Across the evening sky, streaks of what appeared to be blue fireballs rapidly approached the ground, screaming loudly as they sailed through the air. Primitive wildlife honked and screeched in alarm, scattering as the objects slowed and cooled, coming to a stop over the tree tops. After a brief pause, they descended, and began to fold apart, coming to a stop half a metre off the ground. The Sisters on each Matron were the first to disembark, floating off and replacing their empty gravity field with one of their three weapons. After all, they were more important, and would be the only one to interact with the Piece, should it be found. Then, the Matrons each fell, hitting the ground with a loud thud, and standing up to full height.

Out of nowhere, a large bear-like reptile came running on two legs into the clearing, snarling and roaring with it's four eyes fixed on the nearest Matron. It lifted a claw high, and brought it down on top of the Matron's head, sending it reeling backwards and reverberating a high pitched squeal. It's companion was swiftly on the creature, and speared it through the chest with a blade, right through the creature's chest. It let out a choked, pained sound, before the machine finished it by severing it's head clean off with a second blade, and withdrawing it's previous weapon. The beast fell, dead in a pool of it's own thick yellow blood and bile, and the group quickly scanned their surroundings for more attackers, the injured Matron buzzing weakly from the impact. When all was clear, they all lifted back up slightly into the air, and soared through the trees, towards their destination.

----

The cave was not natural, and seemed to be a large access tunnel that dropped straight down into the very planet. An ancient relic, long before the dreaded accident that befell the Ethereals. All of their troops floated down for many minutes, before reaching the bottom and entering the actual facility. It would take them time to open the heavy blast doors, but that would not be an issue, for it seemed the planet was not inhabited, at least according to their initial recon. Nothing would stop them from retrieving the Heart, after all.

But inside, was something that could not have planned for. Something that could very well undo the entirety of their plans, slumbering quietly, awaiting this very moment to be released. The Warden would not give up it's prisoner without a fight.