The cold wind bit at Cira’s cheeks as she crouched behind a cluster of jagged rocks overlooking the Ascended outpost. The facility was a stark black monolith against the desolate landscape, its metal walls shimmering faintly under the harsh artificial lights. Automated turrets swiveled lazily atop the perimeter, their presence a silent warning to anyone foolish enough to approach unprepared.

  Aren knelt beside her, adjusting the scope of her rifle. Hwe sharp eyes darted between the outpost and the handheld device in her other hand. The scanner emitted a faint hum as it worked, sifting through encrypted signals.

  ?Anything yet?? Cira asked, her voice low.

  ?Patience,? Aren replied, not looking up. Her tone was clipped, a mix of focus and irritation. ?This isn’t exactly plug-and-play, you know?

  Behind them, Evran leaned against a boulder, feigning disinterest. He rubbed his gloved hands together, the faint hint of frost clinging to his gear. ?You’d think with all this tech, they’d invent a scanner that doesn’t sound like a dying insect.?

  ?Shut up, Evran,? Liora hissed from her position a few feet away, her knife gleaming as she absentmindedly spun it in her hand. ?Or better yet, make yourself useful.?

  Evran smirked, unfazed. ?Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize sarcasm wasn’t considered useful.?

  Cira shot them both a look. ?Enough. We need to Focus.?

  A faint beep from Aren’s scanner cut through the quiet. She stiffened, her gaze locking onto the device’s screen. ?Got something,? she murmured, her voice tinged with urgency.

  Cira leaned closer, her breath visible in the freezing air. ?What is it??

  Aren tilted the scanner toward her. ?Encrypted data stream, high priority. Definitely not your average patrol logs. Whatever they’re transmitting, it’s big.?

  ?Can you trace it?? Cira asked.

  Aren nodded, already tapping at the device. ?Give me a minute. If we’re lucky, I can pinpoint the source.?

  Liora shifted, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the outpost below. ?We’d better not stay here too long. Those turrets might look lazy, but I bet they’re smarter than they seem.?

  Evran raised an eyebrow. “Oh, come on. What’s life without a little risk?”

  Liora glared at him, but before she could retort, Aren’s scanner pinged again. ?Got it. Transmission’s coming from a central relay in the northwest quadrant.? She pointed toward a cluster of reinforced buildings near the back of the outpost. ?If we can get in and disrupt it, we might be able to force them into manual communications. That could slow their supply chains for weeks.?

  Cira nodded, formulating a plan. ?Evran, you and Liora create a diversion near the eastern gate. Nothing too obvious, just enough to pull their attention. Aren and I will take the northwest side and disable that relay.?

  Evran grinned. ?You want chaos? Say no more.?

  Liora sighed, muttering something under her breath, but nodded.

  Evran and Liora slipped through the shadows toward the eastern gate, their forms disappearing against the rocky landscape. Aren stayed close to Cira as they moved westward, keeping low to avoid detection.

  ?You think this is going to work?? Aren whispered.

  “It has to,” Cira replied, her grip tightening on the Arcblade at her hip. The weapon felt like an extension of her now, a reminder of the choices that had brought her here.

  The first explosion echoed in the distance—Evran’s handiwork. Lights around the eastern gate flickered as alarms blared.

  ?Good,? Aren muttered, quickening her pace. ?That should keep them busy.?

  As they approached the northwest quadrant, Cira felt her pulse quicken. The relay tower loomed ahead, guarded by a handful of Ascended soldiers. Aren pulled up her rifle, scanning the area.

  ?Four guards. Two patrolling, two stationed by the entrance,? she reported.

  ?We take out the patrol first,? Cira said. ?Silently.?

  Aren nodded, her rifle already aimed. She exhaled slowly, and a moment later, one of the patrolling guards crumpled to the ground.

  Cira moved swiftly, her Arcblade humming as she activated its energy edge. She closed the distance to the second guard, her blade slicing cleanly through his armor. The energy blade glowed a brilliant blue, its shimmering edge making no sound as she slashed through the guard’s armor with surgical precision. The man’s body fell with a dull thud, blood blooming from the gash across his chest.

  The other guards turned, their shouts drowned out by the alarms.

  Cira was already moving, her blade flashing as she dove forward, narrowly avoiding a plasma bolt that sizzled past her ear. The impact of its near miss sent a surge of adrenaline through her, but she didn't falter. Her muscles coiled, and with one fluid motion, she twisted around, driving the energy blade into the chest of one of the guards. The blade pierced through the reinforced plating, sizzling as it cut through flesh. His agonized cry was swallowed by the alarm before his body slumped to the ground, lifeless.

  She whipped around, just in time to see the last guard raise his rifle, the barrel glowing faintly. His finger was poised on the trigger. But before he could fire, Aren’s shot rang out, taking him down with a clean shot to the head.

  Cira let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, her grip tightening on the Arcblade. Blood soaked her arm as she pulled it free from the fallen guard’s body, the energy blade flickering in the dim light. She could feel the wetness of the blood seeping into her glove, but she didn’t stop. The mission wasn’t over.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Aren didn’t answer, already moving toward the control panel. Cira’s eyes darted to the door—no more movement yet, but she could feel the tension building in her gut. The mission wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

  Aren was already crouched by the control panel, pulling out her small toolkit. ?I can disable it, but these systems are locked tight. It'll take a minute.?

  ?Just hurry,?Cira urged, stepping back to take position near the door.

  But just as Aren started working on the panel, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor, growing louder and faster. Cira’s pulse quickened. They weren’t alone for long.

  ?Incoming,? she muttered under her breath.

  Aren looked up, her face pale. ?Dammit.?

  ?Incoming,? Cira muttered, shifting her grip on the Arcblade.

  The first Ascended soldier burst into the room, plasma rifle raised. Cira was faster. Her blade arced upward, the energy edge catching the soldier under his chin and carving a molten line through his helmet. The metallic clang of his weapon hitting the floor echoed through the room as his body crumpled.

  A second soldier followed, already firing. Cira barely dodged the plasma bolt, the heat searing past her shoulder. Pain exploded as the edge of the shot grazed her upper arm, burning through fabric and skin. She hissed but didn’t falter.

  She twisted the hilt of the Arcblade, and the weapon shifted with a sharp hiss. Its curved blade elongated, unfolding into the lethal reach of the War Scythe.

  She spun, using the weapon’s newfound reach to catch a soldier attempting to flank her. The war scythe's edge sliced through his torso, sending him crashing into a bank of consoles, sparks erupting as his body collided with the controls.

  A third soldier charged, his weapon aimed at Aren, who was still crouched by the relay. Cira pivoted, the Weapons momentum carrying her into a wide arc. The blade caught the soldier mid-stride, cleaving through his chest. His blood sprayed across the metallic walls, the crimson stark against the sterile gray.

  Another soldier closed the gap, his rifle discarded as he drew a short, serrated blade. He lunged at her, and she parried with the Arcblade, the clash of energy sparking violently. They grappled, his blade pressing against her weapon, forcing her back.

  Her heel caught on a cable, sending her stumbling. The soldier took advantage, his blade slicing across her shoulder. Pain flared as blood soaked her sleeve, but she snarled, twisting the Arcblade into scythe mode once more. The weapon’s curved blade locked into position, and she brought it up in a brutal arc, catching the soldier under the chin. His helmeted head snapped back, and he crumpled.

  The fourth soldier raised his rifle, firing a shot that slammed into her leg. The impact sent her sprawling, her scythe clattering to the ground. She gasped as pain flared in her thigh, hot and wet. Blood pooled around her, but she forced herself to move, dragging her body toward the weapon.

  The soldier loomed over her, his rifle aimed squarely at her head.

  A plasma shot rang out from behind. Aren’s rifle barked twice, and the soldier jerked violently before collapsing in a heap.

  ?You’re welcome,? Aren called out, her voice strained.

  Cira pulled herself up, her bloodied hand gripping the Arcblade. Her vision swam for a moment, but she shook it off, forcing herself to her feet. She adjusted the weapon, retracting it into its war scythe form for maximum reach.

  Breathing heavily, she scanned the room. The last two soldiers were advancing, one raising a grenade launcher. Her stomach dropped.

  ?Grenade!? Aren shouted, scrambling for cover.

  Cira bolted, as Well as she could, toward the soldier with the launcher, her boots slipping on the bloodied floor. She hurled herself into a roll, narrowly avoiding the blast as the grenade detonated behind her. Shrapnel ripped into her side, tearing through her jacket and cutting deep into her skin. The pain was excruciating, but she forced herself upright, blood dripping from her side and arm.

  The soldier didn’t have time to reload. With a guttural cry, Cira leapt forward, extending the Arcblade back into War Scythe mode. She drove the blade down, splitting the launcher and the soldier’s torso in one devastating strike.

  The final Ascended rushed her, swinging a crackling energy mace. Cira parried with her scythe, sparks flying as the weapons collided. The impact sent a jolt up her arms, nearly making her drop her weapon. She stepped back, using the narrow space between the consoles to force the soldier into a disadvantage.

  With a feint to the left, she baited him into overcommitting. As his mace swung wide, she twisted her weapon back into its curved sword form and stepped in close, driving the blade through the gap in his armor. Blood poured from the wound as he fell, gurgling, to the floor.

  The room was silent save for her ragged breathing and the hum of the damaged relay. Blood pooled at her feet, her own mixing with that of the fallen soldiers.

  ?Cira!? Aren’s voice snapped her back to reality.

  She turned to see Aren clutching a data pad, her face pale but determined. ?I got what we need. There’s something big in their files—a high-security prisoner. We need to tell Taros.?

  Cira nodded, swaying slightly from the blood loss. ?Then let’s go.?

  Aren moved to support her, but Cira waved her off. They sprinted out of the room, leaving behind the wreckage of their battle.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  The air reeked of ozone and burnt wiring from the relay room, the acrid scent clinging to Cira’s senses as she pushed forward. Every step was a struggle; her body screamed in protest, her wounds seeping blood that trailed behind her like breadcrumbs.

  Aren stayed close, glancing back over her shoulder with every few strides. ?You sure you’re okay?? she asked, her voice tight with concern.

  ?I’ll live,? Cira gritted out, though her vision swam and each breath felt like fire. The adrenaline that had carried her through the fight was waning, leaving behind a raw, throbbing pain that made her legs feel like lead.

  They exit into the bitter cold night, the wind biting at Cira’s sweat-soaked skin. Liora and Evran were waiting near the rendezvous point, crouched behind a low ridge that overlooked the barren expanse surrounding the outpost.

  Liora’s head snapped up as they approached, her eyes widening when she saw Cira. ?By the gods, Cira, you’re bleeding everywhere!? She rushed forward, her voice tinged with worry, and wrapped an arm around Cira’s waist to support her.

  ?I’m fine,? Cira muttered, though the words lacked conviction.

  ?Like hell you are,? Liora snapped, her usually soft tone sharpened by concern. ?Sit down before you keel over.?

  Evran appeared beside them, his usual smirk replaced with a rare look of seriousness. ?What happened in there? You look like you went a few rounds with an Ascended—and lost.?

  ?Thanks for the vote of confidence,”

  ? Cira said, her voice dry as she lowered herself onto a patch of snow-covered rock with Liora’s help. ?Relay’s down. Aren grabbed some data. We need to move before reinforcements arrive.?

  Aren handed the data pad to Evran, who scanned its contents with a frown. ?High-security prisoner? That’s... new.?

  ?Taros needs to see this,? Aren said, her voice urgent. ?It could be huge—bigger than we thought.?

  ?Great,? Evran said, tucking the pad into his pack. ?But first, we need to get out of here without getting turned into target practice.?

  Liora knelt beside Cira, pulling a medkit from her belt. Her hands were gentle but efficient as she cleaned and dressed the worst of the wounds. ?You’re not moving until I patch this up,? she said firmly.

  ?I said I’m fine,? Cira protested weakly.

  ?And I said shut up,? Liora shot back, a rare steel in her voice as she prepared a syringe of BioFix-Serum. ?You don’t get to bleed out on my watch.?

  Evran chuckled softly, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. ?Guess you’re stuck with her mothering you. Better than the alternative, though.?

  Cira managed a faint smile, though her head swam as exhaustion threatened to pull her under. ?Let’s just get out of here.?

  Liora finished her work quickly, her hands steady despite the tremor in her voice. ?Okay, you’re good to move. But take it easy, or I’ll carry you myself.?

  Cira snorted. ?I’d like to see you try.?

  Evran stood, his rifle slung over his shoulder. ?As touching as this is, we need to hustle. That explosion wasn’t exactly subtle.?

  The group moved cautiously but quickly, keeping low as they skirted the perimeter of the outpost. The distant sound of Ascended reinforcements arriving spurred them on, the weight of their mission pressing heavily on their minds.

  By the time they reached their extraction point, the sky was beginning to lighten, the first hints of dawn painting the horizon in muted grays and blues. Cira leaned against Liora, her strength nearly spent, but her mind was already racing ahead.