"In a manner of speaking. After all, you have trespassed on military territory. For the time being I accept your explanation and ignorance of this fact."
"Thanks," Aeyris muttered.
"What are your intentions regarding this ship?" Kirrik put in.
"It will be examined by our engineers."
"I'm not sure I can allow that," Kirrik stated sharply.
"I am not sure you can prevent that. Anyhow. If we are eventually satisfied you are here in innocence you will be provided with a replacement vessel and will be free to go your own way. If not you will be imprisoned."
"Back the way we came?"
"That is not up to me to decide. The device which brought you here will be studied. You might be permitted to use it." The alien departed without waiting for a response, but this time all the guards went with him.
"Can we force our way out?" someone asked, after peering through the doorway to see if any of the post's soldiers remained.
"No chance," Aeyris stated. "We'll have them all over us as soon as we power up."
"You just want to wait?" Marchero replied scornfully.
"It's all we can do."
Four two days waiting was all they did. Food was supplied to the Constrictor, but not enough for more than a day. It was agreed that they would ration themselves and try to build up a store, although they were unable to accumulate much. Technicians from the post repaired some key life support facilities such as the water recycler, and whilst the main door was open the post's systems provided fresh air and heat. Some of the crew voiced the opinion that the technicians were secretly trying to probe for information about the ship, but only Kirrik was slightly concerned by the idea.
The waiting was not broken by the arrival of the ship that was supposed to be coming for them. Late in the nominal night Tikapora was awake and standing idly near the ship's door, watching the soldiers that still stood around the landing bay. Suddenly a brief look of discomfort passed over their leader's face, as if he had just received disturbing news on the headset he wore. Tikapora tensed slightly, before quickly heading back into the ship.
The insect-like creature woke Aeyris and Kirrik, and they retired into the mess room.
Aeyris rubbed a bleary eye. "Something's up?" he assumed.
Tikapora spoke a strange collection of sounds that would have been very difficult for the human larynx and mouth to even approximate. When he finished the translator he always carried interpreted.
"I saw something upset the soldiers. And I heard faint alarms, probably too faint for you to hear."
Aeyris nodded, but Kirrik stood up. "Wait a minute," he told them.
When he returned, Kirrik confirmed Tikapora's brief story. "The soldiers are standing there the same as ever, but I can also hear a faint alarm."
"You've good ears to match Tik," Aeyris noted.
"Yes."
Aeyris tapped his fingers on the table. "I think we should keep this to ourselves," he said finally.
"Why not tell the others?" Tikapora queried.
"Sorry, I meant all of us, and not let our captors know. It might give us an opportunity if they don't know we know we may have one."
"Er, yes," Kirrik decided after a couple of seconds. "Let's rouse the others."
Most of them were crowded into the mess room, eating whatever they could scrape together for an early breakfast, when they were interrupted by the leader from the landing bay guard.
"You're free to go," he announced.
The room erupted as everyone started asking questions at the same time.
"Quiet!" shouted Aeyris, then "Quiet!" again as the noise failed to dim. Eventually it died down to mutterings between people sitting next to each other. The soldier had been watching the rabble with a hint of a sneer.
"Why?" Kirrik asked.
"The ship should have been here three hours ago. Two hours ago we heard enemy communications nearby. One hour ago ships were seen entering the system. There's a cargo bay next to this landing pad. Take what supplies you need and get out. We are evacuating; self-destruct has been set for thirty minutes. Broadcast L-01 to activate the launching sequence." The soldier jumped out of the ship as several people jumped up to grab him and demand further information from him.
Once again Aeyris was forced to shout at his crew until they calmed down. "Arrachachak, Mychov, go and grab as many of those supplies as you can. Tikapora and Mu, have a poke around the immediate area to see what else you can find. I want Silsi, Marchero, Edwards, and Sawaka on the bridge. Everyone else, find something useful to do," he finished vaguely.
As people scuttled off in various directions Kirrik turned to Aeyris. "No need for secret planning, after all."
"Humph. Bit of a surprise, them telling us."
"You've spent too long with pirates. There are still a few decent people in the universe."
It was only a few brief minutes before Tikapora and Mu returned. "We can't get out of this area," Mu announced. "Everything apart from this place and the cargo bay has been sealed off, and there are no terminals to be seen."