Page 34

M ira stepped into K ell's lab, the sterile air flat after the myriad smells of the city.

She looked around, keeping her expression level.

The Latharian scientist had claimed an office at the back of a manufacturing unit for his work, filling it with equipment that hummed.

At the same time, screens displayed complex genetic mappings that might hold the key to Davis's condition.

If she trusted K ell. Which she didn't. Not as far as she could throw him.

The Latharian looked up from his workstation, his eyes brightening at the sight of her. "Ah, the human female arrives."

"I have a name," she said, keeping her distance. "It's Mira."

"Yes, yes." He waved dismissively, motioning for her to come closer. "The sample, please."

She folded her arms. "Explain again why you need my DNA?"

He sighed with the exaggerated patience of someone dealing with a particularly slow child. "Your genetic material provides a pure human baseline against which to measure the transformative properties in Subject L-47's system."

"His name is Davis," she snapped.

Amusement flickered across K ell's face. "Names are irrelevant. What matters is that I require uncontaminated human DNA to develop a stabilization treatment." His gaze swept over her with clinical dismissal. "You are conveniently available."

She snorted. "And I'm supposed to believe that's the only reason?"

"Believe what you wish." He shrugged, turning back to his console. "But without a stabilization compound, Subject L-47's transformation will continue accelerating. His human consciousness will eventually be overwhelmed by Latharian genetic imperatives."

Her jaw tightened. Davis was slipping away and becoming something else entirely. Despite everything - his lies and her decision to leave the Reapers when this was over - she couldn't stand by and watch it happen.

"Fine." She rolled up her sleeve as she approached the workstation. "Take what you need, but be quick about it."

K ell's fingers were cold against her skin, and his movements efficient as he extracted blood from her arm. She focused on the ceiling, counting the rust stains to distract herself as the sample vial filled.

"Excellent." He held it up to the light. "A fine specimen."

"I'm not a specimen." She yanked her sleeve down and stepped back. "I'm a person."

He didn't reply, already turning away to feed the sample into an analyzer. Retreating to the far side of the lab, she watched him. He was up to something; she knew that as sure as she knew she needed her next breath.

The doors to the lab slid open with a hiss, and Anson strode in. The B'Kaar's expression was tense, his usually cocky demeanor replaced by something sharper, more focused.

"We've got a problem," he announced.

"I'm working." K ell didn't look up from his console. "Whatever it is can wait."

"No." Anson moved to the security terminal near the main display. "It can't."

He placed his palm against the interface panel, and his eyes unfocused slightly, the way she'd noticed they did when interfacing with systems.

"What is it?" she asked, moving closer to see the display.

His jaw tightened as data flowed across the screen. "Security breach. Every message we've sent since arriving on this planet has been intercepted. Someone's been tracking us through our comms."

K ell straightened, his dismissive attitude vanishing as he became suddenly alert. "What systems were compromised?"

"Communications." The B'Kaar turned, his expression grim. "We've been broadcasting our position like a damn beacon."

"What, all our comms?"

Anson's gaze was hard as he met her eyes. "No, just Rann's. His personal device has been broadcasting our location for the last eight hours."

"Rann?" She frowned. "But that would mean -"

"The M'Suun are here."

K ell snatched data cores and samples. "How long?"

"They're already here." Anson's hand dropped to his weapon. "Outer perimeter sensors just went dark."

Alarms shrieked to life, bathing the lab in pulsing red emergency lights. She caught her breath. Davis was somewhere in the building, possibly in the direct path of incoming hostiles.

Ryke's voice came over the comm. "All hands, defensive positions. Hostiles approaching from the south entrance. Covak, Jesh secure the east corridor. Davis, west corridor. Everyone else, rendezvous on the production floor."

Anson tapped his comms.

"Jex, do you copy?" He frowned and tried again. " Draanth. Nothing. They're jamming our comms. Can't reach the ship."

She swore under her breath. Jex was the only one aboard, running diagnostics on the Lady's Dream's systems. With comms blocked, they had no way to call for backup.

Anson tossed her his spare sidearm. "Take this."

She caught it, checking the charge indicator with practiced movements. "Thanks."

"We need to move," he said, heading for the door. "Doesn't look like the office exit on the north side is compromised. If we can reach it, we have a chance."

She gripped the weapon tighter.

"Move!" Anson barked and grabbed K ell's arm, dragging him from his precious samples. "Time to go."

She followed Anson and the scientist through the manufacturing unit's maze of equipment and assembly lines. Factory workers scattered at the sight of their weapons, hiding behind machinery. The crack of weapons fire grew closer.

She nearly collided with a solid figure blocking their path as they rounded the corner toward the main production floor.

Davis.

Relief hit her in a wave that weakened her knees.

He stood with his back to them, weapon raised, covering the junction ahead.

"Three incoming," he said without turning, his voice deeper than she remembered. "Ten seconds."

"We need to get to the north exit," Anson replied.

Davis glanced back, his eyes meeting hers. The gold had almost completely overtaken the blue alien eyes in a still-human face.

"Stay behind me," he told her.

"I can handle myself." She raised her weapon and waggled it.

Shapes appeared at the far end of the corridor, and she caught her breath. M'Suun. Their rifles swept the area in practiced arcs, moving as silently as ghosts.

Davis fired first, dropping the lead attacker. The corridor erupted into chaos as battle was joined. Anson fired a covering barrage while shoving K ell toward a side passage. She ducked behind a support column, weapon ready.

"Gap on your left," she shouted to Davis.

He pivoted to fire at a M'Suun emerging from a side passage, and the battle was on in earnest. Feeling like her eyes were on stalks, she moved with Davis and Anson as they worked their way through the corridors, eliminating the M'Suun.

"Production floor is crawling with hostiles," Ryke said in her ear. "Change of plans. Everyone head for the north exit. Move now."

"Bit late to the party, boss," Anson chuckled. "We're already on our way there."

They pushed through to an assembly area where the massive manufacturing lines offered cover.

Covak and Jesh were already there, fending off M'Suun troops pouring in from three entrances.

Workers fled in panic, some caught in the crossfire and going down.

She tried to ignore the way they jerked and the spray of blood, but she knew she'd have nightmares about it for years.

Ryke and Rann joined them, taking cover behind an industrial press. A blast rocked the catwalk above, sending debris showering across the floor. Anson staggered, blood streaming from a gash where shrapnel had caught him.

"They're using thermal charges," Jesh shouted, returning fire. "Attempting to flush us out."

Davis was crouched under a conveyor belt. "How many?"

"Twelve active signatures," Jesh replied. "More approaching from the west."

Mira tucked herself in behind Davis and studied the battlefield. They were outnumbered, outgunned, and with dwindling options. Even with the Reapers' combat experience, these weren't winning odds.

"Can anyone raise Jex?" Ryke shouted over the gunfire. "We need extraction!"

"Comms are jammed," Anson called back, his ke'lath flaring for a second. "Can't get a signal out."

She glanced up at Davis. He fired with mechanical precision, each shot finding its target, but his movements were off.

They were jerkier, less controlled. The muscles in his neck strained as if he were fighting against himself.

When he turned, she saw his pupils had contracted to vertical slits fully Latharian now.

She bit her lip. The transformation was accelerating under stress.

Another explosion rocked the assembly area, closer this time. The lights flickered, plunging them into darkness for three terrifying seconds before emergency power kicked in with a low electronic hum.

"We need to move now!" Ryke yelled as debris rained down around him. "We're about to be overrun!"

They needed an advantage, something unexpected. A flanking maneuver, reinforcements, something anything to change the dynamics of the fight.

Spot.

She gasped and patted her pocket. Shit, yes. Spot was still on the ship with Jex. The neural interface might work. Yanking it out, she looked at it. Would it even work at this distance?

A round impacted inches from her position, showering her with fragments of metal and hot sparks. They were out of time.

"Cover me," she told Davis, ducking lower as another volley of fire swept overhead.

His head snapped toward her. "What are you doing?"

"Something stupid," she admitted, slipping the neural band on. "Just keep these assholes off me."

Davis looked like he wanted to argue but just nodded. She activated the interface, and the device hummed against her temple. Closing her eyes, she focused her thoughts on Spot.

For long seconds, nothing happened. Weapons fire continued around her, the sharp smell of plasma discharge filling her nostrils as Davis fired round after round at their attackers. Then -