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Savvine’s HUD display stuttered with warnings, glyphs, and blinking signals. Her breath came fast and tight.

The multiple heat signatures or radar reflections created by the scattered chaff threw off the missiles’ radar tracking.

The Corvettes shook under a near miss.

Miral cursed over comms as a dozen projectiles came dangerously close before her precise rail gun shots took them out.

The Signet convoy leaped, the thrusters at maximum,

Despite their propulsion, the enemy’s missiles’ range was no match for the Signet Corvettes, and they lagged and fell away.

The Signet crew were free in seconds, streaking at high speed towards theSombra.

‘Where did theOedipusand theHadestech come from?’ Savvine muttered even as her heart slammed inside her ribs.

‘The aliens.’

Her stomach dropped at Xander’s calm, cold reply.

Then, soft and lethal, he growled:

‘Who thefokkare they, and what do they want with your house?’

She had no answer, as fury burned beneath her chest, and the grim, chilling certainty hit that this was only the beginning.

A new voice crackled over comms as the Corvettes winged through the void back to the Signet dreadnought.

‘Commander Roman, copy. TheSombrais under attack.’

Xander’s breath hissed in. ‘From whom?’

‘Fleet IDs show that the ships are Lombardi, flanked by gunners from the minor houses.’

Xander swore in a tone so raw it vibrated across the neural channel. ‘Fokkin’ traitors.’

Savvine’s jaw clenched. ‘It’s all-out war.’

‘On all fronts.’

They raced back.

Kaal and Boaz’s rail guns wiped out those who kept on Signet’s tails.

The missile warning klaxons died away, and Savvine gave a quiet sigh of relief.

Besides her, Xander was still focused on the console, his neural node patched into telemetry, speaking in tight whispers with the rest of his pack.

She gave him space and monitored the bands for any surprise attacks.

Soon, the massive form of theÚltima Sombraloomed like a crouching beast.

Its outer cannons spun into formation, shields flaring out in a translucent pulse of blue energy.

As the Signet Corvettes raced for home, the drones began to split up, some diving back toward theSombra, and others pursuing the enemy with mindless fury.

From above, the Lombardi ships descended in a crescent configuration.

Although smaller, faster, and bristling with weapons, they weren’t prepared for what was coming.