Page 31 of Stars in Umbra
His keen hearing caught the wail of sirens as they approached.
He didn’t have time to bury a body, so he left Mlitko sprawled like a stain on the white drift.
Breathing hard, skin flickering with a residual spectral glow, he sprinted into the tree line, disappearing just as floodlights raked the hillside.
Quicker than any drone was able to calibrate.
A blur to any imaging sensors or cameras.
His speed stretched the limits of flesh and physics, energy rippling from his limbs, lashing through the cold air in sparks of blue fire.
Gunfire snapped past his heels, wild and useless.
By the time their probes caught up, he was gone, ghosting into the craggy hills where no one followed.
The skiff was waiting where he’d left it.
He swung into it and launched into orbit, escaping the chaos behind.
He returned to the gunship and, once settled and en route to Eden II, his neural core pinged his handlers.
MISSION COMPLETE. TARGET NEUTRALIZED.
The response was swift.
ACKNOWLEDGED. OUTSTANDING WORK. YOU REMAIN OUR TOP SILENT BLADE. REST. AWAIT FUTURE DIRECTIVES.
The node thread ended, with the words glimmering into nothing, leaving no trace.
He landed the aircraft at a secret bay in the spaceport, one run by Iccythrians and also one with diplomatic ties.
Which meant its bays, hallways, and corridors were among the few hidden from Mirage Sable’s keen eye.
He changed on board, left all his gear, nabbed a small cross-body bag, and lit out.
Using a series of maintenance chutes, he cut through the busy terminals, emerging in a public fly cab rank.
He took the first available air taxi and pointed it towards the Riders’ famed fortress of glass and steel, which rose like a crown against the city’s neon horizon.
It was early morning, and only a few souls were roaming the streets.
He strolled out of the hovering craft and into the building, keeping his gait relaxed, and with the nonchalant ease of a man who’d come off night duty.
He took the elevator to his private apartment, a quiet, luxurious space stripped of clutter.
Smooth charcoal walls, high-end alloy fixtures, and floor-to-ceiling plexiglass framed the endless skyline of Eden II, where the city burned in neon and midnight.
Neat and minimalist, everything had its place, apart from the gorgeous planter boxes overflowing with verdant, lush greenery and blooms.
The door slid shut with a soft hiss, sealing him in solitude.
First stop, the bar.
He crossed the polished surface and poured himself two fingers of Sartixian vodka, which delivered a hit of a silky, clean burn.
He downed it, allowing the fire to wash away the remnants of adrenaline twisting in his gut.
Next, the shower.
