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"Gah, this place is a dump."

"Yeah, just be glad you can't smell it."

"Why is that?"

"Urine, lots and lots of urine."

"Ah, lovely." Krill muttered making his next movements very tender against the dark clattering metal as if he could avoid stepping in anything unsavory. Beside him, a rather scruffy human appeared from the shadows, "scruffy" with an overgrown haircut, five o-clock shadow, eyepatch and an army jacket that had seen better days.

Commander Vir blended in surprisingly well with the grungy understreets of noctropolis. The city was Less of a city, and more like a series of tunnels bridges and rickety buildings built on and into the side of a cavernous rift in the ground. Once upon a time, the Tesraki had begun serious mining operations on the border moon's surface causing some serious scars in the landscape which was then filled with the teaming underground life that the most unsavory humans bring with them.

Noctopolis was located on the furthest edge of the Milky Way galaxy, and seeing as the GA was based out of Andromeda, it was a very difficult moon to police. The UNSC had attempted to take over operations on the moon but had found only limited success considering their military had only been operating in space for the past few years. They didn't have enough manpower to undergo such an operation, so the moon itself was left mostly unpoliced. Since then it had become home to the most unsavory of the Tesraki, the Drev, and the humans having enough economically or emotionally in common that they at least tolerated each other.

What understanding they had of the border moon had begun with the banning of interspecies relationships almost a year past. Since Noctopolis wasn't particularly well policed, may counter culture groups had made their home here. While many of them were decent people attempting a little privacy away from the eyes of the law, other less savory groups had taken an opportunity to stake their claim.

The streets about them were littered with trash and abandoned cardboard and metal scraps. Their greatest source of light leaked down from the lively redlight district above, not only called that because of what it offered, but because it actually did bost a series of bright neon lights that could be seen across the city.

"Wanna tell me why I'm here again. This is kind of a Sunny and Vir thing."

Commander Vir propped himself casually up against a wall slouching inside his jacket collar turned up against the sour wind blowing up from the cavern vanishing into darkness below, "Sunny had to finish requisitioning our new weapons system, besides, i thought it was about time you and I hung out. We haven't done anything together as friends in a while."

"Ah yes, just how I prefer social bonding, Loitering through piss covered streets with an eyeless legless hobo."

"Rude." The human muttered glancing quickly around a corner.

Krill let the question drop instead moving onto the next topic of conversation, "Wanna tell me why we aren't working with local law enforcement?"

The human dodged past a leaking pipe and the resulting black puddle, "Well there are a few reasons. If I plan on getting close to this drug ring, or even the suppliers, I can't have the smell of the feds one me, second is that the policing system here is only partially overseen by the UN, mostly they supply their own officers and their own laws. There are serious rumors about law enforcement corruption, but that can be expected considering the kind of people that hang out here. And then there is the issue of ease of access to fingerprinting and DNA systems. Mine have been temporarily removed from the system for this operation because the dealers tend to check before the sell, but if i was working with local law enforcement my identity might be leaked."

Together they stepped onto one of the rickety bridges spanning the cavern. Krill tried not to look down into the gaping bottomless chasm spanning downwards into darkness tinted with the red haze cast from the neon reflection of the city.

"Why is this such a big deal anyway. Why waste you on a project like this."

Commander Vir stepped off the edge of the bridge holding it steady for Krill as he followed.

"Because this guys are linked to the human hormone market." Krill was a bit surprised. He had heard about the issue months ago. Certain species, the Tesraki and the Drev especially had neurotransmitter systems similar to that of a human, though somewhat dampened and were affected by the use of injected dopamine and adrenaline. On the street they had taken names like Dopie, Daddy, Addie, Joy Juice, and some other strange names. The biggest issue with the use of human chemicals as drugs is that even a single dose of the stuff could fry the circuits for any nonhuman taken in any sort of significant dose. In humans it occasionally meant sickness or even mental illness, but in aliens it could mean permanent flat affect or the inability to feel fear. The other issue was how the dealers got it, usually it involved kidnapping and harvesting the chemicals from humans, since many times the analogue drugs humans made for themselves didn't have an effect on aliens.

Krill shivered at the thought, and stepped through a tight alleyway just ahead of the Commander, who had to turn sideways to fit through the narrow space. He didn't like fieldwork, at all, but having a human with you was one way to make you feel safe. The only creature that a human might not be able to fight off was a Drev, but even then there was still a possibility.

Together they cut across another street and towards their destination. They had managed to squeeze some information from the only informant still alive on the street, and that had been an address. At the back of the property they found a door padlocked shut though it had recently been cut.

Commander Vir held open the door and shoved inwards leading them into a long, dark hallway lined with debris. Krill stayed behind him as they made their way into the darkness jumping at every sound.

Ahead of him, the commander had removed an energy pistol from the band of his pants. Krill didn't bother to point out to him, that it was difficult to believe he wasn't law enforcement when he handled a weapon like that.

He held Krill back and then nudged one of the doors inward clearing the room with a quick sweep from corner to corner even stepping out to check behind the door. Krill peered in as the Commander grunted, "Just what we were looking for."

Krill peered around his legs and then paused, "Uh...." The room was filled from floor to ceiling with strange glowing tanks of liquid a pale greenish in color. The ambient light gave the room a rather eerie glow. A glow that highlighted the strange instruments and free floating tubes with sinister intent. Nothing was currently in the tanks, but Krill shivered knowing what they would have held if they had been filled.

Human bodies.

The tanks cast much of the room into shadow, and Commander Vir took cover crouching behind one of the tank consoles. Krill followed him taking cover behind the human's back. He didn't see what the man was so worried about there was one here. The human tilted his head listening intently scanning around the room. Krill was just beginning to speak when the man pushed him back hissing, "RUN!"

But before he could even take a step in another direction, he saw a flicker at the side of the room, and commander vir was lit up with at least ten points of green light all trained on his chest.

"GET ON THE GROUND."

"PUT YOUR HANDS UP."

"DROP THE GUN."

"DON'T MOVE."

Commander Vir reacted while Krill was still on the floor standing from behind his cover and stepping into the room. The Energy pistol clattered to the floor as he held his hands out to his sides.

"GET ON THE GROUND!"

Lights flashed all around them, and the room was illuminated by a painful burst of light and an eruption of movement. Men appeared from nowhere dressed in black tactical gear, faces and eyes completely obscured. Commander Vir was thrown face first onto the floor with at least three kneeling on his back.

Two came after Krill who squealed, to high pitched to be heard by the humans.

"GIVE US YOUR HAND!"

"GAH! Yes, yes just stop pulling and I will!. Shit.... I'm lying on it, let me up for a- OUCH!" From where he was being pinned to a wall, krill heard the ratcheting of handcuffs momentarily surprised not to hear the initiation of energy restraints.

"Shit, that's really tight.... Ahh... I can't feel my hands."

"STOP RESISTING."

"I'M NOT RESISTING, I HAVE A PROSTHETIC AND YOUR STEPPING ON IT!" That didn't do him much good as Krill heard the sharp thud, crack of someone being hit over the head. Krill understood what the captain meant about NOT being policed by the UN. Krill had meat peace officers on earth before, and while they could act the same, they generally had reason be reasonable to them and they would probably be polite to you.

Commander Vir was dragged to his feet hands wrenched painfully behind his back and pinned against the wall as they searched him, "Anything on you gonna poke me or stick me."

"No, no."

"You got ID?"

Commander Vir paused, "I.... well no." One of the other officers ran a scanning device over his body, but it beeped negative.

"No implants." Krill cursed internally.... They should have thought about that when they temporarily cancelled his ID....

"No ID, you know that's illegal, don't you." The one officer said, sticking his hand into another pocket.

"I can explain. I work WITH you guys I-"

"No badge, no ID ... and ah, what is this." Krill felt his heart sink as he watched the man pull the Adrenaline and dopamine sample from the Commander's pocket. He held it up in front of the Commander's face, "And what is this."

"That.... Isn't mine." He said lamely

The man pulled down the front of his mask one eyebrow raised, "Ah not yours eh.... Let me guess these are your friends pants, and you're just borrowing them. You had no idea they were there. Oh oh, I know, you were just delivering them for a friend you don't know what they actually are." He reached into another pocket, "Oh and what is this." Commander Vir groaned and leaned his head against the wall.

The small baggie of white powder was held up before him, "What is this gonna be, Cocaine, Meth, Heroine. You been trading a little Addie for a fix."

In fact they actually HAD traded the drugs for information, along with a tracking device. Humans can't use dopamine and adrenaline like other species can, so they traded it for the classic stuff.

"You can test me, I'm not high, I'm not a drug addict, I am also not who you think I am."

"And who are you?"

"My name is Commander Adam Vir with the UNSC. I was sent here to HELP."

They did not seem in any way convinced, "You have proof of that "Commander". Look I saw the guy once, and he wasn't half as fugly as you, also he was taller."

Commander Vir yelped in indignation as they began patting him down for the second time, "Who you calling fugly you-" He bit his tongue, "I'm sorry OFFICER but I had my implants discontinued for this operation. Just look at me I'm missing an eye and a leg and im 6,2 just like the man you say I'm not, and I also let my hair grow out. GIve me five minutes on the phone and I'll call my superiors for you."

"Uh huh, because they'd have the fleet commander down here crawling through the dirt after narcos and tweakers. This is the army officers sit behind their nice shiny desks and let other men die for them." Commander Vir was pulled away from the wall, "What are you his junki cousin, a brother?"

"I told you who I am."

"Someone check the bug, see if he has ID."

Krill stiffened as a wand was run over him, "Nothing sir. That's strange, usually don't see their kind around here."

"I get my phone call, don't I."

"What do you think this is the 2000s. The hormone crisis is a level 5 threat, and we are not obligated to provide you with anything."

"I'm pretty sure I still get a lawyer."

Commander Vir was hauled to his feet and marched bodily towards the door, "Yeah but you'll have to get one flown in unless you want a Tesraki, and I wouldn't trust one of those bastards as far as I can throw them.... Uh disgusting little bats." Commander Vir seemed almost irked at the use of the slur. Humans had a habit of that, they had a slur for each of other species weather it be bug, beetle, bat, dino, or just the general use of the word freak.

They were dragged outside, and around to where the vehicles had been hidden. Commander tripped more than once over the cheap prosthetic he had used to augment his look, and every time he was dragged painfully back to his feet. Krill wasn't treated much better though he only received one of the human officers. Krill were thrown in the back of a cruiser with bars and energy shields over the windows. Commander Vir was thrown against the front of the vehicle, "As of now, you'll be charged with the possession of illegal substance, intent to sell, failure to identify, unlawful possession of a firearm, and resisting arrest."

"What! I didn't resist, and I DID identify myself. It's not my fault you won't believe me."

"Someone get a spit shield on him."

"What, I." He was pinned even more forcibly against the hood as a female officer secured, a GA issued muzzle over his face. They had developed those after realizing what human spit could do to certain species, and what the human voice could do to others. Once on, The officer flipped the dial, cutting off the Commander mid protest.

Once done, he was thrown into the back with Krill gagged and restrained. Kril felt as if he was going to pass out, or just go right ahead and die. They had been captured by human authorities that even Commander Vir couldn't talk down, and the ones that weren't nearly as understanding as they were on earth.

Things could only get worse.