Relda stooped low, and Bria clung to her mother. Relda steadied Bria upright, but Bria collapsed in her arms again.
"It hurts," she said.
Relda shifted. She placed her arm around Bria's shoulders. Bria leaned against Relda.
"To the carrier," she said, tugging Bria to move that direction.
"I've got the map," Ozla announced.
Elsewhere, Klea, Tayla, Asia, Noah, and Shilah gunned down Dialorian patrol guards and shoved the bodies out of the way. Klea jogged to Hunley's cell. She stumbled forward, and her weight against the cell door made a thud. She moved her body until alertness returned.
She tapped in the combination with anxious anticipation. She could only hope the master code would unlock the cell.
N377A.
It flashed green, and notified her that access had been granted. The egg-shaped door made its normal hissing sound and unsealed.
"Come on," she urged. "Ozla has a map accessed. I think so anyway."
Hunley rose to his feet while Tayla freed Brade, Asia freed Saige, Noah freed Rhea, and Shilah freed Skyla. Klea ran behind them.
"Kylen!" She called.
"Right here," came a shaky, pipsqueak voice.
Klea punched in the code that accessed her cell.
"My sister Annika is going to adopt you," she said. I'm Klea Tenner."
Tayla accessed another door, and Anya rushed out. At the same time, Noah released Sariah, and the four girls gathered around Klea and Kylen.
"Come on," Tayla ordered. "We'll introduce ourselves later."
Ozla looked around the base and spotted the vacant tramcar. Below, double aluminum doors were secured by a passcode lock. She typed in the code.
"Klea, bring Kylen here," she said. "And Tayla, you with Saige and the triplets. Asia will take Sariah, Hunley, and Brade to the carrier.
She smiled down at Acelynn and Silas.
"Come with us."
While they boarded, Relda, Raylay, Ty, and Bria congregated at the entrance.
"Once we're at the transports, keep in contact with the others," Relda instructed.
Around and above them, the carrier and tram docked. Moments later, the crew dashed through the base entrance.
The home ship was still open, and somewhere between the base and the ship, an oblong transport filled the sky.
"What in the name of…?" Raylay muttered.
A viewing screen enlarged in the bottom of the approaching ship. A green and blue creature with long blue locks of hair waved.
"More Dialorians," Ozla grumbled.
"We are friends," the creature announced. "I am High Council Nessa from Akron. Quadrant 2. These are my friends and the members of my council, Maz, Scion, Skyla, Eklun, and Elektra."
Five young adults showed up on the screen.
"There's two Skylas?" Skyla said, awestruck.
Ozla put her hand on Little Skyla's shoulders.
"We're here to help," Nessa concluded. "We'll teleport you aboard."
"Yes, please." Ozla said. "There are fifteen adults and adolescents and ten children."
And a tractor beam surrounded the crew.