Blade, Star and Ringo are assigned to help a Special Forces Commando Squad retrieve three ultra-speed attack fighters from the Space-Ring. When the ""Blue Earth"" is damaged by Spidercrabs, Ringo and Star are forced to return to Earth. Slade fights his way to the Space-Ring where he meets Captain Miles O'Rourke, leader of the Commando Squad. O'Rourke resents an outsider interfering with his mission, just as Blade resents having to assist in a military operation. But as they fight their way toward a common objective, a mutual respect develops between the two. Later, when Blade congratulates O'Rourke on the "success" of the mission, the Commando leader reminds Blade that during the so-called "success," they lost three men and asks, "How do you think the families of those three will feel when they hear of their loss? War isn't numbers, Blade, it's people. Never forget that."