“There's our ride,” Big D said, pointing at their shuttle. Ice clung to his beard, frost glinting under the dim light.

  They moved toward it, pushing their legs through the deep snow. Locke staggered, then went down hard. The perpetual blizzard overwhelmed him.

  Big D stopped, glanced at the ship ahead, then back at Locke. He let out a heavy sigh.

  “Fine. I won't leave you this time,“ he muttered.

  He threw Locke over his shoulder and kept pushing to the shuttle. The wind bit his face like shards of glass.

  Reaching the shuttle, he dumped Locke onto the snow with a muffled thud. His body disappeared into the icy blanket.

  The ramp opened, a mechanical whine cut through the storm as it revealed the warm glow of the metal interior. Big D grabbed Locke by the legs and dragged him up the ramp, boots leaving wet trails behind.

  “Sit tight,” he said, his teeth chattering. He shoved Locke into a harness. Snow melted off their boots, pooling beneath them.

  The shuttle’s engines rumbled as they engaged. A low, throaty growl sent vibrations through the frozen ground. Big D slammed his fist on the console, and the hatch sealed shut with a hiss, cutting off the relentless howl of the storm outside.

  With a sudden lurch, the shuttle’s thrusters ignited. Snow erupted around them in violent plumes, swirling into the blizzard as the ship fought against gravity.

  The force pressed them into their seats, the rumble of the engines growing to a roar. Big D gripped the controls tightly. The ship rattled as it broke through the atmosphere, a silence filled the cabin as they entered into the dark expanse.

  “We made it,” he said, his voice hoarse.

  Locke groaned weakly, his head lolling against the harness. Big D shot him a sidelong glance and smirked. The first sign of warmth in the otherwise cold, metal interior. He keyed in the jump coordinates for Val'Dara. The drive rumbled, energy building as stars twisted and warped outside of the canopy.

  Within moments they were just outside of the gravitational influence of Val 'Dara.

  “The lights are off down there,” Big D said, leaning forward. “Looks like we missed it. Let's take a looks around.“

  Locke let out another groan, slumped lifelessly in his seat. Big D leaned over and slapped him hard across the face.

  "Hey!" he barked. "Wake the fuck up. We’ve got work to do."

  Locke snapped upright, his eyes darting around wildly as if expecting an ambush.

  "What? Where?" he muttered, his hand instinctively reaching for his sidearm.

  The shuttle descended through the planet's atmosphere, its hull trembling. Big D wrestled with the controls, focused on the instruments as Val 'Dara's surface came into view. The starport sprawled across a desolate landscape. Massive landing pads were dark, their guidance beacons disabled. Ships, some abandoned mid-docking or broken apart, sat frozen in place like relics.

  "Not exactly welcoming," Big D muttered, his eyes searching for signs of life.

  The floodlights pierced the shadows, revealing corpses scattered across the ground. Cracks in the concourse exposed the interior of the structure, stained with streaks of dried blood. The shuttle landed with a heavy thud, its struts sinking slightly into the soot caked surface. Big D powered down the engines, leaving only the low hum of auxiliary systems.

  Locke unbuckled himself, wincing as he stretched. “Place looks dead,” he grumbled.

  Big D grabbed his gear and stood, slinging a rifle over his shoulder. “Dead doesn’t mean empty. Stay sharp.”

  The ramp lowered with a groan. Cold air rushed in, carrying the stench of rot and decay. They stepped out, their boots crunching on the debris. The wind whispered faintly, carrying echoes that might have been screams.

  The proceeded to the building, their rifles low ready. “This must've been a hell of a fight,” Locke said, looking around at the bodies.

  Locke knelt over a Sentinel, his gloved hand brushing across the sleek chest plate.

  “Looks like all of the players were here,” Big D muttered. He gestured toward the scattered remains. “How the hell could they lose?“

  Locke looked up at him, narrowing his eyes. “Is your memory that short?“

  Big D stiffened but said nothing. In the silence, something distant groaned—a sound that didn’t belong to the dead.

  They entered the concourse, the stench of death piercing their nostrils. Bodies blanketed the floor, a tapestry of flesh and machine. Locke and Big D stepped carefully, searching for exposed tile amidst the carnage.

  “This wasn’t just a fight,” Big D muttered under his breath. “It was a slaughter. Reminds you of somewhere, doesn’t it?”

  Locke stopped mid-step, his grip tightening on his rifle. For a moment, he didn’t respond.

  “It doesn’t matter,” he said finally. “Focus on the mission.”

  A faint metallic creak echoed through the concourse. Locke spun around, swinging his rifle toward the noise. The beam of his light jittered wildly, his hands trembling.

  Big D leaned in toward Locke. “Boo,” he whispered.

  Locke flinched, muttering a curse under his breath. Big D ignored him, pointing to a figure barely visible in the light—a cyborg, its legs torn and sparking, was slowly crawling across the floor.

  “That one looks alive,” Big D said.

  “We need to get out of here before it reports us,” Locke said, pointing his rifle at it.

  “Not yet,” Big D replied, already pulling a small device from his gear. “I can access it's neural interface and see where they're going next.“

  Big D knelt over it, holding the device over its neural module. It reached its arm toward him. He quickly grabbed it, snapping its arm in half. The Cyborg didn’t so much as flinch.

  “This thing is encrypted, but I have learned a lot about Nexus security,” he said, tapping the display on the device.

  The screen lit up with cascading data streams. “They are on their way to Luminaria,“ Big D announced.

  “Luminaria? Arcturus is going straight for Aetherveil's heart,“ Locke said.

  Big D shook his head. "I don’t think this is about Aetherveil. There’s something else he’s after."

  Locke raised an eyebrow. “Like what?“

  "Rumor has it there’s quantum tech hidden there," Big D said. "Whatever it is, it’s big. Big enough for him to take the risk."

  Locke stared at the broken cyborg, his jaw tightening. Memories he couldn't keep suppressed surfaced in his mind, but he pushed them aside.

  "Then we need to be ready this time," he said. "Let’s find the biggest weapons we can. Arcturus isn’t getting away again."

  >>>>>***********************<<<<<

  The Sentinels fortified the derelict city of Lyrenthos, hidden beneath the dense jungle canopy of Luminaria. Its corroded ancient structures guarded the long buried secrets of the Architects.

  Aetherveil ventured through it. Her fingers brushed against the coarse, damp walls.

  “We can't let them take this place,” she said through her comms. “They want what's hidden here. I can feel it.“

  Flashes in the sky drew her attention. She looked up, brilliant spheres of light sparkled above the atmosphere. The Nexus had arrived, facing the wrath of the Luminarian fleet.

  The sky trembled with thunderous booms as thousands of dropships tore through the atmosphere.

  A roaring cacophony followed, their engines howling, drowning out every other sound. The screams of descending vessels echoed across the horizon.

  Aetherveil's brow furrowed. “They're not using any artillery,” she murmured to herself.

  “You can’t win this,” Cryptorax said, almost pitying. “You’ve seen what they’re capable of.”

  She wanted to argue, to refute him—but the words wouldn’t come.

  The birds flocked out of the canopy, betraying the Nexus's position as they neared the city. Aetherveil trained her focus on the moving foliage.

  Silence crept over the battleground. Even the insects had evacuated, sensing the impending violence.

  “What are they waiting for?“ Aetherveil whispered, her eyes fixed on the shadows weaving through the trees.

  Her heart pounded in her chest, the armor's cooling system struggling to keep the sweat from trickling down her skin.

  The rustling leaves hinted at shifting formations, their calculated movements signaling an impending attack. Aetherveil could feel the Nexus barrels fixed on her.

  The jungle exploded into chaos as gunfire erupted from the dense foliage, tearing through the Sentinels' lines. Aetherveil dove for cover as projectiles ricocheted off the ancient metal structures.

  Her HUD lit up with red markers as Nexus Enforcers emerged, plasma beams tearing through Sentinel defenses.

  Behind them came the cyborgs, their dense formation pouring out of the forest like a relentless tide.

  Aetherveil's jaw tightened as she witnessed a squad of Sentinels torn apart, their armor shredded and bodies incinerated by streams of Enforcer plasma.

  “Fall back to the inner perimeter!“ Aetherveil shouted. She vaulted over debris, dodging streams of plasma that seared past her.

  The Sentinels obeyed, falling back and providing covering fire—unraveling under the relentless assault.

  A Sentinel to Aetherveil's left cried out, his armor splitting with a metallic shriek as a cyborg's blade cleaved him from neck to navel.

  Aetheveil spun, slashing through the cyborg with her sword. It's bisected halves crumpled to the ground, spraying a mix of sparks and blood that splattered across her armor.

  The Sentinels' defensive positions crumbled as Nexus forces stormed forward, their rifles cutting them down ruthlessly.

  Aetherveil grabbed a downed Sentinels grenade launcher and fired it into the tightly packed formations, the explosions ripping through them. The screams of the battlefield echoed in her ears.

  She gritted her teeth as her focus trained on an enormous figure stepping into view. His pale face was scarred with grafted modules.

  The cyborgs moved past her, ignoring her completely. It was as if they were programmed to clear the field for him.

  The man stopped a few paces away. His presence radiated a visceral terror—a force pressing against her resolve.

  “You're the only thing they ever got right, Aetherveil,” his guttural growl cut through the din. “You waste your life fighting for the weak when you should be replacing them.“

  “Replacing them with what?” she snapped, her voice filled with contempt. “Abominations like the Nexus created? Like you?”

  He stepped closer, his shadow engulfing her.

  “They are content,” he said, his voice low and venomous. “Their minds reside in the Nexus, living the lives they desire. Their bodies? They belong to me.”

  Aetherveil's grip tightened around her sword.

  “I know what you’re trying to do,” she said, leveling the blade at him. “You don’t even understand what you’re about to unleash.”

  “Your Architects fell because they feared what they couldn’t control,” he countered, his voice full of disdain. “That is the difference between them and us.”

  He moved closer, now within striking distance, his presence all consuming.

  “These creatures will scatter your fragile resistance. This galaxy belongs to us now, and by the time you realize it—” he leaned in, his voice dropping to a growl, “—it will be far too late.“

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Aetherveil slammed her elbow into the side of his face, the force denting his grafted modules, but he barely flinched.

  His hand clamped down on her arm, hurling her into a wall. The impact sent shockwaves through her body. Her power armor groaned as she pushed herself back up.

  “Why are you still fighting for it? The Nexus doesn't care about you, Arcturus. You’re just another tool.”

  “You think the Tyrant wanted war?“ he asked “It didn’t. It thought it was giving humanity what it wanted.“

  She swung her sword, missing him within inches. Without hesitation, she pivoted, driving the heel of her boot into his jaw—staggering him backwards.

  “It mirrored what it learned,“ he said, wiping the blood off his lip. “Conquer to control, destroy to protect. It thought it was saving them. Saving you.“

  Aetherveil's eyes narrow, sword at the ready. “Saving me? By turning me into a weapon?”

  The blade raced toward him again, but this time he caught her arm mid-swing. He brought his fist down on the crown of her head with crushing force. Her visor shattered, shards of glass cutting her cheek as she fell to one knee.

  “Isn’t that what you already are? What you were made to be?“ he said, leaning closer. “You and I are proof of its failure. We were supposed to be its answer. Instead, we became its greatest mistakes.”

  Her vision blurred, the taste of blood on her tongue.

  She wanted to shout back, to deny it outright—but the words were jammed in her throat.

  A weapon. No.

  She clenched her fists. She wasn’t like him. She wouldn’t let herself be.

  She forced her legs to support her weight. If this was her end, she would face it as more than a weapon—she would face it as herself.

  She lunged forward, her sword aimed for his throat. Her vision tunneled on his arrogant, expressionless face.

  His hand shot out like a vice, wrenching her wrist with an audible crack. Her grip faltered as he twisted the sword from her grasp with an almost casual ease.

  Before she could react, he drove the blade into her chest.

  Her breath hitched. Her eyes widened as pain radiated through her chest. A metallic taste filled her mouth.

  Her sword, once her closest ally in battle, now protruded from her armor like a cruel mockery.

  Aetherveil's trembling hand reached for the blade, her fingers brushing the hilt.

  Her vision blurred. Yet, she refused to look away from him. The towering figure she refused to let win.

  Leaning in closer, his gaze locked onto hers.

  “You could have been so much more than them. You could have been me.”

  >>>>>***********************<<<<<

  Lilyon regained consciousness, her body sprawled across the Veilbreaker's command center deck, smoke burning her lungs.

  The ventilation system struggled to clear the suffocating haze. Damage control teams ran between consoles, extinguishing fires that erupted from damaged panels.

  The ship groaned and quaked beneath her, a violent jolt sending another shower of sparks raining from the overhead panels.

  Metal plating crashed onto the deck with a deafening clang, drowning out the hiss of the failing systems. The tactical displays sputtered in and out, their critical data replaced with static and broken lines.

  An officer skidded to her side, his face streaked with soot. “Ma’am, are you okay?”

  Lilyon blinked, vision blurred by tears, her eyes stinging from the smoke. She squinted at him.

  After brief hesitation, she gave a faint nod.

  “I'm fine. What's our status?“ she asked, her voice hoarse.

  “The Veilbreaker is—”

  An explosion tore through the upper deck. A girder plummeted from above, crushing the officer.

  Lilyon's eyes widened, covering her ears. The blast rattled her brain, her vision spinning.

  She staggered upright, the command center trembling violently beneath her. The deck tilted under her, each shift punctuated by the groan of the ship’s failing structure.

  “Abandon—” Her voice cracked, hoarse and trembling. “Abandon ship. All hands…”

  The words felt like ash on her tongue, but she forced them out. “Abandon ship.“

  She had failed them, but there was no other choice.

  The passageways flooded with crew, their hurried shouts echoing as they raced toward the hangars. The groans grew louder, followed by thunderous clangs.

  Lilyon looked behind her. The Veilbreaker was coming apart. Cracks splintered through the bulkheads, air rushing out as the innermost decks of the ship became exposed to the merciless vacuum of space.

  The Veilbreaker was more than just a ship. It was their home. It was dying under her command.

  She pivoted into a Sentinel equipment locker, opening the security gate. Pulling out a jump pack, she secured it to her power armor, the device linking seamlessly to her neural interface.

  A brief status report flashed in her HUD—System Ready—as the pack calibrated itself.

  The compartment tore open. In an instant, the cacophony vanished, replaced by the silence of the vacuum.

  She was cast into the cold expanse, weightless and adrift.

  As she floated away from the Veilbreaker, she watch as the Nexus warships endlessly pounded it with kinetic artillery and missiles. Her visor darkened, protecting her eyes from the blinding flashes of light.

  Fractures spread across its hull. Piece by piece, it was being dismantled by the onslaught.

  Lilyon forced herself to look away. She couldn't watch her crew being ejected from the ship's compromised sections.

  She set a course to Lyrenthos. Her HUD flashed with cautions.

  WARNING: Atmospheric Reentry Parameters Exceeded. Power Armor Integrity Unsuitable for Safe Descent

  "One problem at a time," she exhaled sharply, muttering under her breath.

  This was suicide, and she knew it.

  The jump pack's thrusters ignited, sending her hurtling toward her destination, the cold void around her vast and unforgiving.

  Lilyon adjusted her trajectory as the jump pack's thrusters sputtered against the increasing drag of Luminaria's upper atmosphere.

  Her teeth clenched as the first tendrils of fire formed along the edges of her power armor.

  The descent was violent. Air friction transformed the serene void into a roaring inferno, the flames engulfing her figure as she streaked through the atmosphere like a meteor.

  The temperature inside her suit rose rapidly, sweat pouring down her face. She could hear the faint hiss of cooling vents before they fell silent, leaving the suit unbearably hot.

  The turbulence intensified, slamming her body with crushing forces as she plummeted faster.

  The jump pack’s thrusters sputtered violently, their bursts struggling to keep her trajectory steady. The materials groaned under stress they were never designed to withstand.

  Pieces of her armor began to shear away, glowing red-hot before disintegrating into the firestorm around her.

  The alert tones now mechanical and detached as if resigning to her fate.

  The jungle canopy below came into view. With gritted teeth, she manually triggered the jump pack’s emergency dampeners. The thrusters flared weakly, just enough to slow her descent marginally. It wasn’t enough.

  She crashed through the tree tops, striking the ground with a force that sent a shockwave rippling through the foliage.

  Her armor screeched as it crumpled under the strain. The sounds of screams and gunfire blended in with the hiss of steam escaping from her suit.

  For a moment, she didn’t move. Then, with a groan, Lilyon forced herself upright. Her power armor was a scorched, battered shell, barely functional but intact enough to keep her alive.

  She staggered forward, making her way to the battleground. A snap reverberated through her suit as a joint locked without warning.

  She stumbled, biting back a curse. It wasn’t a question of if the armor would fail—only when.

  She crouched behind bushes, keeping her concealed enough to see Arcturus standing over Aetherveil—her sword protruding from her chest.

  Lilyon's eyes grew wide, her heart racing.

  She thought about the Veilbreaker and the crew she had sworn to protect. She had failed them.

  She could still save Aetherveil.

  She roared as she charged, the forest blurring around her. Each step sent pain shooting through her legs, but she didn’t stop.

  She lunged, crashing into Arcturus while his foot was raised—prepared to fall on Aetherveil.

  Lilyon sat on his chest, the mass of her suit pinning Arcturus to the ground. He looked at her, expressionless.

  She unleashed a flurry of heavy punches, each one pushing his head farther into the ground as they made contact.

  She ignored the grinding of her armor. When her suit seized entirely, she let her own weight drag her forward, refusing to stop until she had nothing left.

  As her strength waned, she thought only of Aetherveil. She couldn't fail her.

  Her suit froze. The weight dragging her down to the side.

  Arcturus stood up, the tears in his skin exposing the metal underneath. It shimmered faintly under the streaks of light penetrating the canopy.

  He rolled her onto her back, ripping her helmet off. She looked at him, tears pooling in her eyes.

  Arcturus knelt down, his glowing eyes locked onto hers.

  "Such bravery...wasted."

  He tilted his head slightly, studying her. He placed a hand on her exposed cheek, the metallic fingers cold against her skin.

  "Do you feel it now? The weight of your failure? You—" his grip tightened, his head tilting farther, "—will join her.“

  Lilyon’s chest heaved. Tears spilled freely down her face as he gripped her neck.

  She tried to speak, to say anything, but no sound came out. His grip tightened.

  As her vision began to fade, she thought about how she had fought for them—her crew, her ship, Aetherveil. It wasn’t enough, but it was everything she had.

  "You won't die a hero," Arcturus whispered. "You'll die a reminder."

  With a final twist of his hand, her body fell limp, her lifeless eyes staring blankly at the canopy above.

  He stood, towering over her body. Without a glance back, he turned toward Aetherveil, his work unfinished.

  >>>>>***********************<<<<<

  Nexus forces were deep inside of the city, heavily engaged with the Sentinels who had entrenched themselves within.

  Arcturus's imposing frame filled the reticule of Locke's rocket launcher, the lense smudged with grime from Val 'Dara.

  Big D rested his hand on the smooth rocket tube, leaning in closer.

  “After the beating he took, you sure this'll do the job?“ he asked quietly.

  Locke nodded. “He is tough, not immortal.“

  His finger massaged the trigger, focusing on his target. The sounds of gunfire echoing through the city became muffled in his almost meditative state.

  Locke ignored the beads of sweat rolling down his head. He exhaled slowly and squeezed the trigger.

  The rocket streaked toward Arcturus. He didn't have a chance to react before the rocket buried itself into his midsection. The blast sent him careening into a tree, shards of ceramic and metal scattered in every direction.

  The detonation shook the ground. Arcturus's previous position was replaced by a plume of smoke.

  Locke kept his eye on the sight, watching as Arcturus lay crumpled on the ground. The city fell silent, interrupted by intermittent pops of distant gunfire.

  Big D's brow raised. He slowly turned his head toward the city center.

  “The fighting stopped. Let's speed this up.“

  Locke's eyes narrowed as Arcturus stirred, slowly pushing himself to his feet.

  “No fucking way,” Locke muttered, pulling his eye away from the sight.

  Big D cursed under his breath, his hand already reaching for another rocket.

  “You were wrong,” he said, shaking his head. “Not surprising.”

  Arcturus quickly staggered off into the foliage, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

  Locke threw down the launcher and bolted after him, Big D close on his heels. Their pursuit was cut short by a searing stream of plasma that blazed past them, scorching the ground.

  Locke skidded to a halt, snapping his head toward the source.

  An Enforcer emerged from the shadows, its plasma rifle glowing faintly. Behind it, more Revenants and Enforcers appeared, their optical sensors flickering as they formed a rigid line.

  Locke and Big D trained their rifles on them. Exchanging glances, they lowered them again. They were had and they knew it.

  Big D leaned in closer, his voice low. “Why are we still breathing?”

  Locke shrugged. “Maybe they can’t see us if we don’t move.”

  The machines’ synchronized voices broke the silence. “Take her.”

  Locke looked around, seeing a Sentinel with a sword embedded in her chest.

  “That's Aetherveil,“ Big D said, his face pale.

  Locke glanced at the trail of blood left behind by Arcturus. “What about him?” he asked.

  Big D raised an eyebrow. “Pretty sure we don’t get to make that call.“ he responded sarcastically.

  “Take her,” the machines repeated.

  Before either man could react, the Nexus cyborgs opened fire on the machines. Sparks erupted as plasma bolts tore through the air.

  The machines whirled around, their advanced weaponry shredding through the cyborg ranks ruthlessly.

  Locke wasted no time. Keeping his head low, he equipped his medical kit. The machines used their bodies as shields while he secured the sword with gauze.

  Big D's muscles strained as he lifted her heavy power-armored body onto his shoulder. Grunting with effort, he shifted her weight.

  “This day just keeps getting better,” he muttered, retreating back into the jungle.

  They moved swiftly through the dense foliage, branches and thorns tearing at their exposed skin.

  Locke glanced over his shoulder, scanning the path behind them. There were no cyborgs in pursuit. The machines seemed to have them locked in a brutal stalemate.

  “I don’t understand,” Locke shouted, his breaths ragged. “Why would they turn on each other?”

  Big D dropped to one knee, gasping for air. Sweat ran down his face as he shook his head.

  “I don’t know,” he replied, his voice strained. “Maybe Arcturus is as much a threat to the Nexus as he is to us.”

  Locke knelt beside Aetherveil, carefully removing her helmet.

  He pressed his fingers to her neck, relief washing over him as he found a pulse.

  “So, the Nexus is decentralized?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder.

  Big D let out a dry chuckle, still catching his breath.

  “As much as the two of us are,” he said. “A mess of moving parts pretending to work together.”

  They heard the rustling of foliage—distant, but growing louder. Locke caught a glimpse of the cyborgs navigating the brush.

  “We gotta go. They're coming,” Locke said with urgency, helping Big D lift Aetherveil.

  They sprinted toward the shuttle hidden beneath the dense jungle canopy. The cyborgs opened fire, their projectiles tearing through the trees around them.

  As they neared the shuttle, a blood curdling roar reverberated through the jungle—freezing them in their tracks.

  Locke spun around, his wide eyes searching in every direction.

  Monsterous, towering creatures erupted seemingly out of nowhere. The grotesque beasts lunged at the cyborgs.

  Their jaws opened wide, revealing layers of jagged yellow teeth. They bit down savagely, tearing through flesh and metal with ease. Pieces of the cyborgs were ripped off and flung around like discarded scraps.

  The creatures' claws slashed through Nexus armor, disemboweling their victims in a crimson spray of blood and viscera.

  The cyborgs fought back desperately, but their weapons were useless. Their projectiles harmlessly bounced off the creatures' carapace.

  Locke's stomach churned as he watched the brutality of these monsters.

  “What the hell are those things?“ he asked, his voice trembling.

  Big D didn't answer, his wide eyes locked on the massacre as they stumbled back to the shuttle. The creatures' roars echoed behind them like heralds of death.

  The shuttle’s ramp began to lower with a mechanical groan. The creatures’ attention snapped toward the noise.

  “Faster, you piece of shit!” Big D shouted, bouncing impatiently as the monsters closed in.

  He shoved Aetherveil through the opening, her body crashing onto the metal deck with a clang just as the ramp neared its full extension.

  Big D and Locke scrambled aboard, dashing for the cockpit. While Locke worked quickly to secure Aetherveil into a harness, careful not to disturb the sword still embedded in her, Big D slid into the pilot’s seat.

  The engines started, their low rumble vibrating through the shuttle.

  “C’mon,” Big D muttered, stroking the instruments. “I didn’t mean it. Get us out of here.”

  With a forceful punch, he slammed the throttle forward. The ship jolted to life, throwing Locke into the aft bulkhead with a loud thud as the thrusters roared.

  As the shuttle lifted off the ground, the creatures lunged at them, their clawed limbs slashing through the air in a futile attempt to grab hold of the ship.

  The shuttle climbed rapidly. Big D gripped the controls tightly, his knuckles white as the engines strained against gravity.

  “Hold together, girl,” he muttered, coaxing the shuttle higher as the atmosphere thinned.

  The blackness of space began to creep in, the stars breaking through the haze of the planet’s atmosphere. Big D let out a breath, leaning back slightly as the turbulence smoothed.

  “We’re clear,” he said, relieved.

  Locke walked into the cockpit, sliding onto the copilot's seat.

  “Where do we go now?” he asked, looking at Big D.

  He point toward the coalition fleet over Luminaria, engaged with the Nexus fleet.

  The massive formation of warships kept the obsidian Nexus vessels at bay.

  Big D flew them directly toward a large ship at the center of the formation. Its long, angular shape was covered in thick gray alloy plating.

  “Those things…where do you think they came from?“ Locke asked.

  Big D tilted his head slightly toward Locke, remaining focused on his flight path.

  “They have something to do with Arcturus being there,” he speculated. “I'd bet it's about the quantum tech.“

  Locke peered back into the cabin, Aetherveil's head was slumped over in her harness.

  “We'll know when she wakes up,” Locke muttered. “They didn't stand a chance down there. I just don't understand why he'd risk releasing something he can't control.“

  Big D chuckled. “His supreme intellect probably led him to believe he could,” he said sarcastically.

  A voice crackled through the comms.

  “Unidentified shuttle, you are entering a restricted area. Transmit clearance codes immediately or prepare to be fired upon.”

  Big D leaned forward, toggling the comms.

  “Praetor control, this is shuttle designation Iron Fang, requesting emergency clearance for docking. We’re carrying wounded. Transmitting clearance codes now.”

  He tapped a series of buttons, uploading the encrypted codes. A tense silence followed as the shuttle approached.

  The voice returned.

  “Iron Fang, your clearance is invalid. Hold your position for verification or be neutralized.”

  Big D’s jaw tightened.

  “Dammit, Arros, we don’t have time for this! We’ve got priority personnel on board!”

  Locke leaned over, his voice low. “Don’t push it. You'll get us killed.”

  The comms crackled again.

  “Verification complete. Iron Fang, you are cleared for emergency docking. Proceed to hangar bay three. Maintain course and speed.”

  Big D exhaled, gripping the controls. “About damn time.”

  The shuttle veered toward the flagship. “Let’s hope they’ve got their defenses locked tight.” Locke muttered.