Page 123 of Stars in Halo

‘It’s a Sable comm-tab,’ she informed them. ‘Xion had a spare in his carryall, which he brought to my room on Enia. I swiped it.’

‘Fokk,’ K’Zito cursed. ‘Sable tech is high-end and freakin’ hard to get a hold of.’

Katya sat back and nailed them with a long look. ‘Exactly. It’s our ticket in.’

‘What if, like the metanoids, he’s deactivated it?’ Korin asked with a twist to his lips.

‘He hasn’t,’ his sister murmured, swiping the device’s display, and it came to life.

A flurry of data flashed across the screen, and they gazed in awe as a blueprint of the Sable vault system appeared.

‘I’ve got access to the Sable mainframe plus detailed maps and entry codes to get us into their vaults,’ Katya said, her triumphant. ‘I’ve also downloaded the entire blueprint of their security setup. We’ll know every single weakness and strength they have.’

‘Watch this,’ she smirked, tapping the screen.

The comm unit began to hum, displaying a map on the monitor. Her fingers danced over the controls, and tiny dots materialised, each representing a Sable employee or guard on Eden II.

‘This is real-time tracking data,’ she explained. ‘We can use it to bypass security and determine the best time to strike.’

Silence fell over the table,

‘Well then, little sister,’ Korin said, his eyes never leaving the device, ‘you’ve got our attention.’

Katya nodded. ‘Good, because time is of the essence. I don’t know how long it’ll be before they detect this wrist comm, which is not where it’s supposed to be. We must move fast, map out every possible scenario, and stay ten steps ahead of them. This is also our chance to prove to King K’Sumi that we’re not just playing catch-up.’

A voice broke into the conversation. ‘You’ll never have to play catch up with me coming along.’

The three D’Hanna brothers jolted in shock.

Katya lurched, and she turned with slow dread.

To tag the face of the man looming over the table.

Her heart sank as she inhaled and swallowed, tamping down the burst of rage that washed over her.

Pirates and Raiders

Akira.

The one man she’d hoped never to set eyes on again, who’d haunted her nightmares for years.

The rogue stood over her, smiling like a cat who got the cream.

‘What are you doing here?’ she whispered.

‘Ah, King K’Sumi himself called. He thought you might need a babysitter. It turns out you D’Hanna’s are not as shit hot as you think you are. He wants me along for the ride to make sure everything is perfect.’

The smarmy man pushed into the booth and sat down like he owned the place.

Katya stared at him.

She couldn’t believe she’d once thought him handsome with his swarthy complexion and Iccythrian tendencies, from the jewels embedded into his skin to his modded neck dripping with a series of heavy gold and diamond chains.

He wore a dark suit that outlined his robust frame, and his eyes gleamed with an unsettling mix of amusement and malice.

Katya’s blood ran cold as memories of their past encounters flooded her mind.

She clenched her jaw, her nails digging into the palms of her hands.

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