The Enforcer, or whatever was left of him once his interface dissolved, was currently huddled in the mud at the base of the spire, shivering like a man having his first withdrawal from a life-support machine. Kaelen was pacing around him, clutching the captured communications-relic, a jagged piece of glowing obsidian circuitry that hummed with a sickly, dying light."Ryu, this thing is still pinging," Kaelen said, his voice tight. "Even without a central hub, it’s broadcasting a distress loop. If the Association monitors are still active in the outer sectors, they’re going to trace this beacon right to our doorstep."Ryu sat on a flat, mossy stone, cleaning his iron chopstick with a scrap of dry cloth. He didn't look up. "Then let them trace it. If we move the goalposts, they’ll spend a week chasing ghosts. Pyra, how’s the Enforcer’s vitals?"Pyra didn't use a scanner. She simply crouched by the shivering man, placed a hand on his shoulder, and felt the erratic, uneven thud of his pul