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The drone was close enough now that I could see its complex design—multiple lenses, sensor arrays, and what looked disturbingly like weapons systems. It emitted a high-pitched whine that made my teeth ache, and I knew instinctively that it was about to do something. Something bad.

A massive shadow suddenly cut through the blue light. There was a sound like metal being torn apart, and the drone spun wildly before crashing to the ground, sparks flying from its ruined hull. I gasped, stumbling backward as a massive figure landed where the drone had been, his powerful legs absorbing the impact with terrifying grace.

Zehn. His eyes glowed in the darkness, fierce and predatory. He wore no camouflage technology now—his true form fully visible. Seven feet of muscled, lethal alien, his leopard-like features contorted in a snarl as he surveyed the sky for the remaining drones.

They converged on our position, their scanning beams intensifying, but before they could get close, they suddenly faltered. One by one, they dropped from the sky like stones, crashing into the undergrowth with metallic thuds and electrical sizzles.

“What the—” I began, but the words died in my throat as another figure emerged from the shadows at the edge of the clearing.

He was similar to Zehn—another leopard-man alien of the same imposing height—but different in ways that made my breath catch. Where Zehn’s fur pattern was sleek and uniform, this newcomer’s was disrupted by scars that cut pale lines through the dark spots. His eyes were more luminous, like crystal shards. And there was something about the way he moved—more cautious, more measured—that made him seem both more dangerous and more vulnerable than Zehn.

Most disturbing of all was the sense of recognition that washed over me. I had never seen this alien before, yet something in me knew him. As our eyes met across the clearing, a name rose unbidden to my lips.

“Khaaz,” I whispered, then immediately clamped my hand over my mouth. How did I know his name?

The scarred alien froze, his luminous eyes widening slightly. He glanced at Zehn, who gave an almost imperceptible nod.

“Everly,” Zehn said, approaching me with quick, fluid strides. His voice was lower than usual, a rumble that seemed to vibrate through me. “Are you harmed?”

I shook my head, still staring at the newcomer. “How do I know his name? I’ve never seen him before.”

Zehn’s jaw tightened. “You have. In your dreams.” He said it matter-of-factly, as if this was a perfectly reasonable explanation.

“What? No. No, the dreams were with—” I stopped, heat flooding my face. I wasn’t about to discuss my erotic dreams with Zehn while standing in front of this stranger.

“The dreams of unity are not always clear,” Zehn said, misunderstanding my embarrassment. “But they are never wrong. Your soul recognizes him, just as it recognizes me.”

Khaaz remained at the edge of the clearing, his posture alert but hesitant. He seemed almost afraid to approach me, which was absurd considering he was essentially a seven-foot-tall killing machine. When he finally spoke, his voice was rougher than Zehn’s, as if it wasn’t used as often.

“I didn’t expect them to act so quickly,” he said, addressing Zehn more than me. “They’ve never used this level of resources for a retrieval before. At least, not to my knowledge.”

I looked between them, frustration building. “Would someone please explain what’s going on? Who is he?” I gestured at Khaaz. “Why do I know his name? And who are ‘they’?”

Zehn moved closer to me, his large body radiating heat in the cool night air.”Khaaz is like me. Rodinian. But also...” he hesitated, “different. Altered.”

“I’m a failed experiment,” Khaaz said bluntly. “This planet hides a black site operation of creating biological weapons. I was one of the few who survived the process.”

“And now he’s going to help us get out of here,” Zehn added, not giving me time to process this information.

“Help us how?” I asked.

“I know the location of a hidden facility,” Khaaz said. “With transport capabilities that can get you off-world.”

The tension between the two males was palpable. They weren’t hostile toward each other, exactly, but there was a wariness, an unspoken competition that made the air feel thick and heavy. I had the distinct impression they were communicating something beyond their words.

“Wait,” I said, holding up my hands. “Does this mean we need to leave now? Or should we stay here?”

Khaaz’s eyes swept the clearing, taking in the downed drones. “The shields are compromised. They’ve calibrated their scanners to detect the energy signature.” He looked up at the night sky. “But they won’t send another wave immediately. They’ll assume the drones malfunctioned and wait for confirmation before deploying more resources.”

“So we have time,” I said.

“Some,” Zehn agreed. “But not much.”

“At this point,” Khaaz said, “we might as well rest and move toward the facility in the morning. Traveling at night in this terrain would be difficult, even for us.” He glanced at me, clearly indicating that I was the limiting factor in their travel speed.

I bristled at the implication. “I can keep up.”

A ghost of a smile touched Khaaz’s scarred face. “I’m sure you can, but there’s no need to push ourselves when we have a strategic advantage in waiting. Dawn will give us better visibility; the engineers use different surveillance patterns at first light. There will be a brief window when their coverage is minimal.”

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