The bored-looking sentry at Rigormortis’s VIP door spoke into his wrist and waited for a response while he routinely sized up the quartet in front of him. No such response was heard, but after about a minute spent staring at each other in the light evening air – and to Django’s mild yet pleasant surprise - he stepped silently backwards to the door and held it open for them.

Garda-Villis was a large planet with surface landmasses covering only about fifteen percent of its surface.  When Django Beldt's air/raft exited the starport loaded with his newest clients there was nothing to see but the smooth arc of sulphur-tinctured water unblemished except for perhaps the clouds.

It was a quick about-face and Gunnar, Aurora, and Teagan passed back through the security checkpoint and into the landing bay.  Traffic leaving the station wasn't scanned nearly as much as that entering, and all they had to endure were a couple of once-overs by two station security officers in their blue jumpsuits who were standing across the pedestrian path from each other watching the people go by like it was their job, which it was.

Floating, tumbling, circling, occasionally colliding, always moving - the asteroids forming the belt occupying the seventh orbital path around Garda-Vilis's silently went about their business, the business of floating.  Dull, grey rocks of varying shape and mass, they had no opinion to offer on the subject of the sudden appearance of an Imperial Navy vessel a mere thousand kilometers beyond their eternal stellar perimeter.

During the previous couple of months, the newest recruits to the task force had become used to the day/night cycle aboard the Nostromo.  They couldn't not become used to it, since everybody else was on the same cycle.  And along with the sounding of reveille across the ship-wide PA system at 0800 came the morning orders on the small computer in their quarters.

As the group followed Major Chance through the ship, they had the opportunity to notice the crew of the Nostromo in action.  They were a busy bunch, as were most crews attached to large starships.  People moved with a purpose and nowhere was there someone not doing something.

For the most part they seemed too preoccupied with their duties to pay much attention to the wandering newcomers.  But it was evident that Chance had a special status among them as the crew who did take notice were unanimously pleasant or positively inclined towards her.  There was many a nod, smile, or quipped greeting from those that they passed.

It was difficult to figure, if one was the figuring sort. Clearly, they were not prisoners, not exactly. Yes, they had been confined to quarters once the debriefs were completed, but the personal space was no prison cell. To those who had served on a starship before it was challenging to know that the small, single-bed affair with a window was likely more than many of the enlisted Imperials enjoyed below decks.

"We're here."

The quiet, strange woman's whispered statement was spoken only moments before a voice from the pinnace crew came over the loudspeaker.

**All hands secure stations, docking procedures.  Close aboard in five-oh-two.**

It was touch and go once they made daylight and exited the cave.  The not knowing as to when a sniper might decide to separate their head from their shoulders created a thick, slowing tension.  But as they drew closer to the air/rafts and the seconds turned to minutes it became the general consensus that there either was no sniper or he'd decided to leave them alone.

Teagan stood close to Keese, arranging herself to help support the proud woman in his arms.

The sun was behind them as Gunnar, Aurora, and Teagan made the climb up to the cave.  Their shadows were shrouded titans silently stalking the mountains afore them, sliding liquidly along the jagged blue rock face. 

Gunnar pondered if this was a tactical advantage, being silouhetted to any watchers from the cave.  Probably not, he figured.  Nothing had really broken his way yet in this entire misadventure, so why should it start now.  The sidearm in his hand was some small comfort.