Coming his way. And they were armed.
Technical Interference.
Jedriek grimaced.The eclipse created havoc in his scanners. Or it was their underground position and the natural minerals. Either. Or both. It didn't matter.
Someone was coming, and they were getting closer to the two of them.
Exact number cannot be determined.
There would likely be morethan what the system detected.
One of the reasons Jedriek chose to hide in the underground was because the natural metals in the rock kept them protected from most scanning.
Not to the extreme that a cloaking device would hide them, but enough that it would take sensors longer to find them.
His systems detected someone down there, but he couldn't get a read on them. Rumor had it, the Terrans had been working on cloaking technology. If the Terrans had cloaking technology for soldiers, then it would make everything that much more difficult.
Lots of factors prevented him from knowing what was coming. Jedriek needed to figure out a way to get an accurate reading on how many were out there very quickly. For his sake, as well as hers.
Eleanor had dressed in a simple jumper and found a dagger. She held it in her hand. Not with the best grip, but at least she was armed.
He appreciated her enthusiasm, but it did not matter. They would not get past him.
"How many are there?" she asked.
"Four for certain."
"And for not certain?"
He glanced at her. Her lip trembled.
"It does not matter. They will not pass."
She took a few steps toward him. "Maybe if I spoke to them? Proved that everything was all right, maybe they would, uh, walk away?"
He shook his head. "Or take you to a secondary location to kill you."
She grimaced. "They're my people. They shouldn't--"
This was not the time for this discussion. He needed her safe, not trying to negotiate. "Your people tried to shoot you out of the stars. And then sent mercenaries to kidnap and kill you."
"You're right, I know. I just--"
"I know. No one likes to believe the ones they trust would betray them."
She took position next to him.
His scanners alerted him that they were getting closer. "Stay behind me," he said and gestured back.
"How do I help?"
He pointed to the medical scanners. "See if you can find a way to count how many Terrans are here."
She blinked. "But these scanners are for medical. And I thought the eclipse blocked any scans and things."
"See what you can do."
She grumbled something about not having a Freya, whatever that was. Nonetheless, she tried to use the medical devices on the far wall to scan.
