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‘Coming.’

He and Issa took off in a jog toward the location, flashing on their HUDs.

Issa let Ki’Remi lead, his meta-powered limbs surging ahead.

She picked up her pace to keep up with him, pushing through a cluster of dense, vine-laden trees until the glow of emergency field med-lights flickered through the thick vegetation.

To where their crew mates were pressed into a tight bunch in a small clearing.

Zera was sitting up in her chair, looking on with concern; Klash lay unconscious in his hover seat alongside her as the rest of the team huddled around a prone silhouette.

Bear.

Juno knelt beside him, trying and failing to halt the flow of black-crimson blood seeping through Bear’s armor.

The pair came to a stop.

‘Here now. Sit rep,’ growled Ki’Remi.

He dropped to Bear’s side to examine the fallen man, putting a hand out for the med wand in Juno’s hand.

He waved the handheld, multi-functional device, scanning for a quick and comprehensive medical diagnosis.

Issa narrowed her gaze on the abnormal wound.

The round that struck him wasn’t just lethal.

It was unnatural, coursing with energy from the enemy’s weapons designed to cause maximum damage.

His dark veins, visible beneath his thick skin, pulsed with a glowing viscosity.

It was as if a foreign agent were eating at the cells and caught in a vicious battle for life.

That’s because there was a callous power at work.

Issa’s heart clenched, recognizing the injury.

He was going to bleed out, no matter what.

‘Damn,’ Ki’Remi muttered. ‘The med wand is struggling for a diagnosis. We need to cauterize or—’

Issa sighed and stepped forward.

‘Cauterization won’t cut it.’

Ki’Remi’s head snapped toward her. ‘Elaris, what in -?’

She was oblivious to him.

Dropping to her knees, she placed both hands over Bear’s wound and closed her eyes.

The glow started slow, a soft, golden pulse spreading from her fingertips, her light seeping into his torn flesh.

Ki’Remi tensed beside her.

She detected the sudden snap of his metanoids trying to scan the process, attempting to decode whatever thefokkshe was doing.

Nada, Sable. Not this time.