With an increasing edge of desperation, Torsha continued to search for a trace of Pell's existence, but her scanners and detection equipment revealed nothing, only an increasing sense of loss and despair at the grim and unavoidable conclusion.

Clinging to her last vestiges of hope, Torsha backtracked to her original arrival co-ordinates in an attempt to ease the mystery. She even re-played the initial flight path of both ISF vehicles via her computers memory system in an effort to plot Pell's trajectory, but it still offered no clues as to her partner's disappearance.
"Oh Goddess, not her, not now," Torsha whispered, "not NOW!"
Pulling her Ident bike into a hard left turn, Torsha tried to coax her brain and fragile memory to open up, to remember every minute detail of the brief and violent conflict.
"Now, with her momentum and this flight path, she would have had to travel down and…" Torsha scoured the landscape, burning her eyes into the features, willing the scenery to provide a clue as to how she should proceed. "…She would have continued along this ridge…" The unmistakable ringing of an EBA (emergency beacon alarm) woke Torsha from her intense vigilance and she gazed with New Hope at the faint signature on her tracking display.
"YES!" She screamed, "Found you!"

Re-aligning her course, Torsha could now see a large plume of grey smoke in the distance, billowing from the ground and the prospect of losing her close friend began to plague her soul again. As she quickly advanced, her tracking systems began to scream in a variety of computerised monotones. Torsha was shocked to find the second Gashellian Surface Skimmer parked neatly beside a large collection of trees, some 200 yards from the source of the fire. Her detection equipment forewarned her of an 'imminent launch' as the Gashellian's 'warmed up' their main drive.

As she flew over the site, Torsha was able to identify the cause of the fire, the highly flammable ingredients within the battery systems of the Ident bike, continued to cast a bright blue hue over the shattered frame and chassis, as flames engulfed Pell's vehicle. Before Torsha could even think, her attention was caught by swift and violent motion to her right. Revulsion, anger, fear and dread fell upon her as she recognised the shape and sheer ferocity of the creature below her. Quickly turning to her right and maintaining a constant vigilance on the frenzied attack, Torsha cast a hesitant glance at her instruments and was dumbstruck to learn of the ground clearance and launch of the second Gashellian ship.
'Caught between a rock and a hard place now!' Torsha thought to herself. She knew implicitly that the Gashellian's were manoeuvring for an attack. With their incredible arrogance derived from the technology at their disposal, the very idea of a safe withdrawal would be ludicrous to the minds of the Gashellians.

Although she couldn't see her, Torsha was certain Pell was somewhere below and, it was becoming blatantly obvious to her, that her friend was being systematically torn apart by a Laynk, and that was something Torsha just couldn't bare thinking about.

A genetic mix derived for the principle piece of entertainment within the Gashellian slave games, the Laynk was created with the emphasis on loyalty, obedience, brute strength and lack of fear. Squat and heavy, with a tapering armoured shell, the Laynk was able to move through the collective use of a multitude of long, muscular appendages that ran the entire length of its body. Similar to a series of Elephant trunks, these 'limbs' could enable the Laynk to travel at speeds in excess of forty miles per hour, they also enabled the creature to catch and position its prey for consumption via its pincer-enshrouded mouth. They could also be used for a variety of 'probing' attacks, much to the dismay of the prey it hunted but more to the enhancement of the depraved ideals of Gashellian entertainment.

Torsha knew that with her bike stationary, she was a sitting duck once the Gashellian Surface Skimmer attacked, but as she positioned herself closer to the writhing, thrashing Laynk, she noticed the bright glare of energy as a pistol fired. Upon closer scrutiny, she finally noticed the unmistakable leg of Pell, trapped underneath and desperately trying to fend off the towering creature. Oblivious to Torsha's advance, the Lanyk continued to thrash at the latest morsel to be placed before its hungry mouth.
Despite the point blank discharge of weapons fire, the Laynk continued its attack. Pushing Pell's legs backward, bending her spine, the Laynk was able to wrap several of its forward appendages around her upper thighs, thereby avoiding a sound kicking by the struggling Pell. Several more appendages were used to pin her arms down, effectively preventing her from firing her sidearm with any degree of accuracy, but whilst caught in this present position, the Laynk was unable to 'take a bite'.

Torsha was so close to the action now, she could hear the grunts and groans as Pell struggled on. Realising that she could hit Pell from her present position, Torsha quickly manoeuvred her bike so that she was directly facing the slavering Laynk. With the speed and grace of a practised Ident pilot, Torsha found herself barely two feet away from the snout of the sickening beast. Pell looked up, incredulous to find the twin air-intakes virtually resting against her head. For the first time during the whole incident, the Lanyk finally realised it was not alone. Sensing the new arrival it looked up and away from its floor bound prey, straight into the gun-sights of Torsha's twin CAB (Complete Atom Breakdown) plasma cannons.
"TORSHA!" Screamed a jubilant Pell, still trapped beneath a mountain of writhing, hungry genetic hybrid. Torsha ignored her friend, safe in the knowledge that she was in no danger of being hit by 'friendly fire', and with that, Torsha's thumb pressed down upon the firing stud with a cool and heartless certainty. Her twin cannons spat deadly fire for the second time that day.
"CHEW ON THIS FUCKFACE!" Torsha yelled as a plethora of bright energy beams cut though the towering creature like a hot knife through butter. All movement ceased throughout its body and it slumped to the ground with a loud thud. Torsha panicked as she heard a loud gasp from Pell as the creature fell upon her, squashing the air from her lungs.
"PELL! Pell, are you alright?" Torsha struggled ineffectively to see if her friend was in serious danger from her present vantage point astride her bike.
"Get this fuckin' thing off me!" Demanded Pell, her voice coarse and small beneath the mighty weight of the still Lanyk. Its black blood, foul smelling and glutinous spilling all over her trapped body.
"PELL…" commanded Torsha, her spirits soaring at her friend's typical and alive response, "Stay still, we're not out of danger yet!"
"WHAT?" Screamed Pell, as she shuddered at the thought of having to remain one second more beneath this foul disgusting creature.

Torsha checked her scanners just in time to see the second Gashellian ship making its final attacking run, high, fast and from behind. Targeting monitors screamed into her ears, alerting her to a 'confirmed enemy lock'. 'It will be microseconds before the Gashellians deliver their own devastating attack', Thought Torsha, as a rising wave of panic began to overwhelm her. With instincts borne of a life-time of dangerous work, she pulled back on her throttle lever, pulled hard on her right steering column and kicked out with her right foot, effectively providing a fulcrum point in which to turn her bike a complete 180 degree standstill turn. Even as the first energy bursts began to fall around her, reaching closer and closer with every strike, Torsha kicked up and held her bike in a stationary upward slant, facing the oncoming Gashellian Surface Skimmer with deadly intent. Bright beams of energy streaked passed her canopy so close, she could feel the heat. She wanted to look away, to avoid staring at the certainty of death, but she kicked her natural instincts into place, smothering them with a cruel determination. With the tiniest of movements, she noticed the Gashellian ship turning to the right, obviously in an attempt to fly around and gain a fresh new line of attack, but Torsha had other ideas. With a mixture of calculated guesswork, instinctive piloting and sheer desperation she released enough power to her engines for a slow left turn, simultaneously releasing her own wave of deadly energy fire. Torsha felt torrid waves of ecstatic relief escalate through her body as each and every shot found its mark. Somehow, someway, she had found the perfect angle and speed to deliver a devastating barrage of fire. At around the 10th strike, the Gashellian Surface Skimmer erupted into a huge fireball of gas, debris and rapidly disintegrating Gashellians. Relief and astonishment enveloped Torsha who began to laugh at the steadily drifting remains of the Gashellian ship.
"TORSHA!" Pell screamed, and with a stunned incredulity at their survival, Torsha turned to extricate her friend from the loathsome tangle of alien limbs.

As she finally managed to remove the last of the limp tendrils from Pell's body, Torsha flinched with shock and concern at the bruised and bloodied upper torso of her prone friend. She nestled down beside her, gently brushing away the vast majority of dirt and rapidly congealing blood from Pell's face.
"Can you move?" Torsha asked, feeling frustratingly impotent.
"H-help me up. I can move". Pell quickly returned. Torsha practically beamed with delight at her show of strength and determination. She gingerly wrapped her arms around Pell's body and lifted her from the ground, Pell hissed though clenched teeth as a fresh new wave of pain raced through her battered frame, but she remained strong and unwavering when she finally stood on her own two feet.
"What happened?" Torsha inquired, desperate for more information as to the chain of events that had led them both to this present situation.
"Ask me later", Pell replied, "Just get me out of here!"
It took some considerable effort to assist her pain stricken friend onto her bike, but finally, Torsha was able to nestle down behind Pell and she engaged the dimension jump drive for immediate departure. As the electrical flow began to build up within the bikes internal structure, Torsha lay her face against the back of Pell's head, and breathed in her distinctive aroma. She buried her features into Pell's auburn hair and gently kissed the back of her skull.
"Hey! I'm in pain here!" Pell stated with a sardonic grin.
"I thought I'd lost you for good!" Torsha replied, surprised and confused at the depth and magnitude of her feelings.
"Hey!" Pell replied, turning to face her saviour, "You ain't getting rid of me that easily you know!" As Pell's broad grin lifted Torsha's spirit's, the air surrounding the two ISF operatives quivered and darkened, the dimension system engaged and the land was returned to it's solitude and tranquillity.

The door slid to one side with a gentle hiss and Torsha peered into the room.
"You took your time!" Came an instant response. Torsha smiled at Pell's quirky attitude but couldn't help but cast her thoughts to the possibility that her friend had been desperate for some company.
"Hey!" Torsha barked indignantly, "I had to do 'two' reports, not one!"
She felt instantly guilty with the use of an accusing tone as she gazed at the multitude of medical equipment currently at work upon Pell's injured body. The room was clinical white, with a collection of folding chairs, aligned plush with the nearby wall. The far wall housed the nerve centre and medical equipment that was hard at work repairing Pell's damaged tissue. A large flat piece of machinery was currently hovering over her chest whilst another gadget was slowly revolving in a tight circular orbit around her head. Transmitting through a series of ultra-sound frequencies, Electro-magnetic pulses and molecular alignment generators, the medical suite systematically traced the DNA structure of the patient and then rapidly manipulated the damaged flesh and bones of the individual to knit together perfectly.
"This is the first time I've been comfortable all day!" Announced Pell with a smug grin. Torsha noticed with a casual glance, the thin white sheet covering Pell's legs and lower body, she also noticed Pells' naked upper torso, slightly hidden by the machinery silently working away.
"What?" Demanded Pell, curious to the scrutiny her fragile body was receiving.
"Nothing!" Torsha innocently replied as she sat down on the edge of the bed. She slowly reached out and let her hand drift over Pell's upper thigh, gently caressing with her fingers, toying with the thin, white sheet.
"H-Hey!" Pell struggled to say, "What have you got in mind?" Her incredulous expression was all the inspiration Torsha needed.
"Can you feel that, or have the pain reducers numbed you completely?"
"I most certainly 'can' feel that", Pell chortled, "but in case you hadn't noticed, I'm receiving treatment here!"
"Oh, of course!" Torsha remarked, feigning ignorance, "It's just your upper body and head that needs attention!" Torsha's hands began to move across Pell's waistline with an increased sense of urgency.
"So I guess with the pain reducers, you're effectively paralysed from the waist up!"
"Torsha!" Pell demanded, "don't you dare!" Despite her protests, Pell could not stop herself from enjoying the moment and the sheer bliss she was experiencing from Torsha's gentle caress. Torsha noticed how Pell was desperately trying to move her arms but was completely immobilised by the NLR (nerve-line reduction) system currently activated to ensure a pain-free stay at the medical station.
"How's that feel?" Torsha inquired, as she brushed her fingers into the deep folds of cloth between Pell's legs.
"Torsha…AHH, I swear…" Torsha smiled to herself as Pell was caught between hysterical giggling and joyous grunts of ecstasy, intermingled with the occasional attempt of brutal, pointless threats.
"Torsha…NNN…Ah, ha ha. That's not fairrrr…Torsha!" Torsha giggled and pressed home with her sensual attack.

Swiftly pushing the thin white sheet to one side, Torsha's eyes were greeted with Pell's perfectly smooth, naked and defenceless pussy. She brushed the tips of her fingers across the delicate folds of skin and Pell let out a miniature yelp of joy. Slowly, Torsha began to use the palms and thumbs of her hands to knead Pell's clitoris as if it she were making fresh bread, back and forth, back and forth, kneading and pressing. Pell's legs were moving everywhere in virtually useless attempts to stymie the flow of pure bliss running through her dulled senses.
"Oh Goddess, that's good! Ha Haaa Ha Ha Ha, that is so good!" Pell was practically hysterical and Torsha wondered if her loud outbursts would bring a member of the medical team running to investigate.
"Anyone comes in here, and they're dead!" She silently murmured, hoping that Pell would catch her drift and quiet down. Instantly, Pell bit her lip and tried to focus on some distant point in space.

Torsha was fascinated by the way the pain reducers had been localised so specifically, Pell's head, shoulder's, arm's and chest were practically motionless but she still had the ability to move her mouth and eyes. Torsha watched transfixed as Pell's eyelashes flickered, her lips parting to draw in deep breaths. She looked down the length of Pell's well-toned body to see how her pussy was fairing up to her continuous assault. Already the folds of her clitoris were opening and Torsha could see deep into her vagina, moisture glistening on her skin. She pushed both of her thumbs into the warm dark recess and Pell let loose with a long, drawn out moan of acceptance and satisfaction. Torsha's hands started to move faster and faster, Pell's breathing coming loud and strong now. Torsha couldn't resist any longer, proudly pressing the outer folds of Pell's clitoris open with her thumbs, she leaned forward and began to lick and fondle her labia with her tongue. Pell wailed, Torsha dragged her tongue across the length and breadth of Pell's wet passage.
"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Pell murmured between the gasps of air she was trying to breath in, her hips and legs were thrashing from side to side and Torsha had to reach across with her left arm in order to subdue the frantic motion from her climaxing friend. Torsha was reaching deeper and deeper with her tongue, her teeth practically biting at Pell's urethra. Her right hand was continually flexing the skin and folds of flesh at the mouth of Pell's vagina whilst her tongue was on a quest to find the furthest spot 'within' Pell's vagina and Pell herself was a writhing mass of energy because of it.
"OHH, OH, OH, AH, AH, AH!" Torsha noticed the change to Pell's tone and the increased vibrations within her body, and she wickedly increased the speed of her sexual attack. She flattened her face with a fierce pressure against Pell's clitoris whilst doubling the momentum of her hand, making it blur across her vision and a creating a torrent of ecstatic pleasure coursing through Pell's pleasure zones.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Pell was screaming, but neither was concerned about intruders now, Pell's moment was on its way and nothing was going to stop it.

Torsha had to fight in order to keep pace with Pell's hips as she bucked and writhed, somehow managing to maintain a constant supply of rhythmic pressure applied. The salt against Torsha's taste buds was slowly being replaced by something sweet and she quickly looked up to see Pell's head collapse against the pillow with a final climactic outburst.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The cry was long and plaintiff, incredulous and relieved, arduous and exultant and Torsha smiled at her success. A warm explosion of sweet nectar erupted from the depths of Pell's body and Torsha revelled in it's torrential outpouring, letting it cascade against her face, her lips, her mouth and down her throat. Torsha lifted her head up from Pells' soaking pussy and began to gently soothe Pell's trembling body with tiny soft caresses with her fingers. Pell began to breathe with a more relaxed pattern, her entire body glistening with a fine sheen of sweat. Torsha moved further up the bed so that she could see Pell's face, her joyous smile said it all. Torsha lightly kissed her lips and brushed away the drops of sweat that threatened to flood her eyes.
"How was that?" Asked Torsha, as a wicked grin swept her features. Pell had to take a gulp to moisten her parched mouth before replying.
"OHHHHH!" She replied with a trace of sincere foreboding, "You're for it when I get out of this contraption, you wait and see!" Pell's malicious tone was instantly softened by the widening smile that caught her face, 'that infectious smile', thought Torsha, and a grin began to spread upon her own features. She felt she had to say something, it had been so long since she had last enjoyed herself in another person's company, she felt the moment need a comment, no matter how small or silly.
"You make me smile". Was all she could say.
"Torsha!" Inquired Pell,
"What?"
"You're going to have to kiss me as I can't move to reach you remember!"
Torsha took hold of Pell's immobilised head and caressed her lips with a long and loving kiss.

End of Chapter 3