted Rigit. The nearby workers, realizing Zaius' intentions, began to run towards it while the floor manager set off the security alarm.

Zaius cursed under his breath as sirens filled the air and white lights flashed across the bays. He found the panel scrapped up by the Rigit's docking and ripped it off before climbing inside. Two spheres of green energy served as his flashlight while he rummaged through the bay.

The shine of a silver case tucked tightly in the corner caught his attention. Zaius pushed past the clutter and grabbed it.

"Looks like it's the right one. Now how do I get out?" He muttered, analyzing his options. He processed for a moment then shook his head.

"They're not going to be happy about this," Zaius said, cracking upon the case. "I really don't have a choice, though."

He reached inside and pulled out the very thing he had been sent to grab: a pair of elbow-length Kanutic generators. He ran the tangled mesh of wires and hexagonal stabilizers along his right arm, clicking and wrapping everything into place before doing the same to his left. Zauis slipped his jacket sleeves over as they clicked and whirred to life. Outside the Rigit, a mob of workers and additional security gathered.

"Don't let him out," the floor manager ordered from the center. "He can't be allowed to leave with the cargo!"

The back of the Rigit exploded in a cacophony of screeching metal, sonic vibrations and crackling jade flames. Zaius leapt into the disoriented mob, punching one security officer in the jaw and another in the stomach. Bright blades of energy sparked from every move as he navigated through the violent crowd. He hopped over the floor manager and under another worker, hoping to break free from the sea of people.

As Zaius neared the edge, hands started to grab him from every direction. He pulled back, redirected his energy into his right arm and smashed the floor. A shockwave erupted outward, throwing everyone but Zaius across the floor.

He ran forward into the nearest corridor and navigated his way back to the main floor. As he turned the corner, laser fire spattered the area. Automated turrets clung tightly to the main entryway, ready to take out anyone that crossed their path.

Zaius took a breath and hoped for the best as he dashed toward the doorway. He threw his arms up, using the generators to create a stasis field. The force of increasing turret fire slowed him down, but the field held strong as he crossed under.

Finally on the outside of the bay, Zaius let his breath out. All he had to do now was rendezvous with his buyers. The hard part had just begun.

_________________________________________________________________________

Sky twirled and dipped as the syncopated rhythms of the club music permeated her body. Flashing lights swallowed her into a never-ending vacuum of prismatic emotions. She had to let go of it all. She didn't have a choice.

Sky didn't dance for the seedy denizens of the Underside, nor did she dance for Gen. She danced because it was her only escape from the madness that was her life. The chaotic nights followed by sleepless days. The constant grabbing and hollering and catcalls.

When the words she sang left her lips, they were nothing but truths cloaked in melody. The sparks of her soul formed more than just her Kanushin. No one really understood that, and the only person that did was always gone.

Her thoughts drifted to Zaius. It had been a while since she had last seen him, and he always had a knack for getting into troubling situations. Something tugged at the edge of her mind, pulling her back into the flashing lights that crafted her reality. As Sky spun out of her routine, she locked eyes with the guarded figure skulking in the club's back.

The electric blue ponytail clashed with the bright candy red of the Ixr's skin, her face covered in sharp black tattoos that melted into the shadows around her like a spider's web. A fitting image for the self-coined Queen of the Underside: Areshia Divaris.

_________________________________________________________________________

Zaius huffed as he scaled the steep pile of rock and dirt that rested on the outskirts of the Stock Docks. A dumping ground for all the unwanted junk from shipping goods, the outskirts were a great place to hide any illicit activities.

'Hopefully I'm not left to the piles myself,' Zaius thought, anxiety settling in.

While he had accomplished Areshia's job, he wasn't sure how well she would react to his methods. Before he was able to chat with Areshia, though, he had to deal with -

"Exowaste, you made it."

The shrill voice grated on Zaius' psyche. He turned and forced a smile at the two approaching creatures.

"Jix was looking forward to your failure," the voice continued.

The twin Terrics closed the gap, their silver compound eyes pulsating rings of light. The insectoid nature of the Terric species always threw Zaius off a bit. While females had a small beak and beautiful swirling patterns in their fur, the males were always matted and their near-featureless face made it hard to discern their emotions. This, mixed with the fact that Terrics talked through sounds replicated by their antennae, always gave him a sense of unease. The twins picked up on this easily, encroaching even further into Zaius' space.

"Where is the device?" Jax asked, always the talker.

Zaius stepped back and pulled the sleeve of his jacket up, showing off the edge of the kanutic gauntlet. Jax inspected it for a moment, then twitched his head violently.

"Bad idea, exowaste," Jax said, waving his spindly arms at Zaius. "Areshia will not be happy. No, not happy at all. Gauntlets are bio-locked. Did you not think that through?"

"I didn't have a choice," Zaius retorted. "It was on my arms or not at all."

What sounded like a deep laugh radiated from Jix. Jax was the conversationalist, the brains behind everything the twins did, but Jix was the one that did all the heavy lifting. Twice the size of a normal Terric, Jix relished the moments when he got to step in.

"Yes, yes," Jax said, picking up on his brother's thoughts. "We may need your arms, but no need for the whole Zaius."