《Boon, Bounty & Bad Decisions》


 Chapter 1

    ¡°What a bad fucking day to get mangled by a sabertooth tiger,¡± Gravel said as the creature tossed him into the air.


    The mission had been simple: retrieve a lost data drive from an old research facility deep in the Namorian wildlands. Get in, grab the package, get out. Sure, the place was crawling with mutated creatures; thanks to some very shady, very unethical experiments within the very same facility; but sabertooth tigers? That hadn¡¯t been in the briefing.


    The soldier¡¯s build man with close-cropped hair barely had time to regret his life choices before gravity returned to work as intended, yanking him back down¡ªstraight toward the tiger¡¯s hungry jaws.


    With a crunch that sounded far too personal, the beast caught his leg and swung him about like a rag doll. His back made an unpleasant popping sound, like bubble wrap but way less fun.


    The beast leaped forward to deliver Gravel his final death, but then was promptly turned into a donut by the beam of a laser gun.


    ¡°For someone with a name like yours, your bones crack way too often.¡± The young redhead reloaded her still-sizzling gun, freckles stark against her smirk.


    Gravel groaned, sprawled out on the dirt, staring up at the smoke curling from the tiger¡¯s smoldering remains. ¡°Yeah, well, if I had a credit for every time I heard that, I¡¯d have, three. And you¡¯re paying me for all of them. Now can you call Priest over and reattach my fucking spine?¡±


    ¡°Weakling you are,¡± the woman, who creatively named herself Hunter (shortened form of Bounty Hunter), snorted, holstering her gun.


    ¡°Easy for someone with a five-hundred mile shooting range to say¨Clook out!¡±


    Hunter barely had time to react before another sabertooth tiger¡ªthis one twice as ugly and three times as pissed¡ªlunged from the underbrush, fangs bared.


    With a practiced flick of her wrist, she fired. The laser shot lanced through the air, but the beast twisted mid-leap, dodging at the last second.


    ¡°Shit,¡± she muttered, rolling to the side as the tiger¡¯s claws tore through where she¡¯d been standing.


    Gravel, still half-paralyzed, groaned. ¡°Told you. Also, this one has reflective diamond armor, so good luck.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, shut up.¡± She sidestepped another swipe, firing again. This time, the shot clipped the tiger¡¯s unarmored flank, sending it skidding back with a furious snarl.


    ¡°Have you ever wondered what assholes thought it was a good idea to put armor on these things?¡± Gravel snarled. ¡°If the tigers really wanted armor, natural selection would have let diamonds grow out of their skins at least three generations ago.¡± He struggled to push himself up on his elbows, which sent a lightning bolt of agony down his spine. "Priest, if you don¡¯t get your holy ass over here now . . .¡±


    A metallic voice crackled in his earpiece. ¡°Patience, my child.¡±


    Gravel let his head drop back onto the dirt. ¡°I swear, if you don¡¯t fix my spine in the next ten seconds, you¡¯re gonna have to start praying to every deity there is.¡±


    The tiger, unfazed by the banter, let out a guttural growl. Its crystalline hide shimmered under the dim jungle light, reflecting distorted glimpses of the two humans in its many-faceted plates. It crouched, eyes locked on the redhead, calculating its next attack.


    The woman gritted her teeth. ¡°Priest, now would be a really good time.¡±


    A low hum filled the air, the kind that made hair stand on end. Then, the world was split in two by a streak of blinding blue light. A column of energy slammed into the ground ten feet from them, scattering dust, debris, and the unfortunate remnants of the first tiger. The force sent the second beast skidding back, momentarily disoriented.


    Out of the dissipating glow, a figure emerged.


    Draped in a long, weathered coat, his mechanical arms gleaming under the twin moons, and a near-transparent visor covering his face, Priest stepped forward like an angel descending onto the battlefield. The faint hum of his cybernetic limbs whirred as he flexed his fingers, his glowing eyes scanning the scene.


    Gravel rolled his eyes. ¡°Oh, good. You made an entrance. Fantastic. Now fix my damn back.¡± This was a line Priest had heard far too often from Gravel, second only to, ¡°He ain¡¯t a priest, that one.¡±


    ¡°What will you two ever do without me?¡± Priest rolled his eyes back, uncharacteristic of him. Uncharacteristic of him to make snide remarks, or any remark at all.


    The tiger shook off its disorientation with a growl, its diamond-plated hide gleaming with residual energy from Priest¡¯s blast. It wasn¡¯t dead. It was angry.


    Priest sighed, cracking his neck as he walked past Gravel¡¯s broken form. ¡°You two never learn, do you?¡±


    He raised a cybernetic hand, fingers twitching as arcs of blue light crackled between them. The tiger, sensing another incoming attack, let out a deafening snarl and lunged¡ªright as Priest snapped his fingers.


    The air rippled.


    The tiger froze mid-leap, eyes wide with confusion as a layer of ice formed between the gaps of its plating and seized up its limbs. Gravity then betrayed it, its frozen body shattered as it slammed into a tree with bone-rattling force.


    Gravel whistled. ¡°Alright, fine. That. Was cool.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Good one!¡± Hunter burst into uncontrollable laughter.


    The effect itself was supposed to be gravity manipulation, and the freezing was unintentional; a side effect, as Priest often said. Gravel told him it was more a feature than a bug.


    Priest stayed silent. His cybernetic fingers sparked as he pressed them against Gravel¡¯s back. A pulse of blue energy spread through his back, the pain fading into an almost pleasant numbness. Gravel let out a relieved sigh as sensation returned to his legs.


    ¡°Your spine wasn¡¯t broken,¡± Priest muttered. ¡°Fixed. Now stop whining, child.¡±


    Hunter laughed again, which earned a sideway glance from both Gravel and Priest.


    ¡°Why are you laughing now?¡± Asked Gravel.


    Hunter wiped a tear from her eye, still grinning. ¡°It¡¯s just¡ªyou said ¡®that was cool¡¯ right after he accidentally froze a tiger. I¡¯m still laughing from¡ªargh! It¡¯s no fun when you ask me and I have to explain to y¡¯all all over again.¡±


    Priest didn¡¯t even dignify her with a response, merely staring at her with the same deadpan expression he always wore. ¡°The research facility is half a mile west. We should move.¡±


    Hunter twirled her gun before holstering it. ¡°About time. Lead the way, oh holy one.¡±


    With a last glance at the bodies behind them, the trio moved deeper into the jungle. The thick canopy overhead cast shifting shadows across their path, the air filled with the distant cries of more mutated horrors lurking just out of sight.


    The jungle around them pulsed with life¡ªmalformed, twisted life. Bioluminescent fungi clung to the gnarled trees, casting an eerie glow over the darkened path. Thick vines coiled around ancient trunks, their surfaces slick with a pulsating, almost organic sheen, as though they were more muscle than plant. Somewhere in the distance, something large crashed through the underbrush, but it either hadn¡¯t noticed them or wasn¡¯t interested¡ªyet.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Hunter nudged Priest with her elbow. ¡°Oi, ol¡¯ man. When¡¯s the kid gonna catch up to us?¡± The kid she¡¯s referring to was Hua Fang, their pilot. At only seventy-five years old, her inexperience was obvious¡ªif not from her flying, then from the fact that she¡¯d chosen her own name as her codename instead of coming up with something creative, like Bounty Hunter.


    As they trudged through the underbrush, Gravel took stock of their situation. His spine was back in working order¡ªthanks to Priest¡¯s ¡°miracle hands¡±¡ªbut the dull ache in his limbs reminded him that he¡¯d probably need a proper med bay after this job. If they survived.


    Gravel tapped his earpiece. ¡°Fang, you there?¡± He¡¯d always liked the sound of ¡®Fang¡¯, which to him made her sound way cooler.


    A burst of static crackled in his ear before a bright, chipper voice responded. ¡°You rang?¡±


    ¡°Status?¡±


    ¡°Circling above, waiting for you slowpokes. Got a bit of turbulence¡ª¡± A loud thud interrupted her, followed by a string of Mandarin curses. ¡°Okay, more than a bit of turbulence. Something just tried to latch onto my hull. Not a fan of that.¡±


    ¡°Do I even want to know what it was?¡± Gravel asked.


    ¡°I dunno, it had tentacles and a real bad attitude.¡±


    ¡°Fucking wonderful.¡± Gravel sighed. ¡°Just stay airborne and be ready for evac.¡±


    Hunter stretched, clearly unbothered. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the damn facility before something with more tentacles decides we look tasty.¡±


    ¡°I thought you liked that,¡± Gravel smirked, only to be met with a slap across his back, where his spine was dislocated just earlier.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± He growled. ¡°Sushi, I mean! I thought you liked sushi.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Hunter snarled at him.


    ¡°You two stop bickering at this instance,¡± Priest commanded. As boisterous as the two could be when they were together, they knew when to stay silent and not get on Priest¡¯s bad side.


    The research facility loomed ahead, its silhouette barely visible through the thick vegetation. Built decades ago by the Namorian Science Division, it had been abandoned after their experiments¡ªwhatever they had been¡ªwent catastrophically wrong. Letters have fallen off the signs atop the front entrance, leaving only S, C, and D remaining.


    The client, McPherson, the off-world corporate bigwig of all off-world corporate bigwigs, had been particularly vague on the details of the drive Gravel¡¯s team was supposed to retrieve, which meant one thing¡ªwhatever was on that drive was valuable enough to kill for. But they would be paid seventy million ducats upon completion of the mission, and that was enough for them to take it upon themselves without further question.


    Such was the life of bounty hunters.


    The trio crouched near the tree line, surveying the facility from a safe distance. The place was a mess¡ªrusted security fences overgrown with vines, collapsed watchtowers, and a main entrance half-buried under decades of creeping jungle. But despite the abandonment, something still pulsed beneath the surface.


    Faint, flickering red lights lined the perimeter. Old security systems? Maybe. But Gravel had been in this business long enough to know that just because a place looked dead didn¡¯t mean it was dead.


    Priest knelt beside him, cybernetic fingers tapping against his wrist device. ¡°Heat signatures. Three, maybe four moving inside. Non-human.¡±


    ¡°Mutated?¡± Bounty Hunter asked, already reaching for her gun.


    ¡°Possibly.¡± Priest¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Or automated.¡±


    Gravel clicked his tongue. ¡°Great. Could be feral lab experiments, could be security drones still running on emergency power.¡±


    ¡°You managed to make it sound boring,¡± said Hunter.


    ¡°Oh, I know how to make it sound better. They might have tentacles¨COw! Stop that!¡± He protested after being hit on the spine again. ¡°You know the tease gets funnier the more you refuse to deny it, right?¡±


    ¡°I am not into sushi,¡± she said.


    Before Hunter could land another punch, a piercing alarm shattered the jungle silence. A floodlight snapped on from a rusted tower, its flickering beam cutting through the darkness like a knife.


    ¡°Fucking fuck fuck!¡± Gravel hissed, diving behind the nearest tree.


    The ground trembled. A deep, metallic groan echoed through the facility¡¯s ruins, followed by the unmistakable sound of hydraulics whining to life. Then came the thudding¡ªheavy, deliberate footfalls.


    Priest was already moving. ¡°We¡¯ve been made.¡±


    A section of the facility¡¯s outer wall shifted, revealing a hidden entrance. From the yawning darkness emerged something massive¡ªeight feet tall, humanoid in shape, but unmistakably synthetic. A security mech, its body plated in corroded black armor, long since worn by time and jungle rot. But despite the rust, its optics still burned bright red, and the twin rotary cannons mounted on its arms spun up with a threatening whir.


    ¡°Automated,¡± Priest muttered. ¡°Definitely not feral.¡±


    ¡°This is defo not on the briefing,¡± Gravel groaned. ¡°They¡¯re gonna need to pay us twenty more mils. At least.¡±


    Hunter barely had time to roll her eyes before the mech opened fire. A hail of bullets ripped through the trees, shredding bark and foliage in an explosion of splinters and smoke.


    ¡°Move!¡± Priest barked, already shoving Gravel deeper into the underbrush.


    Hunter sprinted sideways, zigzagging to avoid the incoming fire as she drew her gun. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose that thing¡¯s got an off switch?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Gravel grunted, hitting the dirt as rounds whizzed past his head. ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®blowing the fuck up!¡¯¡±


    The mech stomped forward, its metal frame creaking with each step. One of its red optics flickered, scanning the jungle for its targets. Then, without warning, a cylindrical compartment on its shoulder hissed open.


    ¡°Missiles. How 2500,¡± Gravel muttered.¡±


    Twin projectiles shot out, cutting through the dawn sky with eerie precision. The first one spiraled toward Hunter.


    Without breaking stride, she vaulted over a fallen tree and twisted midair. Her gun flared¡ªa single shot¡ªstriking the missile¡¯s casing just as it neared her. The explosion sent her rolling across the ground, but she was alive.


    The second missile screamed toward Gravel and Priest.


    Priest raised his other cybernetic hand. Blue energy crackled to life. With a flick of his fingers, the missile¡¯s trajectory suddenly warped. It veered off course, smashing into the facility¡¯s rusted outer wall with a fiery detonation. The impact shook the ground, sending debris raining down.


    ¡°Hello, Gravel?¡± Hunter crawled from the ground. ¡°Now¡¯s the time for a tanker.¡±


    A chunk of debris the size of a motorcycle hurtled toward Gravel as she whined. He raised an arm and batted it aside like a thrown can.


    ¡°Okay, I felt that one,¡± he admitted, shaking his hand loose. ¡°But I¡¯m still standing, which means it doesn¡¯t count.¡±


    The mech, struggling against its damaged servos, whirred back to life. Despite its battered frame, its optics flared red again, and a low, synthetic growl rumbled from its speakers. It wasn¡¯t done yet.


    Neither was Gravel.


    ¡°Alright, you tin-plated shitstain,¡± he muttered, cracking his knuckles. ¡°You wanna go toe-to-toe? Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Before Hunter or Priest could react, Gravel charged.


    The mech swung a massive arm at him¡ªfast, but not fast enough. Gravel ducked low, shoulder-checking its rusted knee joint with enough force to dent the armor. The machine staggered, optics flickering.


    It tried to counter, raising one of its rotary cannons point-blank. Too late. Gravel seized the entire arm, his bulging muscles hardening into a pitch-black material as he ripped it clean off with a metallic screech. Morkanium, that would be what people call it. Nobody else in this galaxy could control this property like Gravel could. Ten times harder than diamond, he claimed. If only he was able to conjure protection around his skin faster than the sabertooth tiger could reach him earlier.


    ¡°Mind lending me an arm?¡± He grunted, flipping the severed limb in his hands like a club.


    The mech reeled, sparks spraying from its damaged joint. It lunged, swinging wildly. Gravel caught the punch with one hand, fingers crushing into the metal as if it were wet clay. His Morkanium-infused muscles tensed like coiled steel cables, and when his fist connected, the reverberation traveled up his arm like a hammer striking an anvil.


    With a grunt of effort, he twisted¡ªsnapping the mech¡¯s remaining arm at the elbow.


    Hunter whistled. ¡°Damn, boulder boy. That is not how physics works.¡±


    Gravel took a step back, wound up, and swung the severed cannon arm like a baseball bat. The impact sent the mech airborne.


    The eight-foot war machine crashed into a nearby tree, embedding itself in the trunk with a deafening crunch. For a second, it twitched, motors whirring in protest. Then its optics flickered one last time before going dark.


    Gravel exhaled. ¡°Alright.¡± He tossed the broken cannon aside, dusting off his hands. ¡°That¡¯s handled.¡±


    Hunter and Priest just stared.


    ¡°What?¡± Gravel frowned. ¡°You saw the size of those rounds¡ªit wasn¡¯t gonna run out of ammo. Figured I¡¯d just take the whole damn thing apart.¡±


    ¡°At least tell us what you¡¯re gonna do, leader,¡± Hunter exhaled. ¡°We¡¯re like, a team, remember?¡±


    Before Gravel could respond, the ground trembled beneath them¡ªfaint at first, then growing stronger. The trees rustled as something heavy moved in the distance.


    Hunter snapped her gun up, eyes narrowing. ¡°Tell me that thing didn¡¯t just call for backup.¡±


    Priest adjusted his wrist device, scanning the area. His expression remained unreadable, but his glowing eyes flickered with something close to concern. ¡°More heat signatures. Larger.¡±


    ¡°Fantastic,¡± Gravel muttered. He rolled his shoulders, still feeling the residual heat from his fight with the mech. ¡°How much larger?¡±


    A deep, guttural bellow cut through the jungle, sending a flock of mutated birds screeching into the sky. Then, through the vines and glowing fungi, they saw it.

 Chapter 2

    Standing at least fifteen feet tall, its rusted frame covered in jagged plating, was another mech. Unlike the first, this one wasn¡¯t humanoid¡ªit moved on six reinforced legs, insectile in its motion, and its primary weapon was no rotary cannon.


    It was a plasma cannon. A big one.


    ¡°That much larger.¡± Priest pointed towards the cannon.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Gravel.


    ¡°Wait . . .¡± mumbled Hunter. ¡°That¡¯s no antique. That¡¯s a brand new Spider, sponsored by the Republic. Why is it here?¡±


    The Republic was a sprawling, militarized coalition that had risen from the ashes of the Old World; its reach extending across continents through a mix of economic dominance and brute force. Officially, it was a beacon of order, promising stability in the lawless wastelands, but in Gravel¡¯s eyes, it was an iron-fisted regime that valued control above all else. Its elite forces, known as the Enforcers, wielded cutting-edge technology, and its war machines¡ªlike the six-legged mech now staring them down¡ªwere the pinnacle of modern combat engineering.


    One thing, though: this planet wasn¡¯t supposed to be on the map. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be within the Republic¡¯s jurisdiction.


    Gravel sighed. ¡°Our contractor has some real explaining to do.¡±


    With a sharp whir, its plasma cannon adjusted, locking onto the trio.


    Then, without hesitation, it fired.


    A blinding white-hot blast tore through the foliage, disintegrating trees and sending a shockwave through the ground. Gravel barely had time to shove Hunter aside before the beam scorched the earth where she had been standing. Ash and molten debris rained down.


    ¡°Not cool!¡± Hunter coughed, rolling to her feet. ¡°That thing doesn¡¯t do warning shots.¡±


    Priest tapped a command into his wrist device. ¡°Energy signature confirms it¡ªfully charged, military-grade. It¡¯s got enough firepower to level a city block.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± Gravel muttered. ¡°How do we kill it?¡±


    Hunter¡¯s gaze darted to the cannon. ¡°That thing has a charge cycle, right? I fought against one when I was conscripted. We bait the next shot, then hit it when it cools.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Gravel deadpanned. ¡°I¡¯ll just stand here and tank a plasma blast.¡±


    Priest¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Actually, you might.¡±


    Gravel turned to him, unimpressed. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    Priest gestured at Gravel¡¯s hardened blackened arms, still smoldering from his last fight. ¡°Your mutation absorbs kinetic force, but we¡¯ve never tested it against energy weapons.¡±


    ¡°I am not risking my life for a B-rated mission¨Cah shit! Here comes another blast!¡±


    The mech¡¯s plasma cannon let out a high-pitched whine as its core pulsed with blinding energy. A heartbeat later, a searing bolt of blue-white plasma erupted from the barrel, streaking toward them like a miniature sun.


    Gravel barely had time to brace before it hit him square in the chest.


    For a split second, everything went white. Then came the impact¡ªa tidal wave of force and heat that should have turned him to ash. The air was filled with the acrid stench of scorched metal, a burning tang that clawed at Gravel¡¯s throat. Instead, his body locked up, the blackened material of his mutation drinking in the raw energy like a bottomless pit. His vision blurred and his nerves screamed, but he stayed on his feet.


    When the plasma dissipated, smoke curled from his skin. The jungle floor beneath him had been reduced to molten slag, and the air crackled with residual static. Gravel exhaled, steam venting from his mouth.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± hiding behind Gravel, Hunter whispered.


    Priest was already scanning him. ¡°Your mutation held. Energy absorption confirmed.¡± Gravel had never needed to hear what he¡¯d just observed himself from Priest more than he did then.


    Gravel flexed his fingers. The power thrummed inside him; wild, untamed. His muscles felt heavier; charged. He clenched his fists, and the energy surged through his arms, crackling like bottled lightning.


    A slow grin spread across his face.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he rumbled. ¡°This is gonna be fun.¡±


    Gravel took a step forward, rolling his shoulders as the absorbed energy coursed through him. His grin faltered as a sudden wave of exhaustion crashed over his body¡ªhis limbs felt like lead, his chest ached like he¡¯d been sucker-punched by a freight train. His mutation had held, sure, but now he felt the cost. His fingers twitched as residual static danced over his skin, wild and uncontrollable.


    The Spider mech took another step, its six legs hissing with hydraulic pressure as it adjusted its stance. Its plasma cannon began cycling again, the whine of its charging core sending a fresh chill down Gravel¡¯s spine. He clenched his fists, preparing for another hit, but his gut screamed at him¡ªthis thing wasn¡¯t going down easy.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Gravel exhaled, forcing himself to stay upright. ¡°That was cool. But let¡¯s be real, we¡¯re not winning this fight.¡±


    Hunter, still gripping her rifle, snapped her head toward him. ¡°What? You just ate a plasma blast like it was the breakfast I made for you.¡±


    ¡°And I feel like I swallowed a damn sun,¡± Gravel shot back, shaking off the dizziness. ¡°That thing¡¯s still in one piece, and I don¡¯t know if I can take another shot without my organs turning into soup.¡±


    Priest¡¯s fingers moved over his wrist device in rapid strokes. ¡°The drive.¡±


    Right. The whole reason they were here in the first place. Somewhere in the ruins, buried under decades of decay and dust, was the data drive their contractor had paid them to retrieve. The drive that, according to the briefing, wasn¡¯t important enough to draw serious resistance.


    Bullshit.


    ¡°Where¡¯s our target?¡± Gravel asked.


    Priest flicked through his scanner. ¡°Signal¡¯s faint. Twenty meters north, inside that structure.¡± He pointed at the crumbling remains of a bunker, half-covered in moss and vines.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Hunter groaned. ¡°Right past the killer mech.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    As if on cue, the Spider mech¡¯s cannon flared again. A deep hum pulsed through the air, the telltale sign of another shot incoming.


    ¡°No time to argue,¡± Gravel growled. ¡°We move. Now.¡±


    Hunter and Priest didn¡¯t need to be told twice. The trio split, dodging as the Spider let loose another searing blast. Gravel barely avoided the shockwave as it obliterated a nearby tree, sending burning shards of wood flying in all directions.


    They sprinted toward the bunker, Gravel¡¯s legs heavy but determined. The Spider pivoted, its targeting systems locking onto them. Another charge cycle began.


    Gravel gritted his teeth.


    They weren¡¯t getting out of this without a distraction.


    ¡°Priest,¡± he barked. ¡°Give me something. Anything.¡±


    Priest¡¯s scanner flickered. ¡°Fuel cells. Back legs. Weak points.¡±


    Good enough.


    Gravel tensed, ready to act, but Hunter was already moving.


    ¡°Back off,¡± she ordered, slinging her rifle over her shoulder and reaching for something strapped to her belt¡ªa sleek, matte-black tube with glowing blue seams. She flicked a switch, and the tube expanded with a sharp clack, forming a compact but deadly launcher.


    Gravel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Is that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Hunter smirked. ¡°A spike missile. One-time use. Costs more than my old squad¡¯s entire gear budget.¡±


    Priest gave her a look. ¡°And you brought it here?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I like being prepared,¡± she shot back, dropping to one knee and locking onto the Spider¡¯s back legs.


    The mech¡¯s cannon whined, its charge cycle nearly complete. It was moments from another shot¡ªone they wouldn¡¯t escape unscathed.


    Hunter exhaled slowly. One shot. Make it count.


    She squeezed the trigger.


    With a muted thunk, the missile shot forward, leaving a faint blue trail in its wake. It buried itself deep into the mech¡¯s back leg, right above the fuel cell casing. For a split second, nothing happened.


    Then¡ªBOOM.


    The explosion was sharp and precise, a focused detonation that sent a shockwave through the jungle. The Spider reeled, its damaged leg buckling beneath it. Hydraulic fluid and sparks sprayed from the wound as it stumbled, its plasma cannon jerking upward and firing wildly into the treetops.


    The electronic screen on Priest¡¯s visor automatically activated.


    [Damage Analysis Overlay: ACTIVE]


    Target Integrity: 89% ¡ú 55%


    Critical Damage Detected: Right rear hydraulic stabilizer


    Fuel Cell Containment: Compromised¡ªleakage detected


    Movement Impairment: 40% reduction in stability


    Hunter grinned, tossing the now-empty launcher aside. ¡°That should slow it down.¡±


    Gravel didn¡¯t need more convincing. ¡°Then move!¡±


    With the mech struggling to stabilize, the trio sprinted toward the bunker. The entrance was just ahead, vines draping over its rusted doorway. Priest reached it first, keying in a command to his wrist device. The old security panel flickered to life, struggling to process his override.


    Behind them, the Spider mech let out a mechanical snarl, forcing itself upright. Its plasma cannon dimmed, switching instead to rapid-fire railguns mounted along its chassis. Seemed like the instability meant that it would take a while for it to be able to use its cannon again.


    ¡°Priest!¡± Gravel barked.


    ¡°Almost there!¡± Priest hissed.


    A burst of metal slugs tore through the jungle, shredding trees and punching craters into the earth. Gravel grabbed Hunter and shoved both of them flat against the bunker¡¯s outer wall as rounds slammed into the structure. Concrete and rusted steel groaned under the assault.


    Then¡ªa beep.


    Priest shoved the door open. ¡°Inside! Now!¡±


    They scrambled through just as another railgun volley slammed into the doorway. Gravel spun and slammed the reinforced hatch shut, locking it with a heavy clang.


    However, the panel flickered¡ªdamaged from the assault. The auto-lock wasn¡¯t engaging.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± he growled, yanking open the maintenance panel beside the door. A tangle of old wires and half-corroded circuits greeted him.


    Priest¡¯s scanner lit up. ¡°Manual override¡¯s shot. You¡¯ll have to force an emergency lockdown.¡±


    Gravel didn¡¯t waste time. He ripped out a dead relay, bypassed a fried security lock, and jammed his knife between two exposed contact points. Sparks jumped as the system fought him.


    [SECURITY OVERRIDE ENGAGED]


    The lock ground into place with a deep, mechanical thud. A second later, reinforced barriers slammed down over the entrance.


    For a moment, the only sound was their ragged breathing.


    Hunter leaned back against the wall, wiping sweat from her brow. ¡°You know what, boulder boy? You were pretty cool back there.¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡± He smirked. ¡°If anything, I was pretty hot. 1000 degrees Celcius hot, to be exact.¡±


    Then, his comm crackled to life.


    ¡°Well, well,¡± a familiar voice purred through the static. ¡°Getting all cozy in an abandoned bunker. Should I leave you two alone?¡±


    Gravel sighed. ¡°Fang.¡±


    Hunter groaned, rubbing her temples. ¡°Oh, great. Just what we needed. You mind turning off the comm for a couple, I don¡¯t know, days?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Fang continued, her voice dripping with amusement. ¡°Interrupting your moment must be heartbreaking. But you can cry about it later¡ªright now, we¡¯ve got a problem.¡±


    Gravel pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°You mean aside from the giant murder-spider outside?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, about that.¡± Fang¡¯s tone shifted, just slightly. Less teasing, more serious. ¡°You¡¯re not the only ones being shot at. Something¡¯s jamming my approach. I can¡¯t get a clean landing, and I¡¯d rather not find out how many missiles the Republic stuffed into that thing.¡±


    Priest exhaled sharply. ¡°Figures. The Republic never sends just one mech¡ªthere¡¯s probably a whole recon team nearby.¡±


    Hunter pushed off the wall. ¡°We need that drive. Fast.¡±


    Gravel flexed his fingers, feeling the lingering hum of energy still coursing through his body. ¡°Then let¡¯s move. Before the next ¡®moment¡¯ involves us getting vaporized.¡±


    Hunter adjusted her rifle strap as she stepped deeper into the bunker¡¯s dimly lit corridor. ¡°I¡¯m surprised this place still has power at all for the light bulbs,¡± she murmured.


    Priest was right behind her, fingers dancing over his wrist device, pulling up whatever data he could on the structure.


    Gravel stayed at the rear, sweeping his gaze over the narrow hallway. The walls were lined with rusted conduits and blinking panels, some still struggling to power on despite decades of neglect. The air was stale, thick with dust and the faint metallic tang of oxidized steel.


    ¡°Priest, where to?¡± Gravel asked, keeping his voice low.


    Priest tapped a few commands. ¡°Schematics show a main server room deeper inside. If the drive is anywhere, it¡¯s there.¡±


    ¡°Any other surprises we should worry about?¡± Hunter asked.


    Priest¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Depends. Do you count automated defenses as a surprise?¡±


    Hunter groaned. ¡°They really left traps in an abandoned building.¡±


    A sudden clunk echoed down the corridor. The team froze.


    Gravel¡¯s grip tightened on his weapon. ¡°That wasn¡¯t us.¡±


    A faint mechanical whirr followed¡ªa servo motor spinning to life, metal shifting against metal. Then the hallway lights flickered, weak at first, then stronger, bathing the corridor in an eerie, pale-blue glow.


    ¡°Motion sensors, though very faint,¡± Priest muttered. ¡°Something knows we¡¯re here.¡±


    Gravel exhaled through his nose. ¡°Well, no point in sneaking around now.¡± He took the lead, pushing forward.


    The team advanced, weapons raised. The corridor stretched ahead, dimly lit by the flickering overhead lights.


    Then they saw it.


    A shape dangled in the middle of the passageway, swaying slightly in the stale air. At first, it was just a silhouette¡ªlimbs limp, head slumped forward. Then the lights flared brighter for a split second, casting harsh shadows against the walls.


    Hunter sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ not a trap.¡±

 Chapter 3

    Suspended by thick, coiled cables that had wrapped around its torso like constricting vines, the corpse was dressed in a tattered Republic uniform. His face was slack, eyes sunken, mouth slightly open as if frozen mid-scream. Blood had dried in dark streaks along his neck and chest, though the exact cause of death wasn¡¯t immediately clear.


    Priest stepped forward, scanning him with his wrist device. The holographic interface flickered, processing for a moment before feeding back grim results. ¡°No vital signs. Been dead about a week.¡±


    ¡°Somebody was sent here before us,¡± Gravel said. He studied the way the body hung, how the cables seemed intentional. Like something had dragged him up there. He glanced at the walls, noticing deep gouges in the metal, as if someone¡ªor something¡ªhad tried to claw their way out.


    The body wasn¡¯t just a casualty¡ªit was a warning.


    Hunter exhaled slowly, keeping her rifle trained on the corpse as if expecting it to lurch forward. She murmured something intelligible.


    Priest tuned his wrist device to scan the surrounding area. ¡°The cables are synthetic. Not standard Republic tech. Something strung him up here.¡± His display flickered again. ¡°Wait. There¡¯s residual power flowing through them. Barely active, but¡ª¡±


    A sharp crackle cut through the silence.


    The cables twitched.


    Gravel yanked Priest back just as one of the synthetic tendrils jerked downward, snapping toward them like a striking viper. It slammed into the floor where Priest had stood half a second earlier, leaving a dent in the reinforced metal.


    ¡°Move!¡± Gravel barked.


    Hunter fired, her laser gun barking out a quick burst. The beams tore into the cables, but instead of severing, they¡¯re deflected, vanishing into the ceiling with a sizzling hiss. The corpse swayed from the impact, but remained suspended, its hollow eyes staring at nothing.


    ¡°That thing is alive?¡± Hunter snapped, already reloading.


    ¡°More like semi-autonomous,¡± Priest muttered, scanning again. ¡°I think it¡¯s rigged into the bunker¡¯s power. Some kind of defensive system¡ªor a leftover experiment.¡±


    Gravel wasn¡¯t interested in sticking around to find out. ¡°Then let¡¯s not give it another chance to grab us.¡±


    The team pressed forward, stepping over the cracked floor where the cable had struck. The corridor stretched ahead, the bunker¡¯s oppressive silence settling over them once more.


    However, Gravel could still hear the faint hum of power running through the walls.


    And somewhere behind them, the cables shifted again.


    The further they went, the colder the air became. The stale metallic scent mixed with something else now¡ªsomething faintly organic, like decay masked by time.


    Priest¡¯s scanner flickered again. ¡°Power fluctuations ahead. The main server room should be close.¡±


    Gravel didn¡¯t slow. He could feel it too¡ªan almost imperceptible thrum in the air, like the whole facility was breathing around them.


    Hunter swept her rifle across the corridor, eyes sharp. ¡°Anyone else getting the feeling we¡¯re walking into a trap?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in a dead man¡¯s bunker with automated strangler cables,¡± Gravel muttered. ¡°I know we¡¯re walking into a trap.¡±


    Hunter gave a humorless chuckle. ¡°If this is a trap, there better be cheese.¡±


    ¡°Terrible humor, Hunter,¡± replied Gravel.


    Gravel took point again, leading them deeper into the facility. The hallway stretched ahead in eerie silence, the only sounds their own footsteps against the cold metal floor.


    Then, the lights pulsed. Just once.


    A low hum vibrated through the walls.


    Hunter stopped mid-step. ¡°That¡¯s new.¡±


    Priest frowned, looking at his scanner.


    [STATUS: Unidentified Energy Surge Detected. 87% Power Spike]


    He said, ¡°Something¡¯s¡ª¡±


    A deep, grinding noise cut him off. Metal shifting. Machinery waking up.


    Gravel¡¯s gut twisted. ¡°Move.¡±


    They broke into a run, boots pounding against steel. The hum grew louder, turning into a pulsing rhythm, like an artificial heartbeat.


    Then, ahead of them, the walls opened up.


    Panels slid back with sharp hisses, revealing mechanical arms folded into alcoves. At first, they seemed inert¡ªlifeless remnants of an abandoned defense system.


    Then they moved.


    Hunter swore, raising her laser rifle. ¡°Yeah, I really hate this place.¡±


    The first arm shot forward, metal claws snapping as it lunged for Gravel. He ducked, narrowly avoiding being skewered. Another swung toward Hunter¡ªshe dropped into a roll, firing upward as she moved. Sparks flew, but the arm recoiled and reset, recalibrating.


    ¡°They¡¯re not just swiping blind,¡± Priest shouted, dodging a clawed appendage. ¡°They¡¯re tracking us!¡±


    Gravel gritted his teeth. ¡°Then let¡¯s make their job harder.¡±


    He slammed his shoulder into one of the mechanical arms, forcing it back into its alcove just long enough to pass. The hallway was turning into a gauntlet, with defense systems springing to life all around them.


    Priest skidded to a stop, his wrist device flashing red. ¡°Server room¡¯s ahead¡ªten meters!¡±


    ¡°Then get ready to override that door,¡± Gravel ordered.


    A metal arm lashed out, striking the side of his rifle and sending it clattering to the floor. He didn¡¯t stop. No time. He pulled his sidearm, firing at a cluster of exposed wiring in the wall. One of the arms spasmed, then went still.


    Hunter sprinted ahead, clearing the last few meters with a leap, sliding up to the reinforced door. ¡°Priest, now!¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Priest was already there, tapping furiously at the control panel. ¡°Almost¡ª¡±


    A mechanical screech rang out from behind them.


    Something bigger was waking up.


    Gravel didn¡¯t look back. ¡°Priest, open it!¡±


    The door hissed, then slid open.


    The three of them dove inside.


    Priest slammed his hand against the emergency override. The door groaned¡ªthen locked shut just as the corridor outside erupted in motion.


    The screeching stopped.


    Silence settled over them, save for the quiet hum of servers lining the room.


    Hunter exhaled slowly, rubbing her temple. ¡°So, that sucked.¡±


    Gravel didn¡¯t reply. He didn¡¯t like it when Hunter could only come up with short exclamations.


    Priest was already moving, scanning the server racks. ¡°The drive is here. We need to find it, fast.¡±


    Gravel exhaled, sweeping his gaze over the rows of humming servers¡ªtall, dust-coated monoliths blinking with weak status lights. The air was warmer here, thick with the scent of old circuitry¡ªheated metal, faintly burnt insulation, and the stale tang of dust long settled in forgotten corners. The hum of the servers was omnipresent, a low, vibrating croon that seemed to press against their skulls. Every few seconds, a dying coolant system let out a strained hiss, like the facility itself was exhaling its last breath.


    Hunter ran a hand through her hair, glancing at the sealed door behind them. ¡°How long until that thing outside decides it wants in?¡±


    Priest didn¡¯t look up. ¡°Depends on how persistent it is.¡± His fingers danced across his wrist device, cycling through security logs. ¡°But let¡¯s not give it the chance.¡±


    Gravel rolled his shoulders. ¡°Then what are we looking for?¡±


    Priest frowned. ¡°Encrypted storage unit. Should be somewhere in this mess.¡± He turned toward a terminal and hooked in his device. A stream of old data scrolled across the screen, fragmented and corrupted. ¡°Damn. The system¡¯s barely holding together.¡±


    Hunter moved to a nearby server stack, sweeping dust off a cracked ID plate. ¡°Any chance we rip it out and sort the decryption later?¡±


    ¡°Not unless you want to trigger a failsafe that wipes everything,¡± Priest muttered. ¡°Give me a sec.¡±


    Gravel crossed the room, scanning the rows of hardware. Something about the silence didn¡¯t sit right with him. The walls felt too still, the air too heavy¡ªlike the facility was waiting.


    He stopped at one of the larger units near the back, its casing slightly ajar. Faint scratches marred the metal near the access panel. Something had been here before them.


    He narrowed his eyes, reaching out to pry it open, praying for no more surprises.


    The panel gave way with a quiet creak, revealing the tangled mess of cables and drives within. Gravel¡¯s gaze swept over the components, his instincts bracing for something¡ªanything¡ªto lash out. But nothing did. No automated defenses, no sudden alarms, no more dangling corpses. Just old, neglected hardware humming faintly in the dim light.


    He exhaled through his nose. Finally, something straightforward.


    ¡°Priest,¡± he called, stepping aside. ¡°This might be it.¡±


    Priest was already moving, his scanner whirring as he crouched beside the open casing. ¡°Looks promising. Give me a minute.¡± His fingers danced over his wrist device, syncing with the system, tapping into the drive¡¯s interface.


    Hunter leaned against a nearby rack, arms crossed. ¡°So, we just stand here while you work your magic?¡±


    "Unless you¡¯d rather make conversation," Priest muttered, his focus unbroken.


    Gravel, ever watchful, kept his grip firm on his rifle as his eyes drifted to the doorway. The feeling from before hadn¡¯t left him. The silence was too thick, the air too still. But for now, at least, the only thing they had to face was time.


    Priest¡¯s scanner pulsing with faint blue light as he ran decryption protocols. The server hummed in response, data streams flickering across his wrist display.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he muttered. ¡°Give me something useful.¡±


    Hunter tapped her fingers against her rifle. ¡°Any idea what exactly we¡¯re pulling?¡±


    Priest didn¡¯t look up. ¡°Could be fleet routes, supply chains¡ªhell, maybe even R&D projects. Maybe there will be data to explain the diamond-skinned tigers out there. Or that moving corpse.¡± His brow furrowed. ¡°Whatever it is, someone thought it was worth burying in a death trap.¡±


    Gravel scanned the room again, still uneasy. ¡°How long?¡±


    ¡°Couple minutes,¡± Priest said.


    Hunter sighed. ¡°Famous last words.¡±


    A low vibration thrummed through the floor. Subtle, but distinct.


    Gravel¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°Tell me that was the server.¡±


    Priest¡¯s fingers hesitated over his device. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the server.¡±


    A deep clunk echoed from somewhere beyond the room. Metal shifting. Locking.


    Hunter¡¯s grip tightened on her weapon. ¡°I swear, if something else wakes up¡ª¡±


    The lights flickered. The hum of the servers wavered, just for a moment. Then, the unmistakable click of a security system rebooting rattled through the walls.


    Priest cursed. ¡°The bunker just sealed itself.¡±


    Hunter groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°Okay. Not loving the whole ¡®sealed in a death trap¡¯ thing.¡±


    Priest was already working on his wrist device, fingers flying across the interface. ¡°Security protocols just locked every entrance. And they just scrambled the external comms.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Gravel muttered. At least I won¡¯t have to deal with Fang for a hot minute, he thought.


    Hunter paced, eyes flicking between the reinforced doorway and the still-whirring servers. Then, her expression shifted¡ªsomething clicking into place.


    ¡°. . . What if we don¡¯t go through the door?¡±


    Gravel raised an eyebrow. ¡°Did you miss the part where we¡¯re underground?¡±


    ¡°No, genius.¡± She smirked. ¡°But you know what isn¡¯t underground? The giant murder-spider outside.¡±


    Priest blinked. ¡°You want to call the Spider mech? The same one that tried to vaporize us five minutes ago?¡±


    Hunter shrugged. ¡°Think about it. That thing¡¯s got enough firepower to rip a hole through this entire bunker. If it¡¯s recharged its plasma cannon already, all we need to do is make it angry in the right direction.¡±


    Gravel stared at her. ¡°That is either the dumbest or the smartest idea I¡¯ve heard today.¡±


    ¡°Give it a minute,¡± Priest muttered. ¡°It¡¯ll be both.¡±


    Priest tapped his comms, flipping to an emergency frequency. Static hissed in his ear as he adjusted the signal, searching for something¡ªanything¡ªthat could still transmit past the bunker¡¯s jamming.


    Then, he heard it. A faint, rhythmic pulse. The Spider mech¡¯s automated targeting system.


    He keyed in a command, overriding the transmission filter. ¡°You want to taunt it, Hunter?¡± He turned to her.


    Hunter¡¯s grin widened as she stepped forward, cracking her knuckles. ¡°Oh, absolutely.¡±


    She leaned into the comm, her voice dripping with mockery. ¡°Hey, bitch-ass-faced arachnid. You miss me?¡±


    For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a distorted beep¡ªsharp and aggressive¡ªcrackled through the channel.


    Hunter smirked. ¡°Oh yeah, I think it remembers us.¡±


    Priest scanned the telemetry feed. ¡°It¡¯s redirecting. You got about thirty seconds before it locks onto this location.¡±


    Gravel exhaled. ¡°Let¡¯s hope this bunker wasn¡¯t built to last.¡±


    Outside, the jungle trembled as the Spider mech adjusted its stance. Servo motors whined, and a deep, throaty whirr signaled the charge-up of its primary cannon.


    Priest¡¯s screen flared with warnings. ¡°It¡¯s about to fire.¡±


    Hunter backed up, keeping her eyes on the reinforced ceiling above them. ¡°Time to see if¨C¡±


    The air thrummed.


    Then¡ª


    BOOM.


    The explosion roared through the bunker like a thunderclap. Metal screeched as a section of the ceiling buckled inward, debris crashing down in a storm of dust and shattered panels. The blast wave knocked over several server racks, sparks flying as cables tore free.


    Gravel shielded his face, coughing through the dust. ¡°That¡ªcough¡ªwas reckless. Love it.¡±


    Hunter wiped the grime from her cheek, grinning through the chaos. ¡°If only you¡¯re this approving of me every day.¡±


    Above them, twisted metal groaned as daylight poured in through the gaping hole the mech had torn open.


    Priest was already moving, his eyes scanning for the drive. ¡°Grab what we came for and move.¡±


    A burst of static crackled in Gravel¡¯s earpiece, followed by Hua Fang¡¯s voice, sharp with urgency.


    ¡°Glad to catch you again, guys,¡± she said, breathless. ¡°I¡¯m right outside¡ªbut I¡¯ve got company. And they fly.¡±

 Chapter 4

    Gravel exchanged a glance with Hunter, who was still brushing debris from her jacket. ¡°Define fly,¡± he said, already knowing he wouldn¡¯t like the answer.


    ¡°Metallic, sprightly, and real bitey,¡± Fang shot back. ¡°Think mechanical vultures with an attitude problem. I count at least four on me, but there¡¯s probably more. Hey, one of them just waved at me. Hey bestie!¡±


    ¡°No tentacles?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Tough luck.¡± Gravel turned to Hunter and grinned, and she gave him a ¡®what are you talking about¡¯ look.


    Priest swore under his breath, yanking a drive free from its housing. He sprinted toward the makeshift exit, the others right behind him. Sunlight streaked through the jagged hole above, illuminating the swirling dust.


    As soon as he stepped out, the Spider mech whirred back to life, servos clicking as it attempted to recalibrate. Its plasma cannon was offline, but its targeting systems were still active. The remaining railguns swung toward him with a mechanical snarl.


    As the railguns locked onto him, he pivoted, raising his wrist and firing a concentrated energy blast straight at the mech¡¯s exposed joint. The shot hit dead-on, a crackling burst of blue light slamming into the damaged servos.


    The mech lurched, its targeting systems stuttering. Sparks erupted from the wound, the once-fluid movements of its leg turning sluggish and erratic.


    Hunter caught on instantly. ¡°Keep hitting it there!¡±


    Priest fired again, this time aiming just below the exposed hydraulics. The impact sent another surge of energy crackling through the mech¡¯s frame, causing it to shudder violently. The railguns twitched, then went still, their targeting reticles flickering.


    Gravel seized the opening. ¡°Now¡¯s our chance! Move!¡±


    The team sprinted away as the Spider mech attempted to steady itself, its damaged systems struggling to compensate.


    But it wasn¡¯t over yet.


    From above, a piercing shriek rang out¡ªthe first of the metallic vultures had spotted them.


    ¡°What in the hell are those?¡± Gravel looked up, marveling at the nightmarish shapes cutting through the sky.


    The metallic vultures were an unholy fusion of machine and predator, their skeletal frames a patchwork of corroded steel and exposed wiring. Their wings¡ªjagged, uneven things¡ªflexed with unnatural precision, each beat sending ripples of red energy coursing through the gaps in their plating. Instead of feathers, they were lined with razor-thin alloy blades that caught the sunlight like shattered glass.


    A shadow streaked across the jungle canopy, cutting through the dust and smoke. Then came the roar of thrusters, a controlled yet powerful hum that sent leaves and debris scattering across the clearing.


    Hua Fang¡¯s craft¡ªa sleek and vicious modified gunship called Black Fang (it was named after her)¡ªdescended. Its matte-black plating drank in the sunlight, broken only by sharp red markings that flickered like embers beneath an active energy shield. But up close, its patched-together nature was impossible to miss.


    The hull was a Frankenstein¡¯s monster of stolen tech¡ªsome panels smooth and pristine, clearly ripped from the latest Republic interceptors, while others were rough, scorched, and uneven, scavenged from downed crafts or bought off the black market. The VTOL engines, mounted on either side, hummed with unsettling efficiency, their polished casings unmistakably belonging to a state-of-the-art Volrak model. They were far too advanced for a ship like this¡ªevidence of a very successful raid.


    The side hatch hissed open mid-hover. A petite young woman leaned out, wind whipping her short, dark, perpetually windswept hair as she shouted, ¡°Onboard!¡± That was Hua Fang.


    Gravel grabbed Hunter¡¯s arm and sprinted, Priest hot on their heels. They all telepathically decided against confronting those monsters head-on.


    Above them, the metallic vultures closed in, their sleek bodies glinting in the sunlight. Each was a nightmare of rusted steel and exposed wiring, with jagged wings that cut through the air like razors. Optical sensors burned a deep red, tracking the fleeing team with predatory precision.


    The gunship dipped lower, skimming just above the jungle floor. Hunter leaped first, grabbing the edge of the hatch and hauling herself in. Gravel followed, turning just in time to grab Priest¡¯s wrist and yank him aboard as Fang jerked the controls.


    The moment Priest¡¯s boots hit the floor, Fang slammed the throttle forward. The engines roared, and the gunship shot skyward in a steep, gut-wrenching ascent. Below, the Spider mech twitched¡ªthen steadied, its systems rerouting power with chilling efficiency. Its targeting array flared back to life, locking onto them as its railguns swiveled upward.


    ¡°Fang.¡± Gravel called out, gripping the side of the cabin. ¡°It¡¯s still moving.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I noticed,¡± Fang shot back, yanking the controls. The gunship pitched sharply as a burst of railgun fire shredded the air just behind them. ¡°I¡¯d really prefer not to die today, so hang on.¡±


    Priest clenched the overhead bar. ¡°That thing¡¯s recalibrating fast.¡±


    Hunter grimaced as another warning tone blared through the cockpit. ¡°Yeah? Well, so should we. Get us out of here!¡±


    ¡°Working on it,¡± Fang snapped, slamming the throttle to full burn. The VTOL engines roared, the ship jolting as it accelerated hard. Below, the Spider mech took another lumbering step, servos shrieking as its plasma cannon began charging again.


    A shrill screech cut through the air¡ªone of the metallic vultures diving toward them. Fang swore and twisted the stick, sending the ship into a stomach-churning roll just as the creature¡¯s claws scraped against the hull. Sparks flew, but the gunship powered through, climbing higher.


    ¡°We¡¯re not sticking around for round two,¡± Fang growled, punching a set of mismatched switches. A brief pulse rippled from the ship¡¯s tail¡ªa countermeasure burst scrambling enemy targeting for a few precious seconds.


    Gravel exhaled, keeping his eyes on the rapidly shrinking battlefield below. ¡°Let¡¯s hope that buys us enough time.¡±


    ¡°Hope faster,¡± Fang muttered, pushing the ship into a full-speed retreat.


    The gunship rocketed through the sky, engines burning hot as Fang pushed them past safe limits. Below, the jungle blurred into a mass of green, and the bunker¡ªalong with the Spider mech still struggling to regain full function¡ªshrank rapidly from view.


    Another piercing screech. One of the metallic vultures streaked toward them, its razor-lined wings slicing through the air, but Fang twisted the stick hard. The ship veered sharply to the side, sending the creature spiraling past them before it could adjust course.


    ¡°Almost clear,¡± Priest called, checking his scanner. ¡°But they¡¯re still on us.¡±


    ¡°Not for long,¡± Fang muttered, fingers flying across the console. ¡°Switching to high burn.¡±


    A warning light flared red on the dash¡ªengine strain. Fang ignored it. She flicked a mismatched toggle near the throttle, and the ship¡¯s patched-together drive system flared to life, its mix of Republic-grade propulsion and black-market enhancements forcing raw power into the engines.


    The ship lurched forward, inertia pressing them into their seats. The vultures screeched in frustration, their speed suddenly insufficient against the gunship¡¯s acceleration. Within seconds, the atmosphere began to thin, the sky deepening into a dark void speckled with stars.


    Gravel let out a slow breath as the shaking eased. ¡°We clear?¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Priest checked his readouts. ¡°Tracking signatures are fading. They can¡¯t chase us this high.¡±


    Hunter leaned back, finally releasing the grip on her harness. ¡°Remind me to never doubt your getaway skills, Fang.¡±


    Fang scoffed, flipping a few stabilizers back online. ¡°Then don¡¯t cut me off your comms again next time.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do that. Rhyan did.¡± Hunter turned to Gravel.


    ¡°Call me by my real name now, huh, Miss Felicia Rhodes?¡± He snorted.


    Fang exhaled sharply. ¡°You two gonna reminisce, or are we actually debriefing? Because last I checked, we barely got out of that hellhole in one piece.¡±


    Priest tapped his console, double-checking their heading. ¡°She¡¯s right. We¡¯ve got the drive, but we don¡¯t know what¡¯s on it yet. And something tells me the Republic didn¡¯t leave those surprises behind for nothing.¡±


    Hunter chimed in, ¡°And what¡¯s up with that corpse? I¡¯ve never seen anything like that before.¡±


    Gravel¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Maybe the drive will tell us. That thing is in the same facility they run dubious experiments on anyway. Let¡¯s crack it open and find out what¡¯s worth dying over.¡±


    Priest didn¡¯t look up from his console. ¡°We¡¯re not cracking anything open. We deliver the drive as-is. That was the deal.¡±


    Gravel scoffed. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    Hunter leaned forward, arms crossed. ¡°Priest, they lied to us. We weren¡¯t supposed to run into an entire kill squad and a damn murder-spider. The job was framed as a simple retrieval, not a death trap.¡±


    Priest met their stares, his expression unreadable. ¡°Doesn¡¯t change the contract.¡±


    Gravel ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. ¡°We nearly died for this thing. You really don¡¯t wanna know why?¡±


    Priest hesitated, just for a second, before shaking his head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. If we look inside, we make ourselves a liability. Good luck getting hired for anything else.¡±


    Fang clicked her tongue, watching them through the rearview display. ¡°Hate to break up the moral debate, but we¡¯re an hour from rendezvous. You three better figure this out before we get there.¡±


    The screen flickered with navigational data: Departing low orbit of Namor-4. Trajectory set for deep-space relay at Gridpoint Theta-92.


    The once-distant planet shrank behind them, its storm-wracked surface a swirling mass of emerald clouds and jagged lightning. Whatever secrets had been buried beneath its shattered landscape, they were leaving them far behind¡ªat least for now.


    Hunter and Gravel exchanged a glance. Neither looked ready to let this go.


    The ship hummed softly as it cut through the void, its stabilizers adjusting automatically to the shift in trajectory. The silence between them stretched, thick with unspoken arguments.


    Hunter leaned back in her seat, boot tapping an impatient rhythm against the floor. Gravel had his arms crossed, gaze distant, jaw tight. Priest remained at the console, expression unreadable, fingers idly running through flight diagnostics¡ªpretending not to feel the weight of the others¡¯ stares.


    Fang, ever the outsider to their moral dilemmas, sighed. ¡°You know, if you¡¯re all gonna sulk, at least do it somewhere other than my cockpit.¡±


    No one moved.


    She rolled her eyes and focused on the controls. ¡°Fine. Keep brooding. Just don¡¯t make it my problem when it blows up in your faces.¡±


    The relay station at Gridpoint Theta-92 emerged from the void, a solitary construct floating at the edge of deep space. It was a sprawling array of antennae and docking spires, built from a patchwork of reinforced plating that had clearly seen its share of rough encounters. The station¡¯s lights pulsed faintly, a quiet beacon in the dark¡ªno fanfare, no welcoming signals, just the cold, functional glow of automated systems waiting for the next transient crew.


    Beyond it, the nearest star loomed¡ªSarnath-Delta, a red giant nearing the end of its life. Its surface roiled with slow, molten currents, sending out arcs of dying plasma that flickered like distant storms. The light it cast was weak, almost diluted, painting the relay station in a dim, rust-colored glow. A graveyard sun for a lonely outpost.


    Fang guided the ship in, aligning with the docking coordinates. A brief transmission crackled through the comms¡ªautomated clearance, no human voice. There should be a real human greeting them at the dock. At least last time they were here, there was.


    Fang frowned. ¡°Automated response. No live check-in.¡±


    Priest¡¯s hands hovered over his console. ¡°Normal for a relay this remote.¡±


    Gravel wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°Garnash should be here waiting.¡±


    Hunter checked her weapon¡¯s charge. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s late. Maybe he¡¯s dead. Maybe he went to shave that ugly beard of his.¡±


    Fang frowned. ¡°I just picked up a suspicious encrypted message. It¡¯d take time to decipher it; time we don¡¯t have right now. Don¡¯t know why they bothered encrypting it.¡±


    ¡°Means somebody¡¯s here, at least,¡± Gravel said. ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s the super-duper galactic entity communicating in a frequency we just happen to be able to pick up.¡±


    The docking clamps engaged with a mechanical hiss, locking the ship into place. Outside, the access corridor extended toward them, but no one stood waiting at the airlock. Just the quiet hum of station power, the dull flicker of warning lights casting long shadows against the metal walls.


    Fang narrowed her eyes at the empty reception. ¡°Alright, now I know something¡¯s up.¡±


    Priest adjusted his grip on the drive case. ¡°No sign of Garnash?¡±


    Gravel exhaled, already stepping toward the airlock controls. ¡°We¡¯re about to find out.¡±


    The airlock cycled open with a deep clunk. The moment the doors slid apart, a wall of armed bodies came into view¡ªhalf a dozen mercs in patchwork armor, weapons raised, standing in a loose formation inside the corridor. At their center, a broad-shouldered figure stepped forward, eyes locking onto the crew.


    Garnash.


    The old warlord looked genuinely surprised. His reptilian features twitched, sharp teeth parting slightly in what could almost be called an amused snarl. His scales, a dull bronze under the station¡¯s dim lights, caught the flicker of the warning strips along the corridor. He was taller than most of his hired guns, his heavy coat draped over a chest plate that had clearly seen battle.


    ¡°Well,¡± he rumbled, his deep voice carrying a mix of amusement and disbelief. ¡°I¡¯ll be damned.¡± He let out a short, barking laugh. ¡°You lot actually made it back.¡±


    Hunter cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? You weren¡¯t expecting us?¡±


    Garnash tilted his head, looking them over, eyes lingering on the drive case in Priest¡¯s hands. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I had . . . contingencies in case you didn¡¯t.¡± He gestured around at his men with an easy, almost casual motion.


    Gravel¡¯s fingers twitched near his weapon, but he didn¡¯t draw. Not yet. ¡°That why you brought a welcoming committee?¡±


    Garnash smirked. ¡°Can¡¯t be too careful. You went dark for a while. Thought maybe the Republic ate you alive.¡± His gaze flicked between them.


    Hunter exhaled sharply. ¡°You tell us, Garnash. Because we had one hell of a time down there.¡±


    The warlord let out a deep chuckle. ¡°Then I suppose we all have stories to share.¡± He extended a clawed hand. ¡°But first¡ªthe drive.¡±


    Priest stepped forward, case in hand, ready to hand it over. But then he hesitated. His gaze flickered to Hunter, to Gravel, to Fang still at the ship¡¯s controls. The tension in their eyes said it all.


    Something wasn¡¯t right.


    Before he could speak, Gravel took a step ahead of him. ¡°Garnash,¡± he said, voice even but laced with something harder, sharper. ¡°You sent us into something way nastier than a simple retrieval job. You wanna explain why?¡±


    Garnash¡¯s smirk twitched, but he didn¡¯t lose his composure. Instead, he spread his hands in mock innocence. ¡°Now, now. Let¡¯s not get dramatic.¡± His tail flicked behind him, a restless movement. ¡°You got the drive, didn¡¯t you? And you¡¯re alive. And McPherson has never delayed on payments for a successful job.¡±


    Gravel didn¡¯t move. ¡°You knew what was down there. I demand¨C¡±


    Priest interrupted, voice low. ¡°If this drive was worth sending us into a kill zone, then it¡¯s worth more than you¡¯re paying.¡±


    Garnash¡¯s smirk faded. His slit-pupiled eyes locked onto Priest. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the deal.¡±


    Gravel took a half step forward, just enough to let the guards know they weren¡¯t backing down. ¡°Neither was an ambush, a kill squad, or that walking war crime of a mech. If you want this drive, you tell us exactly what¡¯s on it.¡±


    For the first time since they arrived, Garnash hesitated. It was quick¡ªjust a fraction of a second¡ªbut Gravel caught it.


    Fang¡¯s voice crackled over comms from the ship. ¡°So . . . are we doing business, or do I need to warm up the engines?¡±


    Garnash exhaled sharply through his nose, his tail flicking once. Then he let out a slow, measured chuckle. ¡°Fine. You want more? You¡¯ve got nerve, I¡¯ll give you that.¡±


    Hunter crossed her arms. ¡°And?¡±


    Garnash¡¯s smirk returned, but this time it was tight, his patience thinning. ¡°An extra thirty million. No more.¡±


    Gravel glanced at Priest, then at Hunter. Fang was silent on the comms, but he knew she was listening. They had pushed their luck enough¡ªpressing further would get them shot.


    Priest gave a slow nod. ¡°We take the thirty. And we walk away clean.¡±


    Garnash¡¯s claws drummed against his vambrace before he gestured to one of his people. A moment later, the transfer confirmation pinged on Priest¡¯s wrist display.


    ¡°Done. McPherson never breaks promises.¡± Garnash held out his hand. ¡°Now, the drive.¡±


    Priest hesitated again, but this time, he handed it over.


    Garnash took it, weighing it in his palm before tucking it away inside his armored coat. His gaze lingered on them for a beat too long. ¡°You¡¯re smart enough to know when not to ask questions. Keep it that way.¡±


    Gravel snorted. ¡°We¡¯ll try.¡±


    Fang¡¯s voice cut in through the comms. ¡°Engines are primed. Can we go before lizard boy changes his mind?¡±


    Gravel jerked his head toward the ship. ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡±


    No one turned their backs to Garnash¡¯s men as they walked away.

 Chapter 5

    Once they were deep into the safe zone¡ªfar from Theta-92, far from Garnash and his watchful eyes¡ªPriest finally spoke, ¡°I made a copy.¡±


    The words hung in the air of the dimly lit common room, a space that bore the marks of long years in deep space. The overhead lights flickered slightly, a reminder that the ship¡¯s wiring had seen better days. A holo-display cast shifting blue projections over the scuffed metal table where they sat, its surface scratched from countless planning sessions, arguments, and hastily eaten meals. The low hum of the ship¡¯s engines vibrated through the floor, steady and familiar.


    Hunter, leaning back in her seat, jumped. ¡°What?¡±


    Gravel shot him a look. ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°Before we left the bunker,¡± Priest said, unstrapping his harness and standing. ¡°Just to have something to blackmail him if they ended up not fulfilling their end of the deal.¡± He tapped his wrist console, bringing up a holo-display.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take you for the leverage type. Or the maverick type.¡±


    Priest glanced at him, unbothered. ¡°I take precautions.¡±


    Hunter folded her arms, eyeing the holo-display as lines of data unraveled. ¡°And now? We got paid. We got out. What exactly are we doing with this?¡±


    Gravel leaned forward, elbows on his knees, watching the data scroll across the display. ¡°This job was supposed to be a simple pickup. Instead, we walked into a kill box. That tells me this drive isn¡¯t just some forgotten relic¡ªit¡¯s part of something bigger.¡±


    Hunter frowned. ¡°Bigger how?¡±


    Gravel smirked. ¡°Bigger as in, we could score big. If this thing¡¯s valuable enough for Garnash to throw an army at us, then someone else out there might be willing to pay even more.¡±


    Hunter rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s always money with you.¡±


    Gravel shrugged, unbothered. ¡°Money keeps us flying.¡±


    The truth was, he had a knack for sniffing out profit where others saw dead ends. The crew owed more than a few lucky breaks to Gravel¡¯s instincts¡ªlike the time he talked their way out of a bounty on Xethos-9 by selling Republic patrol routes to a pirate lord who happened to hate the Republic more than them. Or the time he found a buyer for a ¡°lost¡± corporate prototype they¡¯d technically never meant to steal.


    Then there was the salvage run on Elka Prime¡ªwhat was supposed to be a routine scrap haul until Gravel spotted the markings of an old smuggler¡¯s cache in the wreckage. That job alone had paid for their last three engine overhauls.


    But when the ship stayed fueled, the guns stayed loaded, and the crew stayed alive, no one really complained. That was partly why they were able to stay together for no less than eight years by then, the four of them.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need that much money,¡± Hunter said. ¡°When you asked me to join, you promised me a ship to call home, and adventure.¡±


    ¡°We still have both of that, don¡¯t we?¡± Gravel half-grinned. ¡°It¡¯s not cheap keeping this ¡®home¡¯ running, I tell you that. The hundred million we got is just gonna keep us floating for another year. This can keep us well-off for good.¡±


    Priest crossed his arms. ¡°That¡¯s assuming it¡¯s not the kind of data that gets people executed just for knowing about it.¡±


    Hunter exhaled sharply. ¡°Great. So we¡¯re either sitting on a jackpot or a death sentence.¡±


    Fang¡¯s voice crackled over comms. ¡°Well, if we¡¯re about to sell our souls for cash, maybe we should figure out exactly what we¡¯re holding first.¡±


    Gravel leaned back, tapping his fingers on his knee. ¡°We¡¯re bounty hunters. When have we ever been scared for our lives? Let¡¯s crack it open.¡±


    Hunter shot him a look. ¡°You just finished saying it could get us killed.¡±


    Gravel grinned. ¡°I also said it could make us rich.¡±


    Priest sighed, then keyed in a sequence on his console. The holo-display shifted, lines of encrypted data scrolling faster than the eye could track. ¡°Fang, I need you up here. We¡¯re going to need your expertise.¡±


    A second later, the cockpit door slid open, and Fang strolled in, arms crossed. ¡°About time you remembered I exist.¡± She plopped down at her station, cracking her knuckles theatrically before pulling up the data. Her eyes flicked across the readouts, and her expression shifted from amused to serious.


    ¡°This encryption isn¡¯t standard. It¡¯s layered¡ªold Republic ciphers, but modified. Someone¡¯s been playing with the deep-core protocols.¡±


    Gravel frowned. ¡°Translation?¡±


    Fang exhaled. ¡°Translation: whoever made this didn¡¯t want it getting out. And whoever tries to decode it without the proper key?¡± She tapped a few keys, and a warning prompt flashed red on the screen. ¡°Gets hit with a full data wipe.¡±


    Hunter let out a low whistle. ¡°That complicated, huh?¡±


    Fang nodded. ¡°And that valuable.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯re gonna need a real expert for the job,¡± Gravel smirked. ¡°And I know just where to find him.¡±


    ¡°Richarlison?¡± Hunter protested, ¡°He almost compromised our position last time.¡±


    Gravel shook his head. ¡°No, not Charlie. I¡¯m not that desperate.¡±


    Hunter exhaled, relieved. ¡°Good. Because I swear if we have to clean up his mess again¡ª¡±


    ¡°Relax,¡± Gravel cut in. ¡°I¡¯m talking about Vanje.¡±


    Priest¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Vanje? As in, the guy who sold out the Rasha Syndicate and walked away breathing?¡±


    ¡°The very same,¡± Gravel confirmed, stretching his arms. ¡°If anyone can crack this without frying the data, it¡¯s him.¡±


    Fang made a face. ¡°He¡¯s a paranoid wreck. Last time I saw him, he had three different comm signals bouncing across six systems just to order a damn drink.¡±


    Gravel shrugged. ¡°And yet, he¡¯s still alive. That¡¯s gotta count for something.¡±


    Hunter crossed her arms. ¡°You sure he won¡¯t sell us out?¡±


    Gravel grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We go way back.¡±


    Priest wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°That¡¯s not reassuring.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Hunter added. ¡°The last person you said you ¡®went way back¡¯ with tried to shove us out an airlock.¡±


    Gravel rolled his eyes. ¡°That was a misunderstanding.¡±


    Hunter scoffed. ¡°We were the misunderstanding.¡±


    Fang sighed, leaning back in her seat. ¡°Look, Vanje¡¯s the best we¡¯ve got if we don¡¯t want to risk a full data wipe. But if he¡¯s as paranoid as ever, getting to him won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    Gravel smirked. ¡°It never is.¡± He glanced at Priest. ¡°You¡¯re the one who wanted to follow the contract to the letter. That didn¡¯t work out too well for us, did it? Now we play this our way.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Priest exhaled slowly but didn¡¯t argue. ¡°Fine. But we do this carefully. No surprises.¡±


    Hunter shook her head, already resigned. ¡°We¡¯re about to walk into a mess, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    Fang flicked through the nav charts. ¡°Where¡¯s Vanje holed up these days?¡±


    Gravel grinned. ¡°Last I heard? A little place called Kestris-9.¡±


    The room fell quiet.


    Fang groaned, rubbing her temples. ¡°Oh, for void¡¯s sake.¡±


    Hunter muttered, ¡°Why is it always Kestris?¡±


    Priest just closed his eyes for a moment. ¡°I hate that planet.¡± He should know well. He used to work as corporate there.


    Gravel clapped his hands together. ¡°Then we¡¯d better get going.¡±


    ***


    The Black Fang dropped out of FTL just beyond Kestris-9¡¯s outer orbital lanes, its hull humming as it adjusted to realspace. The planet loomed ahead, wrapped in a swirling haze of industrial smog and city lights that flickered like embers beneath the toxic cloud cover. Even from this distance, Kestris looked hostile.


    Fang kept one hand on the controls, the other flicking through incoming transmissions. ¡°Still a nightmare,¡± she muttered. ¡°Traffic control¡¯s a mess, local security¡¯s running random sweeps, and I¡¯m picking up three different gang encryptions just on the public bands.¡±


    Gravel leaned against the bulkhead, arms crossed. ¡°Sounds like home.¡±


    Hunter arched a brow. ¡°If your home is an overcooked scrapyard where everything is either trying to rob you or stab you, sure.¡±


    Fang smirked. ¡°Or both. Efficiency.¡±


    ¡°I was an Earthling,¡± Gravel said. ¡°Wasn¡¯t far off.¡±


    Priest exhaled, shaking his head. ¡°Every time we land on this rock, something explodes.¡±


    Gravel grinned. ¡°That was one time.¡±


    Hunter shot him a look. ¡°It was three times.¡±


    Fang tapped a few controls, bringing up their approach vector. ¡°I dunno, Priest, maybe this time we¡¯ll get lucky. I have more experience with landings now.¡±


    The ship suddenly shuddered as a garbled warning blared over comms¡ªsome half-baked security transmission.


    Priest sighed, saying nothing more.


    Fang winced. ¡°Okay, that one wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    Gravel pushed off the bulkhead and glanced at the flashing comms display. ¡°Guess we¡¯re getting the standard Kestris welcome package.¡±


    Hunter tilted her head, listening to the distorted transmission. ¡°Sounds like they¡¯re saying ¡®unauthorized entry¡¯ or ¡®unidentified vessel¡¯ or . . .¡± She frowned. ¡°Possibly ¡®prepare to be shot down.¡¯¡±


    Fang rolled her eyes. ¡°Same thing, really.¡±


    Priest pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°And this is why I hate this planet.¡±


    Gravel clapped a hand on his shoulder. ¡°C¡¯mon, where¡¯s your sense of adventure?¡±


    Priest gave him a flat look. ¡°Buried under years of wanting to live.¡±


    Fang cut in, her fingers flying across the console. ¡°Relax, I¡¯m sending the usual bribes¡ªI mean, landing fees. We should be fine. Probably.¡±


    The comms crackled again, this time the voice slightly clearer.


    ¡°¡ªBlack Fang, proceed to Docking Bay Twelve. Keep weapons powered down. No sudden moves.¡±


    Priest murmured, ¡°I recognize this voice.¡±


    ¡°Friend, or . . .¡± asked Hunter.


    Priest¡¯s eyes narrowed as the voice stirred an old memory, one he had no interest in revisiting. ¡°Neither,¡± he said finally. ¡°But if it¡¯s who I think it is, we need to tread carefully.¡±


    Gravel¡¯s smirk didn¡¯t fade. ¡°You always say that.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m usually right,¡± Priest shot back.


    Fang guided the ship in, aligning with the designated docking coordinates. As the Black Fang descended through the thick smog, the landing bay came into view¡ªa dimly lit industrial sprawl, its metal scaffolding lined with flickering neon signs. Docking Bay Twelve wasn¡¯t the worst Kestris had to offer, but it wasn¡¯t far off.


    The moment the landing struts engaged, a squad of armed enforcers stepped into view. At their center stood a figure in a long, weathered coat, his stance rigid, his face cast in shadow beneath the overhead lights.


    Priest cursed under his breath.


    Hunter glanced at him. ¡°Okay, so not a friend, then. You could¡¯ve told us.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know she was in a position of power now,¡± he replied.


    The comms crackled one last time, but this time the voice came through loud and clear.


    ¡°Black Fang, welcome back to Kestris.¡± A pause, then a humorless chuckle. ¡°Priest. It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    Priest exhaled slowly. ¡°Too long.¡±


    Gravel¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Oh, this is gonna be fun.¡±


    The ship¡¯s ramp lowered with a hiss of pressurized air, revealing the thick, humid atmosphere of Kestris-9. The armed enforcers stood in formation, weapons holstered but within easy reach. The woman at the center stepped forward, her coat shifting slightly with the movement.


    Priest squared his shoulders and stepped off the ramp first, Gravel, Hunter, and Fang close behind.


    The woman smirked, tilting her head. ¡°Still carrying yourself like you¡¯ve got a badge, Dakarai? Or should I say, Priest?¡±


    Gravel shot him a sidelong glance, but Priest didn¡¯t react. He just held the woman¡¯s gaze, silent and unreadable. ¡°Didn¡¯t realize you¡¯d traded street work for command, Sloan.¡±


    Sloan spread her hands. ¡°Time changes things. People move up. Some disappear.¡± Her eyes flicked to the rest of the crew, assessing. ¡°You¡¯ve been busy.¡±


    ¡°Not as busy as you, apparently,¡± Priest said evenly.


    Gravel cut in with a casual grin. ¡°This reunion is heartwarming, really, but we¡¯re on a bit of a schedule. You called us in, Sloan. What do you want?¡±


    Sloan¡¯s smirk faded slightly. ¡°That depends. What brings you back to my city, Priest?¡±


    Hunter crossed her arms. ¡°Didn¡¯t realize Kestris belonged to you.¡±


    Sloan ignored her. ¡°I don¡¯t like surprises. And your ship dropping into my airspace unannounced is definitely a surprise.¡±


    Fang shifted her weight. ¡°We¡¯re here for a business meeting. That a problem?¡±


    Sloan¡¯s eyes lingered on Priest for a moment longer before she let out a breath, rolling her shoulders. ¡°Depends on who the meeting¡¯s with.¡±


    Priest hesitated. Lying outright wouldn¡¯t help them. But the truth? That was just as dangerous.


    Gravel, ever the smooth talker, stepped in. ¡°Just an old friend. Nothing that concerns you.¡±


    Sloan chuckled, low and knowing. ¡°On Kestris? Everything concerns me.¡± She looked back at her enforcers, then at Priest. ¡°You¡¯re clear¡ªfor now. Just because we have history, Dakarai. But don¡¯t push your luck. I¡¯ll be watching.¡±


    Sloan let the moment stretch before turning sharply on her heel. Her enforcers followed, boots clanking against the worn metal decking as they disappeared into the docking bay¡¯s shadows.


    Hunter exhaled. ¡°That could¡¯ve gone worse.¡±


    Fang was already checking her datapad. ¡°She¡¯s got her hooks in deep. Whatever Sloan¡¯s running here, it¡¯s big.¡±


    Gravel clapped a hand on Priest¡¯s shoulder, grinning. ¡°Dakarai, huh? So what¡¯s your deal with a corp officer?¡±


    Priest barely acknowledged him, eyes still fixed on the docking bay entrance where Sloan had disappeared. ¡°It¡¯s not a deal,¡± he said finally. ¡°It¡¯s history.¡±


    Gravel chuckled. ¡°History that knows your real name. That¡¯s the interesting kind.¡±


    Priest ignored him and started walking. ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡±


    The others followed, stepping out of the docking bay and into the streets of Kestris-9. The city hit them like a punch to the gut¡ªsmog-thick air, the scent of rust and fuel, the din of a thousand different deals happening in the shadows. The towering skyline was a mess of neon and decay, corporations looming above while the undercity festered below.


    Hunter kept her voice low. ¡°So, Slogan.¡±


    ¡°Sloan,¡± Priest corrected.


    ¡°Sloan, right. You two got a past or what?¡±


    Priest¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°She used to be a regulator. Back when Kestris still pretended to have laws. I worked security for a logistics firm. Thought I was doing an honest job¡ªkeeping shipments moving, making sure contracts were honored. Turns out, the company had other priorities.¡±


    Fang glanced up from her datapad. ¡°Let me guess. You got played.¡±


    Priest exhaled. ¡°More like set up. I dug too deep, asked too many questions.¡±


    Hunter was waiting for him to share more of his story, but he didn¡¯t say a word after that.


    Gravel glanced at Priest, then at Hunter, then shrugged. ¡°Well, that¡¯s ominous.¡±


    Priest didn¡¯t bite. He just kept walking, his eyes scanning the streets, cataloging threats the way he always did. The undercity had a rhythm¡ªone he hadn¡¯t forgotten. The way people moved, the way eyes flicked toward them and then away, gauging whether they were predators or prey.


    Gravel, ever the opportunist, grinned. ¡°You know, the more you avoid telling us, the more I assume it¡¯s something juicy. Maybe an old flame? A long-lost sibling? Oh¡ªdid you run a cult? Please tell me you ran a cult.¡±


    Priest gave him a sidelong look. ¡°I hate you.¡±


    Gravel chuckled, unbothered. ¡°That¡¯s pretty unfair considering Hunter was the one who asked in the first place, but alright.¡±


    Ahead, the street funneled into a narrower passage, the flickering neon signs overhead casting uneven light on the damp pavement. The undercity was alive in its usual way¡ªhushed conversations slipping through the air, the occasional shout in an alleyway, the unmistakable weight of being watched.


    Fang tapped on her datapad. ¡°We¡¯re close. Vanje¡¯s holed up in The Hollow.¡±


    Hunter sighed. ¡°Because of course he is.¡±

 Chapter 6

    The Hollow was the kind of place you walked into knowing you might not walk out. A relic of Kestris-9¡¯s past, it had survived gang wars, corporate takeovers, and at least two explosions¡ªmostly because it was too much trouble to get rid of. Its patrons thrived on secrecy, and its owner, a reformed smuggler with a mean streak, made sure no one caused problems they weren¡¯t willing to die over.


    A pair of Virrok loitered by a rust-streaked alleyway, their translucent skin shifting between dark blues and purples as they murmured in their native clicks and trills. Virroks were bioluminescent, their bodies glowing faintly beneath their tattered cloaks, a trait that made them terrible at hiding but excellent at intimidation when the light pulsed in just the right way.


    Priest slowed his pace as they approached the entrance.


    Hunter arched a brow. ¡°Having second thoughts?¡±


    Priest shook his head, scanning the shadows. ¡°No. Just making sure we¡¯re not walking into an ambush.¡±


    Gravel smirked. ¡°C¡¯mon, what¡¯s life without a little risk?¡±


    Priest didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he pushed open the door and stepped inside.


    The Hollow swallowed them whole.


    The air was thick¡ªpart smoke, part something stale that had settled into the walls long ago. The low thrum of conversation buzzed just beneath the music, a slow, grinding beat that matched the flicker of dim red lights overhead. The patrons barely looked up as the crew stepped inside, though Priest could feel the shift in the room. The way some voices dipped lower, the way a few hands twitched closer to concealed weapons. The Hollow had a memory, and it remembered new faces.


    A pair of Trelvian sat hunched at a back table, their exoskeletal fingers clinking against shot glasses filled with something thick and dark. A Grinnak bartender wiped down the counter with a rag that did more smearing than cleaning, his two lower arms idly adjusting the bottles on the shelves while his upper set worked. His six black eyes locked onto them, his mandibles clicking in silent acknowledgment.


    Fang leaned closer to Gravel. ¡°Remind me why we keep coming to places like this?¡±


    ¡°Ambience,¡± Gravel said, grinning.


    Hunter sighed. ¡°If by ambience you mean the likelihood of getting stabbed, then sure.¡±


    ¡°Stabbing you, maybe. My skin, on the other hand, is impenetrable.¡±


    ¡°Reattach my spine, Priest. Reattach my spine,¡± Hunter whispered.


    ¡°I said my skin is, not my bones.¡±


    Gravel¡¯s eyes locked onto a corner booth, where a skeletal figure sat, hunched over a datapad. The screen¡¯s glow lit up the man¡¯s face¡ªolder than the last time Gravel had seen him, more gaunt, more paranoid. His exoskeleton was cracked in places, the once-glossy surface now dull and weathered by years of secretion. His head, elongated with hollow cheeks and deep-set eyes, seemed too large for his emaciated body.


    Vanje.


    His fingers twitched when he noticed them, but he didn¡¯t bolt. That was a good sign.


    ¡°Let¡¯s greet our old friend, shall we?¡± Gravel said.


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m meeting the guy,¡± responded Hunter.


    Vanje¡¯s eyes darted around the room as they approached, his posture tense, fingers drumming an erratic rhythm against the table. He didn¡¯t look up until Gravel slid into the seat across from him, flashing a lopsided grin.


    ¡°Vanje,¡± Gravel said, leaning back. ¡°You look terrible. And that¡¯s not just because you¡¯re a Trelvian.¡±


    Vanje scoffed, rubbing a hand over his face. ¡°And you look exactly the same. Which is impressive, considering the number of people who¡¯d like to see you dead.¡± His gaze flicked to the others, assessing. His fingers twitched again, toward his datapad. ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°Associates,¡± Gravel said easily. ¡°Hunter, Fang, and the one glaring at you is Priest.¡±


    Vanje¡¯s mouth twisted at the name. ¡°Priest. Right.¡± He exhaled sharply and glanced toward the bar as if making sure no one was listening. ¡°You¡¯re insane for coming here.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Hunter crossed her arms. ¡°So we¡¯ve been told.¡±


    Fang tapped the table impatiently. ¡°Look, Vanje, we need your help.¡±


    ¡°Help?¡± Vanje snorted, shaking his head. ¡°You don¡¯t come to Kestris for help, you come to disappear. And right now, I¡¯d rather do the latter.¡±


    Gravel¡¯s grin didn¡¯t fade. ¡°Well, unfortunately for you, we have something that needs cracking. And you¡¯re the best there is.¡±


    Vanje¡¯s fingers twitched once more. ¡°The best there was,¡± he corrected. ¡°I don¡¯t do that anymore.¡±


    Priest spoke for the first time, his voice quiet but firm. ¡°You do now.¡±


    Vanje hesitated. His eyes flicked to Priest, then to the datapad in Fang¡¯s hands. His paranoia warred with his curiosity. Finally, he sighed. ¡°Alright. Show me what you¡¯ve got.¡±


    Fang placed the datapad on the table, screen glowing with the encrypted file. Vanje stared at it, then let out a low whistle.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he muttered, rubbing his temples. ¡°You really know how to find trouble, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Gravel spread his hands, his grin never quite reaching his eyes. ¡°Look, Vanje, I wouldn¡¯t be here if I had another option. But we go way back. You owe me.¡±


    Vanje snorted. ¡°I owe you? Last I checked, I saved your sorry ass on Belthos Prime.¡±


    ¡°And I saved yours on Korrin Station,¡± Gravel shot back smoothly. ¡°Twice.¡±


    Vanje huffed, leaning back in his seat, arms crossed. ¡°That¡¯s debatable.¡± He looked at the datapad again, gnawing the inside of his cheek. ¡°This is deep stuff. Layers of old Republic encryption, custom modifications, likely a failsafe or two¡ªwhoever locked this down didn¡¯t just want to keep people out, they wanted to make sure no one even thought about looking.¡± He exhaled sharply. ¡°It¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Gravel leaned forward. ¡°Not for you.¡±


    Vanje¡¯s fingers drummed against the table, faster this time. His eyes darted toward the exit. ¡°Even if I could crack it¡ªwhich I¡¯m not saying I can¡ªwhy would I? This kind of job? It¡¯s a death sentence.¡±


    Gravel held his gaze. ¡°Because it¡¯s me asking.¡±


    Vanje scoffed. ¡°Oh, well, that changes everything.¡± He threw up his hands. ¡°Tell you what, Gravel. If you want me to take this on, I¡¯ll need¡ªoh, I don¡¯t know¡ªsixty million ducats. Up front.¡±


    Hunter let out a low whistle. ¡°This man¡¯s got a loose screw somewhere.¡±


    Fang arched a brow. ¡°You do realize we don¡¯t own a planet, right?¡±


    Vanje smirked. ¡°Exactly. Which means I can go back to pretending I never saw you.¡± He made a shooing gesture. ¡°Go ahead. Walk away.¡±


    Gravel didn¡¯t move. He just tilted his head, smirk fading slightly. ¡°Come on, Vanje. If you really wanted us gone, you wouldn¡¯t have even looked at the file.¡±


    Vanje''s jaw clenched. He let out a slow breath through his nose, staring at the datapad as if it might burn him.


    ¡°Void take me,¡± he muttered.


    Gravel leaned back, his smirk creeping back into place. ¡°Knew you couldn¡¯t resist.¡±


    Vanje scowled. ¡°I haven¡¯t agreed to anything.¡± He tapped the screen with one finger. ¡°This encryption? It¡¯s not just any old system. I¡¯ve seen something like this before¡ªmilitary-grade, but not just that. It¡¯s layered, built to self-corrupt if you prod the wrong way. And if I had to guess who put it together, I¡¯d say someone with a hell of a lot more firepower than you.¡±


    Hunter frowned. ¡°Firepower like . . .?¡±


    Vanje gave her a flat look. ¡°The kind that turns people into cautionary tales.¡±


    Priest finally spoke up, his voice low. ¡°You¡¯re saying it¡¯s Republic black ops. Valle-44 beams.¡±


    Vanje didn¡¯t nod, but he didn¡¯t deny it either. ¡°Could be. Or it could be someone pretending to be them. Either way, you¡¯re playing with something big.¡± He rubbed his eyes, exhaling hard. ¡°If I do this, I need a clean setup¡ªisolated terminal, no outside interference. And you¡¯ll owe me. A real favor. Not this ¡®I saved you on Korrin Station¡¯ nonsense.¡±


    Gravel didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Done.¡±


    Hunter lightly slapped Gravel in the back. ¡°Our dear Captain . . .¡±


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± He winked at her.


    Fang raised a hand. ¡°Define ¡®favor.¡¯¡±


    Vanje¡¯s smirk returned, sharp and knowing. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll find out when I need it.¡±


    Hunter groaned. ¡°That¡¯s never good.¡±


    Vanje pushed the datapad back across the table. ¡°Meet me at my safehouse in four hours. I¡¯ll send you the coordinates through an encrypted relay¡ªone-time access, no repeats. If you¡¯re followed, don¡¯t bother showing up.¡± He eyed Priest warily. ¡°And keep your old friends off my back.¡±


    Priest said nothing, but the look in his eyes promised nothing would be that simple.


    Then he slipped through the crowd, disappearing into the neon haze beyond the bar¡¯s entrance.


    Hunter exhaled, leaning back. ¡°Well, that went about as well as expected.¡±


    Gravel smirked. ¡°Better, actually. He didn¡¯t detonate the entire bar.¡±


    Fang was already tapping at her datapad. ¡°I¡¯ll run scans around the meeting point when we get the coordinates. No way he¡¯s not going to have security.¡±


    Priest, still watching the door, muttered, ¡°It¡¯s not his security I¡¯m worried about.¡±


    Hunter frowned. ¡°You think Sloan¡¯s already watching us?¡±


    Priest finally turned back to the table, his expression unreadable. ¡°I think Kestris has never been a place where you can make a move without someone noticing.¡± He pushed away from the table. ¡°We should go. If Vanje¡¯s serious about the meeting, we need to make sure no one else follows us there.¡±


    Gravel clapped his hands together, standing. ¡°Alright then. Time for a little counter-surveillance.¡± He grinned. ¡°Haven¡¯t lost a tail in a while. Should be fun.¡±


    Hunter sighed. ¡°Your definition of fun is deeply concerning.¡±


    ¡°Second that,¡± said Fang.


    With that, they filed out of The Hollow, stepping back into the restless streets of Kestris-9, where the neon shadows stretched long, and unseen eyes were already watching.

 Chapter 7

    Priest took the lead, his gaze scanning every reflection, every silhouette that lingered too long. He caught sight of a figure half a block back¡ªhooded, moving when they moved, stopping when they did. They¡¯re making it too typical, he thought.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a tail,¡± he murmured.


    Hunter barely turned her head. ¡°One?¡±


    ¡°Two more on the rooftops,¡± Fang added, tapping her datapad as a drone pinged them with thermal scans. ¡°They¡¯re coordinated.¡±


    Gravel exhaled through his nose. ¡°Friends of Sloan, or someone else? Gorodos? Mustafa?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± Priest said.


    They turned a corner, slipping into the flow of foot traffic spilling out of a tram station. Priest cut left into a service corridor, the others following without hesitation. The moment they were out of sight, he spoke.


    Gravel ordered, ¡°Split up. Two blocks over, regroup at the old transit hub.¡±


    The group scattered without hesitation, each one slipping into the shifting currents of Kestris-9¡¯s undercity.


    Priest moved with practiced ease, stepping into the shadowed entrance of a maintenance tunnel, his pace measured, unhurried. He didn¡¯t check over his shoulder¡ªhe didn¡¯t need to. If their tail was good, they¡¯d be subtle.


    Hunter wove through a dense street market, hands brushing over hanging fabrics and worn-out machine parts, using the crowd as cover. She snagged a scarf from a vendor¡¯s stall in one smooth motion, wrapping it over her shoulders to distort her silhouette.


    Fang, however, had other ideas. She ducked into a side street, pulled a small, palm-sized device from her belt, and flicked a switch. A barely perceptible hum filled the air as the device activated, sending out a pulse through the local net.


    Within seconds, her datapad lit up with results¡ªthermal signatures, comm frequencies, and predictive movement patterns overlaid onto the street map. Two of their pursuers were communicating on a scrambled line. But their encryption? That was corporate¡ªhigh-end, proprietary.


    Fang smirked. ¡°Gotcha.¡±


    Hunter¡¯s voice crackled over comms. ¡°Got what?¡±


    Fang tapped a few controls, isolating their tail¡¯s transmissions. ¡°Liberated a multi-spectrum recon node from McPherson R&D. Turns out their ''unbreakable'' firewall is just an overpaid intern copy-pasting bad code. Figured I¡¯d put their failure to good use.¡±


    There was a beat of silence.


    Hunter, incredulous, whispered, ¡°When did you get that?¡±


    ¡°Just happened to intercept a McPherson carrier ship on our way while you guys were receiving the mission.¡±


    Hunter groaned. ¡°Fang, tell me you didn¡¯t.¡±


    Fang smirked, eyes flicking between the incoming data streams. ¡°Relax. It was just sitting there, practically begging to be liberated.¡±


    Priest¡¯s voice came through the comms, clipped and serious. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with that later. Right now, focus. What else can that thing tell us?¡±


    Fang¡¯s fingers flew across her datapad, rerouting the recon node¡¯s passive scans. ¡°Two groups. One¡¯s definitely corporate¡ªthey¡¯re running McPherson¡¯s latest encrypted bands. Those might catch my signals; might not. The other? Freelancers, probably hired muscle.¡± She exhaled. ¡°And they¡¯re converging.¡±


    Gravel, still nursing his drink at the bar, chuckled. ¡°I love when people make my job easy.¡±


    Hunter¡¯s voice was tight. ¡°They¡¯re trying to box us in.¡±


    Priest was already moving. ¡°Then we don¡¯t let them.¡±


    Fang pulled up a map overlay, her smirk returning. ¡°I might have a back door.¡±


    Hunter sighed. ¡°Do I even want to know?¡±


    Fang grinned. ¡°I don¡¯t recall a single mission failing because of me. Can¡¯t say the same for your aim, though.¡±


    Gravel shot her a look. ¡°You want an honest answer, or the one that keeps our team dynamic intact?¡±


    Fang winked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. I already ran the numbers¡ªthis works.¡± She flicked a command on her datapad. Somewhere in the distance, a low hum reverberated through the undercity streets¡ªa signal relay scrambling local feeds, throwing up ghost pings on surveillance grids.


    Priest didn¡¯t stop moving. ¡°Where¡¯s this back door of yours?¡±


    Fang turned down an alley, motioning for the others to follow. ¡°Old subtram tunnels. They were decommissioned years ago, but someone forgot to wipe McPherson¡¯s system logs. I found an access point.¡±


    Hunter exhaled. ¡°And you just . . . have this information?¡±


    Fang grinned. ¡°McPherson¡¯s security is like a fancy lock with a broken latch¡ªlooks impressive, but anyone who knows where to push gets in.¡±


    Gravel, bringing up the rear, checked over his shoulder. ¡°Great. Love the plan. But in case it doesn¡¯t work, anyone got a Plan B?¡±


    Hunter did the fingergun. ¡°Plan B is pew pew pew pew pew.¡± Priest and Gravel sighed in unison.


    Fang reached a rusted panel embedded in the alley wall and pried it open, revealing a control pad covered in grime. ¡°Give me a sec.¡± She tapped a sequence, and with a deep mechanical groan, the panel slid aside, revealing a dark maintenance tunnel sloping downward.


    Hunter peered inside. ¡°That looks like a terrible idea.¡±


    Fang gestured grandly. ¡°Gentlemen first?¡±


    Priest didn¡¯t hesitate¡ªhe stepped inside, gun drawn. ¡°Move.¡±


    Behind them, distant shouts echoed through the streets. Their pursuers were closing in.


    Gravel clapped Fang on the shoulder. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll see if your stolen tech¡¯s worth the trouble.¡±


    Fang smirked, stepping in after him. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s worth it.¡±


    The panel slid shut behind them, sealing them in darkness.


    A faint hum filled the narrow passage as Fang activated the recon node. A thin, translucent display flickered to life, casting dim blue light over their faces. It mapped the tunnels ahead, lines shifting as it interpreted the subterranean pathways beneath Kestris-9.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Hunter peered at the screen. ¡°I¡¯m still not over the fact that you somehow lifted this from McPherson and we¡¯re just now hearing about it.¡±


    Fang tapped a command, and a secondary feed overlaid security patrol routes. ¡°I don¡¯t tell you everything.¡±


    Priest¡¯s voice was dry. ¡°That¡¯s an understatement.¡±


    Gravel rubbed his hands together. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s move before our friends outside decide they¡¯d rather take the direct approach.¡±


    They started forward, the air heavy with the scent of metal and damp concrete. The tunnels were old¡ªolder than most of the city above. Reinforced bulkheads, rusted pipes, and patches of ancient graffiti marked their path. Some of it was just scrawl, but a few symbols stood out¡ªgang tags, resistance markers, remnants of factions long buried beneath the corporate grip on Kestris.


    Priest took point, his movements controlled and precise. ¡°Two exits ahead. One leads to a transit relay, the other to a drainage hatch in sector fourteen.¡±


    Fang studied the recon display. ¡°Drainage puts us closer to Vanje¡¯s safehouse, but it¡¯s a tighter squeeze.¡±


    Hunter made a face. ¡°And transit?¡±


    ¡°More open. Easier to move,¡± Priest said. ¡°Also easier to be seen.¡±


    Gravel stretched his arms. ¡°Guess it¡¯s a question of whether we¡¯d rather be rats or targets.¡±


    Hunter sighed. ¡°Every plan B we have sucks.¡±


    Fang smirked. ¡°You¡¯re just jealous of my genius.¡±


    As Priest led the way, his visor flickered to life, its HUD overlaying data in crisp, red-tinted readouts.


    Status: STEALTH MODE ACTIVE


    Threat Proximity: MEDIUM (Tracking: 3 hostile signals, estimated range: 50m)


    Route Viability: 77% - Moderate risk


    Environmental Analysis: Low visibility, air quality: suboptimal


    His eyes flicked to the threat markers¡ªthree signatures moving in sync above them, keeping pace. He subvocalized a command, and the visor zoomed in on the motion signatures, tagging them as UNKNOWN: POSSIBLE PURSUERS.


    ¡°They¡¯re still tracking,¡± he murmured.


    Fang glanced over. ¡°How close?¡±


    ¡°Fifty meters. Holding position, probably trying to confirm our exit point.¡±


    Gravel whispered, ¡°Can you please change your settings to imperial measurements next time? You know, just to be synchronous with everyone else in the crew?¡±


    ¡°No. I prefer it like this,¡± Priest replied.


    Hunter grimaced. ¡°Focus, team. We cut through transit, we¡¯ll be in the open.¡±


    Priest¡¯s visor chimed¡ªALTERNATE ROUTE CALCULATED. RECOMMENDATION: DRAINAGE HATCH - SECTOR 14.


    He exhaled. ¡°We take the drainage hatch. It¡¯s tighter, but we¡¯ll lose them in the tunnels.¡±


    Gravel groaned. ¡°Great. Can¡¯t wait to crawl through Kestris¡¯s finest sewage infrastructure.¡±


    Fang tapped a few controls on the recon node, redirecting their path. ¡°Relax. Worst case, you come out smelling like the rest of this city.¡±


    Hunter sighed. ¡°I hate Plan B.¡±


    ¡°Except when it¡¯s ¡®pew pew pew¡¯, huh?¡± Replied Gravel.


    Priest¡¯s visor flashed a final update. THREAT PROXIMITY: CLOSING. RECOMMENDED ACTION: MOVE NOW.


    He moved. ¡°No time for debate. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They slipped into motion, sticking to the edges of the alley as Priest led the way. His visor tracked their movements against the shifting data feed¡ªthree pursuers now thirty meters back, picking up speed.


    Fang knelt by the drainage hatch, prying up the rusted cover with a compact tool. ¡°This thing¡¯s ancient,¡± she muttered. ¡°Hope none of you are claustrophobic.¡±


    Hunter peered down into the darkness below. ¡°Claustrophobic, no. Worried about whatever¡¯s living down there? Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°Less talking, more moving,¡± Priest ordered. His visor pinged again¡ªTHREAT PROXIMITY: 20 METERS.


    Gravel swung his legs over the edge first. ¡°If I get eaten by a mutant rat, tell people I died a hero.¡±


    Fang rolled her eyes and dropped in after him. Hunter followed, landing with a splash.


    Priest took one last glance at his HUD. The pursuers had split up¡ªtwo maintaining their approach, one moving to cut them off. Tactical recommendation: IMMEDIATE DESCENT.


    He didn¡¯t need to be told twice.


    With a sharp exhale, he slid down into the tunnels, sealing the hatch above them just as heavy boots pounded onto the pavement above.


    The tunnels stretched ahead in a maze of rusted pipes and stagnant water, the air thick with the scent of decay.


    THREAT PROXIMITY: 10 METERS.


    ¡°They¡¯re not giving up,¡± Fang muttered, pulling up her recon node¡¯s display. ¡°One of them¡¯s trying to track heat signatures. We need to throw them off.¡±


    Gravel splashed ahead, grinning. ¡°I got an idea.¡± He unclipped a small device from his belt¡ªa thermal decoy. With a flick of his wrist, he sent it clattering down a side tunnel.


    Hunter cocked her head. ¡°You guys are never gonna tell me where you got your shiny toys, yet I always share mine with you.¡±


    Gravel smirked. ¡°Oh, you know. Just happened to intercept a McPherson shipment on our way here.¡±


    Fang snorted. ¡°Hey! I¡¯ve heard that one before!¡±


    Priest¡¯s visor updated¡ªPursuers redirecting. Threat status: Diminishing.


    ¡°They took the bait,¡± he said. ¡°We keep moving.¡±


    They pushed forward, winding through the tunnels until Fang¡¯s datapad beeped. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    The tunnel ended at a rusted maintenance door. Priest gave a short knock¡ªthree beats, then one.


    A second passed. Then another.


    Finally, the lock disengaged with a heavy clunk. The door creaked open, revealing Vanje¡¯s gaunt face in the dim light.


    He exhaled, shaking his head. ¡°You people really know how to make an entrance.¡±


    ¡°A lot more confident now you¡¯re in your own turf, huh?¡± Said Gravel.


    Vanje shut the door behind them, locking it with a heavy bolt before turning back, arms crossed. ¡°And you brought company all the way over here.¡±


    Fang waved her datapad. ¡°Oh, please. You looked at the file, which means you¡¯re already involved.¡±


    Vanje clicked his tongue, rubbing his temple. ¡°You realize the kind of heat this brings, right? Whoever locked this thing down wasn¡¯t just paranoid. They were smart. Like me. That¡¯s the worst combination.¡±


    Hunter leaned against the wall, arms crossed, mimicking Vanje. ¡°You said impossible before. What changed?¡±


    Vanje let out a sharp laugh. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s still impossible.¡± He jerked his chin at the datapad. ¡°But now I¡¯m curious. And curiosity is a terrible habit.¡±


    Gravel spread his hands. ¡°So? You in?¡±


    Vanje sighed, rubbing his face. ¡°I¡¯m in. But I need time. And resources.¡± He gestured toward an old workbench covered in scrap tech and outdated terminals. ¡°Cracking this isn¡¯t about brute force. It¡¯s about finesse. I¡¯ll need to piggyback off a high-level corporate relay to even start unraveling the encryption.¡±


    Fang¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°And let me guess. You have a lead on one?¡±


    Vanje smirked. ¡°I might.¡±


    Priest crossed his arms, visor dimming as he studied him. ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡±


    Vanje sat down, stretching out his legs. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s always a catch.¡± He steepled his fingers. ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to break into a corporate data vault. Republic. McPherson. Gilneas. Austjsocs. Your choice.¡±


    Silence.


    Gravel let out a low whistle. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t those some fun options.¡±


    Vanje shrugged. ¡°Welcome to my world.¡± He leaned forward, tapping the datapad. ¡°The vault is where they keep their deepest secrets. And we don¡¯t need everything¡ªjust the right key to get past the first few layers.¡±


    Priest¡¯s visor flickered with data overlays as he considered. ¡°McPherson¡¯s vault is the most locked-down, but they move data more often. Higher risk, but also higher chance of finding an exploitable gap.¡±


    Fang smirked. ¡°And, you know, I already helped myself to some of their tech.¡±


    Hunter exhaled. ¡°Of course you did.¡±


    Gravel rubbed his chin. ¡°Gilneas and Austjsocs are heavy on automation. Fewer boots on the ground, but I heard their AIs are a nightmare.¡±


    Vanje nodded. ¡°You heard right. And Republic? Well, you¡¯d be robbing the government. Which¡ªcall me crazy¡ªseems like the worst idea.¡±


    Hunter glanced at the others. ¡°So. Who¡¯s feeling suicidal?¡±


    Gravel grinned. ¡°I vote McPherson.¡±


    ¡°Right after we just did business with them?¡± Asked Fang.


    ¡°Might as well do it again,¡± replied Gravel.


    Priest¡¯s visor chimed¡ªRISK ANALYSIS: HIGH. SUCCESS PROBABILITY: UNKNOWN.


    He sighed. ¡°McPherson it is.¡±

 Chapter 8

    The faint hum of the mag-lev system was the only sound as the elevator glided downward, its walls lined with sleek, matte-white panels that pulsed faintly with system diagnostics. Soft blue holo-displays shimmered along the edges, cycling through facility schematics and security clearance levels. A touch-sensitive interface hovered midair, its translucent glyphs shifting in response to their forged credentials, the dim glow of status lights reflecting off the stolen McPherson maintenance uniforms. Gravel adjusted his ID badge, rolling his shoulders as he practiced his lines. Beside him, Fang tapped at a holo-slate, her lips barely moving as she whispered into her private comm. While she spoke, her fingers flicked through security subroutines, casually silencing any automated surveillance pings.


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± she murmured. ¡°You¡¯re busy with your dissertation. But it¡¯s been weeks, Kai. You could at least pretend to miss me.¡±


    A pause. Her expression softened. ¡°No, I¡¯m not getting into trouble.¡±


    Gravel arched a brow, glancing at Hunter. Hunter smirked at him.


    Fang shot them both a glare before turning back to her comm. ¡°I gotta go. Love you, too. Mwah.¡± She ended the call, tucking the earpiece away just as the elevator dinged.


    Hua Fang already compromised the camera system earlier, and she felt like rewarding herself with some lovey-dovey talk with her boyfriend whom she had dated since forever.


    Gravel shook his head, grinning. ¡°Remind me again why you, of all people, are dating some upright academic?¡±


    Fang scoffed, crossing her arms. ¡°First of all, Kai is brilliant. He¡¯s working on predictive models that could revolutionize interstellar logistics. See; see?¡± She held up a holo-slate displaying a dense academic paper filled with equations and data visualizations, then turned it off before any of them could have a good look. ¡°Second, he actually reads¡ªlike, real books, not just mission briefs and bounties. Third, he¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªisn¡¯t here to listen to you gush,¡± Hunter cut in, smirking.


    Fang ignored her. ¡°He¡¯s also ridiculously patient. Do you know how hard it is to find a guy who¡¯ll stay up late just to entertain me with stories about¡ª¡±


    She stopped mid-sentence.


    Gravel followed her gaze.


    A McPherson security officer stood at the far end of the hallway, checking his datapad, oblivious¡ªfor now.


    Hunter exhaled. ¡°Well. That killed the mood.¡±


    Priest, who had been silent the entire ride down, barely moved as he muttered, ¡°Talk later. Move now.¡±


    Fang straightened, slipping seamlessly back into character. ¡°Right. Maintenance team, coming through.¡±


    They stepped forward. The real test was about to begin.


    They walked with purpose, the steady rhythm of their boots against the polished floor blending with the distant hum of servers and machinery. Fang took the lead, clutching a clipboard as if it held the weight of a thousand service requests. Hunter and Gravel flanked her, while Priest lingered just behind, his visor, now transparent and barely visible only to him, quietly scanning for potential threats.


    The security officer barely glanced up at first, absorbed in his datapad. But as they drew closer, his gaze flickered toward them, then lingered a second too long.


    Fang didn¡¯t hesitate. She rolled her eyes and let out an exaggerated sigh, flipping through her clipboard with mock irritation. ¡°Oh, great. Security. Just what I needed. Let me guess¡ªnobody put in the system ticket for the cooling unit recalibration, and now we¡¯re supposed to just wave a magic wand and fix it?¡±


    The officer frowned, his grip on the datapad tightening. ¡°I wasn¡¯t informed of any maintenance today.¡±


    ¡°Of course you weren¡¯t,¡± Fang huffed, gripping the clipboard a bit too tightly. ¡°Because the system is a mess. Corporate cutbacks mean half the facility is running on outdated scheduling software. But sure, let¡¯s all stand around and wait for the server banks to overheat. Your call.¡± She had to stop herself from using slangs like ¡®corpo¡¯ that would definitely raise suspicions.


    She turned slightly, as if ready to march past him without waiting for permission. Hunter made a show of checking his wrist device. ¡°Yeah, clock¡¯s ticking, buddy. This isn¡¯t the kind of problem you want to let slide.¡±


    The officer hesitated. His eyes darted between them, then to his datapad. Priest¡¯s visor flickered with new data¡ªhis pulse had elevated slightly, but no immediate alert had been sent. He was wary, but not suspicious enough to sound the alarm. Yet.


    Gravel decided to help things along. He let out a long-suffering groan. ¡°Look, man. If it helps, we hate being here as much as you do. But if you want to clear it with admin, go ahead¡ªjust know that when the system flags a temperature spike in ten minutes, they¡¯re gonna ask why you stopped us.¡±


    The officer exhaled sharply, considering. Then, with a grunt, he stepped aside. ¡°Fine. But keep it quick.¡±


    Fang flashed a tight, professional smile. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of staying longer.¡±


    They walked past without breaking stride. Only when they rounded the corner did Fang exhale, whispering into her comm, ¡°And that, gentlemen, is how you fake your way through corporate bureaucracy.¡±


    Hunter smirked. ¡°Still doesn¡¯t explain how you managed to date someone so honest.¡±


    Fang rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh, shut up and let me work.¡±


    Priest¡¯s visor chimed¡ªTHREAT PROXIMITY: LOW. ACCESS POINT: 30 METERS AHEAD.


    They were in.


    Priest¡¯s visor guided them through the labyrinth of corridors, past sterile-white panels and silent security cameras.


    Fang tapped at her holo-slate. ¡°I¡¯m in the network. Patching Vanje through now.¡±


    A soft chime confirmed the connection, and Vanje¡¯s voice crackled in their ears. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve got a five-minute window before the system notices something¡¯s off. Get what we need and get out.¡±


    Gravel rubbed his hands together. ¡°Smoothest job yet.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it,¡± muttered Hunter.


    ¡°How about sushi after this?¡± Gravel asked.


    ¡°Are we still going on with that?¡± She glared at him.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    They reached the access terminal¡ªan unassuming console tucked between two towering server racks. Priest took position, visor dimming as he linked into the system, his fingers moving with mechanical efficiency. Data began to stream onto Fang¡¯s slate, layer by layer unlocking under Vanje¡¯s remote decryption.


    Then, everything stopped.


    Priest¡¯s visor flickered¡ªSYSTEM INTERRUPTED. UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS FLAGGED.


    A chill ran down his spine. Someone else was here.


    And then he saw her.


    Standing just beyond the servers, half-lit by the cold glow of a status display, was Sloan.


    Her expression was cloudy, but the slight tilt of his head told Priest everything¡ªSloan wasn¡¯t surprised to see him. She had been expecting this.


    For a second, he wasn¡¯t in a corporate facility. He was back in the underbelly of Helion Prime, rain hammering against rusted steel walkways, his breath ragged as he aimed down his sights. Sloan had been there too¡ªsame smirk, same calculating eyes¡ªher pulse pistol steady despite the firefight raging around them. You¡¯re outgunned, Dakarai, she had said, voice smooth over the comms. But I like you. So I¡¯ll give you a five-second head start.


    Priest¡¯s hands curled into fists as he pulled himself back to reality.


    ¡°Problem?¡± Gravel whispered, noticing his shift in posture.


    Priest didn¡¯t answer. He kept his voice even, but the weight behind it was unmistakable.


    ¡°Keep working, children. I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    His visor¡¯s HUD zoomed in on Sloan, scanning for weapons, comm signals, anything that would suggest she wasn¡¯t alone. The results were inconclusive, but knowing Sloan, she didn¡¯t need backup to be dangerous.


    Sloan stepped forward, her boots silent on the pristine floor. She wore the same tailored corporate security attire as always, crisp and professional, but the glint in her eyes was all mischief. McPherson security is supposed to be different from the city security officer department. Why¡¯s she here? He thought.


    ¡°Dakarai,¡± she drawled, tilting her head. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect to see you breaking into corporate property today. And here I thought you were done with all this . . . extracurricular activity.¡±


    Fang¡¯s hands froze over her holo-slate, eyes darting between Priest and Sloan. Hunter subtly shifted her weight, ready for things to go south. Gravel didn¡¯t even pretend to be casual¡ªhis fingers hovered near his belt, where he had a Morkanian knife tucked under the maintenance vest.


    Priest exhaled slowly. ¡°Are you going to call this in?¡±


    Sloan tapped her chin, pretending to consider it. ¡°Depends. What¡¯s in it for me?¡±


    Priest kept his voice steady. ¡°We walk, and you don¡¯t get a bullet in you when things get messy.¡±


    Sloan laughed softly. ¡°Oh, Priest. Always so serious.¡± She took another step forward, dropping her voice into something almost conspiratorial. ¡°But you know me¡ªI¡¯m not interested in stopping you. I¡¯m interested in what¡¯s behind those firewalls. And lucky for you, I know how to crack them.¡±


    Fang¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°We already have someone handling that.¡±


    Sloan smirked. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure Vanje is doing his best. But let¡¯s be real¡ªcorporate security is a different beast these days. You want past the deeper encryptions? You need something special. You need me.¡±


    Priest didn¡¯t like where this was going. ¡°And what do you want in return?¡±


    Sloan grinned; her crow¡¯s feet folded together around the corners of her eyes. ¡°Simple. A favor. No questions asked. No backing out. I¡¯m sure Vanje asked for a similar deal.¡±


    Gravel didn¡¯t wait.


    His instincts screamed¡ªthis wasn¡¯t negotiation, it was a distraction. He¡¯d seen it before, the way Sloan moved, the way her fingers subtly shifted like she was queuing up a silent alarm.


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    He moved fast, drawing a compact pulse dart from his belt and flicking it forward. The tiny projectile buzzed past her ear, deliberately missing¡ªbut Sloan reacted, her mask slipping for just a fraction of a second.


    And that was all Hunter needed.


    Before Sloan could shift weight to counter, Hunter was there. No hesitation, no wasted motion¡ªshe flicked her wrist, activating a modified shockwave stunner. A near-invisible pulse rippled out, distorting the air between them in a silent whump.


    Sloan barely had time to blink, only a glimpse of desperation on her face.


    Her body locked up mid-step, then collapsed, her limbs going limp all at once. She hit the ground hard, sprawling like a marionette with its strings cut. Her datapad clattered beside her, screen flickering with half-typed security overrides.


    Priest¡¯s visor pinged¡ªSECURITY ALERT: CANCELED. ACCESS PROTOCOL OVERRIDDEN.


    Hunter exhaled, already stepping over Sloan¡¯s unconscious form. ¡°She was stalling.¡±


    Gravel scoffed. ¡°Obviously. Good call on the ragdoll trick, though. That¡¯s the funniest I¡¯ve ever seen her look.¡±


    Fang didn¡¯t spare Sloan a glance. She was already moving, pulling up their extraction routes. ¡°She won¡¯t be out forever. We need to move.¡±


    Priest nodded, stepping around Sloan¡¯s limp form, his visor dimming the threat marker on her. COMPROMISED ASSET¡ªIMMOBILIZED.


    ¡°She¡¯ll remember this,¡± he muttered as they started running.


    Hunter snorted. ¡°If someone did that to me, I¡¯d hold a grudge forever.¡±


    Fang¡¯s fingers danced across her holo-slate, pulling up the quickest route to the secondary exit. ¡°There¡¯s a maintenance tunnel that feeds into the east service corridor¡ªgets us to the roof access in three minutes if we hustle.¡±


    Gravel was already ahead, sweeping the hallway with a quick glance. ¡°Let¡¯s hustle, then.¡±


    Priest¡¯s visor flickered with updates. SECURITY ALERTS: PARTIALLY SUPPRESSED. PROBABILITY OF REINFORCEMENTS: 72%.


    Too high.


    They sprinted down the sterile corridors, boots barely making a sound against the polished flooring. Hunter tapped a sequence into her wrist module, sending a false diagnostic report through the system¡ªdelaying security just a little longer.


    As they rounded the corner, a metal grate came into view. Fang slid to a stop and knelt, prying it open with a quick flick of her wrist tool. ¡°In. Now.¡±


    One by one, they dropped into the dimly lit tunnel below. Priest was the last to descend, pulling the grate back into place just as distant footsteps echoed behind them.


    The tunnel was tight, forcing them into a crouched run. The air was thick with the scent of old wiring and coolant, and faint emergency lights flickered along the edges.


    Fang pulled up the schematics. ¡°Straight ahead, ladder to the roof access in twenty meters.¡±


    Gravel grinned. ¡°Easy.¡±


    Then Priest¡¯s visor chimed.


    WARNING: HOSTILE SIGNAL¡ªREANIMATING.


    Sloan was already waking up. Maybe people on this planet had a different type of tolerance to stunners, or maybe just her.


    ¡°Move now,¡± Priest ordered.


    They pushed forward, reaching the ladder in seconds. Hunter climbed first, then Fang, then Gravel. Priest took a final glance back¡ªhis visor flashing with a proximity alert.


    Sloan was fast.


    Too fast.


    The second he grabbed the rungs and pulled himself up, a shadow darted into the tunnel behind him.


    Then he heard her voice, hoarse but filled with venom.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve killed me.¡±


    A sharp clink. A tracking dart hit his boot.


    No time to rip it off. Climb. Move. Survive.


    Gravel reached down, grabbed his arm, and yanked him through the hatch.


    They burst onto the roof¡ªblinding city lights stretching before them.


    Fang didn¡¯t hesitate. She keyed the remote beacon. ¡°Vanje, we need pickup now.¡±


    Sloan¡¯s voice crackled through their comms, distorted but unmistakably amused.


    ¡°You got out. Cute. You won¡¯t stay hidden for long. You¡¯re on McPherson¡¯s radar now.¡±


    Priest exhaled. He glanced at his boot¡ªthe tracking dart still glowing faintly. He removed it and threw it out.


    They¡¯d gotten away.

 Chapter 9

    The wind howled around them as the city sprawled beneath their feet¡ªneon towers stretching into the distance, the rhythmic hum of hover traffic below blending into the distant roar of industry.


    Gravel yanked the tracking dart off Priest¡¯s boot, glaring at the blinking light before smashing it under his heel. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s real comforting.¡±


    Fang¡¯s holo-slate pinged. Vanje¡¯s voice came through, thick with static. ¡°Flight path¡¯s set, but you need to move. East rooftop, ten seconds.¡±


    Priest¡¯s visor flickered with updates¡ªno immediate pursuit, but Sloan wouldn¡¯t stay idle. Not after that.


    Hunter pulled out her sidearm, eyes sweeping the skyline. ¡°They¡¯re not letting this go.¡±


    Fang sighed, shoving her slate into her pocket. ¡°She¡¯s a corpo. Corpo charged me subscription fee for the auto-guidance system I liberated 20 years ago. They never let anything go.¡± She groaned dramatically. ¡°I officially can¡¯t call Kai anymore. He¡¯s gonna be so worried.¡±


    Gravel let out a short laugh, shaking his head. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the real tragedy here.¡±


    Hunter exhaled, glancing at Priest. ¡°Your old friend¡¯s going to hunt us.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll do worse than that,¡± Priest muttered. ¡°But we¡¯ve got one thing going for us¡ªSloan likes the chase. She¡¯ll take her time, draw it out.¡± His visor chimed¡ªUNKNOWN SIGNALS INTERCEPTED. CIPHERED COMMUNICATIONS DETECTED. Sloan was already working. Calling in favors.


    Priest¡¯s visor highlighted the extraction point¡ªmetal grates, unstable footing. No time for finesse.


    Vanje¡¯s voice crackled through again. ¡°Jump.¡±


    No hesitation.


    They sprinted. Fang vaulted over a railing, Gravel right behind her. Hunter spun mid-step, firing a quick shot at a nearby surveillance drone before diving forward. Priest followed last, leaping just as the hovercraft pulled up beneath them.


    Fang braced for impact¡ªbut instead of Vanje at the controls, there was no one.


    The hovercraft was empty. Remote-controlled.


    She hit the floor hard, rolling onto her back. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±


    Vanje¡¯s snort could be heard through the speaker. ¡°What, you think I was gonna fly into a death trap just to pick you up? Please.¡±


    Priest pulled himself up, gripping a support beam as the hovercraft banked sharply. His visor flared red, and he projected the message for everyone to see: MULTIPLE LOCK-ONS DETECTED. HOSTILE SIGNALS¡ªCLOSING.


    The hovercraft lurched as its autopilot threw it into a tight spiral, engines howling against the wind shear. Fang barely grabbed a safety rail before the hovercraft nearly flung her sideways.


    Gravel groaned. ¡°If this AI kills us before Sloan does, I¡¯m haunting you. I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re taking a dump then jumpscare you while you shit.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Vanje¡¯s voice crackled through the speakers. ¡°Little faith, people. I wrote this code myself.¡±


    Priest¡¯s visor continued flashing with pursuit markers¡ªmultiple bogeys gaining, fast. His hands moved instinctively, pulling up the hovercraft¡¯s countermeasures. ¡°Incoming fire in five.¡±


    Hunter braced against the cabin. ¡°Tell me this thing can actually shake them.¡±


    Vanje snorted. ¡°Oh, it can.¡±


    A hard jerk to the left sent the hovercraft skimming low over a rooftop, barely avoiding a barrage of pulse rounds. Then, just as the enemy pilots adjusted, the thrusters cut off completely.


    For half a second, they were weightless.


    Then the engines roared back to life, slamming them into a vertical dive. The pursuing crafts weren¡¯t as lucky¡ªtwo veered too sharply, one clipping a neon-lit antenna and spiraling into a building. The third broke off, reluctant to risk the same fate.


    Priest¡¯s visor dimmed¡ªPURSUIT: EVASIVE. THREAT PROXIMITY: DECREASING.


    Gravel exhaled. ¡°That was stupid.¡±


    Fang peeled herself off the floor, scowling. ¡°I swear, if they seize Black Fang¡ª¡±


    Vanje cut in, his usual smugness gone. ¡°Yeah. About that.¡±


    Priest¡¯s visor flared with an update. BLACK FANG¡ªLOCKED. MULTIPLE HOSTILES AT DOCK. ENTRY DENIED.


    Fang clenched her jaw. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me.¡±


    Hunter looked out the window as their hovercraft dipped below a cluster of stacked cargo towers. From this altitude, she could just make out the security detail swarming their ship¡ªcorpo enforcers in heavy gear, setting up perimeter defenses.


    Gravel groaned. ¡°I mean, it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out they¡¯d lock us out of our only way off this planet.¡±


    ¡°Bit more than you could chew, buddy?¡± Vanje said.


    Priest¡¯s visor pinged again¡ªSloan¡¯s teams were moving. Expanding the search radius. They had minutes before lockdowns started.


    Vanje¡¯s voice crackled over comms. ¡°Alright, listen up. I¡¯ve got a place. District Ten, off-grid, old smuggler hub. You lay low, regroup, then you figure out how to steal your ship back.¡±


    Fang was thrown again as the hovercraft took another sharp turn, but this time, as she tried to grip the side, she felt a sudden pull¡ªgentle, steady. Her landing was softened, her body held in a controlled descent, preventing a worse crash into the metal floor. She glanced at Priest, who was already scanning the latest data. His hand had been raised, subtly manipulating the gravitational field.


    ¡°Thanks, old pop,¡± she muttered, surprised but not about to argue. ¡°Didn¡¯t know you can manipulate gravity in such closed space.¡±


    Priest didn¡¯t look at her. ¡°Next time, brace better.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®you¡¯?¡± Asked Hunter.


    ¡°I mean you,¡± Vanje said flatly. ¡°I did my part. Got you out, kept you alive. I¡¯ll crack the encryption on the drive like I promised, and then I¡¯m out. You¡¯ll see a cracked drive on your comms, along with a code to access it.¡±


    Fang scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡±


    Vance replied, ¡°I¡¯m not part of your crew. I don¡¯t owe you a damn thing past this. The only reason I¡¯m still here is because I¡¯m flying this thing remotely. Once you jump, I¡¯m gone.¡±


    Gravel let out a sharp laugh. ¡°C¡¯mon. Can¡¯t I owe you two huge favors?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done with your antics, man. Always poking your head into places you can¡¯t get out of.¡±


    Priest¡¯s visor flared with new warnings¡ªSECURITY LOCKDOWNS INITIATED. FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS ACTIVE. Time was up.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Hunter muttered. ¡°Where¡¯s the drop?¡±


    ¡°Three levels down, east side,¡± Vanje replied. ¡°Old freight dock. No cameras, no patrols. It¡¯s your best shot. Now jump.¡±


    The emergency hatch slammed open, wind howling through the cabin. Hunter didn¡¯t hesitate¡ªshe vaulted out first.


    Priest went next. Then Gravel.


    Fang lingered for just a second, gripping the edge of the hatch. ¡°Hope I never see you again, Vanje.¡±


    Vanje¡¯s comm crackled, but he said nothing.

 Chapter 10

    The walls of the safehouse were dim, made of dark, corrugated metal and harsh industrial fixtures. The walls were weathered steel, coated with a patina of grease and grime. The flickering overhead lights cast long shadows across the concrete floor, broken only by the sporadic hum of distant machinery. There were no windows, just the low hum of ventilation systems and the occasional clang of shifting metal in the distance. Better for laying low.


    Gravel had happened to ¡®find¡¯ a few old crates of supplies near a public canteen, and everyone sat around, digging into the synthetic food.


    Hunter scraped the slop onto her plate¡ªsome kind of grayish paste that looked like it was meant to be mashed potatoes, but the texture was off, like they¡¯d had to use recycled material for a thickener. The taste didn¡¯t help either, like industrial soy protein with a hint of burnt plastic.


    ¡°Could¡¯ve actually tried getting us sushi,¡± she scoffed as she played with her food.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I got you food at all,¡± Gravel shrugged. ¡°Be grateful.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re not touching your food?¡± She scowled at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m enduring starvation just so you can put something in your stomach.¡± He grabbed his belly. ¡°You be grateful.¡±


    Fang didn¡¯t even glance at him as she pushed the paste around her plate. She was too busy clutching her holo-slate, her eyes flicking between the device and the small group around her. She¡¯d been trying to get Kai on the line for the past few minutes, her finger nervously tapping the screen.


    ¡°Does trying to get to him compromise our position?¡± Hunter gave her a look.


    ¡°No,¡± Fang bit her lower lip.


    Priest¡¯s voice cut through the room, his tone steady but firm. ¡°It might not now, but McPherson¡¯s got the tools to intercept any communication you make. You keep calling him, you¡¯ll light up our location like a beacon.¡±


    ¡°Please, old pop. Just one call.¡± She turned to him, eyes pleading. ¡°He needs to know.¡±


    Gravel leaned forward, shooting Priest a look. ¡°Give her a break, Sir Holy, damn. She¡¯s not some machine, she¡¯s got a life outside of this mess.¡±


    Priest¡¯s visor flashed, and his voice dropped into a colder register. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be the Captain here, Gravel. Keep it together.¡± His gaze flicked over to Fang. ¡°She¡¯s not the only one who¡¯s stressed. You¡¯re putting this whole crew at risk by allowing distractions.¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s not wrong. Fang¨C¡± Gravel turned to the young lady, but she¡¯d established a connection with Kai. He sighed. ¡°Make it quick.¡±


    Fang didn¡¯t waste another moment. As soon as she had a connection, she brought the holo-slate close to her face, her eyes wide as the reflection from the screen printed on her retinas. The screen flickered for a moment before the image of Kai¡¯s face came into view. He looked tired¡ªdark circles under his eyes, his hair slightly tousled as if he¡¯d just woken up. But his eyes were warm, steady, as always. What an absolute God of Beauty, Fang thought.


    ¡°Kai,¡± she whispered, her voice trembling. ¡°I¡¯m . . . I¡¯m okay. I just¡ªI needed to hear your voice.¡±


    His face softened, and he leaned closer to the screen, his voice quiet but filled with concern. ¡°Sweetie, you¡¯re shaking. What¡¯s going on? Where are you?¡±


    She swallowed hard, trying to steady herself. ¡°It¡¯s just . . . we¡¯re laying low. Things got messier than expected, and I might not be able to check in for a while. You know how it goes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how it goes, sweetie. You got to tell me more.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just . . . it¡¯s just a phase. I¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    ¡°Is your crew with you?¡±


    ¡°Hey man,¡± Gravel chimed in from a distance. ¡°So your little girl lost her toy, and we¡¯re taking it back. Care to hear our brilliant plan?¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t hear you. It¡¯s private connection,¡± murmured Fang.


    ¡°Then you should¡¯ve put on headphones,¡± Gravel shrugged.


    Fang didn¡¯t bother looking at Gravel, as she was too busy staring at Kai¡¯s gaze. His expression had softened further as he listened closely, his brow furrowing. She knew he hated hearing her downplay the situation, but she needed him to stay calm¡ªshe couldn¡¯t bear the thought of him panicking.


    ¡°Fang,¡± Kai¡¯s voice was a low murmur, but it held that familiar strength she always relied on. ¡°Just . . . just talk to me, alright? Let me know how I can help.¡±


    Fang¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I¡¯m sorry; I¡¯m sorry. Don¡¯t worry, Kai, I¡¯m doing fine. I¡¯ll be back at Crimson-04 in a month¡¯s time.¡± She rubbed her eyes. ¡°I just¡ªI mean, I¡¯ll be fine, it¡¯s just a little more dangerous than I thought, but it¡¯s no big deal, right? You know, things just got complicated, and, uh, you¡¯re cute. Gosh, I want to pinch your cheek real bad.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Fang¨C¡±


    Her fingers gripped the holo-slate tighter, her knuckles white from the pressure. ¡°It¡¯s all a phase, yeah. I¡¯ll figure it out, I always do. It¡¯s nothing like last time, nothing like last time at all, don¡¯t worry¡ªreally, don¡¯t. You know I can handle it. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just . . . just this one thing, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Hua Fang!¡± His tone brooked no argument. ¡°Stop. Breathe. You¡¯re not fine, and I know you¡¯re scared. It¡¯s okay to admit that.¡±


    ¡°Damn, that is hard to look at.¡± Gravel commented. He had never seen Fang sob under any other circumstance, but it seemed like every time she talked to her loverboy, all she would do was howl her eyes out.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t look. Geez.¡± Hunter replied.


    ¡°If a sabertooth tiger shits gold in front of your eyes, will you look or nah? This is like that,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Not the most tactful are ya?¡± Hunter hissed.


    Kai¡¯s expression softened further, his eyes never leaving the screen. ¡°Fang,¡± he said again, his voice steady. ¡°I know you. I¡¯ve seen you handle worse.¡±


    Her fingers trembled against the holo-slate as she wiped her eyes, still not looking at him directly. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m trapped, Kai. They took my ship,¡± she mumbled, her voice quiet and shaky.


    ¡°Talk to the officials, Fang,¡± Kai countered, his voice firm but full of warmth. ¡°Remember the time we confronted the immigration officer on Brann-7? You were so damn scared, I thought you might actually pass out. But you didn¡¯t. You found a way out. You handled that mess better than anyone I knew could.¡±


    Talk to the officials? Gravel thought. You think your little lover¡¯s out here practicing law or something?


    ¡°You led us out of there. We couldn¡¯t have done it without you,¡± Kai reminded her. ¡°That¡¯s who you are, Fang. That¡¯s why I know you¡¯ll figure this out, too. You¡¯ve already pulled us all through the fire once. You¡¯re gonna do it again.¡±


    Fang opened her mouth to reply, but before she could say anything, the connection flickered. The image of Kai¡¯s face distorted, then turned into a blur of static, his voice breaking up. ¡°Fang? Fang, can you hear me?¡±


    Her heart raced, panic surging through her veins. She slammed the holo-slate against the table, cursing as the screen froze entirely. ¡°No, no, no!¡± she muttered, desperately pressing buttons, but the device remained unresponsive.


    Then, from behind her, a voice cut through the chaos.


    ¡°Don¡¯t reconnect, child.¡± Priest¡¯s tone was calm, but firm. ¡°You need to be mindful of the time you spend connected.¡±


    Fang froze, her chest tightening as her hand trembled over the holo-slate.


    ¡°I was just¡ª¡± She glanced at the screen again, the signal still dead.


    Priest was already standing nearby, his visor reflecting the dim light of the safehouse. ¡°You should understand safety protocols better than anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Yes, pop.¡± She slumped against the wall, head down. Hunter came over and put a gentle hand on her shoulder, not saying anything else.


    ¡°A Chinese who¡¯s honest with her feelings. Crazy stuff,¡± Gravel grinned.


    ¡°That joke didn¡¯t land before and it¡¯s not landing now, Boss,¡± Fang barked back.


    ¡°Alright. Now that¡¯s out of the way, who wants to hear my brilliant fucking plan?¡± Gravel threw his hands into the air.


    ¡°Sure,¡± said Hunter.


    Gravel leaned in, eyes alight with mischief as he spread his hands even wider. ¡°Alright, alright, hear me out.¡± He threw a look around the room. ¡°It¡¯s simple, really. We¡¯re laying low, right? But we need to move¡ªgotta keep the heat off. We¡¯ve got the supplies, well not yet, but we will. Anyway, now we need distractions.¡±


    He paced back and forth, speaking louder as he warmed to his idea. ¡°First, we steal a transport ship. Nothing too fancy¡ªjust something fast, low-profile. We can paint it over, change the serial numbers, slap on a fake registration. Simple stuff.¡± He made a sweeping gesture, like it was the simplest thing in the world.


    ¡°Next, we grab a few dozen crates of¡ªget this¡ªsynthetic meat. And I don¡¯t mean the stuff we¡¯re eating now. I¡¯m talking about the real stuff¡ªthe kind that smells like it came straight from a corporate lab, ready to be ¡®flavored.¡¯ We ship that thing off to a secondary port, set up a drop-off, and boom!¡± Gravel smirked, clearly pleased with himself. ¡°We¡¯ve got a decoy op. They¡¯ll think we¡¯re moving something important, while we just hightail it in the opposite direction, using the ship as bait.¡±


    Hunter stared at him blankly, brow furrowed. ¡°Wait . . . you¡¯re going to make a fake meat shipment the center of your plan? They¡¯re going to know it¡¯s fake within minutes.¡±


    ¡°Details, details,¡± Gravel waved a hand dismissively. ¡°That¡¯s the beauty of it. The minute they start digging, we¡¯ll be gone. Trail¡¯s already cold. By the time they figure out the meat is synthetic, we¡¯ll be in a completely different system.¡±


    Hunter blinked, looking more confused than ever. ¡°What¡¯s the actual point of all this? We don¡¯t need fake meat. We need to lay low¡ªkeep moving under the radar.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Gravel¡¯s face lit up like he¡¯d just solved world peace. ¡°By not needing the meat, we create a perfect cover! Nobody will be looking for us if they think we¡¯re just another cargo ship with some fake food on board. They¡¯ll be tracking the wrong thing, while we slip under the radar.¡±


    Priest crossed his arms, his visor flashing ominously. ¡°And what happens when they realize there¡¯s no actual cargo, Gravel? They¡¯ll know we were using it as a distraction.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s when we do this!¡± Gravel snapped his fingers, clearly proud of his own ingenuity. ¡°We plant a decoy ship wreck somewhere close to the port¡ªreal easy, just leave some wreckage in a distant, isolated area. They¡¯ll focus on that, thinking it¡¯s part of our escape plan.¡±


    ¡°. . . Dear Captain,¡± Hunter groaned, ¡°that¡¯s exactly what they¡¯ll expect.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and that¡¯s the beauty of it!¡± Gravel was practically bouncing on his heels now. ¡°They¡¯ll overestimate our stupidity, which makes us unpredictable. By the time they get to the wreckage, we¡¯ll be long gone.¡±


    The room was silent for a moment.


    ¡°Horrific,¡± Hunter muttered under her breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad,¡± murmured Fang.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you enable him now,¡± Hunter lightly tapped Fang on her shoulder.


    Priest took a step forward. ¡°How about I propose an alternative plan?¡±

 Chapter 11

    ¡°This planet has a really weird-looking moon,¡± whispered Gravel as he looked up at the sky from the narrow walkway overlooking the civic district of the undercity.


    The moon, with its fractured surface, loomed over Orkash. Priest, watching the display flicker on the security screen, exhaled slowly. ¡°A Republic Aratos warship aimed a planetary suppression beam right at the surface, but the defense systems intercepted it mid-fire. The energy ricocheted off the atmosphere and tore into the moon instead.¡± He tilted his head. ¡°Left it scarred ever since.¡±


    Hunter, standing a few paces away with arms crossed, smirked. ¡°That¡¯s the most I¡¯ve seen you talk without stopping this year.¡± She kept her position near one of the station¡¯s maintenance conduits, appearing casual but with a direct line of sight to Priest. It was the kind of spot that let her keep an eye on both the unfolding situation and any unexpected variables¡ªwithout drawing attention from passing civilians.


    Fang, stationed half a mile away in a secured relay point, would monitor their movements through a private channel.


    They caught Sloan¡¯s movement. The undercity was not a place of official business, yet Sloan had always been a fixture in its shadows. Priest had suspected as much¡ªbefore she held an official title, her dealings had always leaned toward the dubious. Political power didn¡¯t erase old habits; if anything, it only refined them. Officially, she came here to monitor the district¡¯s stability, but Priest knew better¡ªshe had always preferred handling things off the books, keeping close to the power brokers who operated outside the law. Guarded by three officers armed with sleek shock rifles even off duty, she moved through the district with the same quiet authority she once had in less sanctioned circles.


    Priest stood inside a repurposed maintenance hub, overlooking a key intersection near the civil administration building, the dim light of the reactivated security feeds flickering across his face. From Gravel¡¯s position crouched near an access hatch, checking the last of the remote detonators he''d bought off-market, he had a clear line of sight to Priest¡¯s tense posture. Meanwhile, Fang and Hunter prepped the docking bay from a secondary control station¡ªready to trigger their contingency plan should things go south, ensuring Sloan¡¯s forces wouldn¡¯t leave the district in one piece.


    Gravel narrowed his eyes at him and asked, "How do you even know we¡¯re not on official records yet?"


    Priest exhaled, tilting his head toward the screen. ¡°Because Sloan¡¯s always handled things under the table. When she has a grudge, she doesn¡¯t let bureaucracy get in the way. She¡¯s keeping this personal¡ªmeans she¡¯s keeping it quiet, too. I¡¯m betting on her still being the same person I knew.¡±


    ¡°We going in?¡± Asked Hunter, fingers tapping on her laser gun.


    ¡°Going in,¡± Gravel confirmed. He slipped from his position, sticking to the shadows. One of Sloan¡¯s officers glanced over his shoulder¡ªinstinct, but not enough. Gravel was already behind him. A quick, precise movement: one hand over the mouth, the other wrenching the officer¡¯s shock rifle free. A silent takedown. He eased the unconscious man into an alcove, stripping the charge pack from the rifle.


    Hunter was next. She passed through the thinning crowd, subtle but purposeful, stepping into the path of a second officer. She twisted his arm, yanked him off balance, and slammed him into a rusted maintenance panel. He was out.


    Priest moved last. He stepped from the maintenance hub just as the third officer turned toward him. The guard reached for his weapon, but Priest¡¯s cybernetic hand flicked up. A pulse of compressed gravity hit the man¡¯s center mass, dragging him forward. His feet left the ground for half a second before slamming into the pavement. Dazed, he barely had time to choke out a sound.


    Sloan¡¯s feet had already left the ground when she realized something wasn¡¯t right. Priest¡¯s cybernetic hand remained outstretched, fingers barely twitching as the gravitational field wrapped around her, lifting her effortlessly into the air. She twisted, reaching for her sidearm, but the pressure shifted, forcing her arms stiffly away from her body.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t freeze anybody this time,¡± Gravel chuckled to himself.


    For the first time, her expression cracked. Not fear¡ªannoyance.


    ¡°Dakarai,¡± she muttered, voice tight. Suspended a few feet off the ground, she angled her head, catching sight of her unconscious guards. ¡°Clean work. You trained them well.¡±


    Gravel stepped in close, keeping his stolen rifle trained on her. ¡°You¡¯re awfully calm for someone getting kidnapped.¡±


    Sloan let out a slow breath, leveling her gaze at Priest. ¡°I want to set up a deal with you, Dakarai. Like old times. You¡¯d have the entire enforcement wing of the city breathing down your neck, not just my personal detail otherwise. You know that much.¡±


    Gravel scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t slime your way out of this. I saw you trying to call security on us back at McPherson¡¯s vault.¡±


    Sloan¡¯s smirk returned. ¡°Then you saw wrong, Captain of the Black Fang.¡± She flexed her fingers, as much as the gravitational hold would allow. ¡°Years of running outside the system have left you all too jumpy. You think every movement, every word is a trap.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Gravel¡¯s eyes lit up as he turned to Hunter. ¡°She knows me as the Captain! Told ya, I¡¯m the one building our rep!¡±


    Hunter groaned.


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal?¡± asked Priest.


    Sloan didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°I need dirt on my superior. Something that can push them out, get me off this planet and into a Republic position.¡±


    Gravel¡¯s response was immediate. ¡°Nope. We¡¯re not touching the Republic with a stick.¡± Also, last time, what she said was different. She affirmed she had better hackers than Vanje, but if she did, she wouldn¡¯t need the Black Fang for such a mission. She could just do it herself.


    Sloan¡¯s smirk didn¡¯t waver. ¡°You already have. McPherson¡¯s vault? Their records? There are Republic names in there. Have you heard of Shiya Mura?¡±


    Gravel replied, ¡°No clue.¡±


    Priest¡¯s expression didn¡¯t shift, but his fingers twitched slightly. ¡°The name¡¯s come up.¡±


    ¡°Mura oversees the Republic¡¯s economic enforcement branch. I¡¯m not getting into details here. Not when I¡¯m floating like a balloon.¡±


    ¡°You want us outlaws to do the dirty work for you,¡± Hunter said.


    Sloan¡¯s tone was even. ¡°You¡¯re already ghosts on their records. And I already know Dakarai¡¯s capable.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you set me up,¡± Priest scoffed.


    ¡°Think whatever you want. I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have a choice here,¡± Sloan said. ¡°You think you can get away with disappearing a high-ranked Kestris official?¡±


    Gravel set his jaw, but something gnawed at him. The way Sloan was playing this¡ªit wasn¡¯t just an offer. It was a trap he might¡¯ve already stepped into. His first instinct was to walk, but if she really did have Republic names buried in McPherson¡¯s records, then what? How long until they became targets for something bigger than her scheming?


    Then Fang¡¯s voice crackled over the comm in his ear. ¡°Boss, you¡¯ve got too many eyes on you. Can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s casual or someone¡¯s watching, but you need to move.¡±


    A few passersby had already slowed, shooting wary glances their way before hurrying off. No one had raised an alarm yet, but that wouldn¡¯t last.


    Gravel exhaled through his teeth, eyes darting around. ¡°You¡¯re lucky we don¡¯t have time for this.¡±


    Sloan smiled. ¡°Lovely doing business with you.¡±


    Priest flicked his fingers, easing the gravitational hold. Sloan¡¯s boots hit the ground lightly, but Gravel could see the satisfaction in her stance. She¡¯d won this round.


    ¡°Hurry off,¡± Sloan waved them away. ¡°Now I¡¯ll have to come up with a convenient lie for the mess you caused.¡±


    Gravel scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    He didn¡¯t wait for Sloan¡¯s response, turning on his heel and motioning for the crew to move. Priest fell into step beside him, Hunter a few paces behind, keeping an eye on their backs.


    ¡°Would love you to join me over tea this weekend, Dakarai,¡± Sloan rasps, a hint of cheer threading through her voice. ¡°I¡¯ll drop you a coordinate. Here¡¯s my contact.¡±


    Sloan flicked her wrist, and a faint blue holo-glyph shimmered into existence above her palm. With a casual motion, she snapped her fingers, sending a pulse of light toward Priest¡¯s comm. His interface beeped as the data embedded itself¡ªa secured frequency, encoded with a shifting encryption key.


    Priest saved the data with a flick of his eyes.

 Chapter 12

    The safehouse was colder than Gravel remembered. Probably because their last safehouse had been a ship, and now they were holed up in a dimly lit apartment that smelled like fried algae.


    Priest sat in front of a flickering holo-display, decrypting whatever Vanje had pulled from the McPherson vault. He promised sending more in 24 hours, so for the moment they¡¯d have to work with what they had. Hunter leaned against the counter, arms crossed, while Fang¡ªhead down, fingers tapping against her holo-slate¡ªwas obviously messaging Kai again.


    ¡°I still say we break for the ship,¡± he muttered, half to himself.


    Hunter snorted. ¡°Not one for politics?¡±


    Gravel exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°I like my politics like I like my drinks¡ªnot trying to kill me.¡±


    ¡°That one¡¯s lame,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yeah, that one was lame,¡± he replied, turning to Fang. ¡°Fang. We need whatever data you managed to pull from the vault about Mura.¡±


    Fang didn¡¯t look up.


    Gravel clicked his tongue. ¡°Tell your boyfriend you¡¯ll be busy committing corporate espionage.¡±


    Only then did Fang met his eyes. She was obviously trying to think of a snide comeback, but shifted uncomfortably as his stare drilled a metaphorical hole into her.


    Fang¡¯s fingers hovered over her holo-slate, her usual smirk absent. She muttered, ¡°Aye aye, boss.¡±


    Hunter arched a brow. ¡°That actually worked?¡±


    ¡°It should,¡± Gravel replied.


    Fang shot him a glare but pulled up the data regardless, swiping through the files she¡¯d sectioned off. ¡°I ran a quick skim before dumping it to Priest. Most of it¡¯s financial gibberish, but there¡¯s one name that kept showing up.¡±


    She turned the holo-display around. A single header flashed at them:


    Project CELESTIAL INCONTINENCE.


    Gravel blinked. ¡°That¡¯s gotta be a mistranslation.¡±


    Mura¡¯s name came with a classified marker, buried beneath layers of corporate jargon and redacted reports. But the bits they could access painted a certain picture.


    Shiya Mura ¨C Republic Economic Enforcement Division, Garmin-44 System Oversight, Special Projects Liaison


    Garmin-44 was the name of the solar system Kestris was in.


    Priest barely glanced up from the screen. ¡°Trade route taxation, corporate compliance audits, extrajudicial asset liquidation.¡±


    He kept it curt, too curt.


    Gravel squinted at him. ¡°Great. Love the sound of words. Now translate that into something the rest of us can care about.¡±


    Priest exhaled. ¡°He¡¯s a glorified repo man with military backing. He combs through corporate records, flags shipments as ¡®security risks,¡¯ and then they disappear into Republic custody.¡±


    Gravel leaned forward. ¡°Define ¡®Republic custody.¡¯¡±


    Priest¡¯s cybernetic fingers tapped idly against the console. ¡°Anything from black-budget military projects to reselling assets through shell companies. If the Garmin¡¯s subdivision finances get tight, Mura makes sure they have ¡®unclaimed¡¯ resources to fill the gaps.¡±


    Hunter crossed her arms. ¡°So he¡¯s robbing corpos, and the Republic¡¯s looking the other way.¡±


    Gravel frowned. ¡°Why the hell would McPherson keep records on this? If the Republic¡¯s looking the other way, wouldn¡¯t they just scrub it?¡±


    Priest barely glanced up from the holo-display. ¡°Insurance.¡±


    Fang tilted her head. ¡°Against who?¡±


    Priest said, ¡°How should I know? I¡¯m just speculating. Since Mura is the resource distributor, he does have lots of power over how corpo work in Garmin. You need to have some sort of leverage.¡±


    Hunter crossed her arm. ¡°You planning to talk to Sloan about this, old man?¡±


    Priest ignored them both and pulled up the contact Sloan had sent. The secured frequency flickered on his holo-display, the encryption key shifting with each second.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Hunter nodded. ¡°Good. Call her.¡±


    Priest stared at the display for a few seconds.


    Gravel smirked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Dakarai? Scared of a date?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll set you all a date right now.¡± He scoffed.


    He tapped the screen, sending the request. The connection took a few seconds longer than expected, the encryption filters cycling before finally stabilizing.


    Sloan¡¯s face materialized, backlit by the soft glow of a high-rise office. ¡°Dakarai,¡± she greeted. ¡°Good timing.¡±


    ***


    The rendezvous point was one of those half-operational lounges in the undercity, tucked between a half-lit neon bar and a vendor selling fried protein paste. It wasn¡¯t Sloan¡¯s usual style, but then again, neither was getting yanked into the air by a gravitational chokehold.


    She was already seated when they arrived, sipping something dark out of a reinforced glass. Priest slid into the seat across from her without ceremony, his holo-display already flickering as he pulled up the decrypted files. Hunter took a casual stance nearby, keeping an eye on the surroundings, while Gravel leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed.


    Priest didn¡¯t waste time. ¡°Celestial Incontinence.¡±


    Sloan raised a brow. ¡°That¡¯s your opening line?¡±


    Gravel leaned forward, drumming his fingers on the table. ¡°What¡¯s the grand secret behind it? Some kind of covert Republic operation? A shell fund for black-market trade?¡±


    Sloan blinked at him, then exhaled sharply through her nose¡ªthe closest thing to laughter they¡¯d get. She swirled her drink idly, then flicked a glance toward Priest.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking at the wrong project.¡±


    Priest¡¯s visor flickered slightly, processing. ¡°What?¡±


    Sloan leaned forward, resting her chin against her knuckles, her smirk just shy of outright mocking. ¡°That file? It¡¯s exactly what it says on the tin.¡±


    Gravel¡¯s face twisted. ¡°No. No way.¡±


    Sloan nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a medical reimbursement program. Specifically, to treat Mura¡¯s¡ª¡± she gestured vaguely, ¡°¡ªongoing personal inconvenience.¡±


    There was a beat of silence.


    Hunter sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°You¡¯re telling me we spent the last twelve hours thinking this was some deep Republic conspiracy, and it¡¯s just a fancy way of saying the man can¡¯t hold his piss?¡±


    Sloan smirked. ¡°You¡¯re the ones who dug through my superior¡¯s private medical history. Congratulations.¡±


    Gravel exhaled sharply and leaned back in his seat. ¡°Why don¡¯t you do the digging next time, smartypants?¡±


    Priest was already scrolling through the files, discarding them one by one. ¡°So what¡¯s the real project, then?¡±


    Sloan¡¯s smirk faded just a fraction. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Gravel scoffed. ¡°Great. Fantastic. We¡¯ve got the professional ladder-climber over here, and even she doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s digging for.¡±


    Sloan didn¡¯t bother with a retort. Instead, she raised a hand, catching the bartender¡¯s attention with a lazy flick of her wrist. The man¡ªa grizzled ex-merc with a cybernetic arm that whined softly every time he moved¡ªnodded, then tapped something beneath the counter.


    A low hiss filled the air as a portion of the back wall shifted, revealing a dimly lit passage.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Sloan said, standing. ¡°Let¡¯s dig a little deeper.¡±


    Hunter glanced at Priest, who gave the slightest nod.


    Gravel murmured, ¡°This sure doesn¡¯t look like a setup.¡±


    Sloan retorted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can¡¯t beat you three in a fist fight.¡±


    Sloan slipped into the passage without a glance back. Priest followed in silence, the flickering lights casting sharp shadows across his face. Hunter shot Gravel a look before stepping in. Gravel sighed, rolling his shoulders before coming in after them.


    The passage sloped downward, narrowing slightly before opening into a private backroom lined with outdated holo-terminals. A circular table sat in the center, screens flickering above it with information feeds and encrypted logs. The air smelled faintly of ozone and old circuitry, like the place had been repurposed from something long abandoned.


    Sloan gestured for them to sit. ¡°Welcome to my little hideaway. Information¡¯s currency in this city. I keep a stash.¡±


    Priest didn¡¯t bother sitting. He stepped up to the main terminal, arms crossed. ¡°You said we were looking at the wrong project.¡±


    Sloan keyed in a command, and the screens above them reshuffled, lines of text scrolling too fast for anyone but Priest to process at a glance. She flicked a finger against the interface, slowing the feed. One title blinked into focus.


    PROJECT FIRMAMENT.


    Gravel leaned forward, arms on the table. ¡°Alright. Grand mystery solved. We got the actual name now. What the hell is it?¡±


    Sloan exhaled, folding her arms. ¡°This is the old name of a scrapped project. I believe a new one¡¯s in the work, but you need to dig it out of that database you got a hold of.¡±


    Priest¡¯s fingers danced over the console, isolating the relevant data strings. ¡°Firmament. Decommissioned five years ago. Whatever replaced it is buried under newer encryption layers.¡±


    Hunter frowned. ¡°Scrapped doesn¡¯t mean dead. What was it about?¡±


    Sloan leaned against the table, watching the screen. ¡°Weapons research. Not your usual ¡®make a bigger gun¡¯ kind. Something to do with atmospheric manipulation.¡±


    We¡¯re really wasting time here, thought Gravel. His mind traced back to the content of the drive, and how he was so sure it¡¯d be related to mutations. Now they¡¯d become corpo lapdogs and the lucrative score he¡¯d envisioned was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he shouldn¡¯t have been so curious.


    Hunter nudged his arm, dragging him back to reality. ¡°You zoning out on me, or are you actually listening?¡±


    Gravel blinked, rolling his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m listening, I just¡ª¡± He gestured at the screen. ¡°We already went over the whole weather manipulation thing, didn¡¯t we? What else is there?¡±


    ¡°You missed a lot,¡± Hunter sighed. ¡°Firmament wasn¡¯t just about weather control¡ªit was about targeted environmental collapse. There¡¯s mention of localized molecular disruptors¡ªdevices that can break down solid matter at a structural level.¡±


    Gravel perked up. ¡°Great. Priest can steal one and slap it onto his magic arm. You¡¯ve already got the ¡®freeze people solid¡¯ trick. Why not add ¡®disintegrate them into dust¡¯ too?¡±


    Priest didn¡¯t look up. ¡°Might be possible engineering-wise.¡±


    Hunter shot him a look. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a suggestion.¡±


    Gravel smirked. ¡°You say that, but I see the gears turning in his head.¡±


    Priest ignored them both, eyes scanning the file. ¡°The disruptor tech isn¡¯t just theoretical¡ªit¡¯s active. Firmament was never really shut down. They just buried it under a different name.¡± He tapped a line of data. ¡°Mura¡¯s been redirecting resources, funneling assets behind the Republic¡¯s back. McPherson and a few other corpos have been getting first dibs on whatever this thing has turned into.¡±


    Sloan exhaled, a flicker of satisfaction in her gaze. ¡°Which means they have prototypes. Probably field-tested, probably off-the-record.¡±


    Gravel clapped his hands together, leaning toward Sloan with an easy grin. ¡°Alright, you got what you needed. Now can we have our ship back?¡±


    Sloan didn¡¯t even blink. ¡°No.¡±


    Gravel groaned, throwing his head back. ¡°Come on. You wanted dirt on Mura, and now you have it. This is a fair trade.¡±


    Sloan tapped the table. ¡°Not yet. I need more than just breadcrumbs. I need proof. Something actionable.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the job for your goons. We¡¯re not federal agents,¡± said Gravel.


    Sloan leaned forward, resting her hands on the table. ¡°I need you to find something undeniable. A shipment log, an internal memo, something that puts Mura¡¯s hand in this mess with no room for plausible deniability.¡±


    Right as the words left Sloan¡¯s mouth, the safehouse lights flickered. Then cut out entirely.


    Gravel tensed. ¡°That¡¯s not normal.¡±


    Hunter pulled out her laser gun, pointing at Sloan. ¡°You set us up.¡±


    ¡°While I¡¯m here with you? Listen to yourself.¡± A flicker of something crossed Sloan¡¯s face¡ªsomething raw, unguarded. A brief, instinctive sliver of disbelief.


    A second later, the door exploded inward.


    The impact sent a shockwave through the cramped space, and before the dust even settled, figures moved in¡ªfast, professional, rifles raised. No mercenary sloppiness this time. These were trained operatives, and they weren¡¯t here to play.


    McPherson security.

 Chapter 13

    Hunter hit the ground first, rolling behind the counter. Priest barely had time to pull Sloan down with him before pulse rounds tore through the space where she¡¯d been standing.


    Gravel ducked behind the table, yanking his sidearm free¡ªa sleek, polymer-framed pistol with an integrated plasma accelerator. A flick of his thumb brought up the holo-sight, a soft amber reticle blinking into existence. He¡¯d never been much for sidearms¡ªpreferred his fists, or something with a bit more weight¡ªbut this was new. Fresh off the black market. Hunter gave it to him. He named it Scott.


    Fang¡¯s voice crackled over the comm, sharp with alarm. ¡°What the hell was that? That wasn¡¯t local enforcement¡ªwho did you piss off this time?¡±


    Sloan¡¯s expression darkened as she peeked over cover. Her eyes locked onto a figure stepping through the wreckage, unhurried. ¡°That¡¯s Koto.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Gravel asked.


    ¡°Mura¡¯s right hand.¡±


    A tall man in a sleek, matte-black tactical suit strode into the ruined doorway, his movements precise. His face was calm, impassive, like a man accustomed to getting what he wanted. The others flanked him, spreading out to seal exits.


    The name dropped like a lead weight. Even Priest reacted, his grip tightening slightly.


    Halos came to a stop, glancing around the ruined room with a slight tilt of his head. Then, in a voice almost too measured to be threatening, he said, ¡°Sloan Albrecht. You are to be taken in, per Executive Mura¡¯s orders. Do not resist.¡±


    Then his gaze flicked to the others. ¡°Your associates as well.¡±


    Gravel exhaled, glancing at Sloan. ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing we¡¯re not getting our ship back.¡±


    Sloan didn¡¯t reply. Hunter clicked her tongue.


    Priest shifted slightly, subtly recalibrating his cybernetic hand. ¡°I count eight,¡± he murmured under his breath. ¡°Armed. Coordinated.¡±


    Gravel let out a low whistle. ¡°Sloan. You managed to screw yourself over at the same time. That¡¯s efficiency.¡±


    Then, without missing a beat, his grin vanished. ¡°Fang, lights. Hunter, left flank. Priest, drop the big guy. Sloan, can you cover the exit?¡±


    Before the last word left his mouth, Fang¡ªstill on comms¡ªkilled the power completely, plunging the room into pitch black. The only thing left was the flickering glow of the still-charging power cells on the McPherson officers¡¯ rifles.


    Hunter moved first, slipping into the shadows and flanking two guards before they could adjust to the dark. Priest, already primed, unleashed a precise gravitational pulse at Halos¡ªenough to throw him off balance but not enough to send him flying. Gravel didn¡¯t wait to see the results. He raised his new sidearm, aimed at the nearest McPherson officer, and squeezed the trigger.


    The pistol barely made a sound¡ªjust a sharp, electric whine as a burst of compressed energy slammed into the man¡¯s chest, sending him crumpling against the wall.


    Gravel grinned. ¡°Oh, I like this thing.¡±


    A sharp pulse of gunfire lit the room for half a second before fading back into red-washed darkness.


    Gravel ducked low, using the flickering emergency lights to track movement. Hunter had already taken down another officer, her rifle¡¯s energy burst catching them in the side before they could react. Priest¡¯s gravitational pulse had sent Halos sprawling, but the man was already pushing himself upright, movements controlled, calculated.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Sloan moved fast¡ªfaster than Gravel expected. She¡¯d grabbed a downed officer¡¯s rifle and was already at the exit, pressing against the doorframe. ¡°They¡¯re locking down the building,¡± she called over the noise. ¡°One of them must¡¯ve triggered an override.¡±


    Fang¡¯s voice crackled through the comms. ¡°You¡¯ve got two minutes before McPherson sends a full team. You need an exit¡ªnow.¡±


    Gravel fired another silent shot, hitting an officer in the leg. The man collapsed, but not before one of his allies caught sight of Gravel¡¯s position and fired back. He barely had time to roll out of the way before a stun blast crackled against the metal floor where he¡¯d been standing.


    He grit his teeth. ¡°Fang, can you disable the lockdown?¡±


    ¡°I can stall it, but not disable it,¡± she shot back. ¡°They¡¯re running full security protocols.¡±


    Gravel huffed, glancing at Sloan. ¡°You got some secret backdoor override in that corporate brain of yours?¡±


    Sloan¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°If I did, don¡¯t you think I¡¯d be using it?¡±


    Another shot zipped past Gravel¡¯s shoulder, forcing him back into cover. He reloaded the sleek new pistol with a flick of his wrist. ¡°Fine. Then we do this the old-fashioned way.¡±


    He turned toward Priest. ¡°Dakarai, how strong can you make that gravity field?¡±


    Priest¡¯s cybernetic fingers flexed. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    Gravel grinned. ¡°I¡¯m thinking we make our own exit.¡±


    Priest didn¡¯t hesitate. His cybernetic hand twisted, fingers locking into position as he recalibrated the gravitational field. The air around him grew heavy and faintly distorting.


    ¡°Clear the center of the room,¡± he ordered.


    Hunter didn¡¯t wait. She ducked low, rolled between two McPherson officers, and came up fast. A precise elbow to the throat of one sent him stumbling, and before he could recover, she drove her knee into his temple. He crumpled instantly.


    ¡°Clear,¡± she muttered, wiping blood off her knuckles.


    Gravel fired a shot over her shoulder. ¡°Show-off.¡±


    The McPherson reinforcements were already adjusting to the darkness. Halos barked an order, and a synchronized burst of rifle fire erupted.


    Gravel barely had time to register the movement when one of the officers snapped his rifle up, finger pulling the trigger.


    Shit.


    The energy bolt struck him square in the chest¡ªexcept it didn¡¯t burn, didn¡¯t penetrate. Instead, it sparked against his skin as the Morkanium alloy fused into his cells reflexively activated. The impact rippled across his torso, but the shot didn¡¯t sink in.


    Gravel looked down at the singed fabric where his jacket had been scorched. ¡°Huh.¡± He grinned. ¡°Neat.¡±


    The officer that shot him looked just as stunned.


    Gravel fired back. A short, sharp burst from his sidearm sent the man flying back into the ruined wall.


    Priest¡¯s voice cut through the chaos. ¡°Move.¡±


    He raised his cybernetic hand, and the gravitational pressure surged. The floor groaned, then buckled.


    With a deafening crunch, the entire center of the room collapsed into the tunnels below.


    Hunter didn¡¯t hesitate¡ªshe leapt down first, landing in a crouch. ¡°Clear!¡±


    Sloan followed, rolling into the fall and coming up with her rifle ready.


    Priest adjusted his stance, glancing at Gravel. ¡°You waiting for an invitation?¡±


    Gravel fired two more shots for cover, then hopped in.


    They hit the tunnel floor just as another wave of reinforcements stormed into the ruined safehouse above.


    Fang¡¯s voice crackled over comms. ¡°That was way too close.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Gravel muttered, jogging to catch up with the others as they sprinted through the dimly lit passage.


    Hunter glanced back. ¡°Where do these tunnels lead?¡±


    Sloan didn¡¯t break stride. ¡°Some of these? The old freight lanes. Others? A dead end.¡±


    Gravel groaned, patting his chest where the bolt had struck. ¡°You have better odds?¡±


    Priest adjusted his pace, falling in step with Sloan. ¡°You¡¯re saying Mura¡¯s right hand¡¯s here?¡±


    Sloan exhaled sharply. ¡°If he¡¯s here personally, that means Mura¡¯s pulling strings right now to make sure we don¡¯t leave Kestris alive.¡±


    Gravel sighed. ¡°So I guess that means we¡¯re keeping you, huh?¡±


    Sloan gave him a sidelong look. ¡°You sound thrilled.¡±


    ¡°Thrilled is the opposite of what I¡¯m feeling,¡± Gravel shot back. ¡°Let¡¯s just survive this first, then we can figure out who¡¯s stuck with who.¡±


    Fang¡¯s voice chimed in again. ¡°Yeah, about that¡ªyou¡¯ve got movement on the south exit.¡±


    Priest¡¯s visor flickered. ¡°How many?¡±


    Fang hesitated. ¡°A lot.¡±


    Priest¡¯s visor flickered again, pulling in updated telemetry from Fang¡¯s scans. A readout overlaid his vision in stark red text:


    HOSTILE SIGNATURES: 12


    POSITION: SOUTH EXIT, 30 METERS


    WEAPONS DETECTED: SHOCK RIFLES, HIGH-YIELD


    TACTICAL RECOMMENDATION: EVASION PRIORITIZED


    Gravel flexed his fingers, feeling the last remnants of Morkanium settle under his skin. ¡°Guess it¡¯s time to see how many shots I can take before it wears off.¡±


    The crew picked up speed, the echoes of pursuit growing louder behind them.

 Chapter 14

    Gravel skidded around a corner, catching sight of their exit¡ªa narrow loading bay, half-collapsed, littered with rusted crates. The southern blast doors loomed ahead, barely illuminated by the flickering emergency lights.


    Then came the voices. ¡°Seal off their escape!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve got nowhere to run!¡±


    The officers were closing in.


    Sloan cursed under her breath, raising her stolen rifle. ¡°We need a distraction.¡±


    ¡°Working on it,¡± Priest muttered, already scanning for alternate routes, his cybernetic fingers twitching as he rerouted control overrides to Fang.


    Hunter fired a few suppressive shots down the corridor, forcing their pursuers to scatter for cover.


    Then Gravel saw him¡ªKoto.


    He moved differently than the others, stepping into the open without hesitation. His shock rifle was slung across his chest, but he wasn¡¯t reaching for it.


    Instead, he just stood there.


    ¡°Sloan,¡± Koto called out, voice calm, controlled. ¡°You don¡¯t want to do this. I can get a word in for you; for old time¡¯s sake. You¡¯re getting 20 years, max.¡±


    Sloan hesitated, her weapon still raised.


    Koto continued. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Mura you were forced into this. That you were gathering intel.¡±


    Gravel scoffed. ¡°Yeah, sure. And we¡¯ll get a medal too?¡±


    Koto ignored him, his focus locked on Sloan.


    His tone sharpened, almost urgent. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go down with them.¡±


    Gravel could see it happening¡ªshe was considering it. His grip tightened around his sidearm.


    Then Priest¡¯s voice cut through the tension, low and even. ¡°Sloan. You know better.¡±


    She stiffened. Her jaw clenched, fingers flexing around the trigger.


    Koto took a slow step forward. ¡°Come on, Sloan. You¡¯re gonna listen to those outlaw rats, or you¡¯re gonna choose reason?¡±


    Gravel¡¯s finger hovered over the trigger, eyes flicking between Sloan and Koto. Am I dropping her first, or him?


    Sloan exhaled, a single drop of sweat tracing down her temple. She pulled the trigger.


    The plasma bolt tore through Koto¡¯s chest. He staggered back, shock flashing across his face. Then he crumpled.


    Silence.


    Sloan stared down at the body, her breath shallow. Her hands, steady a second ago, trembled slightly.


    Gravel lowered his weapon. ¡°Well. Guess that settles that.¡±


    But Sloan wasn¡¯t looking at Koto anymore. She was staring at her own hands, the rifle still clutched tight.


    Reality hit.


    She was now one of them. There was no going back.


    ***


    The air outside the industrial dockyards was thick with smog, the neon glow of Kestris¡¯ undercity barely cutting through the haze. Gravel adjusted the collar of his jacket, eyes scanning the skyline as they approached the shipyard perimeter.


    The Black Fang was here¡ªsomewhere.


    Sloan walked a few steps ahead, her movements tense but measured. She¡¯d barely spoken since Koto. Hunter had kept a wary eye on her, but Priest had said nothing.


    ¡°This was supposed to be temporary,¡± Fang muttered over comms from a nearby vantage point. ¡°Tell me why we¡¯re still here.¡±


    ¡°Because Sloan stashed our ship before Mura¡¯s men got to it,¡± Priest answered.


    ¡°Mura already knows,¡± Sloan added flatly. ¡°I had people relocate the Black Fang to a secure impound¡ªMura¡¯s already in contact with them.¡±


    Gravel sighed. ¡°Fantastic. So much for an easy getaway.¡±


    Sloan shot him a look. ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was impossible. Just difficult.¡±


    Fang¡¯s voice crackled over comms. ¡°Yeah, uh, before you guys go off, you wanna tell me where the hell I¡¯m supposed to be?¡±


    Gravel winced. Right. Fang had been monitoring from a safe position, away from the heat. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Couple districts out.¡±


    Sloan muttered something under her breath, then switched to a secondary frequency. ¡°There¡¯s an old transit line that runs under the impound facility. It¡¯s been decommissioned for years, but I know the maintenance access codes. It¡¯ll drop her two blocks from us, and she won¡¯t have to risk running patrols.¡±


    Priest tapped at his visor. ¡°I see it. Route¡¯s mostly clear. But she¡¯ll have to move fast.¡±


    Hunter sighed. ¡°Fang. Can you not take your sweet time?¡±


    ¡°Excuse you? I was the only one playing this smart.¡±


    Gravel pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Just get over here, will you?¡±


    ¡°On my way, boss.¡±


    A few tense minutes passed. The others remained in position, watching the security rotations, waiting.


    Then, a vent cover near the alleyway rattled, and Fang crawled out, shaking dust from her jacket. ¡°I hate tunnels,¡± she muttered, brushing off grime.


    Gravel raised a brow. ¡°You look like you lost a fight with an exhaust pipe.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, you¡¯re still ugly.¡± Fang stretched her arms, then turned to Sloan. ¡°So, what¡¯s the master plan?¡±


    Priest studied the facility ahead, his visor pulling in security feeds and layout schematics. ¡°We need an entry point.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got one,¡± Sloan said. ¡°But it¡¯ll involve looking like we belong there.¡±


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    Gravel frowned. ¡°That¡¯s already a stretch.¡±


    Sloan ignored him. ¡°I know the patrol schedules. There¡¯s a shift change in ten minutes, which means a window where the new guards are getting briefed and the old ones are clocking out. If we time it right, we can slip in before they notice an extra set of faces.¡±


    Gravel crossed her arms. ¡°And when they do notice?¡±


    Hunter chimed in. ¡°Then we make sure they¡¯re too busy dealing with a different problem.¡±


    Sloan pulled up a holo-display, highlighting a nearby security hub. ¡°The Black Fang¡¯s locked down under automated defense protocols. But if we trip a breach alert on the opposite side of the impound yard, it¡¯ll reroute security forces there. We just need someone to cause a mess while the rest of us move in.¡±


    Fang grinned. ¡°Say no more.¡±


    Fang¡¯s grin was equal parts enthusiasm and recklessness. That immediately put Gravel on edge.


    ¡°Hold up,¡± he said, eyeing her. ¡°What exactly do you plan on doing?¡±


    Fang stretched her arms. ¡°Something noisy.¡±


    Hunter pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°That¡¯s not an answer.¡±


    Priest tapped his visor, scanning the security feeds. ¡°The external defense grid runs on an outdated response algorithm. If we force a system lockdown, it¡¯ll trigger an automatic high-priority alert¡ªone that requires manual clearance. That¡¯ll buy us a window.¡±


    Sloan nodded. ¡°There¡¯s a power junction near the north entrance. Overloading it will trip the internal failsafe, pulling security forces off the shipyard perimeter. But it has to be precise.¡±


    Fang placed a hand over her heart, feigning offense. ¡°Oh ye of little faith.¡±


    Gravel sighed, rubbing his temples. ¡°Fine. Just don¡¯t get yourself fried.¡±


    Fang snapped a mock salute. Then she turned and disappeared into the shadows, already moving toward her target.


    Hunter glanced at Sloan. ¡°And what about us?¡±


    Sloan exhaled, eyes flicking to the approaching security detail near the impound¡¯s main gates. ¡°We walk in.¡±


    Gravel scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s your big plan?¡±


    Sloan shot him a look. ¡°You¡¯ve got a better one?¡±


    Gravel opened his mouth, then shut it.


    Priest adjusted his coat. ¡°She¡¯s right. Act like you belong.¡±


    Sloan led the way, her posture shifting as she adopted the brisk, confident stride of someone who was supposed to be there. The others followed suit, moving toward the gates as the first warning sirens crackled to life in the distance.


    Fang had done her job. Now, it was up to them.


    They reached the perimeter checkpoint without a hitch¡ªso far, Sloan¡¯s plan was working. The guards at the impound barely spared them a glance, too distracted by the blaring alarms and the flickering status feeds on their terminals.


    Inside the facility, the Black Fang sat docked behind a high-security bay door, clamps securing its landing struts. Gravel clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to break into a sprint.


    Priest tapped at his visor, running a bypass on the security panel. ¡°Severing remote access. The ship¡¯s ours again in ten seconds.¡±


    Sloan pulled up a secondary display. ¡°Flight control¡¯s still active. If they realize we¡¯re launching, they¡¯ll have anti-air locked on us before we¡¯re in the clouds.¡±


    Hunter cracked her knuckles. ¡°So we don¡¯t give them a chance to notice.¡±


    Gravel snorted. ¡°Has security on this planet always sucked this hard?¡±


    Sloan shot him a look. ¡°You¡¯re benefiting from it, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    The loading ramp unlocked with a hiss.


    ¡°Fang, we¡¯re grabbing you in thirty. Be at the rendezvous.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, just hurry before they patch the grid.¡±


    The crew moved fast. Priest booted the Black Fang¡¯s systems, cutting external feeds to prevent an automated lockdown. Gravel dropped into the pilot¡¯s chair, hands flying over controls. It had been a long damn time since he had to fly this ship himself¡ªFang had handled piloting since she joined.


    The clamps released with a metallic groan.


    ¡°Stealth vector engaged,¡± Priest reported. ¡°Keeping us under sensor sweeps.¡±


    Through the viewport, Fang sprinted across the docking lanes, smoke billowing behind her from the fried power junction she¡¯d left in ruin.


    ¡°I hate you guys,¡± she panted over comms. ¡°I hate you all.¡±


    Hunter was already at the ramp controls. ¡°Keep running, sweetheart.¡±


    Fang leaped. The ramp wasn¡¯t even fully lowered, but she grabbed the edge, hauling herself up as Hunter yanked her inside.


    ¡°Go, go, go!¡±


    Gravel fired the thrusters, banking hard as they cleared the docking bay doors. Sirens blared below, targeting arrays snapping online.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got missile locks!¡±


    ¡°Not for long.¡± Priest rerouted power to countermeasures, scrambling targeting signatures just as a streak of fire shot toward them. The missile lost its lock, spiraling wide before detonating in the lower docks.


    Gravel exhaled sharply, hands gripping the controls tighter. ¡°Been a while since I had to do this myself.¡±


    Hunter smirked. ¡°You rusty?¡±


    Gravel scoffed. ¡°Please. I could fly this thing blindfolded. Uh, at least, before Fang changed the interface. Now where the fuck is the . . .¡± He squinted at the console, flicking switches at random. ¡°The thruster balance? The nav-lock? The¡ªwhy the hell is there a ¡®coolant purge¡¯ button right next to the weapons array?¡±


    Fang¡¯s voice blared through comms. ¡°Don¡¯t press that.¡±


    Gravel froze mid-reach. ¡°Okay, noted. But seriously, where¡¯s the¡ª¡±


    The ship lurched as an unauthorized system recalibration warning flashed red across the dashboard.


    Hunter shot him a look. ¡°What. Did. You. Press.¡±


    Gravel frowned at the blinking panel. ¡°Probably something unimportant.¡±


    The ship shuddered, alarms flaring across the console as a high-pitched whine built up in the engine core.


    Fang¡¯s voice crackled through comms. ¡°Gravel, I swear on Priest and everything holy, tell me you didn¡¯t just disable inertial dampening.¡±


    Gravel braced himself as the Black Fang tilted violently to port. ¡°Define ¡®disable.¡¯¡±


    Priest, deadpan. ¡°You turned off gravity compensation. We¡¯re about to get pasted against the bulkhead if you don¡¯t fix it. Let me take over.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve piloted a ship twice in your life,¡± retorted Gravel.


    Hunter, clutching the nearest surface, growled. ¡°Turn it back on before I turn you off.¡±


    Gravel rapidly flipped switches, trying to retrace his mistake. ¡°Alright, alright, nobody panic, I got this. I¡ª¡±


    A sudden burst of acceleration threw them all sideways as the engines recalibrated with a violent jerk.


    Fang¡¯s voice was pure exasperation. ¡°You¡¯re the worst.¡±


    Gravel finally found the right switch and jammed it back into place. The ship leveled out, alarms cutting off one by one.


    A tense silence.


    Gravel¡¯s fingers flew over the console, bringing the Black Fang to a steady hover just above the alley where Fang waited. The ship''s engines hummed low, barely audible over the distant din of sirens.


    Fang¡¯s voice crackled over comms. ¡°Open the damn ramp, I¡¯m not hanging around for an encore.¡±


    Hunter tapped a control, and the rear hatch lowered. Fang sprinted forward, leaping onto the ramp just as she threw a look over her shoulder. No immediate pursuit, but they weren¡¯t waiting to find out.


    She skidded into the hold, breathless. ¡°Go, go, go¡ª¡±


    ¡°Already moving,¡± Gravel called back, fingers dancing across the console. The Black Fang lifted off, thrusters flaring as they banked upward, threading through the maze of Kestris¡¯ lower skyline.


    Priest¡¯s visor flickered as he scanned telemetry. ¡°No pursuit yet.¡±


    Gravel exhaled, pushing the throttle forward. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s keep it that¡ª¡±


    Warning: Air Traffic Violation. Priority Response Unit Scrambling.


    Fang groaned, dropping into the co-pilot¡¯s seat. ¡°You couldn¡¯t fly casual for two minutes?¡±


    Gravel clenched his jaw. ¡°Listen, I haven¡¯t had to fly the ship myself since you joined. You rewired half the controls! And who gives a shit about air traffic laws?¡±


    ¡°You keep pressing buttons like they haven¡¯t changed.¡±


    ¡°Where the fuck is the¡ª¡± Gravel¡¯s fingers hovered over the wrong panel, nearly triggering the ship¡¯s distress beacon.


    Fang slapped his hand away. ¡°Not that one!¡±


    ¡°Maybe label your damn buttons!¡±


    ¡°Maybe don¡¯t fly like a drunk¡ªLEFT, LEFT!¡±


    Gravel yanked the controls just in time, narrowly dodging an incoming patrol craft. The Black Fang twisted into a sharp ascent, engines whining under the sudden maneuver.


    Priest¡¯s visor updated. ¡°Still no pursuit lock, but we don¡¯t stay in orbit¡ªwe jump now.¡±


    Gravel gritted his teeth, finally finding the right control. He engaged the jump drive, locking coordinates beyond Garmin-44¡¯s monitoring zones.


    The Black Fang shuddered as its engines roared to life, struggling to generate enough power for a jump after sitting cold for so long. Warning lights flickered across the console¡ªLOW ENERGY RESERVES. SYSTEM CHARGING.


    Gravel swore under his breath. ¡°Jump drive¡¯s gotta spool up. We need a minute.¡±


    ¡°A minute we don¡¯t have,¡± Hunter snapped, watching the scanners.


    Priest¡¯s visor pulsed red. ¡°They¡¯ve locked onto us. Ground units moving in.¡±


    The ship lurched as turret fire streaked past, clipping the hull.


    ¡°Shields up!¡± Fang shouted, already flicking through controls.


    Hunter unholstered her rifle. ¡°Then we make sure they don¡¯t get another shot.¡± She turned, sprinting toward the rear turret controls.


    The Black Fang tore through the thinning atmosphere, engines straining as the jump drive fought to spool up. The last remnants of Kestris¡¯ undercity vanished below¡ªbut pursuit wasn¡¯t letting up.


    Hostile signatures detected.


    Priest¡¯s visor pulsed red. ¡°Skijets incoming.¡±


    Gravel glanced at the readout. A half-dozen high-speed pursuit skijets¡ªlight, single-rider craft barely more than an exposed seat strapped to a thruster core¡ªwere closing fast. Their compact frame made them fragile, but they could weave through fire like gnats and mount grappling harpoons to latch onto larger ships.


    Hunter clicked her tongue. ¡°We¡¯re getting chased by glorified jetpacks.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re faster than us in atmo,¡± Priest warned. ¡°Jump drive¡¯s at fifty percent. We need another minute.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t have a minute,¡± Fang muttered.


    Sloan had been silent since takeoff, arms folded, gaze locked on the pursuing crafts through the viewport. When she finally spoke, her voice was tight. ¡°I can take weapons control.¡±


    Fang scoffed. ¡°You any good?¡±


    Sloan replied, ¡°I¡¯ve done it in simulations.¡±


    ¡°No shooting,¡± Hunter said firmly. ¡°We¡¯re trying to lose them, not start a war. The second we fire, we¡¯re gonna become intergalaxy criminals.¡±


    The lead skijet surged ahead, its pilot lining up a mag-clamp harpoon at the Black Fang¡¯s underbelly.


    ¡°Not happening.¡± Hunter pivoted to the rear turret controls, but instead of firing, she rerouted the ship¡¯s thruster output, sending a sudden burst of exhaust in the skijet¡¯s path. The pilot veered off-course to avoid the scorching plume, but two more took its place, weaving through the turbulence.


    Sloan¡¯s grip tightened on the co-pilot¡¯s seat. ¡°They¡¯re trying to cripple us, not kill us.¡±


    ¡°Comforting.¡± Gravel pulled hard on the thruster, sending the ship into a sharp barrel roll. The skijets scrambled to adjust¡ªone clipped the Black Fang¡¯s stabilizer, spiraling out of control before detonating.


    ¡°Drive¡¯s at seventy percent,¡± Priest called.


    One of the remaining skijet riders leaned forward, angling an energy caster at the ship¡¯s starboard side.


    ¡°Gravel, drop us left!¡± Fang snapped.


    He hesitated¡ªthen yanked the controls. The Black Fang veered down hard, just as the energy shot seared past where they¡¯d been. Fang fired the vent thrusters, sending a short burst of heat and debris into the nearest skijet. The rider jerked away, momentarily blinded.


    Hunter fired another round, clipping one of the last pursuers. ¡°Priest, where¡¯s my jump?¡±


    ¡°Ninety percent!¡±


    The final skijet closed in¡ªtoo close. The rider twisted mid-air, their harpoon firing directly toward the viewport.


    Sloan lunged.


    She grabbed Gravel¡¯s wrist and yanked the controls up. The ship pitched violently, and the harpoon just barely scraped the underside instead of punching through.


    Gravel didn¡¯t have time to yell at her.


    Priest¡¯s voice cut through the chaos. ¡°Jump drive ready!¡±


    Gravel slammed the engage switch. The ship shuddered¡ª


    The skijets dropped away. The stars stretched.


    They were gone.

 Chapter 15

    The Black Fang drifted in orbit, safe for now. The blue curve of Kestris lay below, distant yet far too close for comfort. The ship hummed softly, stabilizing from the jump, its systems slowly resetting after the chaos of their escape.


    Fang barely acknowledged any of it.


    She pressed both hands to the nearest bulkhead, then her forehead, then¡ªwithout a hint of shame¡ªkissed the cold metal. ¡°Missed you, sweetheart. Don¡¯t be scared; you¡¯re alright now.¡±


    Gravel gave her a flat look. ¡°You done?¡±


    ¡°Give me a minute,¡± she muttered, running her hands reverently over the console. ¡°She¡¯s been through hell.¡±


    Sloan, arms still crossed, raised an eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s a ship.¡±


    Fang narrowed her eyes at her. ¡°It¡¯s our ship. You wouldn¡¯t get it, ship thief.¡±


    Hunter, passing by, didn¡¯t even bother hiding her smirk. ¡°Weirdest relationship I¡¯ve seen, but you do you.¡±


    ¡°Second weirdest for her alone,¡± Gravel said.


    Priest, meanwhile, was focused on something far more pressing. He sat at the ship¡¯s terminal, fingers tapping at the interface, frowning as error messages flickered across the holo-display.


    Connection Lost.


    Remote Link Disrupted.


    Decryption Process Halted.


    The files from the drive still glowed dimly on-screen, some portions decrypted, others buried under corrupted data strings.


    Hunter leaned over the back of Priest¡¯s chair. ¡°That¡¯s bad, yeah?¡±


    Priest didn¡¯t respond right away, jaw set. ¡°We lost Vanje.¡±


    Gravel walked over, frowning. ¡°What do you mean, lost?¡±


    Priest exhaled through his nose. ¡°I mean, the link¡¯s dead. No trace, no signal.¡±


    A hush settled over the room.


    Gravel straightened. ¡°So the drive¡ª?¡±


    Priest drummed his fingers against the console, eyes narrowing. ¡°The parts we decrypted are intact. But the rest? It¡¯s locked in this state unless we find another way through.¡±


    Fang groaned. ¡°Great. Half a conspiracy. That¡¯s super useful.¡±


    Hunter crossed her arms. ¡°You think Vanje cut and ran? Or was he cut off?¡±


    Priest¡¯s visor flickered as he scanned for any residual signals. ¡°I¡¯d be surprised the connection is intact after a space jump.¡±


    Gravel muttered something under his breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose. ¡°Alright. We¡¯re in orbit. We¡¯ve got our ship back. We can figure out the rest later.¡± He turned to Sloan. ¡°Where can we drop you?¡±


    Sloan, who had been quiet, finally looked up. Her expression was unreadable, her fingers gripping the edge of a console as if steadying herself.


    ¡°Kestris,¡± she said.


    Gravel frowned. ¡°Kestris? Like Kestris number 9 and not any other digit?¡±


    Sloan exhaled, something flickering behind her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s been my home my entire life.¡± A beat passed. Then, softer. ¡°I¡¯ve never been anywhere else.¡±


    That landed heavier than anyone expected.


    Gravel exchanged a glance with Priest, who said nothing. Hunter shifted her weight slightly, unreadable. Even Fang¡ªwho usually had a quip for everything¡ªstayed quiet for half a second longer than usual.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Then Fang shrugged. ¡°Well. Sucks to be a corpo lapdog, I guess.¡±


    Sloan shot her a dry look.


    Gravel rubbed his temple. ¡°Right. Let¡¯s start with not going back there.¡±


    Sloan didn¡¯t argue.


    Gravel continued, ¡°But I¡¯m not letting you stay.¡±


    Hunter leaned against the bulkhead, arms crossed. ¡°We can¡¯t just drop her in space.¡±


    Gravel gestured vaguely at the viewport. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of places that aren¡¯t here. Fozzia-16 don¡¯t give a shit about fugitives.¡±


    Sloan arched a brow. ¡°Charming.¡±


    Hunter smirked. ¡°Look, I¡¯m just saying. We don¡¯t need to argue about whether she stays. We all know we¡¯re not about to shove her out an airlock.¡±


    Gravel folded his arms. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe we do a vote.¡±


    ¡°Gravel.¡±


    ¡°No arguments. We do a vote.¡±


    Priest spoke up from across the room. ¡°You¡¯re going to want to see this.¡±


    The quiet weight in his tone made everyone turn.


    He gestured toward the screen, the dim glow of the half-decrypted drive casting faint shadows across his visor. ¡°I was combing through the last decrypted portions. Looking for anything solid.¡±


    Gravel frowned. ¡°And?¡±


    Priest tapped a specific line of text, making it pulse faintly on the display.


    A name.


    Sloan Albrecht.


    The room went still.


    Gravel folded his arms, his voice flat. ¡°Care to explain?¡±


    Sloan barely glanced at him. ¡°Explain what?¡±


    He gestured toward the screen. ¡°Why your name is in the drive.¡± Then he stepped one step closer to her, staring her down.


    Sloan blinked, her expression unreadable. ¡°What drive?¡±


    Hunter scoffed, crossing her arms. ¡°The one we got from Namor-4. The one we¡¯ve been decrypting for days. The one that got us into this mess.¡±


    Sloan¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know such a thing existed.¡±


    ¡°Then why¡¯s your name in there? We got this from another planet. You said you haven¡¯t even been outside of Kestris-9.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t even heard of Namor before.¡± Sloan¡¯s face barely shifted, but there was something in her eyes¡ªconfusion, maybe, or something deeper. Gravel didn¡¯t buy it.


    He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Right. Because top-level corporate data just randomly decides to throw your name in for fun.¡±


    Sloan exhaled, crossing her arms. ¡°Why don¡¯t you read out loud what kind of intel my name¡¯s attached to, Priest?¡±


    Priest¡¯s fingers flicked over the console, pulling up the surrounding text. Lines of half-corrupted data scrolled past until he isolated the relevant section.


    A grainy, corrupted block of data flickered into clearer focus, timestamped years ago.


    Authorization Log¡ªClassified Shipment Transfer


    Approved by: Sloan Albrecht


    Destination: Secure Processing Facility (REDACTED)


    Contents: Biotechnical Materials


    The file ended there, sections still redacted or scrambled beyond readability.


    Sloan frowned. ¡°That doesn¡¯t tell me anything.¡±


    ¡°It tells me you greenlit something,¡± Gravel said. ¡°A shipment of ¡®biotechnical materials¡¯? What was it? Where was it going?¡±


    She shook her head, brow furrowing. ¡°I don¡¯t remember approving anything like that.¡±


    Hunter narrowed her eyes. ¡°Yeah, convenient.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Sloan¡¯s tone sharpened. ¡°Do you know how much paperwork went through my hands back in Kestris? Thousands of routine approvals, shipments, transfers. And that file doesn¡¯t even tell me what the cargo actually was.¡±


    Gravel wasn¡¯t buying it. ¡°Or you just don¡¯t want to remember.¡±


    Sloan¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°I¡¯ve never been off-world. So why the hell would I be involved in something that ended up on an obscure planet?¡±


    Priest¡¯s visor flickered, running another pass through the corrupted segments. He exhaled slowly. ¡°We can¡¯t prove she¡¯s lying. The approval is there, but nothing links her to knowing what it was for.¡±


    Hunter folded her arms. ¡°Or, that part is what¡¯s still encrypted.¡±


    Sloan¡¯s fingers curled against the console, frustration flickering in her eyes. ¡°If this is supposed to mean something, then decrypt the rest of it. Because right now, all I see is my name on some old shipping log.¡±


    Gravel wasn¡¯t convinced, but he turned back to Priest. ¡°Can you break through the rest?¡±


    Priest¡¯s fingers hovered over the controls. ¡°Not without Vanje.¡±


    A silence settled over them.


    Fang, who had been oddly quiet, finally spoke. ¡°So. We¡¯re stuck with half a conspiracy. And this,¡± she gestured at Sloan, ¡°is the only clue we¡¯ve got?¡±


    Sloan exhaled sharply and rubbed her temple. ¡°Believe me, if I knew what this was about, I wouldn¡¯t be sitting here letting you all interrogate me.¡±


    Gravel studied her for a long moment, then sighed. ¡°Well, guess what? Now you do have to care.¡± He pushed himself off the console and motioned toward the corridor. ¡°Come on, you¡¯re bunking in the spare room. And by ¡®spare room,¡¯ I mean the storage closet with a mattress in it.¡±


    Sloan pursed her lips. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Gravel kept walking. ¡°Yeah, well, we weren¡¯t planning on housing fugitives.¡± He pointed toward the dimly lit door near the engine bay. ¡°There. That¡¯s your spot.¡±


    Sloan glanced at the tiny room, its walls lined with metal crates, a rickety cot crammed into the corner. ¡°You know, I was about to give you all a warmer welcome back in Kestris.¡±


    Gravel smirked, leaning against the doorframe. ¡°Yeah? And what, roll out a red carpet? Give us a real fruit basket?¡±


    Sloan gave him a flat look. ¡°Something like that.¡± She stepped inside, brushing dust off the cot before sitting down. ¡°This would be illegal on Kestris.¡±


    Hunter passed by, pausing just long enough to peer into the room. ¡°This place is a mess.¡±


    Gravel clapped her on the shoulder. ¡°Great observation. Now clean it.¡±


    Hunter scoffed. ¡°Why me?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m busy dealing with our newest resident.¡±


    Hunter folded her arms. ¡°And I¡¯m busy dealing with you.¡±


    Sloan exhaled. ¡°I¡¯ll clean it myself.¡±


    Gravel grinned. ¡°See? She¡¯s adjusting already.¡±


    Fang¡¯s voice chimed in over the intercom. ¡°If this is about cleaning duty, I want no part of it.¡±


    Hunter shot a look up at the speaker. ¡°Coward.¡±


    Back at the common room, Priest leaned back, watching the screen. The incomplete data pulsed in front of his eyes.

 Chapter 16

    The Black Fang hummed, stabilizing from the jump. Most of the crew had scattered¡ªPriest still digging through the drive, Sloan keeping to herself, Hunter off doing whatever kept her sane. Gravel was somewhere, probably being a pain.


    Fang sat curled up in her bunk, holo-slate balanced on her knees.


    She hesitated before opening her messages.


    Five unread texts. Three missed calls.


    Her stomach twisted.


    She already knew what this was about.


    Kai: Fang?


    Kai: Please call me back as soon as you can.


    Kai: Please be okay.


    Kai: Fang.


    Kai: Where are you now?


    Fang exhaled, running a hand through her hair. Shit.


    She should¡¯ve checked sooner. She wanted him to not worry about her, and managed to achieve the exact opposite.


    Her fingers hovered over the call button¡ªthen stopped. Fang chewed her lip, opting to text instead.


    Fang: I¡¯m here.


    The response was instant.


    Kai: Finally.


    Kai: Are you hurt anywhere?


    Fang inhaled slowly. Keep it normal. Keep it light.


    Fang: I¡¯m good! :D :D :D


    Fang: Flying. Tuning systems. You know how it is.


    Kai: Fang.


    Her stomach sank. He wasn¡¯t letting it go.


    Fang: Seriously, Kai, it¡¯s not a big deal.


    Nothing.


    Then¡ª


    Kai: I¡¯m calling.


    Her breath hitched. No, no, no.


    Fang: Kai, you¡¯re in class.


    Kai: Lecture ended an hour ago.


    Fang: Damn, you¡¯re fast.


    Kai: Pick up.


    Her pulse hammered.


    If she answered, he¡¯d know. Fang¡¯s fingers curled around the slate. She had one chance to fix this.


    So she did the only thing she could think of¡ª


    She panic-texted him a wall of words.


    Fang: Okay, listen, it¡¯s really not a big deal I swear, we just had a bit of a thing earlier but it¡¯s fine now, I promise, I mean it, totally under control, I wasn¡¯t even in danger really, just some stupid corpo nonsense that was way overblown but everything¡¯s good now and I don¡¯t wanna worry you because you have more important things to deal with like your dissertation and sleep and food and existing in general so you don¡¯t have to call I SWEAR just text me back, okay?


    Silence.


    Then¡ª


    Kai: . . . Fang.


    Then Kai¡¯s voice came through a voice text. Fang¡¯s fingers trembled as she hit play.


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad,¡± he said in a deep, cooing voice.


    Fang exhaled sharply, pressing her forehead against her knees.


    ¡°I just . . .¡± Kai hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t like feeling this helpless.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Fang¡¯s fingers twitched over her slate. Guilt. That¡¯s what it was. Curling up inside her, clawing at her ribs.


    She was doing this. She was the reason he sounded like that.


    Her breath hitched, and before she could think, before she could stop herself¡ª


    Fang: I swear, I swear, I¡¯ll tell you everything from now on, I won¡¯t keep things from you, I¡¯ll text you first, I won¡¯t wait until it¡¯s bad, I¡¯ll tell you the truth, just please don¡¯t be upset, I promise I¡¯ll be better, I¡¯ll do better, I¡¯ll tell you everything, okay? Please, please, just don¡¯t worry. Please, sweetie.


    The moment she hit send, her stomach twisted.


    The read receipt popped up.


    Silence.


    Her fingers clenched around the slate.


    Then¡ª


    Kai: You know you always text the most basic things when you''re in damage control, right?


    Fang¡¯s grip tightened.


    Kai: You always say it like that, like you¡¯re reading off a script you wrote just to keep me from being mad.


    She swallowed hard, fingers frozen over the keyboard.


    Fang: That¡¯s not¡ª


    She stopped.


    Her own words stared back at her.


    A beat.


    Then Kai¡¯s next message came in.


    Kai: I don¡¯t need you to tell me everything, Fang.


    Kai: But you¡¯re always off doing things that might hurt you, and I never know what exactly you¡¯re getting into.


    Fang curled up tighter, pressing the slate against her chest.


    She typed. Deleted. Typed again.


    Fang: I¡¯m sorry.


    Kai: Yeah, it¡¯s all good. Glad you¡¯re safe.


    Kai: Can I call in 30 mins?


    Fang stared at the screen, her pulse pounding.


    He was letting it go. For now.


    Her fingers hovered, then she typed¡ª


    Fang: Of course. I¡¯ll be here.


    She hesitated. Deleted.


    Fang: Yeah. Call whenever :D


    The read receipt popped up.


    Kai didn¡¯t text back.


    Fang shut off the holo-slate and pressing it to her forehead.


    ***


    The hum of the ship was quieter here, softer beneath the layers of insulated bulkheads. The storage closet¡ªSloan¡¯s temporary quarters¡ªwas small, cluttered, but private. She hadn¡¯t done much to settle in. There wasn¡¯t much to settle into.


    She sat on the edge of the cot, elbows resting on her knees, staring at the overhead light. The screen in front of her was dimmed, the faint flicker of diagnostic readouts casting dull blue patterns across her face.


    The quiet creak of the door broke her from her thoughts. She didn¡¯t look up. ¡°Didn¡¯t peg you for the checking-in type.¡±


    Priest leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. His visor caught the low light, unreadable as always. ¡°You haven¡¯t slept.¡±


    Sloan exhaled, rolling her neck. ¡°Didn¡¯t realize I had a curfew.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t. Just means you¡¯re thinking about something.¡±


    She snorted. ¡°Your years of experience as a strategist are really shining through.¡±


    Priest didn¡¯t react, which made it worse somehow.


    A silence stretched between them, and for once, Sloan wasn¡¯t in the mood for it.


    She shifted, glancing at him. ¡°Do you remember that awful lunch spot near the transit hub?¡±


    Priest tilted his head slightly, processing the shift in topic.


    Sloan continued, half-smiling. ¡°Back when you were still a logistics officer. You used to grab lunch from there all the time. Swore up and down they had the best fried rice in the district.¡±


    Priest was quiet for a second longer than necessary. Then, evenly, ¡°It was good fried rice.¡±


    Sloan huffed out a quiet laugh. ¡°It was overpriced fried rice, for something so synthetic.¡±


    Priest shrugged. ¡°Didn¡¯t say it was affordable.¡±


    Sloan leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms. ¡°I remember you making me try it. I think that was the only time we ever sat down for lunch together.¡±


    Priest studied her, then said, ¡°You didn¡¯t complain about the food at the time.¡±


    Sloan smirked. ¡°No, but I did complain about the company.¡±


    ¡°Only once.¡±


    ¡°Loudly.¡±


    Priest huffed through his nose¡ªalmost a laugh. Almost.


    Sloan shook her head, staring at the ceiling again. ¡°Feels like a lifetime ago.¡±


    Priest didn¡¯t disagree.


    The silence returned, but this time, it wasn¡¯t uncomfortable.


    Sloan let it sit for a while before sighing. ¡°You¡¯re really not gonna let me stay up in peace, huh?¡±


    Priest didn¡¯t move from the doorway. ¡°Not my problem if you sleep or not.¡± A pause. ¡°Just figured you¡¯d need it.¡±


    He reached into his coat, then tossed something her way. Sloan caught it out of reflex, blinking down at the small, foil-wrapped packet in her palm.


    Protein ration. One of the better ones.


    Sloan glanced at him again. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    He just gave a slow nod, pushing off the doorframe. ¡°Alright.¡±


    He turned to leave, but just before he stepped out, Sloan¡¯s voice stopped him. ¡°Hey, Dakarai.¡±


    Sloan rolled the ration between her fingers, then leaned forward, elbows on her knees. Her voice was casual, but Priest had heard that tone before¡ªcalculated, precise.


    ¡°You know, I could¡¯ve made things a lot harder for you back on Kestris.¡±


    Priest paused in the doorway, turning just slightly.


    Sloan continued, tilting her head. ¡°I could¡¯ve locked down the impound tighter.¡± She flicked the ration packet lightly. ¡°Instead, I made sure the Black Fang was somewhere retrievable. I kept my men off your backs when I could. I wasn¡¯t trying to be your enemy.¡±


    Priest didn¡¯t react at first, just watching her from behind the visor. Then, after a beat, he exhaled.


    ¡°No point sweet-talking me.¡± His voice was as even as ever. ¡°We¡¯re in this mess together, no matter what.¡±


    Sloan smirked slightly, stretching her legs out in front of her. ¡°See, I prefer allies to co-conspirators.¡±


    ¡°Call it whatever you want,¡± Priest said, shifting back toward the hallway.


    Sloan didn¡¯t argue. She just let her smirk linger as the door slid shut behind him.