Queen Estella had caught up to her loved ones and the platoons they were accompanying. She was anonymous, just another space Marine on a mission, only a few feet behind Carbon and Claws Morris as they stormed the entrance of their enemy's lair . Estella already had a battle knife in one paw and a blaster in the other. From what was relayed from the command ship, it was going to be be mostly hand to hand combat for much of the mission to avoid damage to the stolen life repository of Sarnalla's people. Flexing her claws as she ran, she pushed the blaster into her utility belt and pulled out a second knife. She was in her younger days an expert on fighting with knifes and her bare claws. Top ranking in the Gegmewell Military Academy. Touman and Claws took out the two Reptilians that were inside the tunnel entrance that survived the blast . I can't guarantee they didn't get off a warning, Touman told Claws and Carbon as they ran. The tunnel sloped sharply downward, towards the center of Mt Toubkal. So far no openings or doors, just a seemingly endless corridor. I see light up ahead, yelled Seven. We're close now. She's right, I see it too, Mr Sugar stated. They all picked up the pace. On the command battleship Blue, Apophia and Sseeara were still in contact with Isis and Sarnalla. Sarnalla was explaining the ship's main drive, a miniature singularly that was once larger. If those creatures opened the containment field and breached the physical and magnetic bottles. It will cause distortions in time for at least two parsecs around it. Anyone really close, Sarnalla hesitated, will cease to exist. And it will grow . My ship was the first built for the long journey between galaxies. Our drive contains a black hole which using methods I'm not familiar with, was shrunk in size from that of a moonlet to a small ball, we only discovered how to create artificial singularities shortly after my ship left spacedock. The artificial ones collapse and evaporate if the magnetic containment is compromised. Mine will grow larger if the worst happens. She sent Isis a mental picture of what the container housing the singularly looked like. It's very small, she said. Easily carried off the ship. We didn't see anything like it there, Isis stated. Dr Amenophis and Lady Andromeda and their technicians went over that ship of yours with a fine toothed comb. Then the creatures you call Reptilians must have it in their possession, Sarnalla replied, alarm in her mind voice. Warn your people. They can not be allowed to keep it. It's a danger to everything in your system. Scorch and Deva were keeping a sharp eye on the surface. Deva was disposing of the bodies, tossing them over the edge of a rocky outcropping. Members of her family and friends were rapidly making a meal of the bones. Deva explained to Scorch that their diet consisted of primarily bones. We'll ensure there's nothing left for the humans to find, Deva reassured him. My sister is leaving a meat trail for the hyenas, they'll make short work of their flesh. I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable earlier, she told Scorch. There's so few eligible males here and ......I thought you were one of my kind, I'm so embarrassed, she admitted. Not to worry, Scorch replied. Honest mistake . But Scorch came closer to her side. They were very close to the light source when everyone, including the non telepathic, heard Isis. She relayed the warning about engine and equipment containing the microscopic singularly. Isis implanted this visual of its appearance directly into everyone's minds. My apologies for my silence earlier, it was necessary to keep in contact with Sarnalla. Blue, Apophia and Sseeara are in link with her mind now. That Blue, he's something else, Isis said with pride. Oh Lordy, as my human says, this just keeps getting better and better, Carbon stated. At this rate all we're going to be able to do is fist fight. Carbon sent off a quick message to Blue, he wanted his humans and Claw's friends evacuated from Earth in case they failed, by force if necessary. Starting with Blue's family. Blue replied weakly to Carbon, as he was holding contact with Sarnalla. Get them off planet Blue! Quickly! Have the Queen send a portable portal to your island and get everyone out of there now, even that reporter. We'll deal with him later if there's a later. My humans have one for dire emergencies, they'll use it if told. Sseeara heard everything and ran to Commander Eerora's ready room to inform him of Carbon's orders. Sseeara told him and Queen Didi Carbon's orders and Didi immediately ordered the drop ship deck to mobilize a portal to the island coordinates. Queen Estella had already had several in place to transport beings from the surface after the battle. If the worst happens, Didi asked, what will happen to Venus? It shouldn't consume your planet, Lady Andromeda replied as she strolled into the ready room, Dr Amenophis trailing behind her. Venus will survive. It would have to follow the laws of orbital mechanics Didi, Lady Andromeda explained. Earth will be destroyed, but Venus will continue on in its orbit around Sol . We're relatively safe here in orbit as well. My people would be arrogant and stupid enough to attempt opening the drive component, Sseeara replied. Let's just hope our people get to it in time, Commander Eerora stated. The initial teams are already heading into the mountain target. The five stared at the status updates on the screens near them. No one spoke for a few minutes. All they could do now was wait.