Zack, Shadick, and Jamie headed out of the bunker to find the three patrol privates. They needed information to protect their alien friends. They were well-armed with blasters and a set of duel razor-sharp machetes in case they came across one of the zombies.

As they exited out of the long tunnel, they heard the sound of the shuttle's loud hum as it passed overhead. The three froze, then quickly slunk back into the shadows in an attempt not to be seen. They couldn't take any chances of the wrong person seeing them.

They stood in the shadows and watched the shuttle land, and the three privates as they exited its wide metal door. Shortly after, the shuttle ascended, disappearing above the clouds.

Once the shuttle was out of view, the three headed toward Keirn, Vernisa, and Xant.

Zack, Shadick, and Jamie were spotted before they even got close enough to be heard. They didn't stop, walking toward them. The three privates started toward them, meeting them halfway.

"We need information," Zack called out once the other three were close enough to hear. His voice was firm as he spoke.

After the three reached Zack, they finally answered. "Ok, what kind of information?" It was Keirn who spoke. Keirn appeared nonchalant, but his eyes showed he was concerned about what information they were trying to get from them.

"We need to know what would happen if Shadick, Nisa, and Shelia were discovered here. We want to keep them safe. Would they be taken in and charged for leaving?" Zack asked, eyeing the three privates. He was watching for any changes in their demeanor or reactions to his questions.

Before they could answer Zack's question, the breeze picked up. All four aliens stiffened, their eyes sharp as they pulled out their blasters and looked in the direction the breeze came from. They could smell the stench of toxic blood on the breeze, and they could tell that it was getting closer.

"Prepare to fight," Shadick said flatly, his black eyes scanning their surroundings. "Zombies are nearby. I smell them. They are getting closer."

Zack and Jamie pulled out their blasters and unlatched the strap on their machetes for easy retrieval. They scanned the direction that the others were focused on.

From the direction of the breeze, nearly two dozen zombies headed their way. The sound of their growls could be heard as they came closer. Immediately, the humans and aliens started shooting their blasters at the large group of zombies, trying to take as many out as possible before they got too close. If they got too close to them, they could easily be overwhelmed by the large group of zombies

Jamie noticed that the aliens didn't bring any weapons other than their blasters. Lucky for them, he, Zack, and Shadick had a duel set of machetes. They could each give one of their machetes to the three aliens who didn't have a backup weapon. It could save their lives.

The large horde of Zombies rushed toward them as the blaster fire shot past them. One by one, they fell to the ground, and a large dark hole appeared in various locations, seeping green-tinted blood as they fell to the ground.

Fear washed over the three aliens as they realized the zombies were getting too close for blasters to be effective. They had taken out only one-third of what was coming toward them. Jamie pulled out one of his machetes and handed one to the nearest alien. It was Keirn. He took it from Jamie and held it tightly, still shooting his blaster, trying to take out more before they got even closer.

Zack and Shadick saw Jamie handing one of his machetes over to Keirn. They replicated the gesture, handing one of their machetes to the remaining aliens without one. With blasters in one hand and a machete in the other, they blasted and swung at the zombies. The zombies were relentless, ignoring the blasters and the severed limbs. It was clear they didn't feel pain.

One of the zombies went to bite Vernisa, taking a chunk out of her shoulder, green blood dripping to the ground. The smell of blood turned the zombies even more feral, causing a feeding frenzy, heading for the source of blood, ignoring the rest of them.

The men shot rapidly with their blasters as they swung their machetes, trying to protect Vernisa. There were too many zombies, making it difficult. Jamie swung frantically, trying to cut through the zombies. With each swing, limbs fell. Zack and Shadick were doing the same. The other three weren't used to large knives, so they were doing less damage. Even with the machetes in hand, the aliens relied on their blasters more.

After what felt like hours, the last zombie fell to the ground. Ignoring the three aliens, Shadick, Zack, and Jamie walked to each zombie body, swinging their machetes. The powerful, precise blows connected with the neck easily severing the head from its neck. Toxic blood spilled onto the dirt as the three men moved to the next. Once finished, they went back to the three patrol privates to see about helping Vernisa.

Scanning Vernisa's injuries, she had multiple gashes and bites. Several chunks of flesh had been taken from her, green blood pouring from each wound.

"Do you have a medic that can help her?" Zack asked. His concern was genuine. Vernisa looked rough. She was losing too much blood. At the back of his mind, he worried that she would turn into a zombie from her injuries. He didn't believe the aliens could turn into zombies, but that was only a theory.

Keirn lifted his wrist and called for a medic. "A horde of toxics attacked our team. We need a medic."

Jamie scanned the female alien. "Do your people turn into zombies or just ours?" he asked, looking between Shadick, Keirn, and Xant.

"Just yours," Keirn stated calmly. "She should be fine once she's patched up."

"Why did you cut the head off of the dead?" Xant asked, looking between them. He had noticed they had ignored Vernisa and went to the zombies to decapitate them before even glancing at the others.

"Zombies have a tendency to continue living if you don't," Shadick explained.

A loud hum sounded above them. It was the sound of an approaching shuttle. It was already too late to hide from the coming shuttle. "Is Shadick going to be ok?" Jamie and Zack asked the other two, worried for their alien friend.

Keirn looked at Zack and Jamie. There was worry in his own features. "I don't know. They haven't found any of the missing officers. We know about the three with you, but we never said anything. We don't know what will happen," he told them, honestly.

"I'm going to go get Carrie," Jamie stated. "If they see her with him, it may help."

Zack nodded as Jamie took off at a run, heading for the bunker.

By the time the shuttle had landed, and the medic came out, Jamie was back with Carrie. They had both sprinted out of the tunnels. She went immediately to Shadick, taking a protective stance in front of him.

The medics were immersed in helping Vernisa, not realizing Carrie and Jamie had shown up.

Keirn stood up. "Another shuttle is on its way." He whispered to Carrie. "They are coming because of Shadick."

Carrie frowned. "Thank you," Carrie told Keirn, wrapping an arm around Shadick. She couldn't help but tremble in fear. It wasn't for herself; it was for her mate. She wondered how they even knew that Shadick was with them.

Moments later, the shuttle's engines could be heard. The loud hum echoed through the air as it descended from the sky. Only moments later, it landed, and the large door opened, creating a wide ramp. After a moment of silence, a tall man walked out with four guards behind him. It was clear that the man was at a high rank. Insignia on his chest and shoulders gleamed in the morning sun. His features were stern, his demeanor rigid. Power radiated off of him. It was clear to the humans that this man was at a very high rank.

Shadick stiffened, then put his arm around Carrie, pulling her close. "That is the Fleet Commander," he whispered down at Carrie. "There is only one higher than him."

The Fleet Commander walked up to Shadick; he had a scowl on his face. Anger flowed from the man's pores. "Shadick, Second Squad Leader," he said firmly. His voice was loud, radiating through the small group.

"Yes, sir," Shadick stated, putting his fist to his heart, bowing slightly. "This is Carrie, my fated mate." He introduced.

The Fleet Commander looked at Carrie. His eyes pierced her. She instinctively moved in front of Shadick even more. It was a protective gesture. The Fleet Commander looked at her; his eyebrows raised, then back to Shadick. There was a long pause before he looked over at the guards.

"Take them into custody!" he ordered, then he turned and walked back to the shuttle, ignoring them.

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