Chapter 37
Alarms shrieked, and red strobes pulsed down the smooth corridors of the research facility. The thrum of the station's defenses engaging sent a cold shiver down her spine. Standing with Kade and Wren in the control room, Selene found herself staring in horror at the monitor displaying the fleet of the Syndicate closing in on their position.
"How many ships?" Selene demanded, though firmness belied the crackling tension in the air.
"Four," Kade replied, his voice grave. "And they are armed to the gills."
Wren's fingers danced across the console, pulling up schematics of the station. "It does have automated defenses, but nothing that can very well last in situations involving that large of a fleet."
Selene bunched her fists. "We've got to gain time. Wren, how much longer do you need to breach the prototype encryption?
"Maybe an hour, if everything goes perfectly," Wren replied, looking toward Selene.
Perfect isn't an option right now," Selene said. "Do what you can. Kade, get the crew ready. We're defending this place at all costs."
\---
In the hangar bay, Xara was already suiting up. Dante was beside her, checking his weapons.
"Four ships," Xara muttered, strapping on her armor. "Feels like overkill, even for the Syndicate.
"They want the prototype," Dante said. "They'll stop at nothing to get it.
Xara smirked, the glint of defiance dancing in her eyes. "Let's make them wish they hadn't."
Dante smiled, but behind his expression was a razor's edge. "Stick close. No heroics."
"Same goes for you," Xara tossed back.
The first wave hit hard. Energy blasts from the Syndicate's ships rattled the station as the Aquila's crew scrambled to their stations in a flurry of chaos, working with the researchers to keep the defenses online.
Selene stayed in the control room, barking orders into her comms. "Xara, Dante, repel boarders. Kade, keep the tactical systems up. Wren, status?
"I'm going as fast as I can," Wren replied, her tone tight. "This encryption is a nightmare."
Selene took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. They'd faced worse odds before, but this time failure wasn't an option.
\---
Down deeper in the heart of the station, Xara and Dante fought in a gunfight with a troop of the first Syndicate soldiers to have made it inside. The firefight sounded all over the corridor.
"Cover me!" she yelled, jerking behind the terminal as a sleet of bullets whammed around her.
Dante stepped out from where he was sheltered, returning fire with a tight beam of precision blaster shots: "Go!"
Xara is up in a second; on combat training, she picks off two more coolly before sliding into the shadow of his profile.
"This is too organized," Dante growled low as he reloads his handgun.
Xara nods. "Knew exactly where to hit, meaning someone's fed them the information."
"Now isn't later. Now's getting out alive," he snarls before popping out of cover with a shot.
Meanwhile, Kade was in the station's central hub, managing the defense systems. His head spun as he tried to keep up with the attack patterns of the Syndicate.
"They're going for the power core," Kade said into his comms. "If they take that out, we're done."
"I'll send Xara and Dante to intercept," Selene replied. "Hold them off as long as you can."
Kade winced. "Understood.
He knew the Syndicate’s tactics too well. They wouldn’t stop until they had what they wanted—or until everyone in the facility was dead.