Page 36 of Stars in Halo

An extraordinary amount of laser charge exploded, and the air crackled with static as they fired.

The bona fide wardens convulsed as the intense beams hit them, their bodies contorting before collapsing to the ground in a heap.

The first gang member rushed in and bound their arms, taped off their mouths and rolled them out of the way.

Xion observed once more from the shadows, arms crossed over his chest.

He had no intention of rushing in like an outraged superhero because he was biding his time, waiting for Katya and her crew to reveal the big Whig behind this entire farce. It had to be some massive player, and observing how Katya’s plan unfolded was a better use of his time to ensure an even more solid result.

He’d have intervened if the real guards had been in grave danger. For now, he held his nerve.

The thugs and Katya exchanged wary glances before the elder of the three men gestured for her to follow.

They approached the alloy door, its surface gleaming under the harsh fluorescent lights of the hallway.

Korin swiped his wrist comm on the keypad and unlocked the heavy door with a loud click. The metal groaned as it swung open, revealing a gloomy, lit room lined with rows of secure deposit boxes.

Xion’s meta body shimmered in behind the unwitting trio.

At the centre of the room was a velvet-lined crystal pedestal that mirrored the one now at the hub of the grand ballroom. On it sat a crimson jewel protected by a cross-section of energised just-visible infrared beams.

‘The Serpent’s Iris,’ Katya whispered. ‘The most coveted red ruby in all of Pegasi that has stirred such frenzy among the elite guests upstairs.’

She approached the gem with reverence, reaching her hands towards it but not quite touching the lasers. The intense scarlet hues pulsed with an otherworldly glow, casting a mesmerising spell over the room.

‘There’s a pressure pad under it, so the next few steps must go with precision lest we set off the alarms.’

She retrieved a sleek black device from her clutch. With deft fingers, she punched a series of numbers into it, aiming it at the ruby’s dais, her eyes fixed on the gem before her.

With a final keystroke, a soft click resonated through the room. The pressure pad disengaged, and the energised laser field fell away.

With care, Katya lifted the Serpent’s Iris from its pedestal.

The jewel glowed brighter in her grasp, its energy pulsating against her skin. She raised it into the air, turning it so its facets radiated with a captivating brilliance even in the murky room.

After admiring its facets for a beat, she slipped the ruby into her right lapel, hiding it within a pocket in the oversized, moulded shoulder pads.

She then retrieved an identical-looking jewel from her left lapel.

Her fellow gangsters stared as Katya replaced the real gem with the decoy.

Using the same ebony device, she reversed the security process.

The pressure pad re-engaged, and the laser field rose once again.

Katya’s lips curled as she patted the authentic Serpent’s Iris, hidden against the curvature of her dress’s stiff folds.

‘This one’s for me, boys. I’ll keep it safe,’ she stated with coldness, her voice laced with warning.

The trio of kinais hesitated for a moment before nodding, exchanging furtive glances that Katya missed.

Xion caught the tension between the quartet and sucked his teeth.

It appeared Katya had more than just the heist of a gem to contend with.

‘Let’s go,’ she said.

Her words came just in time as a hum sounded, and the lever to the vault floor began to move.

---