Cliff holds the Engineer at gunpoint.

  Avean Engineer
Hey, hey hhhey!!
You think we can talk this through? I think we can talk this through!
Look, I don't even-- I'm not armed! I got no intentions of causing you any kinda problems!

  Cliff Mason
Is that a fact.

  Avean Engineer
Yeah! Yeah, ahhaa, yeah it is!
Even-- look, all those guys you shot? Didn't know 'em. Didn't even care for 'em!
Buncha-- buncha jerks! Ahhaa. Buncha jerks...

  Cliff Mason
You were on their ship.

  Avean Engineer
Hey man, I-- I don't even like the military!
Honestly, I-- I'm just here for the academy credit!
You know my mother warned me, ahhaa, she warned me "don't work for the army, girl, that big bad Mason'll get you" and, ahhaa, look what happens!
That's-- that's funny, right?

  Cliff Mason
Big bad Mason, huh.

  Avean Engineer
Hey, I-- I don't think you're all that bad!! I was just quoting ma, when I--
We blew up your whole planet! I get it! Someone did that to me I'd be pretty mad too!
Totally-- reasonable response.
I-- I don't even go in for all this empire stuff, I think it's-- it's a load of old glorpus, you know? Like why can't we leave all these planets alone?
Ah hah, hah!!

  Cliff Mason
That didn't stop you working for them.

  Avean Engineer
I didn't--!!!
This was the only placement I could find! And--
I'm sorry man, I am! I get it! I get it.
Please, please don't--
Please.
I get it.

  Cliff Mason
...Do you?

  Avean Engineer
I do, I do, I--
I don't wanna hurt nobody.
I don't.
I don't got any quarrel with nobody on this planet.
I just...
I'm scared. I'm so far away, now, and...
I wanna go home, man.
I wanna tell my ma she was right.
Please. Just, I'll do whatever you want. Whatever you say.
I just, I don't-- I don't wanna die. Please.

  Cliff Mason
...





Cliff stares down the Engineer.





  Cliff Mason
If I let you go.
When you get home.
Are you going to tell them about this place?













The Engineer looks back up at him. Her breath is shallow and sharp.





  Avean Engineer
No. I won't.

































  Cliff Mason
You're lying.


Cliff unloads a short burst of bullets into the Engineer. She lets out a halting screech, and then nothing. The blood pools at his feet.

















Cliff's entire body is tense, and the rage still hisses in his chest.







He shuts his eyes and breathes deeply.







He opens his eyes again. It's over. He's calm. He's ready to go home.







He turns to leave. Behind him in the doorway, Coral is watching. She's still as the grave, standing there wide eyed with her hands clasped over her mouth.















Lum says:
Spiderforest comic of the week, round 4.
The theme this week is "Peeling Back the Layers".

Things are always more complicated than they appear on the surface. These stories delve into the myriad layers of the worlds they exist in.

Everyday Epics Everyday Epics - Everyday Epics is about epically quotidian adventures of the many denizens of the continent of the Raised Lands, in the world of Edanh. Featuring responsive comic pages and multi-language dialog.

Foreach
Foreach - Also one of the comics of the week this week. You probably don't need a blurb for this one.