00:45, February 10, 2295

  Platinum Crescent Plaza, 28 Avenue de la Victoire, Central Business District, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Emerald Directorate territory

  "Almost there," Jabari Adomako maneuvered his Scarab mech through the labyrinthine streets of Abidjan, the cockpit a cocoon of steel and blinking lights.

  The city sprawled beneath him — a pulsating tapestry of incandescence and shadow. Skyscrapers, like stoic sentinels forged of glass and steel, pierced the heavens; their neon arteries throbbed in sync with the rhythm of the midnight economy.

  Jabari’s Scarab was an imposing marvel of engineering, its design a fusion of futuristic technology and the organic lines of an ancient beetle. Standing nearly three meters tall, the mech's domed carapace gleamed under the city lights — a deep, metallic emerald with intricate golden patterns etched across its surface, reminiscent of hieroglyphs. Its six powerful legs, each ending in sharp, multi-jointed claws, moved with a precision that belied their size, allowing the Scarab to move with surprising agility. The Scarab's advanced weaponry, including the rapid-firing Plasma Spitter and the formidable Sun Moon Cannon, were housed within its head, hidden beneath armored plates until needed.

  From within the cockpit, which was nestled snugly beneath the armored shell, Jabari had a panoramic view of his surroundings through a digital interface that highlighted critical information. The Scarab's legs made contact with the ground in a rhythmic manner, each step echoing with the soft hiss of hydraulics and the hum of its fusion-powered core. The antennae-like sensors extending from the top of the mech twitched occasionally, scanning the environment for any signs of threat. To Jabari, the city stretched out below, the pedestrians marveling at his mech appearing almost miniature from his elevated vantage point.

  As Jabari’s metallic behemoth lumbered into Platinum Crescent Plaza, the melding of eras was stark. Holographic ads for Medi-Vap and Indra-Sprite flickered beside murals of ancient warriors and elephant herds, the dichotomy not lost on him. In the plaza, the Scarab’s hulking form cast long shadows over the cobblestones while sleek hovercrafts glided silently by.

  Approaching the plaza's nucleus, a figure emerged from the penumbra — a guard, clad in the unmistakable green-and-gold of the Directorate, neon reflections dancing across his uniform.

  "Platinum Crescent security. State your business," the guard's voice cut through the quiet, a staccato demand that demanded attention.

  The Scarab's speakers crackled to life, magnifying Jabari's reply. "Jabari Adomako, Lieutenant, reporting to the Kimaris Warband." His voice carried the subtle vibration of respect.

  "Oh, you're Prince Laurent's new toy then?" The guard scoffed. "Couldn't wait until morning to show up? Don't plan on sleeping?"

  "I apologize, sir. My orders were to report in as soon as possible," Jabari explained from within the cockpit. Then, his eyes squinted in recognition. "Ahmad, is that you?"

  "Glad to see you remember a depot mate, buddy. Truth is, I was told to let you in no matter what time it was," the guard begrudgingly admitted. "You're lucky, your Kimaris superiors are still awake on the upper level. Working on some difficult cases, I've heard."

  "Difficult cases?" Jabari tilted his head.

  "Madam Celine can tell you. Be careful where you park that Scarab, alright?" the guard said with levity, stepping aside but still wary, his eyes scanning the darkness from which he'd come.

  "Right. Thanks, Ahmad," Jabari acknowledged with a nod, the mech's joints articulating his silent gratitude as he continued forward, the weight of his mission settling heavily upon his shoulders.

  As the Scarab moved deeper into the plaza, Jabari's sensors highlighted several large containment units near the parking area. The unmistakable sickly green glow of Helionite leaked from their seams despite the shielding.

  "Ahmad," Jabari called through the comm, "what are those containers doing here? That's a lot of fusion waste for a civilian plaza."

  The guard glanced back at the containers and sighed. "Emergency reroute from the Central Processing Plant. They had a power surge from the Summit at Golden Hall — too many dignitaries with their security systems pulling extra juice. Maintenance promised they'd be gone by morning." He shook his head. "Not great, but what the fuck can we do when them higher-ups make decisions, right?"

  Jabari frowned at the readings. The Helionite concentration was significant enough to register even through the containment. Basic training had drilled into every cadet that improperly stored Helionite was practically an invitation to...

  Suddenly, the air was filled with the discordant symphony of chaos; a cacophony that began not with a crescendo but an ominous tremor. Jabari's hands tightened on the Scarab's controls as the earth convulsed beneath them, its spasms ominous.

  "Radi-Mons! Look out!" The guard's voice crackled over the comm-link, a beacon of panic amidst the madness.

  Jabari recognized them from his training - the lectures on Radi-Mons were always something he paid close attention to. "Here they come," he replied calmly.

  Over a dozen Bone Fiends, their forms a perverse mockery of life, erupted in a shower of debris, encircling the plaza with predatory hunger.

  Meanwhile, a shadow spread across the stars above. The Kraken, a dark brown leviathan, loomed in the sky. Its appearance was a mass of tentacles, its grotesque form resembling a mutated octopus the size of a bus. A deep, menacing voice boomed from it. "Skarn shall awaken! He who is both devil and divine! The Blue Garden of Sinners shall bow to his power!"

  "Plaza Guards! Rally at the gate!" The guard who had hailed him earlier raised his rifle as a few more guards emerged from the shadows to join him, all opening fire on the Bone Fiends.

  "Leave some for me!" Jabari’s Scarab loomed as a bulwark against the encroaching monsters, its armor glinting faintly under the diminished starlight. The primal part of him yearned to flee, to recoil from the onslaught of nightmares made flesh.

  The air reeked of ozone and fear as Jabari's Scarab mech loomed over the pandemonium, its insectoid forming an emerald silhouette against the chaos below.

  Around the Scarab, the guards formed a line, their weapons chattering angrily at the swarm of Bone Fiends, the cacophony of gunfire a desperate symphony against the tide of abominations.

  Yet for every monstrosity that fell, another took its place, their numbers a grotesque mockery of infinity. Above, the Kraken, seemingly indifferent to the fight below, cast forth its green ichor. It descended like a curtain, anointing the guards with a sticky embrace. Those ensnared became statues of terror, petrified witnesses to their imminent doom.

  Jabari’s pulse hammered in his ears as he seized the controls of the Plasma Spitter, the Scarab's basic weapon thrumming to life. But the panic that clawed at his resolve twisted his aim, and his salvo became a tempest gone awry. Beams of plasma lanced through the night, their fury misdirected, and met the fusion-powered cars parked like silent sentinels in the Plaza lot.

  Metal screamed as the vehicles detonated, consumed by blossoming fireballs that threw shadows dancing across the devastation. Alarms wailed their protest, and lights strobed in a discordant rave, punctuating the battlefield with bursts of artificial light.

  "Lion’s loins!" Jabari muttered, the swear word doing little to calm his dire mood. His breaths came quick and shallow as he wrestled with the controls, seeking to tame the Scarab's power.

  The Bone Fiends, sensing vulnerability, surged forward, their forms a writhing mass of malice and bone. They swarmed the immobilized guards, rending and tearing with a fervor born of otherworldly hunger. Blood painted the plaza in broad, gruesome strokes, a canvas of crimson upon which the night's grim tableau was etched.

  As Jabari watched, his heart was a leaden weight in his chest. This was the struggle of existence laid bare — the ever-present destruction that all warriors face. And then, a vengeful rage took its place.

  Jabari's Scarab reared up, its joints hissing with hydraulic fervor as the pack of Bone Fiends clambered onto its armored legs. The scraping of claws on metal was a cacophonous dirge in Jabari's ears, each screech a chilling reminder. His fingers moved across the control panel and with precision, he thrust the Scarab mech into a relentless charge.

  The ground shuddered under the weight of the mechanical titan. Legs pistoned down, obliterating the skeletal assailants beneath its unyielding gait. Bone shattered against steel, a macabre percussion that resonated through the plaza.

  "For the Directorate!" he growled, the word a barbed lance aimed at his own disquiet. Jabari’s gaze latched onto the Kraken, a leviathan specter looming above, its tentacles unfurling. His hand moved with deliberate intent to the Sun Moon Cannon's trigger.

  The cannon roared, a wrathful deity unleashing its judgment upon the night. A torrent of golden and quantum blue energy surged forth, searing the heavens with its ire. His rushed aim was not precise, but the blast made contact with the Kraken, and for a moment, time itself seemed to falter in awe of the Scarab's might.

  The creature let out a pained shriek that tore through the air. Wounded, it floated higher and retreated into the expanse, leaving a trail of phosphorescent blood in its wake. "Savor your small victory, Earth-Dwellers. The Day of Oblivion will come."

  Silence reclaimed the plaza as the echoes of battle faded into the ether, leaving behind the sullied canvas of Platinum Crescent. The guard, battered and coated in the curative sickly green of the Kraken's goo, approached the towering Scarab. His voice was hoarse and tired, a far cry from his initial greeting to Jabari.

  "Anansi’s ass, Jabari!" he scolded as he limped forward. "Look what you did to the parking lot! What kind of godsent Scarab Rider are you, shooting at a damn parking lot?"

  "Sorry, Ahmad. I should have been more aware of my surroundings," Jabari listened to the reproach. He felt the sting of failure, the acrid taste of regret. Yet amidst the admonishment, there was an undertone of begrudging gratitude.

  "Well, at least I'm still alive to write up a report on this," the guard said in a gentler tone. "If it weren't for you and your Scarab, me and my men would be food for Radi-Mon right now."

  "Right," Jabari replied nervously from inside his cockpit. "Thanks for acknowledging my actions."

  "Power down your Scarab, Lieutenant," instructed the guard, pointing to a golden monolith that towered above them. "See this golden skyscraper? The Topaz High-Rise. The Kimaris Warband is waiting for your report up there. Go on now, I'll take care of everything else."

  Jabari nodded, his spirit buoyed by the acknowledgment. The Scarab powered down with a hum, like the sound of a giant exhaling its last breath before succumbing to slumber as Jabari made for the cockpit’s exit.

  01:10, February 10, 2295

  The Topaz High-Rise, 31 Avenue de la Victoire, Central Business District, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Emerald Directorate territory

  The Quantum Lift's fusion-powered drive hummed as it carried Jabari through the gleaming spire of the Topaz High-Rise. Sixty-six floors between him and the infamous Kimaris Warband. His new assignment. The richest warband in the Directorate, they said, from the streets of Accra to the Cape Coast Preparatory School. The one with the highest body count too.

  Through the transparent walls, Abidjan's midnight skyline sparkled with fusion-powered modernity. Hovercrafts threaded between buildings like luminous beads, their paths forming intricate patterns against the darkness. Everything looked so orderly from up here. So civilized.

  Not like the stories he'd heard about Kimaris. About Prince Laurent N'Guessan, the commander who supposedly rushed headlong into some distant Radi-Mon nests. The man they called insane.

  The Quantum Lift chimed. Jabari straightened his uniform, squared his shoulders. The doors parted to reveal a corridor decorated in the Directorate's signature emerald and gold. But it was the emblem that caught his eye – a Protea King White rendered in polished metal.

  Two Ologun marines flanked the entrance, their Plasma Rifles held at perfect attention. Their faces remained impassive as they scanned his credentials, but Jabari caught the slight widening of their eyes. Everyone knew what getting assigned to Kimaris meant.

  "Lieutenant Adomako," one of them said, voice carefully neutral. "They're expecting you."

  The lift's comm system crackled. "All personnel, security alert in effect. Radi-Mon incursion contained at plaza level. Damage assessment underway." The automated voice was followed by a flurry of status updates about enhanced security protocols and medical teams being deployed to the plaza.

  So they already knew. Jabari wondered how the attack would affect his first impression with the infamous Kimaris Warband. Would they see his engagement with the Radi-Mons as proof of his capability, or would the damaged vehicles in the plaza count against him?

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  Jabari nodded cautiously as he looked around. Unlike the ostentatious displays of the Imperium he’d seen on televisions, the Directorate's fusion system was proudly integrated into the architecture itself. Crystalline Zephyrium processors were housed in elegant golden frameworks that lined the walls like artwork, their blue-white light pulsing in perfect harmony with the building's power needs.

  But then, the doors whispered open to reveal a command center in controlled chaos. Holographic displays showed both surveillance footage of the plaza below—the aftermath of Jabari's battle clearly visible—and what appeared to be search grid patterns for a completely different operation.

  "—cannot and should not abandon the search!" A woman's voice, sharp with authority and barely contained fury, cut through the room. The speaker stood with her back to him, dividing her attention between the plaza footage and another display showing terrain that Jabari didn't recognize. Her green ceremonial robes emphasized by delicate golden patterns. "Laurent's been missing for an entire week, and now we have Radi-Mons attacking directly at our doorstep!"

  "And nothing will happen while we bicker," this from a tall Valoran man with close-cropped blonde hair and crisp British accent. His uniform bore the rank of Major, but his stance was casual, almost lazy. "May as well take it easy someplace else?"

  "Like hell, Wilhelm!" A shorter man perched on the edge of a desk crowded with holographic displays, his round reflective glasses reflecting cascading data. Wires and gadgets adorned his uniform like decorative medals. "You just want an excuse to run back to your comfort women on Venus!"

  "Seydou," the woman started, but her words cut off as she turned and noticed Jabari. Her dark eyes assessed him with laser precision. Everything about her bearing screamed nobility – from her elegantly twisted hair to the way she held herself.

  The tension in the room crackled like static before a storm.

  "Lieutenant Jabari Adomako," she said, her voice shifting to a more measured tone. Her gaze flickered to the others. "Welcome to the Kimaris HQ. Though I apologize for the... unprofessional greeting."

  "It's quite alright, madam." Jabari kept his voice steady despite his racing heart. "So…there's a situation with Prince Laurent?"

  A bitter laugh from the blonde man – Wilhelm. "That's putting it mildly. Our illustrious commander has vanished without a trace. Celine suggests —"

  He was cut off by a sudden humming as the air in the center of the room shimmered. A hologram materialized – a tall, commanding figure in an emerald suit adorned with golden ceremonial ropes. The stern face of Chairman Kofi Mensah himself regarded them all with an expression that could have been carved from stone.

  "Meanwhile," the Chairman's deep voice filled the room as he eyed the noble woman, "we have intelligence that cannot wait. Dr. Kamara, your team's report?"

  The Protea King White emblem gleamed on the wall behind them all, its serene petals a stark contrast to the tension filling the room.

  Celine Kamara stepped forward, her earrings catching the light as she addressed the hologram. "Chairman, with respect, we cannot simply—"

  "Found it!" Seydou's excited voice cut through. He sprang up from his workstation, fingers dancing through floating data streams. "Sorry to interrupt, but this is exactly what I was trying to show everyone." He gestured at the holograms, which coalesced into a complex pattern of quantum transmission signatures. "Look at these patterns from this place called…Thailand? Nah, Taiwan, I mean. The encryption's Imperial-grade, but the transmission frequency...oh, they’ve updated it with extra security layers. Very clever…"

  "Lost in the trees again, Seydou?" Wilhelm drawled, though Jabari noticed everyone – even the Chairman's hologram – leaning in slightly.

  "Right, sorry." Seydou adjusted his reflective glasses. "Two days ago, I detected unusual quantum entanglement patterns in transmissions between Taiwan and the Imperium mainland. They're moving something valuable. Something they're calling U6-M9."

  "An android designation?" Chairman Kofi's hologram shifted, his presence somehow filling more of the room.

  "Yes, but not just any android." Seydou's enthusiasm was infectious, his earlier paranoia replaced by pure technical excitement. "The transmission patterns suggest this one's carrying data about something called the Moondust Crystal. And get this – the android's scheduled for a complete memory wipe once it reaches mainland China. Though for some reason, they’re keeping it at a local logistic hub."

  Jabari watched Celine's expression change, saw the way her fingers tensed at her sides. Even Wilhelm straightened from his casual pose.

  "The Moondust Crystal," Celine said softly, almost reverently. "The Neptunian artifact that could turn the tide against the Radi-Mons."

  "If it even exists," Wilhelm added.

  "Oh, something exists all right." Seydou pulled up another holographic display, his fingers tracing patterns through quantum signatures. "Look at these transmission patterns. Whoever used to own this android uploaded a massive encrypted dataset into its positronic brain. The Imperium officials who confiscated it have no idea what they're holding."

  "And you've managed to decrypt it?" Celine asked with suspicion.

  "Yes, I beat them to it," Seydou replied, his glasses reflecting streams of data. "They're planning to transport this U6-M9 to mainland China for a memory wipe. But that's not standard procedure for a simple service bot."

  Chairman Kofi's hologram turned to Celine. "Doctor, your assessment as Second-in-command?"

  Jabari saw the conflict play across her face, watched her glance at the door as if Laurent might walk through it at any moment. When she spoke, her voice was tight with controlled emotion. "The Moondust Crystal... If there's even a chance..." She took a deep breath. "We can't ignore this opportunity. But Prince Laurent—"

  "Is one of our finest," Chairman Kofi finished. "And the search will continue. But Dr. Kamara, you know as well as I do what he would prioritize in this situation."

  A heavy silence fell over the room. Jabari felt the weight of it, understood suddenly why Kimaris had its reputation. They didn't just fight Radi-Mons – they made the hard calls that could mean the difference between victory and extinction.

  Wilhelm said, breaking the silence, "I still believe this is a waste of resources. This U6-M9 could be any standard android with corrupted memory files."

  "Then explain why they're rushing to wipe it," Seydou countered, his earlier excitement hardening into conviction. "The Imperium doesn't move this fast unless—"

  "Unless they know they have something valuable," Jabari found himself saying. All eyes turned to him, including Chairman Kofi's penetrating holographic gaze. But having started, he pressed on. "And they're vulnerable right now. Their forces are spread thin trying to deal with the disturbance at — some huge corporate tower in their city."

  "The Amber Moon Spire, you mean," Celine's eyebrows rose slightly.

  "Yes, madam, thank you," Jabari felt heat rise in his face but continued, "If we're going to attempt an extraction, this might be our best window."

  "The Lieutenant has a point," Celine said. Her earrings caught the light as she turned to the floating displays. "Seydou, how much time do we have before the memory wipe?"

  "Based on the transmission patterns..." Seydou's fingers danced through the data. "Less than 48 hours. They're keeping U6-M9 at the Azure Mount Logistics Hub in Taiwan. Staging point for cargo heading to mainland China."

  "Bloody hell, that's rather convenient, isn't it?" Wilhelm's cultured accent dripped with sarcasm. "A logistics hub instead of a proper military facility. Almost too easy."

  "Too easy?" Seydou scoffed. "The Imperium uses forced labor there. Security might be lighter, but the workers are like drones. They'll notice anything out of pattern."

  "Then we don't give them a pattern to notice," Celine said, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "We go in as cargo ourselves."

  Chairman Kofi's hologram shifted, his ceremonial ropes gleaming. "A risky strategy, Doctor. But potentially effective. Lieutenant Adomako—"

  Jabari straightened instinctively.

  "Your Scarab could provide necessary backup if the situation deteriorates. But getting it into position..."

  "We could ship it in a separate container," Seydou suggested, already pulling up manifests. "Disguised as industrial equipment. A different route from our own, but both converging at the right moment."

  "Rather elaborate for a simple android retrieval," Wilhelm drawled, examining his perfectly manicured nails. "Though I suppose if we're committed to this madness..."

  "The Scarab won't be our only contingency," Celine said, her voice taking on an edge of steel. "Seydou, what do we know about the hub's layout?"

  Seydou's fingers blurred across the holographic interface. A three-dimensional blueprint materialized in the center of the room, rotating slowly. "Six main processing zones, automated sorting systems, and..." He paused, adjusting his glasses. "Interesting. A quantum-locked storage facility in the west wing. That's where they're keeping high-value seized goods."

  "And our android, no doubt," Wilhelm remarked, circling the hologram with predatory grace. "Though I must say, for all this cloak-and-dagger business, wouldn't it be simpler to just blast our way—"

  "No." Celine's response was sharp enough to make Jabari flinch. "We go in quiet. The Imperium already has enough reasons to paint us as savages."

  Chairman Kofi's hologram nodded approvingly. "Indeed. Dr. Kamara, you'll lead the infiltration team. Seydou's technical expertise will be essential for accessing the quantum lock. And Lieutenant..."

  "Sir?" Jabari met the Chairman's stern gaze.

  "Your Scarab will be our insurance policy. But remember – its deployment is an absolute last resort. We're not here to start a war."

  "Not yet, by the by," Wilhelm quipped.

  Jabari studied the holographic layout, his mind already calculating entry points, escape routes, potential choke points where a Scarab could make the difference between success and catastrophe. "The loading bays here and here," he pointed, "looks to be designed for heavy industrial equipment. Perfect cover for bringing in the Scarab."

  "Good eye," Seydou said, genuinely impressed. "We can sync the delivery schedules, make it look like routine machinery replacement. Though we'll need to bypass their scanning systems..."

  "Which is precisely why this plan is bloody mental," Wilhelm interjected, his accent growing sharper with frustration. "One scan, one alert, and we're all dead in a foreign port. Brilliant way to spend a Thursday, really."

  Jabari felt the weight of the mission settling onto his shoulders, understanding now why Kimaris attracted both the best and the most daring. This wasn't just about retrieving an android – this was about proving they could strike at the heart of Imperial territory and emerge victorious.

  "Time frame, Chairman?" Celine asked, her eyes never leaving the blueprints.

  "You should move out tonight," Kofi declared. "The longer we wait, the more likely the Imperium realizes what they have. Dr. Kamara, I trust you'll handle the operational details. And..." his hologram flickered slightly, "continue the search for Laurent when this is done."

  The mention of their missing commander sent a ripple of tension through the room. Jabari saw Celine's hands clench, while Wilhelm's casual pose stiffened just slightly.

  "Understood, Chairman." Celine's voice was steady, but her earrings trembled as she inclined her head.

  "Anansi guides your path." The hologram of Chairman Kofi flickered once more before dissolving into emerald motes.

  "Right then," Wilhelm stretched languidly, his aristocratic accent growing more pronounced with his weariness. "I suppose I'd better sort through my contacts and see who might be persuaded to help us slip into Imperial territory. Though I must say, Taiwan rather lacks the amenities I've grown accustomed to on Venus."

  "Just make sure your 'amenities' don't compromise the mission," Celine said, her voice sharp.

  Wilhelm placed a hand over his heart in mock offense. "Madam, my personal indulgences have never interfered with my professional obligations. Though they have, on occasion, provided rather useful intelligence."

  "And I'd better get to work on the security systems," Seydou added, already gathering his equipment. "Those quantum locks won't crack themselves." He paused, glancing at Jabari. "Oh, wait. That reminds me, Lieutenant, I'll need to modify your Scarab's signature to bypass the Imperial scanners. Pop by my lab before you depart?"

  "I will," Jabari nodded, watching as both men made their way to the exit, Wilhelm with his effortless grace, Seydou with his nervous energy.

  As the doors closed behind them, Jabari became acutely aware that he was alone with Celine Kamara, the second-in-command of the most notorious warband in the Directorate. The woman who, in Laurent's absence, now held his fate in her hands.

  The command center seemed larger now, the holographic displays casting her face in alternating patterns of light and shadow as she studied the logistics hub blueprints. She remained silent for a long moment, and Jabari couldn't tell if she was formulating strategy or simply gathering her thoughts.

  Finally, she turned to him, her dark eyes assessing him.

  "Lieutenant Adomako," she said, her voice measured. "Do you know why your assignment to Kimaris was approved?"

  Jabari stood straighter. "My simulation scores and combat performance at Cape Coast, ma'am!"

  A faint smile touched her lips, there and gone in an instant. "Partly. But I requested you specifically after reviewing your file." She gestured to one of the holographic displays, which shifted to show his academy records. "Your Scarab proficiency is impressive. But more importantly, you demonstrated something rare — restraint."

  She circled the display, her ceremonial robes whispering against the floor. "Most cadets who excel in Scarab combat become reckless, overconfident. You did not."

  "Thank you, ma'am," Jabari said, uncertain if this was heading toward praise or warning.

  Celine's expression hardened. "I've welcomed sixteen new officers to Kimaris in the past three years. Nine of them are dead. Three were permanently disabled. Two transferred out after mental breakdowns." She let the statistics hang in the air. "Only two remain active."

  The weight of her words settled on Jabari's shoulders like a physical burden. "And the last Scarab Rider, ma’am?" he asked, though part of him already knew the answer.

  "Didn't survive his first month." Celine's voice was flat, matter-of-fact. "A Jotunn on the Far Side of Osram. We recovered what was left of the Scarab. Not much else."

  She stepped closer, her earrings catching the light. "Kimaris operatives have the highest casualty rate in the Directorate, Lieutenant. We also have the most generous compensation packages and the finest equipment. You'll have all the money you could possibly spend—" her eyes locked with his, unflinching, "—the question is whether you'll live long enough to spend any of it."

  Jabari felt a chill despite the comfortable temperature of the command center.

  "I understand the risks, ma'am," he said, his voice steadier than he felt.

  "Do you?" Celine's question cut through his composure. "Because this mission to Taiwan isn't even the real danger. The Radi-Mon threat grows daily. The Fenris Horde on Mars. The Tiamat Horde in the asteroid belt. And now the Jokull Horde emerging on Europa." Her voice lowered. "We are the front line against extinction, Lieutenant. Not just Africa's. Humanity's."

  She turned away, her profile sharp against the glow of the displays. "In Laurent's absence, my word is law in this warband. If I give you an order, no matter how strange it might seem, no matter how contrary to your training, you will obey it without hesitation." She glanced back at him. "Your survival and the success of our missions depend on it. Are we clear?"

  "Crystal clear, ma'am," Jabari replied, recognizing the threat beneath her words.

  "Good." She nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Report to Seydou for your Scarab modifications, then rest. We depart at 0300 hours." She waved her hand, dismissing him.

  Jabari turned to leave, but paused at the door. "Ma'am," he said, "about Commander Laurent..."

  Celine stiffened, her back still to him.

  "I hope we find him," Jabari continued simply.

  For a moment, she said nothing. Then, so quietly he almost missed it: "So do I, Lieutenant. So do I."

  The doors whispered shut behind him as he stepped into the corridor. The Protea King White emblem gleamed on the wall, its petals reaching outward from a perfect center. Beautiful and dangerous, like everything about Kimaris.

  Time to prep the Scarab, he thought. And to prepare himself for whatever lay ahead.