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The three of them glided into the hallway. Well, they glided while Dr. Hayter skipped, evidently losing himself to the joys of the stim. Davies hoped that Jace was right that the doctor would be back to himself in a few hours. He didn’t know if he could take a burbling Dr. David Hayter for too much longer.

Typhon led them to a section of smooth wall. He held out his hand towards the surface and some blue light scanned the surface. The wall then sank inwards about six inches before sliding to the side, revealing a staircase leading down. The three of them crept down the several flights of stairs.

When they got to the last flight, Davies thought he was hearing the click of Cetix claws on stone. Typhon’s quick look at him told him he wasn’t imagining it. The Khul were in the lower levels. His stomach knotted as adrenaline flooded his system once more.

He double-checked his draagves before resting his back against the staircase’s wall, sliding over to the edge of where the staircase ended and the hallway began. The light crystals in this area were rather dim and dingy, letting off a soft, muted orange light. That was more than enough light for a Cetix to see quite clearly. He wished he had on one of the hard suits with all the visor settings, not to mention for the protection they gave from larva.

Never leaving those behind again, no matter how safe we think we are, Davies thought not for the first time.

He bet he’d be sleeping in one for awhile after this.

If I survive this.

He let out a low, slow breath. He saw Typhon holding his rahir out to his side, his blue-on-blue eyes seemingly calm. Beyond him was Dr. Hayter who actually appeared focused. A thin line of sweat moved down Davies’ right temple. Quickly and carefully, he looked around the corner of the stairwell into the hallway. He was back just as quick with his heart in his throat and the sour taste of excitement mixed with fear on his tongue.

He held up a hand and indicated that there were two Khul in the hallway with two raised fingers. One Cetix and one Omull. They were standing outside a doorway. He thought it was the database room. Were the Khul simply looking for ways to get upstairs to Jace and stumbled upon the database room? Or had they been looking for it? Which would have meant that they knew about it beforehand. How? Had someone told the Khul about it? Was there a traitor in their midst? And why did they want it? But all these questions would have to wait. They needed to kill these creatures.

I really wish I had some grenades.

Again, not the first time he’d thought this and, hopefully, it wouldn’t be the last.

He glanced around the corner again. The Cetix was nearest to them while the Omull was on the other side of the door to the database. He was assuming at least three were inside the room. Being in a room would give the Khul the advantage if they knew that Davies and the others were coming.

Unless we can take out these two quiet and fast and then make it to the room without the others knowing.

He leaned towards the doctor who blinked owlishly at him. Typhon lifted an eyebrow.

“Two outside the database room. Three, at least, inside, I’m guessing. We need to kill the two quietly before the others know and take them out, too. Can you shoot, doc?” Davies asked. “Take out the two nice and quiet?”

“He was seeing colors earlier,” Typhon whispered. “So what do you think? If I had any idea that a stim would do this, I would not have given it. He should stay behind for his own good.”

“I’m still seeing the colors. You really don’t see them?” Dr. Hayter looked so hopeful at them.

“No, doc. No colors. Hand me your draagves,” Davies commanded.

Dr. Hayter gave it over reluctantly, patting it gently. Davies handed his weapon to the doctor as no one should be unarmed with the Khul around.

“I’m going to take out our two friends, hopefully, with one shot,” Davies said.

Typhon lifted an eyebrow again. “Are you capable of such a shot, Lieutenant-Commander?”

“Yes,” Davies answered simply. “Be ready to move when I say.”

Typhon’s eyebrow remained raised, but he made no further objections. Whether he believed Davies could do it or whether he thought his belief was irrelevant to what was going to happen--it was--was unclear to Davies. But he emptied his mind of such concerns.

He rested his back against the stone and breathed again. He waited those few moments for his heart rate to slow. Time seemed to slow in those moments as he once more glanced around the corner to see the Khul still where he left them. But instead of drawing back, he brought the draagves up and around in a single fluid motion. He brought the scope to his right eye. He lined up the long neck of the Omull with the thick carapace of the Cetix. He squeezed the trigger.

The laser blast bore a hole through the Cetix and sliced the Omull’s neck nearly in half. Before the bodies even started to fall, Davies was moving.

“Now!” he hissed as he ran down the corridor.

He brought the draagves up again, scope to eye as he swung around to face the interior of the door, crouching low. Two Omull were on either side of the database, taking it out! They hadn’t even looked towards the door yet. He fired once. Twice. They fell back. The database, glowing and beautiful, fell to the floor. The room became completely dark.

Davies spun to the side, away from the doorway and the rapidly spreading blood pools that were smoking and hissing. He slammed his back against the wall. Typhon and Davies were on the other side of the door, draagves out, ready to strike at whatever came out.

But nothing did.

Davies turned on the light on his draagves and shone it inside the room. The Khul were dead. The database looked broken. Typhon let out a hiss at the sight of that. But it was the dead Khul that had Davies’ attention.