Inside the Vega ship, the tension slowly eased as the commotion outside faded. Velaria sat in a relaxed yet serious posture, eyes fixed on Lyra. "Are you sure this is going to work? Entering Aelina's subconscious is no simple feat. The risk of failure is immense."

  Lyra exhaled, her gaze locked on a panel displaying Aelina and Vega's heart rates. "I know the risks, Velaria. But Vega understands what he's doing better than anyone. And we don’t have another option. If we don’t sever Aelina’s link to the Edenan network now, they’ll keep hunting us."

  Draven stood by the ship's window, weapon in hand, his tone sharp. "And if that happens, they won’t just hunt us. They’ll take Aelina back to their facility. You know what that means, the second-generation cloning project will move forward."

  Velaria’s cold gaze shifted between the two of them. "I know. But if they fail inside the CNC, we lose our one chance to cut that connection. Everything will be for nothing."

  Suddenly, Lyra’s wrist comms beeped. A notification blinked to life on the small screen, displaying the name Kaelar Thorne. She quickly opened the channel, and Kaelar’s hologram flickered into the air. His expression was grim.

  "Lyra, listen closely," Kaelar said, cutting straight to the point. "We’ve detected a small Edenan force entering Earth’s atmosphere. They’re heading straight for your location."

  Lyra’s eyes widened. "What?! How many?"

  "At least one medium-class transport," Kaelar replied. "But if this is a special ops mission, they might be carrying an elite unit. If they know where you are, this could get ugly fast."

  Velaria stepped closer, her face tense as she stared at the hologram. "What’s the plan, Kaelar?"

  Kaelar gave a short nod. "Here’s what you do. Lyra, you need to get Vega airborne, now. Take Aelina, Vega, Draven, and Velaria to a safer zone. Don’t take the risk of a fight here. Kirana and I will intercept the enemy ship with Zephyr before they reach you."

  Lyra hesitated, then asked, "Are you sure you can stop them on your own? If they’ve got elites, this won’t be an easy fight."

  Kaelar gave a faint smirk. "Kirana and Zephyr are equipped with upgraded tech now. Trust me, we can handle them. But your priority is Aelina. Protect her at all costs."

  Draven, listening from nearby, interjected. "You expect us to run while you fight? We should be helping you!"

  Kaelar’s gaze was firm, his voice unwavering. "Draven, this isn’t about bravery. It’s strategy. If we all fight and fall here, no one will be left to guard Aelina. Just do as I ask."

  Lyra finally nodded. "Alright, Kaelar. We’ll take off immediately."

  Kaelar ended the transmission, but not before saying, "May we all make it out alive."

  Lyra rushed to the main control panel alongside Velaria, checking all systems. "Draven, make sure all supplies are ready. We don’t know how long we’ll be in the air."

  Draven gave a quick nod and moved toward the back of the ship. Velaria, standing beside Lyra, spoke with concern. "Can we really just run? They might track us."

  Lyra typed in several commands, then glanced at her. "I know. But Vega activated the ship’s stealth system. If we get far enough before they arrive, they won’t be able to trace us."

  Velaria bit her lip, then sighed. "Then we’d better hope Vega and Aelina finish soon. We’re out of time."

  Inside the Cerebral Nexus Conduit, Vega and Aelina’s bodies lay still, surrounded by pulsing blue light. Lyra kept glancing at the monitor displaying their brain activity.

  Draven returned from the rear, weapon in hand. "Lyra, we’re ready. But they’re not."

  Lyra gripped the panel edge tightly, tension etched across her face. "They can’t be pulled out now. This process is too important. We hold out until they’re done."

  Velaria looked at her, then checked the weapon in her grasp. "Then if anything happens, we fight. I won’t let the Edenans take them."

  Outside the fields, Kaelar, Kirana, and Zephyr stood beside Velaria’s ship, making final checks. Kirana wore her advanced armor while Zephyr gripped the chain-bladed spear, crackling with blue energy.

  Zephyr looked to Kaelar. "You sure we can hold them off? They might outnumber us."

  Kaelar grinned slightly, hoisting a heavy laser rifle. "We don’t need numbers, Zephyr. Just tactics and grit."

  Kirana locked her bow into place, her gaze set on the horizon. "They won’t touch Aelina. I don’t care how many they send."

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  Back on the Vega, the loading ramp began to close. Lyra initiated lift-off, the ship slowly rising. Draven watched through the window.

  "Lyra," he said gravely. "We need to make sure they can’t detect us mid-flight."

  Lyra typed swiftly. "Relax. With the anti-tracking system engaged, they won’t spot us unless they’re right on top of us."

  Velaria gripped her compact weapon. "Let’s hope you’re right. If not, we’ll be fighting in the sky."

  The Vega ascended, leaving the Arbora fields. In the distance, the roar of incoming aircraft grew louder. A battle was imminent.

  In the open field, Kaelar, Kirana, and Zephyr stood ready. Kaelar checked a screen on his wrist device. "Enemy ship is close. Stay sharp. Edena never sends troops without a plan."

  Kirana raised her plasma-imbued bow. "Whatever that plan is, they’re not getting Aelina."

  Zephyr spun his chain-spear. "We’ve faced them too many times. I’m not backing down now."

  The sky thundered. A mid-sized transport flew low, its engines deafening. Grass rippled in the wash of wind.

  Two side doors opened. Two Elite Edena Soldiers dropped rapidly, landing with bone-shaking impact. Clad in black armor laced with red-lit seams, they held long, spear-like weapons glowing crimson.

  Kaelar’s jaw clenched. "Elite soldiers. This won’t be easy."

  Zephyr smirked. "Harder fights are the fun ones."

  Kaelar’s eyes caught movement, two smaller ships shot out from the transport and ascended rapidly.

  "They’re not just here to fight us," he muttered.

  Kirana turned sharply. "What do you mean?"

  "They’re a distraction! Those two ships are heading for Aelina!"

  Kaelar broke into a sprint toward a nearby ship. "You two hold them off, I’ll intercept the others!"

  Zephyr stepped forward, eyes locked on the enemy. "Go. We’ve got this."

  Kirana raised her bow. "Be careful, Kaelar. Don’t let them reach her."

  Kaelar launched his ship skyward, engines flaring. He chased the enemy crafts, HUD locking on.

  "I’m not letting you through," he growled.

  Arming his weapons, Kaelar launched a missile. It hit one ship mid-maneuver, obliterating it.

  "One down."

  The other ship zig-zagged, evading. It neared the Vega.

  Kaelar scowled. "Not today."

  He activated his laser cannons.

  On the ground, the Elite soldiers advanced. One raised a spear, voice metallic through his helmet. "Surrender the Aiko subject, and you will be spared."

  Zephyr spun his weapon. "Mercy? Not interested."

  Kirana drew an arrow. "You’re not getting through us."

  One soldier charged Zephyr. Zephyr dodged and lashed out, his chain-spear cracked the armor with electric sparks.

  The second lunged at Kirana. She fired, plasma arrow struck true, blasting part of the soldier’s armor.

  "They’re tough," Kirana muttered.

  Zephyr grinned. "But we’re tougher."

  Above them, Kaelar raced against time to defend the Vega and the future it carried inside.

  In the field, the battle between Zephyr, Kirana, and the two Edena soldiers raged on. Zephyr managed to loop his chain around the leg of one of the soldiers, yanking him to the ground. Swiftly, he leaped forward and drove the spear-tip into the soldier’s neck joint, shattering its control system.

  On the other side, Kirana fired three consecutive plasma arrows at the soldier attacking her. Small explosions erupted on his armor, throwing him off balance. Kirana didn’t waste the opportunity, she fired a final shot straight into the energy core.

  The soldier fell with a metallic thud, motionless.

  Zephyr stood beside Kirana, breathing heavily. “They’re tough, but not enough.”

  Kirana looked up at the sky, seeing Kaelar’s ship still in pursuit. “I just hope Kaelar can stop them in time.”

  Above, amidst thick clouds, Kaelar Thorne pushed his ship to its maximum speed. The holographic display in front of him tracked the enemy vessel’s flight path. The small craft darted through the sky, dodging every shot Kaelar fired.

  Kaelar growled, pressing a button on the control panel to activate his laser weapons. “You’re not getting away,” he muttered coldly.

  The enemy craft veered left, then right, executing sharp maneuvers to evade his shots. Kaelar’s blue laser fire grazed the wing tip, but it wasn’t enough to bring the vessel down.

  “This ship’s too fast,” Kaelar thought, rerouting more power to the weapons system. “If I don’t stop it now, they’ll reach Vega.”

  Suddenly, the enemy ship turned sharply, heading straight toward Kaelar at high speed. Lasers from its front cannons unleashed a barrage of red fire, forcing Kaelar to pull hard on the controls and dodge.

  “I like a challenge,” Kaelar said with a slight grin. He yanked a lever beside him, spinning his ship into a tight roll before firing off two small missiles.

  The enemy attempted to dodge, but one missile struck its tail. A massive explosion rocked the sky, sending the enemy ship spiraling down in black smoke.

  Kaelar watched the wreckage fall, exhaling in relief. “That’s done.” But before he could relax, his comm screen flashed red.

  Inside the Vega, the once-calm atmosphere turned to chaos. A deafening rumble shook the ship, causing Lyra to lose her balance at the main console.

  Gripping the control panel tightly, Lyra stared at the warning signal on screen. “What’s happening?” she shouted, panic in her voice.

  Outside, an Edena transport ship emerged, its cloaking system now deactivated. It had remained hidden until now, avoiding detection by Vega’s sensors.

  Draven, standing near the window, reacted instantly. “They found us!” he yelled, grabbing his weapon.

  Velaria, also seeing the threat, reached for her compact plasma gun. “We have to stop them before they fire!”

  Both of them opened fire with Vega’s side-mounted cannons, but their shots bounced harmlessly off the enemy’s energy shields.

  Lyra stared at the holographic display. “Their shields are too strong. We can’t penetrate it!”

  Inside the enemy ship, a massive device activated. Within seconds, a powerful electromagnetic pulse (EMP) burst outward, striking the Vega. Every system died in an instant. The lights went dark. The engines fell silent.

  Draven stared in shock. “We’ve lost power!”

  Lyra rushed to the CNC chamber, where Vega and Aelina were still linked. “Draven, wake them now! We can’t wait any longer!”

  Draven nodded and slammed a red button on the panel. The CNC device powered down slowly, and Vega and Aelina began to stir.

  Vega opened her eyes, breathing heavily, while Aelina clutched her seat. “What’s going on?” Vega asked, confused.

  Lyra helped Aelina disconnect the cables from her body. “The Edena found us. They’re attacking, and we’ve lost power.”

  Vega stood, staring at the now-dead display. “Damn it! It’s because Aelina’s connection wasn’t fully severed. They could still track us.”

  Suddenly, the Vega began to lose altitude rapidly. Violent shaking threw everyone to the side.

  “Hold on!” Draven shouted, bracing himself.

  The Vega plummeted toward the ground, dragged by gravity and powerless to resist. Vega ran to the main console, trying to restart the systems. “I need time to bring the power back!”

  “We don’t have time!” Lyra replied in panic.