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B lood ran down Miggs’ arm from the blast wound, a stark crimson against his pale skin.

Still, that twisted smile stayed fixed on his face as he kept the blaster trained on us.

My senses registered everything at once - the stench of scorched metal from our earlier firefight, the distant hum of machinery through the station walls, Iria’s measured breathing beside me.

My claws twitched involuntarily. I wanted to tear out his throat for that remark alone. But control had kept me alive this long. I forced my voice into a cold flatness that betrayed none of the rage building inside me.

“You’re stalling. That’s not going to save you.”

Iria stepped forward, her movement fluid and confident. My peripheral vision caught the perfect steadiness of her blaster hand. Not a tremble. Not a waver.

“Enough with the speeches. You’re out of tricks, Miggs. Drop the weapon before I put you down.”

Miggs’ smile faltered for just a fraction of a second. But he didn’t lower the blaster.

I decided I’d had enough of this game.

My body moved before I’d consciously given the command.

Vinduthi reflexes - faster than human - launched me into motion as I fired with pinpoint precision.

The bolt struck his hand, sending the blaster clattering across the metal floor.

Before he could even register the pain, I crossed the distance between us and slammed him against the wall, my hand around his throat.

“The only reason you’re alive is because I need answers. Test me, and I’ll make sure your last moments are slow.”

His pulse hammered against my palm. The acrid scent of his fear cut through the recycled station air. Good. He should be afraid.

I kept him pinned, my claws extending slightly - just enough for him to feel their tips against his skin. A promise of what would come. Behind me, I heard Iria shift position, keeping her blaster trained on Miggs. Always covering me. Always where she needed to be.

“Who’s the second traitor? Who gave you the intel?” I kept my voice low, a dangerous quiet.

Miggs hesitated, his eyes darting between me and Iria. Even cornered, even beaten, he tried to find an angle. “She’s going to betray you, you know. That’s what survivors do.”

I tightened my grip, applying just enough pressure to restrict his airflow. Not enough to kill. Not yet. “You’ll tell me what I want to know, or I’ll remind you what a Vinduthi can do to a human body.”

The threat wasn’t empty. There’s a reason humans fear my kind. My ancestors didn’t need weapons to tear their enemies apart.

Something changed in Miggs’ eyes. The calculation, the defiance - both gave way to raw survival instinct. He’d pushed as far as he dared.

“Raxin,” he coughed out, his face going red under the pressure of my grip. “It was Raxin who helped me escape. He’s been working with the Black Spikes for months. Feeding them intel. Everything about operations. Your missions.”

I loosened my hold just enough to let him speak more clearly. “Details.”

“Security codes. For the depot. They’re coming. Less than an hour. Going to blow the weapons cache.” He swallowed hard against my palm. “Raxin’s smarter than the rest of you. He knows the Black Spikes are going to win this war. You’re just too loyal—or too stupid—to see it.”

The name hit me like a physical blow. Raxin. Not some low-level grunt. A lieutenant. One of our own. Someone I’d fought beside; someone I’d trusted.

The betrayal burned deep, acid in my veins. The Fangs were more than an organization - they were family. The only one many of us had. And Raxin had sold us out.

I glanced at Iria. She watched me too closely, those perceptive eyes reading more than I wanted to reveal.

She’d risked everything to help me; a human caught in a war between rival syndicates that wasn’t hers to fight.

And now the thought of her being dragged into this betrayal, put in the crosshairs of the Spikes because of me.

.. it ignited something primal in my chest.

The Fangs had been my family, my purpose. But Iria... she was something I never thought I could have. Something I wasn’t sure I deserved.

Iria stepped closer, her presence solid, grounding. “We still have time to stop them. But we have to move now.”

I nodded, her calm determination clearing my mind. Finish this now.

And then… then I’d decide what to do with this strange emotion.

Something shifted in Miggs’ posture - a subtle tensing that my heightened senses caught immediately. My instincts screamed warning. His hand darted out toward a metal tool that had fallen to the floor during our earlier struggle.

I reacted instantly, slamming him back against the wall with enough force that his head cracked against the metal surface. His eyes rolled back, body going limp in my grasp. Unconscious, not dead. Though he deserved worse.

Iria flinched at the violence, a small reflexive motion. But when I turned to look at her, she stood firm, meeting my gaze without backing away.

I stepped back, my breathing heavy from the controlled fury coursing through my body. Something vulnerable cracked through my voice as I looked at her.

“You’re not like him. Don’t ever think you are.”

She didn’t respond immediately. But her expression softened, the usual guardedness in her features giving way to something warmer. Something that spoke of trust - more than she was willing to admit aloud.

“We need to move,” she said finally, holstering her blaster. “Less than an hour doesn’t give us much time.”

The depot was vast - a sprawling complex of storage units and distribution centers that served as the primary weapons cache for the Fangs’ operations across three sectors.

With the Spikes’ attack imminent, we worked quickly to fortify our position, setting traps at key entry points and repositioning the remaining security systems.

I connected my comm unit to Alkard’s private channel, bouncing through encryption codes. His face appeared, eyes narrowed.

“Raxin’s the traitor,” I said without preamble. “He’s given them access codes to the depot. Attack coming within the hour.”

Alkard’s expression hardened. “Eliminate him. Secure the depot at all costs. I’m sending reinforcements, but they won’t reach you in time.”

“Understood.”

The connection cut, leaving me alone with the echo of his orders.

Eliminate Raxin.

A fellow Vinduthi. One of our own.

As we finished our preparations, I caught Iria watching me from across the room. She’d been setting proximity mines at the south entrance, her movements efficient and precise. For a moment, the air between us shifted, the usual barriers falling away to reveal an unspoken understanding.

“If something happens to me... you run. Take the Starfall and leave.”

She crossed her arms, that familiar defiance flashing in her eyes. “Not a chance, Lieutenant. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

My lips twitched into the faintest smile, but I didn’t reply. There was no point arguing with her. Once Iria Jann made up her mind, the universe itself struggled to change it.

We took our positions as the first sounds of approach echoed through the depot. The subtle whir of transport vehicles. The soft metallic clicks of weapons being prepped.

My claws were extended fully now, my body coiled and ready. I gripped my weapon, feeling the familiar weight in my hand. Let them come. They’d chosen the wrong place to strike.

And they were about to pay for it.