“I’m still surprised they let us down here.” Dane tapped a nearby rock with the tip of his boot, sending it scurrying down a small dip to join its equally uninteresting brethren clustered in the shadowy corner of the rocky corridor. “Doubly so that we didn’t get an escort.”

“I think the half dozen warships in orbit might have something to do with it,” Dynem replied with a ripple of his scaly hood. It was a running joke amongst the crew that the Selayan officer spent his days practising the minute muscle adjustments that produce the effect just to unsettle junior officers. A grain of truth existed in the rumour, but here amongst the smooth carved surfaces of the Velantri moon, the twitching was decidedly more reflexive than intentional.

“Nervous Dynem?” Dasranika smiled as she flitted her eyes towards the man’s mottled hood.

“Are you not?” He responded quietly, his brow narrowing as he peered into the darkness ahead of them. “There could be anything down there, including a trap.”

Dane lifted his tricorder towards the umbral void before them, where the paltry light of the dimly glowing scones gave way to deep and endless darkness.

The trio held their breath as it chirped innocently.

“Nothing on scans,” he finally announced. “No sign of anyone.”

“There is something there,” Dynem hissed sibilantly as he started into the void.

“Maybe we need to contact the Concord Envoy, perhaps we got turned-”

“There is no need to contact the Envoy.” A voice growled from the shadow, like metallic chain links grinding across weary stone surfaces. “I am sorry for the delay.”

The foothills of a dark, muscular mountain peeked out from the shadow’s edge, ending in one massive clawed hand whose fine bronze scales caught in the low glow of the orb haphazardly pinned to the stone wall. The scales were familiar, like layers of finely crafted metallic armour that shimmered in the faintest of lights. Similar to the Envoy but duller, more burnished like an overly handled brass key. Above it, a large purple eye hovered in the unervining twilight, set into a great crocodilian head.

“Are you Nysstiss?” Dane asked, pushing past a simian instinct to turn and flee from the hulking reptilian form. They could only catch a glimpse of his body, and his mind raced as to what the rest of the miner must look like.

“No.” The miner twitched minutely, a sharp subconscious twisting of muscles that caused the long talon-like claws at the tips of his fingers to flex inward. “I have been sent to meet you in his stead.”

“Is there a problem?”

“No. But we do not trust the Concord to honour its promise of allowing you in without supervision. We have learnt our lesson.”

“You think they would lie?” Dane took a step closer to the edge of the encroaching darkness as the sconce flickered minutely, the losing side in its battle against the shadow.

“I know it,” The miner replied coolly as he also took a step forward, towering over the diplomat. The Zelicar’s arm was suddenly the smallest part of him, even though it alone was taller than any of the away team. Dane guessed he must have been more than two and a half metres tall by the way his crest of spines pressed upwards against the stone ceiling as he sloped from the darkness. Across his wide barrel chest, a patchwork of leather and metallic scraps hung loosely, clattering against his scales as he took two massive steps. Dasranika caught her breath before it leapt into a short, sharp intake of uncontrolled surprise.

“You are from Starfleet?” He chewed on the unfamiliar word.

“Yes,” Dane confirmed as he craned his neck backwards to keep the miner’s face in his eyeline.

“The Concord, they told you why we were here?” Dasranika asked from the rear of the group.

“They did, they said the great Federation wished to negotiate on their behalf,” he snarled, revealing twin rows of jagged, intermeshing teeth. “A fool’s errand.”

“Why do you say that?” Dynem added, his hood still twitching nervously.

“Whether by the ship or the blade, we will meet fire. They cannot allow our rebellion to exist.”

“Then why let us down here?”

“They hope to mitigate their loss of assets,” the Zhelicar miner growled.

“The Federation believes that negotiation and diplomacy are the key to everyone’s prosperity,” Dane announced proudly.

“You misunderstand Starfleet. We are not the assets they wish to keep.” He lifted a massive arm, and Dynem leapt for the phaser at his belt, unclicking it from the holster before Dane waved him back with a flick of his wrist.

The Zhelicar smirked and reached an arm out towards the nearby wall. With a curling talon, he scraped it along the nearby wall, carving a trench with a horrifying screech that made Dasranika’s teeth bleed. Within the deep divot, a gentle purple river seemed to ripple in the dim light.

“The dilithium is the asset. Zhelicar are replaceable. This is what they need.” The miner drew his arm back and eyed the three officers warily. “They have no interest in our bodies other than how much dilithium they can lift.”

“Then why let us here in the first place if they will just punish you anyway?” Dynem whispered, giving voice to the thoughts of all three officers.

“Who knows?” The miner shrugged, lifting the continental shelves of his shoulders several feet up and down. “But Nysstiss believes you might be helpful.”

“How so?” Dane asked with a croak, his nerves beginning to falter slightly with the almost palpable strength of the miner’s form looming over him.

“Because you may leave this place with our message.” The miner waved downward into the darkness as he took a massive step into the shadow. “Come, I will lead you to Nysstiss. Watch your step, there is little light in these tunnels.”

The miner began lumbering down the corridor as the trio clicked their wrist torches on and fell into step behind his hulking form.

Ahead of them, the corridor continued hundreds of meters ahead, before disappearing and turning deeper into the stone of the moon.

Dasranika suddenly felt a shudder run up her spine. Her mother had warned her once that the gates to hell would be cold and unforgiving, and she prayed that it wasn’t the devil waiting for them at the end of the road.