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“I will deal with whatever comes here,” Zar’Ryn said flatly. His attention shifted to Tor’Vek. “Activate whatever defenses this station has left.”

Tor’Vek gave a curt nod, retrieving a compact energy weapon from a hidden compartment. “The shielding system will buy us time, but it will not hold indefinitely.” He glanced toward Elara, inclining his head toward a separate workstation. “Order the computer to secure the station’s critical data. It will explain as it goes.”

Another explosion rocked the station, and the lab’s outer door groaned under the strain of a heavy impact. Zar’Ryn moved to stand directly in front of it, his blade ready. Behind him, Tor’Vek adjusted the shielding system, while Elara worked on her assignedtask.

The door gave way with a deafening crash, shards of metal and sparks flying as it was ripped from its frame. Marauders surged into the lab, their grotesque forms filling the entrancelike a flood of chaos. They moved with feral intensity, their crude weapons raised as they charged.

Chapter 14

ZAR’RYN METthem head-on, his blade a blur of motion. Each strike was precisely executed, cutting through their ranks with lethal efficiency. His movements were a dance of controlled violence, honed by centuries of battle. Behind him, Tor’Vek fired his weapon with cold precision, each shot landingtrue.

“Elara, get behind the console!” Zar’Ryn barked, his voice cutting through the din. She obeyed instantly, ducking behind the workstation, her trembling hands scrambling over the controls.

Then, through the chaos, afigure emerged—atall, lean Vettian with gray hair that swept back from his sharply angled face. His pale skin seemed to glow faintly under the emergency lights, and his yellow eyes gleamed with cold calculation. Unlike the frenzied Marauders, he moved with unhurried confidence, his presence a stark contrast to the carnage aroundhim.

“Selyr, Iassume,” Zar’Ryn announced, his blade stilling for a moment as his gaze locked onto the Vettian. “Still stooping to use Marauders to do your work.”

Selyr’s lips curved into a faint smile, though his eyes remained cold. “Ah, Zar’Ryn. How easy it has been to find you. Ihad hoped to avoid this… unpleasantness, but you are nothing if not predictable.”

“You brought this upon yourself,” Zar’Ryn said, his voice low and dangerous. “You abandoned the Vettian way. You are no better than the creatures you employ.”

Selyr tilted his head, his smile widening slightly. “I am better, Zar’Ryn. Far better. While you cling to outdated ideals, Isee the truth. Power lies not in honor or the IW code, but in what one can create. And the bracelets you wear are the key to something far greater.”

Another wave of Marauders surged forward, and Zar’Ryn charged to meet them. His blade moved with brutal efficiency, cutting through their ranks even as Selyr watched with detached amusement.

The lab turned into a storm of chaos and destruction. Shards of metal and debris littered the floor as sparks rained down from exposed wiring in the ceiling. The air became thick with smoke and the metallic tang of blood. Zar’Ryn’s blade cut through another Marauder with precision, the creature crumpling to the ground in a heap. His attention flicked briefly to the far side of the room, where Elara and Tor’Vek were hunched over a console.

“Elara!” Zar’Ryn shouted, his voice sharp over the din. “Secure the device and retreat!”

She didn’t answer, her focus locked on the glowing console in front of her. Her fingers moved with frantic precision, the suppressor Tor’Vek had created now overpowered by the warning blare of the station’s alarms. He stood beside her, his calm demeanor unnerving as he adjusted settings on the suppressor’s prototype with practiced efficiency.

“Tor’Vek!” Zar’Ryn barked, his blade parrying a blow from a charging Marauder. “Get her out of here!”

Tor’Vek didn’t glance up. “The research is too valuable to abandon,” he said evenly, his fingers flying over the device. “If the suppressor is destroyed, so is our only chance of controlling the bond.”

Zar’Ryn growled in frustration, slicing through another Marauder. His gaze darted back to Elara, who was now crouched beneath the console, prying open a panel. Sparks flew as she yanked at a cluster of wires, her movements fast but deliberate.

“Elara, move!” Zar’Ryn roared as an energy bolt ricocheted off the console above her. She flinched but didn’t stop, her determination pressing against him through thebond.

“I’ve almost got it!” she called back, her voice tight with concentration. “The shielding system—it’s unstable, but I can reroute the power.”

Tor’Vek fired a precise shot at an advancing Marauder, his calm voice cutting through the chaos. “You have less than two minutes. Work faster.”

Elara muttered something under her breath, her hands flying over the exposed wiring. Zar’Ryn saw her wince as another bolt of energy struck dangerously close, showering her in sparks. His grip on his blade tightened, anger flaring through him. Thebond jumped between them, amplifying her focus and resolve, even as his instincts screamed to protecther.

He dispatched another Marauder and pivoted toward her, his voice like steel. “You will finish and retreat, or I will drag you out myself.”

“Not yet!” Elara shot back, amix of fear and determination lacing her tone. Her hands twisted the wires with deft precision, and the console flickered to life. “If we lose the suppressor now, everything we’ve worked for is gone. Ineed thirty more seconds!”

Zar’Ryn parried another attack, the Marauder’s crude weapon scraping against his blade before he drove it into the creature’s chest. His eyes flicked to the doorway, where more Marauders were spilling in, their guttural snarls filling theair.

“Elara!” he shouted again, his voice a command, aplea.

“Done!” she cried triumphantly as the shielding system activated with a resonant hum. Afaint shimmer of energy enveloped the suppressor and its data drives, the glow casting an otherworldly light over the chaos. “The device is protected.”

Zar’Ryn turned just in time to see her scramble out from beneath the console, narrowly dodging a clawed Marauder that lunged for her. He moved without hesitation, his blade cleaving through the creature before it could reach her. Blood sprayed across the floor as the Marauder collapsed, lifeless.

“Go!” Zar’Ryn barked, his body moving to shield Elara and Tor’Vek as they backed toward the emergency exit. The bond warned of her relief and exhaustion, the intensity of it threatening to pull at his focus.

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