The shuttle shudders again, systems failing one by one.
I look at the empty space where her pod was seconds ago.
My hand tightens on the blade until metal bites skin.
“Pull me out,” I say at last, each word tasting like iron.
The shuttle detaches from the Alliance tether under coordinated fire from my cruiser. I leap from the crippled craft into the tractor field and am hauled aboard as the Alliance formation withdraws in disciplined arcs.
The hangar doors slam shut behind me with a resonant boom.
Rethan strides toward me, eyes dark. “Where is she?” he demands.
“Taken,” I answer.
Silence spreads outward from that word.
Rethan’s jaw tightens. “We can pursue.”
“We cannot catch them before they reach reinforced space,” I reply, forcing calm into my voice despite the roaring in my ears. “And we will not sacrifice the cruiser in a reckless chase.”
Rethan’s gaze hardens. “You hesitate because she is human.”
I turn slowly toward him. “I hesitate because Valen wants me unbalanced.”
Rethan says nothing, but the implication lingers between us.
Hours later, in the strategy chamber, the first Alliance broadcast hits every open frequency.
Elara’s image appears across the projection field, captured footage of her in Alliance custody, flanked by uniformed officers.
“Today,” the announcer says smoothly, “we reveal the apprehension of Elara Vance, human operative discovered aiding Reaper insurgent forces.”
The word insurgent lands like a strike to the chest.
“She collaborated with known Reaper Captain Kael of Clan Ardyn in destabilizing Alliance security.”
My name follows hers.
Rethan looks at me. “They move quickly.”
“Yes,” I answer.
Valen’s face replaces the announcer’s, his expression composed and grave.
“We will not tolerate human actors aligning with hostile forces,” Valen declares. “This arrest demonstrates our commitment to stability.”
“Stability,” I repeat under my breath.
“They label her collaborator,” Rethan says. “This damages her beyond recovery.”
“No,” I reply, my voice steady despite the violence coiling inside me. “It damages him.”
Rethan studies me. “You believe he anticipated this?”
“I believe he set the stage,” I answer. “He accelerates before our evidence spreads.”
Rethan’s gaze sharpens. “Clan leaders will not see it that way.”
