Page 21 of Stolen By the Wraiths
"Intelligence intercepts confirm Vain's network is moving faster than we projected," Serak said, his pale Khavai eyes mirroring the holographic displays. "The timeline has collapsed. We have perhaps 48 hours before the Epsilon Facility relocates its... subjects."
The word subjects hung in the air like a curse. Clinical language that stripped away personhood. I'd heard that kind of language before.
"How solid is this intelligence?" Jessa asked from her position near the navigation console.
"Multiple sources, cross-confirmed through surveillance intercepts, financial tracking, and the data core Alix retrieved," Serak replied. "Vain's network is preparing for a major operational shift."
"I cracked the ghost encryption on the core you pulled," Deyric said, not looking up from his console. His voice was quiet, but it carried the weight of discovery. "It's not just research data; Vain's team embedded full operational details... and worse."His voice faltered. "They're documenting systematic torture, designed to break natural bonding processes."
My hands clenched into fists. They were weaponizing love.
"Specifically targeting Tsekai," Serak added grimly. "The data indicates forty-three confirmed subjects currently held in the experimental wings. Living victims."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Ressh's reaction was a physical force; his scent sharpened to something that made my teeth ache, and the silver lines at his throat pulsed with a light that betrayed the emotions he fought to control.
"Forty-three," Thoryn said, the rare words holding absolute condemnation.
At that moment, the ship's medic, Solren, stepped forward. "It's worse than torture," he stated, his voice a low rumble. "They're using tailored retroviruses to induce systemic cellular degradation. It's a bioweapon designed to look like psychological trauma."
His words landed with the weight of a death sentence.
"Show me the security footage," I said, my voice tight. "Right now."
Deyric hesitated. "Alix, once you see this, you can't unsee it."
"Show me."
The display shifted, and the images that followed burned themselves into my memory. Tsekai individuals in containment cells, their silver markings dulled to a gray lifelessness. Some rocked in corners, others lay motionless. The worst were the ones actively undergoing procedures, strapped to examination tables.
"Chemical suppressants," Deyric narrated, his voice strained. "Designed to interfere with natural pheromonal production."
I watched, horrified, as one individual writhed against restraints while technicians injected compounds directly intohis markings, the silver lines dimming to gray. The final image showed him staring at nothing, his eyes empty.
"How are they replicating this?" I asked, my voice rough.
"They're documenting the process," Serak said grimly. "This is a blueprint for a new kind of weapon."
"A weapon for what purpose?" Jessa asked.
"Control," Ressh spoke for the first time, his voice imbued with a resonance that made the recycled air feel charged. "Break enough bonds, document the process thoroughly enough, and you can threaten any bonded species with targeted psychological warfare."
The implications were staggering. I looked at Ressh and saw my own protective rage mirrored in his expression. But underneath the fury, I could smell the bitter undertones of self-recrimination. He was blaming himself for endangering me.
"What are our infiltration options?" I asked, forcing my voice back to professional calm.
"The protocols have changed," Serak said, displaying the facility's security specs. "They have bio-scanners that read genetic markers, hormonal levels, and neurochemical alignment. Anything less than complete biochemical bonding triggers immediate lockdown."
My stomach dropped. "They can tell if Tsekai bonding is genuine."
"Down to the molecular level," Serak confirmed. "Previous rescue attempts failed. All failed."
The weight of those failures settled over the room. "So we need a genuinely bonded pair to get inside," I said slowly.
"Direct assault means the probable execution of all subjects," Thoryn said bluntly. "Or abandoning the rescue entirely."
"Those aren't really alternatives," I said.
"No," Serak agreed. "They're not."
