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We freeze instantly. My hearing stretches outward, catching what triggered his warning—the low rumble of engines approaching from the east.

"Unity transport," I whisper. "Heavy class."

"Three vehicles," Vex confirms. "Moving fast."

"Patrol or pursuit?" Trent asks, scanning for cover.

"Too direct for random patrol," Vex says. "They're following something."

"Us?"

"Possibly. Or—" Vex's expression sharpens. "Down, now!"

We drop flat as a drone sweeps overhead, its sensors humming at frequencies only our enhanced hearing can detect. It hovers briefly before continuing northeast—the same direction we're heading.

"They're converging on the rendezvous point," Trent realizes. "They know about it."

A chill runs through me. "How? That information wasn't in the relay transmission."

"The infiltrator at Haven's Edge," Vex concludes grimly. "Ellis must have had access to more than we realized."

"We need to warn anyone waiting for us," I say, already calculating risks. "If sympathizers are there expecting a rendezvous?—"

"They'll be walking into a trap," Trent finishes.

We exchange glances, decision made without words. The rendezvous is compromised, but we can't abandon potential allies.

"New plan," Vex says. "We parallel the Unity force, observe their deployment, then determine if extraction is possible."

We adjust course, moving through increasingly broken terrain. The going is slower now, requiring careful navigation around unstable ground and collapsed structures. My enhanced vision picks out safe paths, modifications adapting automatically to the challenging environment.

I try not to think about how natural these abilities feel now—how quickly I've accepted this new body, these new capabilities. How right they seem despite everything Unity taught me about genetic purity.

Two hours of cautious travel brings us to a ridge overlooking what was once a small town. Now it's mostly rubble, with a few structures still partially intact. Unity forces have established a perimeter, transport vehicles positioned at strategic access points.

"Standard containment formation," Trent observes as we study the deployment from our concealed position. "They're expecting targets to approach from multiple directions."

"Drone coverage is thorough," Vex adds. "No obvious gaps in their surveillance."

I scan the area, counting enemy personnel. "Three teams of six operators. Heavy weapons, capture equipment."

"Including suppressant deployment systems," Trent notes, pointing to distinctive launchers mounted on the transports. "They came prepared for modified targets."

"Any sign of sympathizers?" I ask, searching for evidence of our would-be allies.

"Nothing obvious," Vex says. "But if they're using concealment protocols?—"

A sudden flash of movement catches my attention—a shadow sliding between buildings at the settlement's far edge. Too controlled to be random, too subtle for standard Unity personnel.

"There," I whisper. "Northeast quadrant, second structure."

Vex focuses where I'm pointing, his modified vision zooming further than mine. "Two figures. Moving with purpose. Definitely not Unity."

"Sympathizers walking into an ambush," Trent confirms.

"We need to warn them," I say immediately.

"How?" Vex challenges. "Any approach triggers the perimeter. Any communication risks interception."