Page 119

As Xander’s squadron punched into the protective field of the mother-ship,La Última Sombraawakened.

Turrets roared to life. Rail guns focused on targets with lightning efficiency. Missile bays opened with smooth synchronicity, and the sleek destroyer unleashed its fury in a heartbeat.

Red and gold fire lanced the sky.

Signet fighters screamed overhead, darting through the chaos, protecting the dreadnought’s flanks.

Xander’s voice rang out again, timbred and lethal: ‘Miral, lock them down. No survivors if they don’t stand down.’

‘On it, boss.’

Savvine gripped the edge of her console, eyes locked on the unfolding battle, her heart pounding.

Minutes later, Savvine was itching to get into the fray.

‘Xander, please, I need in,’ she said, spinning toward him. ‘Let me fight.’

Xander took an exhale, slicing his eyes to her. ‘I can’t stop you, can I?’

‘Nada, I just need rail gun or weapons access.’

‘I never share my controls, ‘Xander growled, but his eyes danced. ‘Take theÚltima Peña. My gunner and racer. Think you can manage her?’

She blinked. ‘If there’s one thing I can do, it’s race and fire, baby.’

After a beat, he gave a dark laugh. ‘Have at it. She’s in the rear hold. I’ll patch you in via your neural node. You blow even a fuse inside my girl, I’ll bill you in kisses.’

She smirked. ‘Not a deterrent that’ll work on me,guapo.’

The corridor to the rear deck vibrated with energy as Savvine sprinted down it, her heart drumming in rhythm with the emergency klaxons and her rising adrenaline.

Xander’s deep voice echoed in her helmet. ‘Boaz and Miral just cracked the Lombardi’s shields. Team, standby for noid deployment.’

Her HUD sent a livestream of the action outside.

A tremor rippled through theÚltima Xas dozens of canister pods, hidden in armored casings beneath the Signet Corvettes, split open.

From within each, a cloud of gleaming, liquid-black nano-organic units, morals metanoids, swarmed out like intelligent ink.

They darted toward the drones, every noid locking onto their targets with eerie synchronicity.

Savvine reached the rear deck’s chamber just as the carnage outside began.

The noids bracketed the Lombardi’s UAVs in a tight formation, then attacked with vicious precision, dissolving them molecule by molecule.

Sparks. Implosions. A kaleidoscope of destruction shimmered against the void like fireworks of war.

Savvine slowed in the passageway, mouth agape in wonder.

‘Miral?’ she gasped. ‘Wow.’

‘You’re welcome,’ came the smug reply.

Her astonishment twisted into pure awe as the bay doors she raced toward hissed open with a release of vapor and magnetics, revealing the sleek, glorious form of theÚltima Peña.

She was a beast in miniature, an obsidian-dusted, razor-winged Trans-planetary Racing Pinnace, polished to a mirror gleam.

Twin ion engines curved back into aerodynamic stabilizers, the intakes glowing a predatory blue.