"Copy, keep eyes on, going comms black," Torvyn said.
"This will be a combat landing." Lyrin's eyes locked on mine, and something flickered through the Tether—his calm, his confidence, an anchor against my rising panic. "Hold on tight. Let Kaedren's team do their job, and when it's time, I'll get you to yours. Trust me."
I tried to nod, but couldn't. "Got it," I whispered, my breath ragged.
Through the Tether, I felt Lyrin's steady presence, like a hand in the dark.
"Touchdown in three, two, one," Torvyn said, his voice calm. "Contact, doors opening, Kaedren, move."
I shut my eyes. Fists clenched. Harness locked. My body had turned to ice, frozen in the crash couch while chaos erupted outside. Blaster fire. Shouting. The whine of energy weapons. My heart hammered so hard I thought it would crack my ribs. Cold sweat streamed down my face, pooling at my throat. I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't do anything but sit here while people died because I was too much of a coward to—
Kira.
Lyrin's voice, not through the comms, through the Tether, warm and certain.
I'm here. You're not alone.
I felt the others, too, distant but present. Vaelix's sharp focus from orbit. Kaedren's battle-calm outside the shuttle. Even Torvyn's unshakeable certainty at the controls. They were all here with me.
For me.
"Kira, open your eyes." Lyrin's actual voice now, gentle.
I opened my eyes and looked up. He was standing over me, his hands around my helmet. I heard a soft click, and my helmet pulled away. I gasped for air, then felt Lyrin's warm hand caress my cheek. His other hand quickly unclipped my harnesses, then reached for my hand and pulled me up.
"The guards have been neutralized, and Kaedren has found the entrance to the women's dorms. He and his team are standing guard. You're in charge now. Let's go," Lyrin said, helping me stand.
I nodded, then jogged out of the shuttle. I almost tripped as I made my way down the shuttle's ramp, taking in the aftermath of the battle between Kaedren's team and the corporate guards. The landing zone was littered with debris, scorch marks, and bodies. Some wore the Starbreaker's colors, most wore corporate security armor.
"Don't worry about them, our medics are already working on them," Lyrin said.
"What about the guards?"
"We're triaging them too. We don't let them die just because they're our enemies. We'll patch them up and drop them off at a neutral port. We can talk more about that later. Right now we need to get to our target," he said, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Right, the target," I said.
A blast of light filled my view, and I threw my arm across my face. A wave of heat rolled across me, then an explosion filled my ears. The blast wave pushed me to the ground, and I rolled across the edge of the landing zone. I pushed myself up, ears ringing, and blinked the debris out of my eyes. I stepped forward, stumbled, and fell to the ground.
A body lay next to me.
I turned it over. Green skin. Long, delicate ears. Oval eyes that stared at nothing. It was one of Kaedren's men. A low groan escaped his lips as I ran my hands down his evac suit. They stopped at a large hole where purple blood sputtered out. I pulled a medpack from my belt and slapped it on his wound.
"It's okay, let the meds do their job, all you have to do is close your eyes, I've got you. You're safe," I said, holding the man's hand.
His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he choked. Blood poured from his mouth as his body spasmed once, twice, then saggedto the ground. His chest stopped moving. The medpack emitted a long tone, and I beat my fists against the man's chest.
"No, no, no, no…"
"Kira." Lyrin's hands closed around my arms, lifting me.
"He's dead," I sobbed. "I couldn't save him."
"He was already gone before you reached him." Lyrin's hands cupped my face, forcing me to meet his eyes. Hazel, fierce with belief. "You tried. That matters. But the women inside, they're still alive. They need you, Kira. Can you do this? For them?"
He paused, and through the Tether I felt his absolute certainty. "I know you can."
I looked at him, searching his eyes for any doubt. I found none.
