A mile beneath the surface of Alpha Prime a Mariedian woman holds her arms tightly around her knees, rocking back and forth, trying not to make a sound. Echoing through the maze of tunnels and shafts is the sound of scratching, a horrible sound, all too familiar. They¹ve sent out the rodents, vile little machines, always seeking, always scratching, always gnawing. It’s not so much the threat of the Deathreavers in and of themselves that incites overwhelming fear, it’s what they bring. The Reavers are sent out as scouts, to crawl into the smallest places, climb over and through the roughly built barriers, and find what they seek. When attacked, the Reavers scatter. If even one of them lives to return to the surface, the Mariedians know they’ll have to abandon their hard-earned shelter and s