Coral
* Hello?

Coral stumbles through the bush with her phone lighting the way.

Coral
* Hello! Space guy!
* I want you to know I'm unarmed, okay?
* I'm here to help, I don't want anyone else to get hurt tonight! Okay?



Coral reveals the Avean Grunt with her phone light. He's hunched against a tree holding his plasma rifle at attention.

  Avean Grunt
DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!

Coral
* Okay! We can chat at a safe distance, that's okay!

  Avean Grunt
I-I-I'M WARNING YOU, I'M ARMED!!

Coral
* I'm a friend! An ally at least.
* You can call me Coral-- uh, Jasper.

  Avean Grunt
...Corala Jasper?

Coral
* ....Yeah okay sure.
* Look, I know you're going through a lot right now.
* But, right now, if we're gonna get you to safety, I really do need you to trust me.
* Okay?

  Avean Grunt
Trust you?? You-- you were with him! I saw you!!

Coral
* I don't like what he was doing back there either!!!
* He and I... we don't see eye to eye, on everything, and on this I'm on your side. Okay?
* I'm with you.
* I... don't want anyone else to die tonight.

  Avean Grunt
So... So what, huh?
You want me to just-- take you at your word?

Coral
* I get it! I get it. I'm a complete stranger, here, you don't know a thing about me.
* But, mate, you gotta understand. Right now?
* I'm your only option.
* I think you know that.
* Cliff... he listens to me, okay? I can get him to stand down. I can get you out of this.

  Avean Grunt
Get me... out?
That. That's a joke.
I'm a grunt, I'm going to die here, I-- I--

Coral
* What's your name?

  Avean Grunt
Wh-- why do you need to know?

Coral
* I don't need to, I'm just askin'. Yeah?

  Avean Grunt
...

  Glard
Glard.

Coral
* Glard.

  Glard Gorpnan
Glard Gorpnan

Coral
* Okay. Okay! That's a. Name.



Glard lowers his weapon some, leans back against a tree. He takes his eye off Coral and lets all the tension spill out his mouth.

Coral
* So. Glard--!

  Glard Gorpnan
Oh... oh Helix. Oh Helix. I ran!
I can't believe I ran, I...

Coral
* Um, hey, it's okay!
* Given the circumstances, that was a canny tactical decision.

  Glard Gorpnan
Was it, though?? I... I just...
Everyone else went down, and, and I, I realized I'm all alone on this planet, and...
Training wasn't like this--!

Coral
* You're not alone, you've got me!

  Glard Gorpnan
H-- you don't get it, I...
I don't have the empire behind me. I can't call for backup, or buy time, or--
I have nothing.
I'm just-- I'm just a grunt, what am I supposed to do...

Coral
* Hey, hey hey! It's okay, mate, it's okay, I'm here.
* You know, I got a friend who's in a situation a lot like yours.
* Her name's Sunny.
* She's a reptile, actually, kinda like you!
* Just, she's got these big yellow stripes instead of feathers.

  Glard Gorpnan
S... Sunny...

Coral
* That's right.
* She's... stuck, somewhere.
* Somewhere scary I can't get to. I wish I could help her.
* And I wonder how scared she must be wherever she is.
* But I know she's gonna be okay. And you know how I know?

  Glard Gorpnan
...

Coral
* Cause she's smart. Cause she's tough.
* Cause she knows how to work together with people who can help her, even when everything... seems...

Coral notices Glard staring in horror at something behind her. She turns around slowly.

  Glard Gorpnan
Aaaa.... AAAAA....

Coral
* ...hopeless...

Cliff is there. He's taken his helmet off but he hasn't dropped the gun. He stares fiercely past Coral, shotgun in hand.

  Cliff Mason
Go home, Jasper.

Coral
* I told you to stay.

  Cliff Mason
I don't want you to see this.

Coral
* Is that for my sake? Or yours!?

  Cliff Mason
GO. HOME.
I am NOT ASKING.

Coral
* Neither am I.

DEBATE START.













Lum says:
Spiderforest comic of the week, round six.
This week's theme is "What Lies Beyond".

Three very different looks at what lies beyond the veil of our own plane.

The Bright Side
The Bright Side - 'The Bright Side' is the story of a girl named Emily who befriends Death. Together, they grow and learn and are forced to challenge everything they think they know...

Numb
Numb - Susan and Levi are childhood friends who have drifted apart. However Levi ends up in an accident that has something else behind it than just careless street crossing. Old strains are being brought up and something sinister is lurking around.

Ash in the Wind
Ash in the Wind - Alexis Brangwyn is a disillusioned college student who has lost interest in the real world until she discovers a mysterious book about a local legend. Seemingly by fate, she gets a chance to investigate the site (with her crush!), but when the two end up lost in another reality, they ask themselves if they truly want to return home. [Ash in the Wind Webtoon Mirror]