Kel was loading up his mining sled when Joash showed up.

"Which ya doing?" Joash asked as he peered over the side of the sled.

"Getting ready to do some mining. We are getting low on our precious metals and jem stones. Thought I would go try and find some. There is a new tunnel started and it looks promising.

Joash started to scramble up the side of the sled only for Kel to reach over and plunk him off and set him gently on the ground.

"Slow down, you'll get a chance to do mining. But only when you are bigger." Kel admonished the small red Belemoid whelp.

"But I am bigger!" Joash said with a pout. Kel just chuckled. "Tell you what. When you can look into the sled without having to climb it first then I will take you mining."

"Oh alright. Can I help you at least?" Joash asked hopefully.

"Sure kid. I have a list you can grab what you can and bring it out here." Kel said as he handed a piece of paper to Joash.

Just then two other colonists came through the open door. Aristaeus and Ramsey. They looked like they were deep in conversation.

"What's going on?" Kel asked once Joash disappeared into the storage room. He could hear him moving stuff around.

"Aristaeus here says it's too dangerous right now to go mining. And I just told him that we should be fine. We are not going very far. But he is insisting that he goes along." Ramsay said as he jabbed a sharp claw toward the blue and white Tsabhua. It was then that Kel saw the blaster at Aristaeus' side.

"Well if you think it's necessary then I welcome more hands." Kel said.

Just then Joash came out of the storage room with a box under one arm and rope tangled all around the whelp.

Kel quickly unwrapped the whelp then gently told me to go home. Then the three adults left for the mines.

Maddison grew restless. Ever since the door had been opened they had unwelcome guests coming to their living place. Trespassers! All of them! There was a small portion of the volcanics who were thinking they should bring the battle to them. And Maddison had to agree. It was time to take the battle to the outsiders.

She crept along a passage that would get her to the top. The farther away she got the cooler the passage walls became. The dirt beneath her grew cold and lifeless and was strewn with large rocks. She passed a large crack in the wall and heard voices coming from it.

She stopped and put her ear to it.

"Aristaeus wait, you're holding it wrong. Here let me show you."

"You know this was your idea, Ramsay. I am only here for your protection not to learn how to properly hold a pick."

"Will you two stop arguing. The quicker we fill up the sled the quicker we can leave."

"Yes Kel," came two voices from the other side.

Maddison tested the wall and found that it was not as thick as she thought it would be. If she pushed hard, especially next to the crack she could punch her way through. And the thought of seeing the others' faces when the wall disappeared was all it took. Maddison rammed into the wall. The crack widened then the wall next to it crumbled away into a small cloud of dirt and dust until there was a large enough hole for Maddison to run through.

She quickly saw her three opponents. One of which was in the middle of digging out a rather large ruby and had stopped to look in her direction. The other two she had seen before.

She didn't give them any time to react. She gave a mighty roar and charged.

Aristaeus grabbed his blaster and took aim. He fired and a glowing purple light spat from the blaster. It missed but barely. Maddison could feel the heat of its passing across her hide.

The smaller of the two, Ramsay, spun around but didn't have time to do much before she plowed into him.

He tried to slash her with his long claws and wriggle out from underneath her. But she was not having it.

It was then that she felt the cold hard metal of the blaster against her head.

"I suggest that you yield." He growled out.

She saw Kel leave the ruby and walk toward her. The pickaxe held loosely at his side.

She groaned. She had not planned this well.