Page 35

My fingers worked swiftly, connecting the final wire. The power cell began to hum, growing warmer against my palm.

I set the crude timer—five minutes until overload—and replaced the access panel, my movements fluid despite the urgency. The guard turned the corner just as I slipped into a maintenance shaft.

The metal edge caught my upper arm, sending a flare of pain through freshly healed tissue. I suppressed a hiss, freezing in place as his flashlight beam swept the area I’d occupied moments before.

The light’s edge came within centimeters of my position. “Something’s not right with the readings,” he muttered into his comm, the uneasy tone in his voice satisfying to hear.

“Coolant pressure’s fluctuating.” Perfect.

I moved quickly through the shaft, putting distance between myself and the imminent chaos. The narrow passage scrapedagainst my shoulders, designed for maintenance drones rather than Nyxari physiology.

Through the bond, I could feel Zara’s questioning concern—she’d sensed my momentary tension and pain.Minor setback. Proceeding as planned.

I wasn’t certain she could hear the precise thought, but I projected calm confidence through our connection. Four minutes remained.

I needed to reach the rendezvous point near the perimeter where the shield would soon fail. The route took me past the main drilling operation, a massive apparatus that penetrated deep into the ruins.

The air thrummed with misused energy, making my lifelines burn uncomfortably. The sound was awful—a dissonant grinding that no Nyxari could mistake for anything but violation.

The technology of my ancestors, sacred knowledge protected for generations by my clan, reduced to Hammond’s crude mining operation. Three minutes.

I cleared the drilling area, moving through less frequented corridors. The lighting here was minimal—energy diverted to “more essential” systems—which suited my purposes perfectly.

My vision, adapted to the jungle’s dense canopy, had no difficulty navigating the shadows. Two patrolling guards passed at an intersection, walking briskly toward the coolant system.

Their weapons bumped against their sides as they moved. They hadn’t seen me. Two minutes.

The external wall of the compound came into view, its structure a patchwork of salvaged ship plating bolted to ancient stone. Beyond it, I could see the faint shimmer of the shield—an energy barrier that would fry any organic matter attempting to pass through.

I found cover behind a pile of salvaged equipment and waited, every muscle coiled with readiness. The scent of oil andmetal was strong here, mixed with the distinct tang of energy weapons.

One minute. I closed my eyes, focusing on the bond, sending a silent confirmation to Zara.Ready.

Whether she received the word or merely the intent, I felt her acknowledgment pulse through our connection. The explosion shook the entire compound. Not the small diversion I’d planned—something in the coolant system had cascaded into a much larger reaction.

The concussive force vibrated through the stone floor, rattling the salvaged equipment around me. Alarms blared, their piercing wail painful to my sensitive hearing.

Emergency lights bathed the corridors in pulsing red, creating disorienting shadows. I moved immediately, taking advantage of the confusion.

The acrid smell of burning circuits and superheated metal filled the air. Guards shouted, their voices tight with panic as they ran toward the explosion site.

Through the bond, I sensed Zara’s intense focus as she worked on the shield. Her concentration felt like a laser, precise and unwavering.

The rendezvous point was twenty meters ahead, near a section of the perimeter adjacent to a slight depression in the terrain—a small advantage for our escape. I slipped past two confused technicians, their attention fixed on tablets displaying cascading system failures.

A second, smaller explosion sent them running, the concussion rippling through the ground beneath my feet. Through our bond, I felt Zara’s concentration spike into something more intense—almost painfully focused.

She was accessing the shield controls, using her markings to interface with the system. The sensation was disorienting—a ghost of her experience filtering through our connection.

Energy flowing through silver pathways, information streaming directly into consciousness, the system’s resistance pushing back against her intrusion. I reached the rendezvous point and took cover behind a damaged storage unit, watching for patrols while monitoring Zara’s status through our link.

Whatever she was doing was causing her pain—sharp and insistent—but her determination never wavered. I felt an unfamiliar surge of admiration.

Her resilience matched any warrior of my clan.Almost there, I thought, unsure if she could hear the words or just feel the sentiment behind them.

Diversion set. Zara is moving.Through the chaos, I caught the first hints of organized response—security officers regrouping, commands being issued.

Our window was closing. But through the bond, I felt the moment Zara breached the shield’s control systems.