“Me too, droid! My armour can match what’s on my skin, but it’s forbidden during operations.” Carthage sighed, hefting her murderous little weapon and walking on. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to  that, Nirann. Let’s get going.” 595 chuckled in response to the imposing metal figure.

They advanced through the lakeside forest in dead silence. They were tightly packed together to avoid being picked off, apart from Rareth, and kept their weapons trained at all trees within a few metres of their formation. However they needn’t have bothered; the tree all remained perfectly statuesque, not taking the slightest bit of notice.

As they neared the far end of the basin, the trees thinned out. The team clambered carefully up a rock fall and then scaled the sheer cliffs two at a time. A slight breeze was wafting the humid air when Thebes completed their ascent.

They were on the right side of a rushing rapid. White foam coursed along the top of the water as it careened down a sharp slope and into the basin below. The path they were on wasn’t heading directly at the bright light on the mountainside, but there weren’t any other options immediately available. Smooth canyonsides loomed up on either side. “Let’s go.” Thebes ordered.