Meeting Mila

Halfnir stepped up to the other agent outside the back room and shot him in the chest. Bleeding heavily, the man fled ... straight into the arms of Kaelan who finished the job with a cyberarm knife through the man's neck.

Meanwhile, Zhil was pursuing the prize and pressed Karnash for the payment. She regretfully informed him that apparently Cropagna and Lysani had decided to cut a deal and work together on the plant gene therapy, but there was one small condition stipulated by Lysani ... Sanaki had to die.

Things started to move quickly. After a fuming Velos stormed in and told the group to clean up their mess, Sanaki was smeared with the blood and snapped in a "slain" pose, then the two agents were dragged into the back room, the unconscious man executed by Zhil and the room was set on fire to cover the evidence. Following Karnash's instructions they left Merwat and Soquel terrified at the front of the Nomad's Lodge for pickup by Cropagna. The group then left by a back entrance not a moment too soon before starport security arrived.

Disguising Sanaki as a maintenance worker, they all went to rendezvous with Karnash near a shuttle hangar and picked up their payment which was then forwarded to Sanaki for his family. They all then left on a shuttle for the Hilfer highport in orbit and after a well earned drink, the travellers arranged to be picked up by Mila, aka "Screech", a friend of Ernie's who lives and works out in the Verg'mel belt. After a nervous night in a flophouse, they met up with Screech and were transported by her tug out to the habitat and spaceship scrapyard she calls home...