The artificial dawn light of Noctis Reach pierced through the ventilation slats of the data relay station, casting long streaks of shadow across the cold floor. The air inside the room felt dry, filtered by the humming old air purifier whirring constantly in the background. The sheer terror we felt last night when the Death Eater-class ship entered orbit had slowly settled, mutating into a taut suspense.Cora stood before the console, her eyes glued to the holographic projection displaying the blueprints of the relay station and our surrounding districts. Her fingers moved rapidly, remapping every corridor and inter-level maintenance shaft."I've locked down the three access routes leading to this station," Cora reported without looking away, her voice hoarse from lack of sleep. "I've welded the two northern corridors shut, and I've cut the power to the southern elevator. Anyone trying to breach will have to use heavy-grade explosives, which will give us at least a three-minute warnin

"We don't have much time!" I stated firmly, tossing two ammo pouches toward a seated Vex. "That Eclipse Agent's transmission already reached orbit. The Imperium's air fleet could surround the vertical cliffs of this relay station in a matter of minutes. We have to evacuate this place right now."Vex caught the pouches one-handed, wincing against the sharp pain in his left ribs. The bounty hunter gave a stiff nod, immediately slotting the power cells into his tactical belt with efficient movements. "Grox, make sure the straps on that stretcher are secured tight enough. We're going to be taking a rough route."Grox let out a low growl, testing the harnesses securing Jax's body to the makeshift anti-gravity stretcher. The Brakkar worked with a gentleness that starkly contrasted his appearance. "The old man is secure. But this stretcher's thruster engine emits a loud hum. We won't be able to move in silence.""Let me handle the route," Cora interrupted, her eyes glued to the datapad scree

Cora's datapad screen blinked with a red glow. The warning chime repeated constantly, shattering the moment of warmth we had just found."These aren't scout synths," Cora's voice sounded tense, her fingers flying across the holographic screen. "My radar is picking up the movement of personnel carriers. They're descending from the upper districts and starting to form a blockade perimeter in the eastern sector. Their numbers are up to three companies."I approached the console, staring at the red dots spreading across the map. "They're sweeping every block?""Systematically," Cora nodded. Her exhausted eyes looked at me. "These lead-lined walls might hide our body heat, but they're not relying on scanners anymore. They are breaching every facility, tearing apart every corridor, and blocking off escape routes. In less than twenty minutes, they will reach this facility.""We're trapped," Vex growled, forcing himself to stand even though one hand was still clutching his ribs. The bounty hu

A bright orange line began carving a circular pattern into the center of the electrical substation's steel door. The heat radiating from the melting metal instantly raised the temperature of this cramped room to a lung-suffocating point. They were no longer trying to hack the control panel. The Imperium forces out there were using a plasma cutter to slice through our only line of defense like a piece of paper. Sparks spewed out, bouncing off the floor and igniting the puddles of drying lubricant around our shoes.Vex pressed her back against the wall, her jaw set hard as she stared at the last power cell loaded into her pistol. The bounty hunter had run out of options. A chokepoint tactic would mean nothing if the enemy threw in a dozen grenades the second this blast door was breached. Risha touched her blistered left shoulder, her breathing rapid and shallow, while her other hand tightly gripped Kael's arm. The boy squeezed his eyes shut, hugging the broken Spark as if the machine we

The cold wind of Noctis Reach swept across the observation deck, carrying away the remnants of the dark pressure that had momentarily suffocated our lungs.The Wraith's silhouette had disappeared behind the pollution smog, leaving us in a surreal silence. I stood frozen for a few minutes, letting the howling wind calm the roaring in my chest before turning around to face my family."We're still breathing," I said, breaking the silence. I stepped closer to Vex and offered my hand. "Get up. The wind on this cliff will freeze your blood if we stay any longer."Vex grabbed my hand. She winced as I pulled her to her feet. "Where are we supposed to go, L? We have no ammo, and no shelter."Cora, who had been sitting and staring at her dirty palms, slowly lifted her head. The administrator forced herself to stand, dusting off her jacket with stiff movements."I don't need a datapad to remember a place," Cora said. Her voice sounded exhausted, yet radiated absolute resolve. "There's an informa