The veils of Cthonia

"Sent by their command to the AEtherians' water-extraction site, a group of ten Cthonian scouts travels for days across the desert. Their mission: to find water for their drought-afflicted civilization. When a reconnaissance team joins them, the Cthonians send scouts up to AEtheria through an access pipe to request water while wells are being dug. But when two of the scouts' bodies plunge to the ground from above, the plan changes--and one enraged Cthonian commander strikes back"--Provided by publisher.