On the planet's surface the compound's control room was electric with the energy of panic. Three Men and an equal number of women with cybernetic interfacing units, called techs, were spurting out small rants and noteworthy information pertaining to the sudden loss of satellite communications. Their frantic cries were coming from Cring's feet. His people forming a ring around him as computers climbed the walls to the full circle catwalk above even his eye line. His seat's arm rests had broken in on themselves from his white knuckled hands. He didn't notice this until his sweat beaded and slowly rolled down his brow to his eye. His short and curly brown hair stayed put as he sprang to life, and opened his mouth to speak. “Check the scanners!“ A woman's voice yelled out from above the source of his. All other non-automated voices fell silent. A loud metallic clang rang out as she stepped forward onto the catwalk from a closing doorway. Her staff's impact leaving a tiny crater in the floor panels. “Check them now!”

“Ca-Cathey, who activated you?” Cring finally let loose with an unsteady tone. He stood slowly as she jumped down next to him with. He took in the sight of her small figure and chocolate hair, as the chair began to rotate. Her staff tapped deliberately behind the head of a man whose seat they were suddenly behind.

“She's right Cring.” The man spoke up with a computer augmented voice. “Our installation's sensors have picked up a small energy signature. It appears to be pealing off, but one... No three even larger signatures are continuing...”

“...On an intercept course.” A woman's equally automated voice finished for him.

Another man spoke up with a natural tone, “I'm only reading two now!”

Cring turned to Cathey. “Is it?”

“Tetras. Yes. What else did you think they would send?”

“Well then,” his voice grew ominous, “That's why...”

“You have me,” she cut in. Her staff arm extended outward and completed a motion akin to that of stirring a giant kettle. Then she slammed her ivory staff down. At that instant, in dark rooms, corridors, and store houses across the complex, pairs of electronically red eyes activated. Cathey, smiled.

Cring stepped back, wondering what if it would be enough. Another thought crossed his mind as an alarm klaxon began to sound. What have I started?

1-New Opening

“Before I die I always said I'd do somethin like this.” The broad shouldered man said with a smirk. His black curly hair was pulled back in even rows, and his gaze was lit by the flashing klaxon that signified their dropship had cleared orbit of the planet Omishkan. The dim cabin lights shifted from red to yellow. His hand holding onto the stabilizing strap as gravity returned to the cabin. His dark eyes flashed to the man next to him.

Teepin's long rusty hair laid in his face as gravity took its effect. “Shae, we do this stuff all the time.” He had an unlit cigarette in his mouth. His right hand up on the stabilizer, and his left anxiously flicking open a lighter. The scar over his right eye, rare on people like him, wrinkled as he made a show out of the tobacco product. It was a Pacifican, his favorite. “barring misremembering, you rather enjoyed it.”

“Good,” Shae grinned, his eyes shifting to the forcedoor as it activated. Its energy giving off a soft glow and keeping out the turbulent winds of being 15 units above the planet's surface. They were dropping fast as the harddoor slid back. Shae took to admiring the view as he always seems to do before being dropped in on a mission.

“Yeah, as memory serves, I hate this stuff.” Teepin rubbed his hand awkwardly through his hair. “Well, you know.”

“Man, your last two were good.”

“Right, I see. Good being, avoiding that farmers barn for his sewage ditch? Or good being how I ended up in that pudding vat on Fordin 4?”

“Definitely Fordin 4. Because of that I was able to meet that shuttle load of Sannifraylar females.” Shae gave the other a knowing nod with a blend of smirk and a grin.

Teepin nodded back, “I'll land ass first into some all girls school of higher learning if ya want. Of course we'd have to ditch out this mission. Then Seerco would kill us. Better check that 'before I die' list before she gets to you.”

“Well, You hit the right university,” Shae smiled. “ Then, I guess, I would die a happy man then.”

“No one's dying today gentlemen.” Seerco's voice interjected. Her canary yellow hair was trying in vain to hide the sharp blue of her gaze. Her shoulders were brandishing Commander ridges that crinkled slightly on her jacket as she also grabbed for a stabilizing strap. Her entrance into the cabin had gone unnoticed as she cut between the two of them. “Not one of us.”

“We have strict orders to leave as many as we can alive down there,” she continued. “Especially our mark, one Cring Darlos.” Her eyes flashed as she activated the trio's cybernetic connection. A 3-dimensional layout was digitally mapped out and displayed at the command of her finger tips. The image was of a compound filled with eight buildings and covered completely by a full sphere that continued below the surface. There was small cube that indicated the entrance to an old mine shaft. The trio new this sphere represented a force field. Yet there was a secondary, structural dome for keeping out the elements, and focusing the field. Above the Omishkan surface, which served as the equatorial line of the sphere, was a compound filled with automated and quite illegal troops. Yet, below ground laid another smaller field bubble. The second force field was completely opaque as a field within a field is impenetrable by scans.

There in lied their mission. After getting through their security grid, they were to subdue the hostile machines. Then they were to go underground and figure out what was in that second sphere. Then apprehend the one running the whole thing, Cring Darlos. Each member shared a momentary glance of confidence. Seerco balled up her fist ordering the layout to disappear.

“I'm on point,” Shae stated as he looked to the small screen beside the door with the rapidly descending numbers on it. He knew the door would be turned off at optimal drop level. On this planet, in this weather, for this team, that level was 8.5 on the altimeter. Funny thing, jumping out of a flying object without a parachute.

“I'll run some interference,” Teepin put in as he cracked his knuckles.

Seerco winced at the sound, but chose to ignore commenting on it. “Eyes up gentlemen. And mouths shut.”

“What are you going to be doing during our little show, commander? Fixing your hair in the back room,” Shae grinned ignoring her order for quiet.

She loosed a small grin as the altimeter lights flashed rapidly across her face. “I'll be opening the door for our little friends.” Fittingly the altimeter roared to life as the lights in the cabin all turned one single color. Green.

Seerco's body seemed to give off a haze as she dove first from the dropship. “Wait!” Teepin stopped Shae before he could follow suit. “Maybe I was the one who loved this and you hated it?” Shae nudged him forward in response. Teepin took the momentum and skillfully turned on a heel to face the other. His long hair caught the gusts of the turbulent winds as he dropped out of sight. Both of his hands in pistol mimicking positions as he winked. Alone now, Shae took in a deep breath. Exhaling like a bull he charged the exit, arms extended like a diver's. The rush of wind took him as the dropship veered upward against its own volatile momentum, growing tinier with ever increasing speed. The team, Kahn Zero-2, was now on their own.

Shae1-First look at Kahn Zero-2 of The Planetary Alliance

“Before I die I always said I'd do somethin like this.”

Teepin's rusty hair swayed in his face as he turned to his kahnmate. “Shae, we do this stuff all the time.” He had an unlit cigarette in his mouth. It was a Pacifican, his favorite brand.

“Good,” Shae smiled as he looked out through the forcedoor. It's energy giving off a soft glow and keeping out the turbulent winds of being 15 above the planet's surface. The shuttle had just reentered Omishkan's atmosphere from there take off point a continent away. The harddoor had slid back, and Shae was now admiring the view as he always seems to before being dropped in on a mission. “Well I guess I can die a happy man then.”

“No one's dying today gentlemen.” Seerco's voice was as confident and reassuring as ever. A pair of traits that served her well as leader of this little team. She popped out from the back cabin again. Shae and Teepin had shared many a laugh at the expense of Seerco's pre-op routine. Her canary yellow hair was trying in vain to hide the sharp blue of her gaze. “Not one of us,” she continued as she cut between the two of them at the forcedoor. “We have strict orders to leave as many as we can alive down there. Especially our mark, one Cring Darlos. Got that?”

“Of course Commander,” Shae replied as he looked to the small screen beside the door with the rapidly descending numbers on it. He knew the door would be turned off at optimal drop level. On this planet, in this weather, for this team, that level was 8.5. Funny thing, jumping out of a flying object without a parachute.

The numbers were racing now as the team exchanged confident glances. They knew and enjoyed the anticipation of a challenge.

9.7

9.3

8.9...The cabin was still.

8.7.“Hey Seerco...” Teepin began to shuffle. The pilot flashed a thumbs-up. “Do you....”

The roar of the wind drowned out Teepin's voice. The door had disappeared at the pilot's push of a button. Seerco and Shae dove out of the transport into the sea of clouds, the wind licking at their faces. Teepin, however had gotten distracted. Clumsily he slips out of the door, his hands bobbling and juggling a small object about in the air. The transport had instantly began pulling up, growing tinier with ever increasing speed.

“Teepin?” Seerco's voice chirped in his ear.

“Yeah,” his com-chip sent back. The micro sized device worked internally, so the transmission from person-to-person was a clear signal. “I'm good boss lady. Just thought I lost my lighter is all.”

Seerco and Shae turned backwards in their free falls to see Teepin, hands behind his head, enjoying his lit cigarette. Only he could keep something like that in his mouth, let alone lit.

Shae turned back towards the racing upwards ground. His brown eyes could the target clearly. A domed compound on a blue landscape. The wind whipped ever more sharply across his almond skin and perfectly corn rolled hair. He used a bit of internal energy to push himself out in front of his teammates, took in one last calm breath, and then instantly stopped. His feet dropped below him as his arms raised while he hovered. A glowing sphere began forming above his head that spit violent sparks of anger as it grew larger.

“Drop it,” Seerco commanded as her swept back form passed Shae, Teepin in tow. Shae let out a roar of a man lifting colossal weight as he pitched the giant energy ball towards the compound. Anyone looking up would have clearly scene this had they looked. But there would have been no time to respond. It was upon them. They were under attack!

The ball stopped before the domed compound. A first layer of protection had automatically activated. A dome sized force field was there. But the ball didn't stop. As the force field began to rebuild itself, the ball simply shrank as it made it's way through to the physical dome of the compound. It exhausted the last of it's energy buy shattering the transparent armor like glass. It rained down on startled guards who had no idea what was going on. Panic set in instantly.

As the last of the energy disappeared Teepin came riding in on its tail. The sparks were moved aside by his body as prepared for his impact with the surface. Confused guards scattered as Teepin's landing sent out a shock-wave of energy. Air flowed over him as he rose from his 3-point stance with eyes that glowed white with focus, the raining debris now turning to sprinkling dust around him. He took in the layout of the compound, noting buildings, and threats in one instant glance. Frightened guards began to regain composure and raise there weapons at him. Teepin took a deep drag from his cigarette, smirked at the closest guard, and raised his arms with almost unseen speed. His cigarette sparked as fire came to life from it. It split into two forming a whirlwind of blaze around each arm. The spirals of fire began to lash out effectively turning his arms into flame throwers. A guard dives to the ground avoiding flames thrown at his face. Pulling out his com he squawks, “Tetras! We're under attack by tetras!”

A guard in the 3 story high command building slams on the compound's alarm. Not that it was needed. Guards everywhere could be seen pouring out of barracks, half dressed and completely distraught. The guard sat in his seat and began looking at his panels trying to remember what exactly to do. At the same time a steady mist rolls into the room from seemingly everywhere. The guard stops as the mist collects beside his chair. It congeals together forming the team's leader. Seerco gazed down harshly at the shocked guard. “Holy sh...”

His words are cut short as she grabs him by the neck, lifts a finger at the window for a small spark of energy to lash out. The glass shatters as she effortlessly tosses the guard. His yell is quick as the tree below the window breaks his painful fall down to blue tinted soil. He'll live. Seerco instantly flies up through the ceiling and opens her palm below her to unleash a significantly larger blast into the tower. The energy blasts out each window floor-by-floor-by-floor.

“Phase one complete,” Seerco says. Guards run up to take aim at her, while the compounds entire automated systems go down; siren, force field, and all. They open fire on her and she mist transforms easily to let the beams go through her. The force field's energy visibly dissipating behind her, she reforms as the guards study their weapons in confusion. “Remember,” she says over the team's coms, “no killing.” She swoops down and grabs the two guards by their jackets, lifts into the air, then turns back towards the ground. The guards shriek as she lets go sending them sliding face first into the mud by a nearby mining shaft.

With no compound force field to keep him out, Shae lands next to the guards who have no more fight in them. Before eying a few of his own to pick on. He charges forward with a blurring speed and gets into the fray.

Teepin chirps in on the team's com signal. “You guys keep saying it like I'm not skilled at this.” While Seerco had been taking down the tower, Teepin was using his fire controlling ability to attack the guards weapons as he hovered meters above the ground. His flames were super heating their guns. The were exploding as the guards dropped them to the ground. They were then being herded together by a wall of flame that was fully under his control. “No one got hurt.” a guard shrieks as the flames lick out at him. “Well, not seriously.”

The sky above the shattered dome began to fill. The shadows from the small fleet of transports cast down on Teepin catching his attention. He looked up as his feet dropped him to the ground. The white from his eyes began to fade causing the flames to subside. He sees his two teammates walking triumphantly towards him as Soldiers wearing the seal of The Planetary Alliance drop to the ground. The wind of the now hovering transports causing dirt to fly all over. He turns to walk towards them, but pauses to look at the thirty or so shocked and half burnt guards he had corralled. “Stay,” he says to the group as Alliance troops drop to the ground around them to take them into custody.

Spitting out his cigarette butt, he instantly puts another in and lights it, simultaneously Shae and Seerco walk up. “Not bad, not bad at all guys. Of course, I did all the stressful work. Again.”

“Oh. Again hugh?” Seerco jests at him with a sardonic nod. “Head back in the game gentlemen. The trio turned to look at the compound's main building. It was untouched and unscathed. All their intel stated that their mark was inside. That's where the real challenge would lay. All of Darlos' best defenses were said to have been put up to protect him personally.

Shae looked right at his fellow teammates. They were like him. Tetras. People that were born with genetically higher potential than that of normal people, or as they were called, Alphas. The beginning of humanity. They were the next step. And they had come together to form a team. They were a Kahn.

Teepin spoke up, smoke trailing from his mouth. “I'm gonna need a shower,” he sniffed at himself in obvious fashion. A nearby soldier looked up at this, but Teepin didn't seem to notice. Seerco and Shae both let out a small grin. “Yeah, I need a shave too. Shae, can I borrow your razor when this is done?”