"Could be stasis," she said, voice tight. "Liberty pods have emergency cryo capabilities. If they knew rescue wasn't coming immediately, they might have put themselves under to conserve resources."
Smart. Logical. The kind of solution an engineer like Elena would design.
The kind of desperate measure that spoke to weeks or months of isolation before hope finally faded.
"Vaxon." Captain Tor'van turned to me. "Mission briefing. Your assessment of threat level?"
I pulled up the tactical overlay, highlighting problem areas in the debris field. "The location is exposed. No natural cover, clear sight lines in multiple directions. We're four hours inside the Dead Zone, contested space that three different raider factions claim jurisdiction over. If anyone's monitoring sensor traffic, they'll know we're here within minutes of our arrival."
"Which means?"
"Which means we operate under the assumption that we're being watched. Fast insertion, faster extraction. Minimal team, maximum efficiency." I gestured to the pod cluster. "The derelict's structural instability adds another layer of risk. Any significant movement could trigger collapse. We'll need to move carefully."
"Team composition?"
I'd been planning this since Elena's presentation three days ago. "Myself, Elena as technical specialist, Er'dox for structural assessment, four security officers for perimeter control, and two additional engineers for salvage support. Nine total.Small enough to move quickly, large enough to handle complications."
"Complications being?"
"Raiders. Structural failure. Hostile survivors." I paused. "Or survivors who've been alone long enough that rescue looks like a threat."
Elena's breathing hitched. Still didn't look at her.
Captain Tor'van considered for three seconds—his version of careful deliberation. "Approved. You have six hours for the operation. After that, we withdraw whether the mission is complete or not. The Dead Zone isn't worth losing Mothership over."
"Understood, Captain."
"One more thing." Captain Tor'van's golden eyes are fixed on Elena. "Ms. Vasquez. You discovered these survivors. You built the case for rescue. But once you're on that derelict, Commander Vaxon has operational authority. His orders supersede your expertise. Clear?"
"Clear," Elena said. Her jaw was tight enough that I could see the muscle flex.
"Then suit up. You launch in twenty minutes."
The shuttle bayhummed with pre-mission activity. Security officers checking weapons, engineers loading equipment, Er'dox running final structural calculations on his portable console. I moved through the controlled chaos, verifying every detail while my mind ran threat scenarios in background processing.
Elena stood near the equipment lockers, pulling on her environmental suit with movements that looked practiced but hurried. The suit was designed for humans, much smaller than standard Zandovian gear, more flexible to compensate for her species' inferior durability. It made her look even tinier than usual, like a child playing dress-up in equipment designed for actual danger.
I crossed to her. She sensed my approach, looked up, and something complicated flashed across her face before she could hide it.
"Your suit seals properly?" I asked.
"Ran diagnostics twice. Everything's green." She fumbled with the helmet connection. "I know what I'm doing, Vaxon."
"I know you do." I reached out, adjusted the seal she'd missed, a small gap in the collar interface that would've failed pressure testing. Her hazel eyes tracked my hands, and I felt the weight of her attention like physical contact. "That doesn't mean I'm going to stop checking."
"Because you don't trust me?"
"Because I care whether you survive."
The honesty landed between us, too raw for the setting. Elena's expression shifted, surprise, confusion, something that might've been hope if she'd let herself feel it. Then her walls went up again, professional mask sliding into place.
"I'm not your responsibility anymore," she said.
"You were never my responsibility. You're my—" I stopped. Reconsidered. "You're important to Mothership's operations. To me. And I'm not letting you face this alone."
"I won't be alone. There's a whole team."
"You know what I mean."
