Chapter 38
Back in the control room, Wren let out a frustrated growl. “This encryption is insane. It’s like the person who designed it wanted it to be impossible to crack.”
“Then you’re the perfect person to crack it,” Selene said, her voice firm.
Wren looked up at her, surprised by the confidence in Selene’s tone. It was enough to steel her resolve.
“I’ll figure it out,” Wren said, determination shining in her eyes.
\---
As the battle raged on, Selene couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. The Syndicate was throwing everything they had at the facility, but their attacks felt almost. restrained.
“Kade,” she said into her comm. “What’s your read on this?”
Kade's voice came back, strained but intent. "They're holding back. They could've hit us harder by now."
"Why?" Selene asked.
"Maybe they're trying to force us into a corner," Kade said. "Or maybe."
He trailed off, and Selene's stomach twisted.
"What is it?" she pressed.
"They could be waiting for reinforcements," Kade said.
\---
In the lower levels, Xara and Dante reached the power core, only to find a team of Syndicate operatives already working to sabotage it.
“We’re too late,” Xara said, her voice low.
“Not yet,” Dante said, gripping his weapon. “We can still stop them.”
The two moved in tandem, their movements synchronized as they took down the operatives one by one.
Xara moved toward the core controls, assessing the damage. "It's bad, but I can stabilize it. Cover me."
Dante nodded, his gun still aimed down the corridor. The distant clink of Syndicate boots echoed faintly.
"Hurry," he said, voice strained.
\---
Down in the control room, Wren shouted, "I've got it! The encryption's down!
Selene was at her side in an instant, peering at the data streaming across the screen. "Can you destroy it?"
"Yes," Wren said. "But it's going to take a few minutes to erase everything totally."
"Do it," Selene said. "We'll hold them off."
\---
The Syndicate reinforcements arrived, and their ships swarmed the facility. The automated defenses were quickly overwhelmed, and the station's shields started to fail.
Selene's voice came over the comms. "Kade, we need an extraction plan. Now.
"I'm on it," Kade said, his fingers flying across the console.
\---
Wren worked at erasing all data from the prototype as Selene readied for the worst: the facility was compromised, and the Syndicate was closing in.
"We're almost out of time," Selene said into her comm. "Xara, Dante, report."
"The core's stable," Xara said. "But we've got more company."
"Fall back to the hangar," Selene ordered. "We're pulling out."
\---
The team reconvened in the hangar, faces grim but set. Wren was the last, clutching a portable drive.
"It's done," she said. "The data's gone, but I salvaged a fragment for analysis."
Selene nodded. "Good work. Let's move."
\---
Aquila's engines roared to life as her crew launched into the sky. The Syndicate vessels gave chase, but Kade's piloting and Aquila's speed allowed them to outrun their pursuers.
As they left the facility behind, Selene allowed herself a moment of relief. They had survived, but the battle wasn't over.
"Where to now?" Xara asked, slumping into her seat.
Selene stared at the stars ahead. "Somewhere safe. Somewhere we can figure out what's next.
An awkward silence fell amongst the crew members, as though the weight of the entire mission hung around their necks. They had destroyed the data regarding the prototype, but that didn't stop the Syndicate from hunting them.
One thing was for sure with Selene: this fight was far from over.