Betrayal

Sarah and her team stopped in their tracks, staring in shock at the armed men in front of them. They were all wearing the insignia of the Lunar Defense Force (LDF), the military branch responsible for securing the moon's resources and protecting the interests of the moon's colonizers.

"What's going on here?" Sarah demanded, her heart racing.

The leader of the group, a tall man with a stern expression, stepped forward. "Dr. Park, I'm Captain Rodriguez of the LDF. I'm afraid I have some bad news. Your mission has been terminated."

"What? Why?" Sarah asked, her mind racing with possibilities.

"I'm not at liberty to say," Rodriguez replied. "But I'm afraid I must ask you and your team to return to Earth immediately. You'll be placed under quarantine for the foreseeable future."

Sarah felt a surge of anger and frustration. She had worked for years to get this mission off the ground, and now it was being shut down without any explanation.

"Captain, we need to know what's going on," she said. "We can't just leave without understanding why our mission has been terminated."

"I'm sorry, Dr. Park, but that's not possible," Rodriguez said, his tone firm. "Your orders are to return to Earth immediately."

Sarah opened her mouth to protest, but she was interrupted by the sound of another shuttle approaching. She turned to see a sleek, black shuttle with no visible markings landing nearby.

Several figures in black jumpsuits emerged from the shuttle, their faces hidden behind tinted visors. They moved with a precision and efficiency that reminded Sarah of a military operation.

Rodriguez gestured to his men, and they raised their weapons, ready to defend themselves.

The newcomers approached with a swagger, as if they owned the place. Sarah felt a shiver of fear run down her spine.

One of the figures stepped forward, removing their visor to reveal a woman with dark hair and piercing green eyes.

"Dr. Park, I presume?" she said, her voice smooth and confident.

"Who are you?" Sarah asked, her hand instinctively going to her pocket, where she kept a small knife.

The woman smiled. "My name is Dr. Elizabeth Reynolds. I represent a private organization that has taken an interest in your mission. We have some questions for you and your team."

Sarah felt a sense of unease. Something about this woman didn't sit right with her. She seemed too calm, too in control.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Reynolds, but our mission has been terminated by the ISA," Sarah said, her voice steady.

Reynolds waved her hand dismissively. "That's of no consequence. We have the resources and the authority to continue your mission ourselves. All we need is your cooperation."

Sarah hesitated, unsure of what to do. On the one hand, she wanted to know more about what was going on. On the other hand, she didn't trust this woman or her organization.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Reynolds, but I can't allow my team to participate in an unauthorized mission," she said, her tone firm.

Reynolds smiled again, but this time there was a hint of menace in her expression. "I see. That's too bad. I was hoping we could avoid any unpleasantness."

Before Sarah could react, Reynolds nodded to her team, and they lunged forward, tackling Sarah and her team to the ground.

Sarah felt a sharp pain in her head as something hard struck her skull. Everything went black.

When she came to, she was lying on the floor of the shuttle, her head throbbing. She tried to sit up, but her arms and legs were bound with zip ties.