Page 7

Chapter

Seven

Tivek

R elief flooded through me as I watched the others move about the cabin.

We were alive, which was a minor miracle considering our plummet through the atmosphere.

My gaze drifted to Morgan as she made her way toward Ariana.

She seemed steady and calm, betraying no lingering discomfort from the way I'd thrown myself over her during the crash.

Had I been too protective? Too possessive? If so, she gave no indication.

Maybe she didn’t remember. Was it wrong to hope that the woman had short-term amnesia?

I wished I could send a secure transmission to my handler, but the ship's systems were damaged, and even if they weren't, using Shadow channels this close to a Kronock facility would be violating every protocol that had been drilled into me.

I'd have to trust that Admiral Zoran would receive Ariana's SOS and contact the Shadows.

Zoran. A smile tugged at my lips despite our dire circumstances.

To the rest of the academy, we were the imposing Admiral and his quiet adjunct.

Only in private did those masks slip away, and we could be two colleagues and two friends, working as equals to protect the academy and, by extension, the Drexian Empire.

How many nights had we spent in his private study, the fire crackling in the stone hearth as we poured over intelligence reports and debated strategy?

The warmth of that space, with its leather chairs and shelves of ancient texts, seemed impossibly distant now.

I could almost smell the Noovian whiskey he favored and taste the bitter spice of it on my tongue.

A sharp electronic squeal from the ship's systems yanked me back to the present. I frowned at myself and my momentary mental lapse. This was no time for nostalgia. I needed to focus and to think like the Shadow I was trained to be.

I joined Vyk and Torq at the weapons locker, where the Commander was already distributing blasters and ammunition.

"Here." Vyk thrust a heavy phase rifle toward me, his eyebrow raised slightly in what might have been skepticism.

I accepted the weapon and quickly checked the power cell, firing mechanism, and scope alignment. Vyk's surprise was evident in the slight widening of his eyes, but he made no comment. Let him wonder. The less they knew about my capabilities, the better, even now.

"We could be surrounded already," Torq muttered, securing a curved blade to his utility belt. "If they tracked our approach?—"

"They would have fired on us by now," I countered, moving to a section of the wall that appeared seamless to the untrained eye.

Pressing my palm against the glossy black surface, I revealed a hidden compartment housing environmental gear.

"If the atmosphere is as cold as Ariana says, we'll need these. "

I began distributing the sleek black environmental suits, the fabric shimmering faintly under the emergency lights.

"The suits have built-in cloaking," Vyk observed, holding one up. "Could be useful for moving undetected."

We each unfolded the black fabric, stepping into the suits without further comment.

I secured the wristband control, feeling the familiar sensation as the material contracted, molding itself to my body like a second skin.

Even though the fabric was thin, I knew it would protect me from the harsh temperatures or environmental toxins.

“The mission remains the same," Vyk growled. "Once we establish the ship’s security, we locate and extract Sasha and Deklyn."

Torq looked up from adjusting his suit. "And once we find them? This ship isn't exactly space-worthy anymore."

A valid question, one I'd been pondering myself. With our engines damaged, evacuation would be problematic at best.

"Ariana and Morgan will stay with the ship," Vyk decided. "Assess the damage, see what can be salvaged. The three of us will proceed to the prison complex."

Part of me wanted to protest, to insist on staying behind with Morgan. But I knew my skills would be more valuable in the field, especially when it came to finding Deklyn. I understood my brother in ways none of the others could, and I could anticipate his moves like no one else.

The sound of urgent footsteps drew our attention as Morgan and Ariana rushed up to us.

“You two will remain here to—" Vyk began.

"I wish we could," Ariana cut him off, her voice strained, "but right now we need to get off this ship before we go down with it."

Confusion rippled through me. "Go down with it? What are you talking about?"

Morgan's hand found my arm, the touch sending an unexpected jolt through me despite the dire circumstances. "We're sinking," she said simply, her eyes holding mine.

I processed the information in an instant, reaching for two more environmental suits and thrusting them toward the women. "Put these on. Now."

They didn't need to be told twice, stepping into the suits with the efficiency of trained Drexian officers, even if they were humans. Vyk was already at the main hatch, overriding the safety protocols to force the exit ramp to lower.

"The sensors must be malfunctioning," he muttered.

The ramp finally descended with a hydraulic hiss, stopping abruptly as it made contact with the ground.

I moved to the opening, my breath catching at the sight that greeted us.

The ramp had plunged into what appeared to be a marshland, the surface a viscous black liquid that bubbled ominously.

The acrid smell that had permeated the ship was stronger now, making my eyes water.

" Grek ," Torq muttered beside me. "We landed in an alien swamp.”

As if in confirmation, the ship groaned, the metal hull shuddering as it sank deeper into the mire. Dark liquid began to seep through seams in the lower deck plates, rushing around our boots with alarming speed.

"Grab what you can," Vyk ordered, already loading his arms with weapons and ammunition packs. "We're abandoning ship."

I snatched a medical kit from a wall cabinet, then gathered two survival packs containing rations and water purifiers. I tossed similar packs to Morgan and Ariana before slinging two more over my own shoulder.

Torq was the first down the ramp, moving with surprising grace as he leapt from the edge onto what appeared to be a small island of solid ground. Ariana followed, landing in a crouch as she cleared the gap.

Vyk motioned for Morgan and me to go next, but I saw the hesitation in her stance, the barely perceptible tremor in her hands as she looked at the bubbling swamp below.

Without thinking, I took her hand in mine, the material of our suits preventing my skin from touching hers. I met her eyes as she peered up at me. “On three."

She nodded, her fingers tightening around mine as we backed up for momentum.

"One," I began, feeling the ship tremble beneath us as it sank deeper.

"Two," she continued, her voice steadier now.

"Three!" we shouted in unison, sprinting down the open hatch as the ship lurched again, sending us falling from the side and into the swamp.

Zoran

I braced my hands on either side of the tall window cut into the black obsidian walls and stared out at the Restless Sea.

True to its name, the waters churned and pitched beneath a darkening sky, white-capped waves crashing against the jagged cliffs below the academy.

The sea's eternal movement matched my tumultuous thoughts as I contemplated the mission I had authorized, the one that defied direct orders from Drexian High Command.

Politics. Always politics. Our alliance with Earth was fraying at the edges because of one ambitious fool.

The newly appointed leader of Earth's Planetary Defense had discovered more advantage in posturing than partnership and more profit for himself in turning against old alliances.

He wanted to dismantle what we had built over decades, to "assert Earth's independence," as if independence could stand against the Kronock threat alone.

What he truly wanted was to siphon money to his own hand-picked, Earth defense contractors and get a generous cut off the top.

And now, a human pilot and an Inferno Force warrior were paying the price for political games, abandoned to Kronock cruelty because a rescue would "send the wrong message about Earth's reliance on the Drexians.

" I wouldn’t have been surprised if the man was in the pocket of the Kronock themselves.

He would be if he could profit off them.

I knew all this because of Tivek and his fellow Shadows, who’d been spying on the Earth leaders since the invasion. And now my Shadow friend was risking his life to do what the Earth leaders were too cowardly to do.

I released a bitter laugh. Let them strip me of my rank if they discovered what I'd done. Some principles and some people were worth the sacrifice.

The soft whisper of fabric alerted me to another presence in the room. I didn't need to turn to know who it was because my wife’s subtle floral scent was unmistakable.

“Worrying won’t bring them back faster,” Noora said, her voice carrying the gentle concern that always made my hardened resolve soften.

I turned to find her silhouetted in the doorway, her dark hair falling in loose waves around her shoulders, and her midnight-blue dress flowing like liquid around her slender frame.

Behind her, Reina's tall swish of blue hair bobbed as she took tiny steps, constrained by her snug, garishly pattered dress that ended at mid-calf.

“Is it obvious?” I asked, realizing that I'd lost track of time in my contemplation. The window now reflected only darkness, punctuated by stars and the distant glow of the academy's exterior lights.

Noora approached, her eyes reading my expression with practiced ease. "I can feel your worry from across the room, Zoran.”

I sighed, but didn’t reply. I didn’t need to. In the short time we’d been together, she’d learned to read me better than I knew myself.

“The second rescue team is making final preparations.” Reina’s fingers fluttered in excitement.

I nodded. "I'm aware of the second ship's imminent departure. Volten and Kann are experienced officers. If anyone can find our people, it's them."

"Jess and Fiona are going too," Reina added, her eyes wide. “So is Britta.”

My brow furrowed, but I nodded. “I don’t think I could stop them.”

“It’s not going to be the same with so many of our humans gone.” The Vexling wrung her hands. “First there was the holochamber accident and the rescue mission leaving without the whole team and?—"

"It's alright, Reina," Noora interrupted gently. "Why don't you go ahead and say your farewells to the women before they take off? I'm sure they'd appreciate it."

Relief washed over Reina's face. She attempted an awkward bow, the tight dress hampering her movement, before hurrying from the room with surprising speed.

Once we were alone, Noora crossed to me, her hand coming up to cup my cheek. "You're doing the right thing, even if it means defying authority." Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "And I, for one, am a big believer in defying authority."

A laugh escaped me despite the somber mood. "I recall you took particular pleasure in defying mine."

"Only because you made it so enjoyable," she whispered, rising on her toes as I bent to capture her lips with mine.

“Perhaps we should adjourn to our quarters,” I suggested with a smile.

Noora returned my smile, her hand finding mine as we moved toward the door. The corridors of the academy were quieter at this hour, most cadets having retired to their dormitories or gathered in Stacks to study, and our footsteps echoed off the stone.

We had barely reached the grand staircase when rapid footfalls approached from behind. I turned to see Lieutenant Urex, acting head of security, his typically composed features twisted with urgency.

"Admiral," he gasped, clearly having sprinted from the security office. "We've received an emergency transmission."

My spine stiffened as dread steeled it. "Report."

"The first rescue ship—" he paused, fighting to regulate his breathing. "It's gone down, sir. Damaged by some kind of mine field in Kronock territory. They've crash-landed on the planet's surface."

Noora's hand tightened around mine, a small sound escaping her lips. My mind raced through the implications. Vyk, my security chief. Ariana, one of our finest pilots. Cadets Morgan and Torq, both exceptional but untested in true combat scenarios.

And Tivek. My adjunct. My friend. A most valued Shadow operative.

"How long ago?" I demanded.

"The transmission came through moments ago, sir. Automatically routed through our secure channels."

Already too long. Every moment they remained stranded on a Kronock-controlled world decreased their chances of survival.

I turned to Noora, not bothering to mask the intent in my eyes. "The backup rescue ship has just become a second rescue mission," I told her, already unfastening the ceremonial cloak of my rank. "And I will be joining them."

She didn't protest and didn't waste time with useless arguments about my position or responsibilities. Instead, she pulled me into a fierce embrace, her lips close to my ear.

"Bring them home," she whispered, “and yourself, Admiral. That’s an order.”

I kissed her fiercely. “Understood.”

"Have my battle gear sent to the shipyard," I ordered Lieutenant Urex, who snapped to attention with renewed vigor. "And inform Lieutenant Volten that I will be assuming command of this mission."

I ran down the wide stone steps, each step taking me closer to treason but closer to my colleagues and friend. It was an exchange I would make any day.