Nutmeg had barely convinced Xacks to let her inside when the hold erupted in a flash of hot metal, as hostile aliens stormed up the wide ramp, firing wildly with an array of different weapons. With a fluid motion, Xacks pulled Dana behind him while simultaneously pulling Scott's Shrapnel gun free of its holster, aiming at the first soft looking target, he let loose a blast, sending the wounded creature scurrying away. The gun had been perfect for their outing, completely unknown to the local inhabitants and easily concealed, but in an open battle Xacks instantly longed for something heavier. As they backed up into cover he called for ClickClack, filling another of their unwelcome guests with metal as he retreated.

"Friends of yours?" He grinned sarcastically at Nutmeg.

"Not likely." She hissed back at him. "They look like Amaradiocus to me."

"Who the fuck is that?" Xacks gave her a dirty look. "I thought you didn't know them."

"I said they're not my friends."  She shot back  "I didn't say I don't know who they are."

Xacks glared at her, as shards of the crate he was using for cover peppered him. It was not going to last much longer and it was only a matter of time before someone was hit with ricochet or they were over run. Already the enemy were advancing, undeterred by their comrade, still trying to pulling slivers of metal from large gashes in his exposed flesh. With a deafening roar Xacks used the crude weapon to shred the legs of an overly eager intruder, sending him down screaming in alien, as he dragged his sorry torso back down the ramp.

"Fuck this!" Xacks swore as he pulled his tablet free of its pouch and began to close the outer doors.

"Quickl..." Nutmeg started but it was too late as an EMP grenade rolled up the ramp and  bounced into the storage area.

The doors had only just started to move when the pulse hit the electrics and they stopped just shy of closing. Xacks had just enough time to see nutmeg squealing in anguish and frustration before disappearing through the door into the ships common area, almost knocking ClickClack over as she went, leaving them to their fate.

"About fucking time." Xacks smiled to the Crarab, taking the assault rifle she was carrying with his free hand and handing the Shrapnel gun to her for reloading with the other. She took it tenderly with her pink fingers and turned it over a couple of times before creaking a question to the larger bug.

"Don't worry about it." He fobbed her off as he checked the rifle. "Bring me some grenades then."

This was his kind of fight now, a good bottle neck and a full clip, if only he had time for a quick pick me up before he began. Giving Dana a reassuring glance he broke cover, just as the first brave soul appeared in the opening. Xacks fed it a face full of lead, sending splashes of translucent red, spraying into the air, another right behind the first, falling just as fast to his onslaught.

"Take cover in the main room." He yelled in human to Dana. "Get Knapp's gun and cover the door."

With a lower arm he hauled one of the bodies from the ground and waved it across the opening, turning his head as a volley of shots sprayed blood across his arm, it seemed they were a bit trigger happy and not shy of ammo. He tossed the corpse back on the ramp for his friends to see and counting to three, he stepped into the opening, taking a pot shot at the gawking enemy, who it seemed had stopped advancing and were now hiding off to the side due to a lack of cover. He laid a couple of rounds into the side of one, who was too slow to duck out of sight, feeling a sick satisfaction as he heard the shots hit home with a thud. He doubted that the wounds would be fatal, but it was still one less unwelcome guest trying to make his way inside.

Satisfied that the enemy wouldn't be charging in anytime soon, he hit the intercom button.

"Zero, you fuck! We are under attack. Take off now." Xacks kept his voice low despite his aggressive tone. "Zero... Zero..."

"Goddamn piece of shit." He cursed the AI under his breath. "Fucking useless."

With a quick look about he decided that there was fuck all in the hold worth protecting and he made his way to join the others, narrowly avoiding being shot by Dana as he stormed in.

"Where is the pussy?" He called to Nutmeg more than anyone else. "What the fuck is going on?"

She appeared in the doorway coming from the cockpit far too cocky for someone who had fled at the first sign of battle.

"Oh here you are." Xacks taunted her as he reloaded and took the grenade that ClickClack had been holding up to him ever since he had walked in. "I thought maybe you might like to tell us what the fuck is happening?"

"My guess is that you guys have pissed off Amaradiocus." She replied to Xacks in common.

"Who?" Xacks gave her a genuinely confused look, while tilting his head to a weird angle.

"They are Amaradiocus corps." She motioned towards the hold. "We should get out of here before they get backup".

"Some of them wont be getting back up." Xacks snarled switching from common  to English almost without fault. "Someone wake Zero and get us the fuck out of here then."

"I don't understand whats going on." Dana and Nutmeg both relayed the same idea in two languages causing Xacks to throw all four arms up in frustration.

It was Dana who caught on first as she tried to hail Zero through the intercom, while Nutmeg just looked confused.

"Zero.. Zero's gone." Nutmeg stuttered finally.

"What?" Xack advanced on her. "What do you mean gone?"

"I mean, I sent him away." It was clear she was feeling intimidated, like a child who had just lost a sibling at the park. "I saw the pulse grenade and I thought that he would get fried." She shifted nervously. "I mean looking at your ship, I thought, you know... That he wouldn't be shielded. I mean what was I supposed to think?."

"I've never fucking liked you, you little cunt. Do you know what I'm thinking? I'm thinking I should take you outside and open you up." Xacks lost his shit at Nutmeg. "Fuck this shit."

"I thought you were the pilot." Nutmeg made a feeble attempt to appease the bug. "The ship's manifest has you down as the pilot."

"I am the pilot." Xacks yelled. "I'm the pilot, the security, the breadwinner and it seems the baby sitter. So sit down and shut up. We are fucking leaving!"

"Dana, sit down. We will be taking off shortly." He didn't wait for her response, he didn't have the time or patience for it.

Stalking back into the hold he mercilessly emptied an entire clip at the next bravest soul, who had just entered through the frozen doors carrying a shield. Xacks chopped into his ankles and finished him off as he stumbled forward, spraying alien blood through the gap and down the ramp. Without a pause he pulled the pin and tossed a grenade out, not caring where it went or who it killed. The ship was shielded enough that a blast in the open wouldn't do it damage and as long as it kept the cretins from invading while he took off he was satisfied. It had been a long, stressful day and he was getting tired. Right now all he wanted to do was get high and fly his ship the fuck away from here.