Malbess said, "Captain? I need to talk to you and Bluebell in your office. Immediately. It's very important." Captain called Bluebell to his office and escorted Commander Malbess there. Malbess asked her, "What do you know of the 'Althan-Krommium Xeno-Language project' and what it has to do with the moon of Tartessos, Hel?" Bluebell thought. She responded, "Not much. the Office of Military Science and Development initiated a program of androids to translate the forerunner language, and to seek out any technology that might help the war effort. Why?" Malbess said dramatically, "I have important and ground breaking information about Hel you both need to hear!" Dokka stared at her after a long moment. He looked at Bluebell and looked back. He shrugged and asked, "Well?" Rose came on the intercom, "Captain? A private encoded message from Sky-Marshall Reinz to you. He needs to address you, Malbess and Bluebell. In your office?" Malbess grinned like a cheshire cat and nodded her head. She sank back to a corner next to his holo-tank. He rolled his eyes and said, "Put him through." The Sky-Marshall was an older man, who glared out at the two he saw, and asked, "Where's Commander Malbess?" She popped around the corner and exclaimed, "Why, right where you heard I am, Zolf! How's the missus?" Dokka and Bluebell were appalled at Malbess' familiar tone with one of the highest ranking military men on Balaam. Malbess cut a sloppy salute and grinned at him with an intensity Dokka had never seen. She asked, "This doesn't have ANYTHING to do with HEL does it?" Dokka was even more surprised when the Sky-Marshall didn't call her on the rug immediately. he looked disgusted and replied, "Yes it does. Captain Tkarro--you are to go to the moon, Hel immediately. The FTL corvette, X-2 will go to the crippled Asuran battleship to aid the Measure, and to bring that ship back to our orbital position." "You and Space-battleship-1 are to go to Hel, immediately. You are to aid and secure the AXL-1024 android and make sure the the pass-codes are told her. The pass-code is 'Prometheus Reborn'. If she's activated WITHOUT the pass-code, she WILL self-destruct after three hours. She is the apex of our and allied alien technology. We cannot allow her to fall into hostile hands. She will suffer a force-chamber explosion of about one half-kiloton force." Bluebell said quietly, "If Violet or Jalisco find her--they WILL activate her! We Cyclops have as much primate curiosity as humans do. An unknown android is a resource." Malbess had lost her smile and said grimly, "MilSciDev couldn't go to Hel in a big ship without drawing undo attention, so they hired Toffet Delgado and his rabbit derived beast-girl wife, Kella to take a small survey crew there to check out some archeology site. They went missing three days ago and the UCSF Mauler was sent as a rescue mission there when they went overdue for reports." "THEN the Asurans attacked the Mauler and it was lost. What I want to know, is WHY! What is on Hel?" Dokka looked stern and asked, "If we are risking our lives, sir...we might need to know about what?" Bluebell said, "Some kind of Althan-Krommium weapons, I'd suspect." Sky-Marshall Reinz looked uncomfortable as he said, "Yes. According to info we received from King Kruag, at Shalmiraine, Hel houses a weapon cache from ancient time. Allegedly... there is a 'super-weapon' there. It's called 'Typhoeus'. Recover the android or destroy it. The same applies to that weapon, if it exists. You are to leave as soon as the brain-dead host for Chalchilaloq arrives at your ship." "Get her transferred to the new body ASAP. We need her knowledge. Reinz, out." Bluebell and Dokka looked shocked. Malbess pulled out a piece of paper on which she wrote, "The ship is bugged!" Dokka and Bluebell were not happy. Dokka took the paper and headed to the bridge. --TO BE CONTINUED!--