chapter 3

Ace lead the kids through the imperial city pass and the markets and residential areas. The girls caught up with Ace first.

"we're going to the underground market huh?" Mia asked casually as she skipped along side him.

"yes but a different part. My usual ammo guy is off planet and I don't feel like tracking him down so we'll go to second best." Ace chuckled, "don't tell him I call him second best. why are you skipping?"

Mia pouted as she responded, "skipping is fun, I like skipping. ooh! can we pick up some more gadgets!? Alessa loves computer stuff, Ne-" she was interrupted by Neira covering her mouth and pulling her to the back.

Ace chuckled and knocked three times in a pattern on a panel near a lift that was out of order. Rip raised an eyebrow, "Tiberians are not ones to let things go. Usually maintenance is performed within seventy two hours at a minimum. It's why organized crime can't lay down roots here."

Ace glanced at Rip, that kid, well all of these kids were too bright for their own good.

"its not out of order, its private." the doors to the lift opened and the previous red light turned green, "and because its private Tiberians leave it alone"

After everyone got in the lift Ace pressed a button and than scanned a strange card he seemed to have pulled out of nowhere.

The lift lowered them below the main city into an underground cavern which connected to several roads which seemed to stretch into eternity.

Ace immediately headed in the direction of his ammo supplier with the teens struggling to keep up.

"After resupplying what's our next step?" Rip asked as he began to match Aces pace.

"Well there are guys that monitor things like that, in this case, a man named Frem will know who activated whatever the beam was or if he can't tell us what the beam was, he can tell us where it originated from" Ace answered frankly, Alessa stopped and admired a painting on a pillar.

"This is a depiction of the guide, yes?" Alessa asked Ace pointing toward the painting.

Ace glanced up at the painting, he often disregarded legends and folklore as fairy tales but some get embedded in his brain so that he didn't forget.

"Yeah" he answered quickly as he approached the makeshift shop, "supposedly, the guide was this ancient Tiberian who lead the Tiberians to safety during what they call the event, every volcano erupting at once."

He admired some ammo and picked a box from each shelf.

After paying they promptly left and headed towards his ship, Enzion.

They departed Tiberia and made their way to Frems club.

Frems club resided on a planet owned and operated by the Cravians, the most shrewd race in the universe when it came to money. This planet effectively named the casino and club planet by the Cravians was called home to many crime lords throughout Corpon.

At the ramp Ace suddenly turned around and blocked the teams exit, smiling casually.

"what's going on?" Asander asked having almost ran into Ace.

"Your academy scores were excellent and field assessment training were great but that's not real life, this is" Ace gestured toward the night life of the planet, "So, I'm gonna sit back on this ship and do nothing while you guys complete the mission."

At this Ace moved out of their collective way and ushered them off the ship than closed the hull door in their confused faces. Enzion, the A.I of the ship appeared in holographic form in front of him as he began to lounge in his favorite chair.

"Are you really going to just make them do the mission alone?" she asked him as she leaned over the back of chair putting her face in his face.

In response, Ace pulled a cylinder box from his bag that sat next to his chair, "This was given to me by our resident genius, Whiz, who told me not to break it or he'll rip off my arms and beat me with them." he cleared his throat clearly remembering an unpleasant event, "Its a Neuro controlled hacking device, it allows me through nodes to hack into Frems security systems, including his cameras and monitor our little bundles of joys progress."

Ace placed the nodes on either temple and leaned back. He wondered if by now they've organized and began planning and hoped he wouldn't have to step in.