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I boost Lily inside, then scramble after her. Trent slides into the pilot's seat, hands flying over the control interface.

"Start sequence?" he mutters, scanning the unfamiliar layout.

"There," I point to the ignition protocol. "Standard Unity configuration, primary switch then authentication."

The supression rounds hit the craft's exterior with metallic pings. The operators have returned, firing from covered positions.

"Hurry!" Lily urges, ducking as a round impacts near the viewport.

Trent activates the ignition sequence, and the craft hums to life. Before the authentication protocol can engage, Lily leans forward, placing her hand on the control panel. Her eyes glow again as she somehow bypasses the security.

"Well that’s useful," I note as the engines roar to full power.

Trent doesn't waste time questioning our good fortune. He engages the thrusters, lifting the craft several meters above the ground. The operators continue firing, rounds ricocheting harmlessly off the armored hull.

"Vex?" I remind him.

"On it."

Trent swings the craft around, heading toward the rendezvous coordinates. Through the viewport, I catch glimpses of the chaos Vex created—our original transport now a burning hulk surrounded by Unity forces.

"There!" Lily points suddenly. "Movement on the rooftop."

Against the smoke-filled sky, a figure runs full-tilt across a partially collapsed roof. Even at this distance, I'd recognize that predatory grace anywhere. Vex leaps from the edge without hesitation, body perfectly aligned for maximum distance.

"He's not going to make it," Trent mutters, already adjusting our course to intercept.

Vex hits the adjacent rooftop in a controlled roll, coming up running without missing a beat. Unity operators give chase, suppression rounds exploding against the structure around him.

"Lower the craft!" I shout as Trent brings us alongside the building.

I slam the side door release, wind whipping through the cabin as the door slides open. Vex sprints toward us, calculating angles and timing with predatory precision.

"Jump!" I call, reaching out.

He launches himself from the rooftop, body suspended momentarily against the sky. For a heart-stopping second, it seems he'll fall short—then his hands catch the edge of the doorway. I grab his forearms, muscles straining as I help haul him inside.

The door slides closed just as suppression rounds impact where we'd been moments before. Trent accelerates hard, the patrol craft surging forward as we clear the ruined cityscape.

"Cutting it close," I tell Vex, pulse racing from the adrenaline.

He grins, amber eyes bright with battle-energy. "Is there any other way?”

"You're crazy," Lily declares, watching him with fascinated horror.

"Only when necessary," Vex replies with a wink. "Nice work with the security system. Electrical interface?"

"Electromagnetic field manipulation," Lily corrects, her face coming alive at his interest.

The craft stabilizes as Trent takes us higher, establishing a flight path away from the eastern arcology. The navigation system shows numerous Unity signals converging on our previous position.

"More patrols incoming," I warn, studying the display. "They've scrambled aerial support."

"Countermeasures engaged," Trent responds, activating the craft's stealth protocols. "We'll be electronic ghosts in sixty seconds."

"Heading?" Vex asks, moving to the co-pilot position.

"Western territories," Trent answers. "More atmospheric interference there. Better for hiding our signature."