“If you give up now, none of the rest of you will have to die.” Silence commanded everyone’s attention for several ungodly long seconds. More directions rang out, “The only reason I sanctioned him was he tried to kill me. I let him go five weeks ago in a shitter at the pirate trading post on Suraeth. I bet he didn’t tell you we met. Did he Heas? I trailed him here to you. Got warrants for you and your men…… some start to a vacation. Uh?”

“Anna, is that you?” asked a very concerned Heas, as he tried to figure out exactly where she was. “Yes. You know it is. Everyone slowly drop your weapons. Let this arrest proceed without any further casualties. You other two men can stay here - except for you in the blue pants. Willful destruction of wild life is against Consortium Triumvirate law. You will have to come with me also.”

There she stood, with her palms extended forward; Anna 7 emerged from the opposite side of the shore. Moving steadily forward, with her knees slightly bent, easing her ability to adjust her center of gravity in any direction if needed. Having already fired her palm disruptor, she continued to scan her adversaries’ body postures and decoding their elevated voice recognition values for aggression, but only Heas had spoken so far. The sun shone brightly on the embossed emblem of the 22^nd Consortium Triumvirate buckle on her broad belt, signifying her as a Special Investigator Coordinator in the Marshall Warrant Department.

Suddenly, without warning, the other criminal who she was about to be set free, dove forward toward her, reaching for his weapon at the same time to fire at Anna 7. He was dead before his fractured body hit the ground. The energy from super-heated hydrogen ion pulses transferred into every portion of the criminal’s soft tissue, skeletal bones and body organs, as Anna prepared to fire her palm disruptor again. “Let both of these stupid assholes lay where they are,” uttered Heas aloud, as he raised his hands up further to allow Anna to see, he wasn’t up to any tricks. The smell of burning flesh from the first idiot, to try Anna 7, really began to smell offensive.

Anna 7 estimated that perhaps that fool might just try something stupid. That man was a Modachapen. Anna realized that even though all salient beings throughout the universe descend from earlier life forms which became dominant on their home world, through evolutionary timeless processes, each being has latent tendencies. These tendencies, behavioral traits or reactions to certain stimuli could be traced to their ancestral counterparts. Hence, some semblance of predicted behaviors may be accurately determined during specific circumstances. Anna estimated that this poor creature may act adversely to her legitimate lawful directions, she demanded right now. In fact, there was a 78.9% chance he would take some sort of provocative action.

A Modachapen adult male, specially this one, in his 8^th year of mating, possessed numerous types of hormones raging throughout his body system to execute two extreme functions - mate or fight, (fight or f—k!). And there he was right in the middle of the three month mating period according to his planetary year. As more evidence quickly emerged, Anna’s observations spoke with screaming satisfaction. Her mind instantly executed a humanoid physiology fact review and there it was. The condition of the aggressor’s head comb or crest, being fully flushed with blood, allowing the hues to change from a lackluster yellow to a bright orange with red highlights along the tip ridges, depending on its emotional state was the answer. That was the “why” of what happened. This Modachapen males’ actions could and would have led to any number of violent outcomes, within the instant he was aroused to action.

Because Anna knew he was not going to mate with her. No matter, what. She knew what her option was! Besides, she was sterile. For right now. Also, other physical evidence indicated plausible undesired actions. His crest appeared to be pliable, leaning to one side and glistening with special sexual attractant oils. Normally, with this species, when the males are in a non-mating equilibrium, the crest is hard, less colorful and not nearly as shiny.

“Heas, stand up from behind the boulder.” coolly demanded Anna 7. Heas did exactly as he was told. “Do not worry about the pilot and the rest of the ship’s crew. I already have them in custody. I’ve called for backup. The transporter service from the Marshall’s department should be arriving any moment now. So let’s head up the valley.” As Heas stepped from behind the boulder. “Second thought. I think I’ll have them come down to us, “ as Anna spoke into her mic in her helmet but not before she blinked her left eye twice, activating the appliance. Turning to his left, Heas finally got a good look at Anna 7, after not seeing her for several time frames.

Diminutive in size, compared to her adversaries, her tawny colored huge ringlets of hair, framed her light orange hued face, within the protection of the beige camouflaged helmet which flowed around the back, sides and front of her neck. The flipped up visor protected her almond shaped eyes and small button of a nose. The elf shape-like ear guards of the helm defended her exceptional constructed hearing organs, where the design, smoothly flowed down almost seamlessly into her shoulder amour gear. The length of the long sleeve, light green tunic accented the shape of her hips with the aid of her very broad armored belt which fitted neatly about her slim waist and just under her breast buds. The dark colored pantaloons slide abruptly into her brown mid calf boots. An earthy all knowing smile streaked confidently across her face. She strides toward the remaining criminals before her.

Heas’s reaction to hearing the rest of his ship’s crew already in custody caught Anna 7’s attention. Anna 7 reassured Heas, “Do not worry. Only two of them resisted. The rest of them are alive. By the way. With one arm, pick up that communicator. Do not crush it under your boot or I will blast off your leg at the knee. Do you understand?” exclaimed an emphatic Anna7, walking even closer to the shoreline. Heas said nothing, contemplating all his options. If the originators of this message discovered somehow, the ease with which he surrendered the communication device, Heas could lose his life. But he did not want to lose his leg either. He knew Anna7 never bluffed. “Do you understand my command?” Anna spoke calmly, steadily moving forward. With his reasoning over, Heas answered, “Yes.” Heas carefully pushed the small device out into the open for her to see.

Heas contemplated whether Anna 7 would blast his leg off anyway? He had heard stories before about her ferocity! Heas pondered if anymore of his men had betrayed him?

Read Chapter Three