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"No," Zoran said, studying the movement patterns on the screen. "Look at how they're moving—organized search patterns radiating outward from the facility. They're looking for someone."

"Escapees," I murmured, hope flickering to life. "Sasha and Deklyn might have gotten out."

Zoran gave a curt nod. “Which means they’re somewhere on the planet.”

We flew unseen over the dimly lit swamp, the ship's sensors sweeping the terrain below. The marshland seemed to stretch endlessly, broken only by the occasional copse of twisted trees or rocky outcropping.

"I'm not picking up any other biosignatures," Zoran said, frustration evident in his voice. "If they escaped, they're either well-hidden or they've moved beyond our current scan range."

From the rear of the cockpit, Fiona leaned forward. "Any sign of a crashed ship? We know they went in hard.”

I shook my head, checking the instruments again. "No debris field that I can detect. And I'm not picking up any emergency beacon."

"Just because we're not receiving a signal doesn't mean the ship crashed," Zoran said, but I could hear the fear behind his reassurance. His adjunct was on that missing vessel.

We continued on, passing over a range of low hills. The sun had fully crested the horizon now, bathing everything in a golden-orange glow that made the landscape seem almost beautiful, if desolate.

A vast body of water appeared ahead, its dark, placid surface glittering in the morning light. I banked the ship to skirt its edge, bringing us around in a wide arc that would eventually lead back to the Kronock facility.

"We need a plan," Jess said, moving up from her seat to stand behind Zoran. "We can't keep circling indefinitely."

"We could try landing on the far side of those hills," Kann suggested, pointing to the range we'd just passed. "Set down, send out a reconnaissance drone."

Fiona shook her head. "Too slow. If they're in trouble, every minute counts."

"And if we land in the wrong spot, we could alert the Kronock to our presence," Zoran countered. "Right now, our invisibility is our only advantage."

Kann leaned forward, his massive frame casting a shadow over the console. “Perhaps we should consider a direct assault on the facility."

"With six of us against what looks like an entire Kronock battalion?" Fiona scoffed. "That's suicide."

“Not for Blades,” Kann said with a broad grin.

Jess gave him a gentle nudge in the ribs. “A Blade who’s still recovering.”

He grumbled at this. “We're wasting time debating. Our friends are out there somewhere, possibly injured, definitely being hunted?—"

I let their arguments wash over me, my attention drawn to the smoke still billowing from the Kronock building as we completed our circuit. Movement on the roof of the complex caught my eye. Two gray, angular shapes rose from a concealed hangar. Kronock fighter jets.

My gut clenched. I’d been trained to do battle with the Kronock, but still the sight of their ships chilled me. Their engines flared bright against the sky as they launched, accelerating rapidly toward the rising sun.

Toward the hills we'd just passed.

And then I saw a small black dot silhouetted against the orange beams of sunlight, moving fast and low across the planet's surface.

My heart seized in my chest. The way the ship banked, and the precision of its movements were a distinctive tell. I’d know that flying style anywhere.

"I think I found the ship," I said, cutting through the ongoing debate behind me. My hands were already adjusting our course, pushing the engines higher. "But so have the Kronock. We’re going in, and you’d all better brace.”

Everyone fell silent, moving to secure themselves as I accelerated.

"It's Ariana," I told Zoran with absolute certainty. “No one else I know flies like that. I'd bet my life on it."

"Why aren’t they cloaked?" Fiona asked.

"Their cloaking system could be damaged,” I said. “Regardless, those fighters are on an intercept course."

Through the viewport, we could see the Kronock vessels gaining on the distant ship. They were faster and designed for the atmosphere, while Drexian vessels performed better in space. In an air chase, the advantage was theirs.