Geren awoke with a start. He looked around in confusion. He was in a large red tent, with luxurious couches and plush chairs. Soft light shone in through the open flap. Geren got to his feet, stumbling a little. He realized then that his shoulder wasn't hurting. He had been laying on a soft cushion on the ground. He hadn't even been tied up. He walked to the open flap and peered out. He appeared to be in the middle of a Martian desert. A long line of tents ran down each side of a small sandy patht. The wind howled, making the tents shift. He cautiously looked around. No guards. No people of any kind. Geren stepped out onto the path. "Going somewhere?" a voice asked. Geren whirled around, grabbing for his shotgun. Belatedly, he realized that they had taken it. He looked up to see a man, dressed in armor, with a scarf around his neck. The man laughed and approached. "A little slow on the uptake, I see. If I didn't know better, I'd say you're getting old." the man said in a thick Mexican accent. "Juan, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" Geren yelled. "You deserved it, after trashing best Frame." Juan replied, his growing dark. "If you're using Frames to do your work, I'd say you're the one who's getting old." Geren replied, his fist tightening. Both men glared at each other, then burst out laughing. "You really had me goin' there! I thought you were gonna kill me because I trashed your Frame!" Geren laughed. "Ha, I should! But we are friends. I not kill you today." Juan said. "Come, I show you something." He turned and walked away. Geren followed, suspicious. Juan was a rival freelancer who had been Geren's backup for years. He and Juan didn't part on good terms, but they were never officially enemies. Geren followed Juan to a large white tent. Inside, Myra Moron, Sully, and Soren sat on chairs, surrounding a large table. They all stood as he entered. "Juan, you better have a good reason for kidnapping my crew." Geren said. Juan laughed. "I was only protecting my territory, Mi amigo. But I have to ask, why are you here?" He asked. "I could ask you the same question." Geren responded. "Ahh... But I asked first!" Juan replied. Moron sat forward. "We receiv..." he began. Geren gave him a withering look. Moron closed his mouth. "Let me guess. You received a encrypted message from an unknown source, telling you that you would have untold riches if you killed a very important prince. You found his energy trail among Saturn's rings and followed it here." Juan said. The entire crew's jaws hung open. "How did you kno...?" Sully began. Myra elbowed him in the gut. "Say you're right. That we did get a message." Geren said. "That doesn't explain why you are here or why you captured us." "Because, mis amigos, I got the same message. In fact, the entire bounty hunting community got the offer." Juan replied. Geren cursed himself inwardly. How could he have been such a fool, to think that someone had picked him and his crew above everyone else? "Did you find where Uldren crashed?" he asked suddenly. "Yes." Juan said. "But there was nothing but a crater. The trail ends here." Suddenly, from outside came the sound of shouting voices. Explosions rocked the encampment, throwing them all to the ground. Juan struggled to his feet. Geren ran to the tent flap and flung it open. The last thing he saw was a wall of flame heading towards him, and the world turned to fire.