[= Establishing Planetary Link... =]

  Draxis Reach

  Capital City, Rykka-9, Outer Kordis System

  Standard Galactic Date: 2739, Cycle 03

  Local Time: 20:24 Port Standard

  [= Location Data Logged =]

  The safehouse was a dump.

  Barely four walls, a flickering overhead light, and a couch that felt one spring away from snapping in half.

  I shifted, feeling it creak under me, like even this rundown place was tired of putting up with my weight.

  Zara had ordered some takeout from the only place that’d dare deliver here.

  Greasy food. Flimsy containers.

  I knew I was going to regret it even before I started eating.

  But Zara didn’t seem to mind.

  She sat next to me, close enough that our legs brushed whenever she moved.

  And yeah, she was hott.

  Not the kind of hot that’s obvious, but the kind that sneaks up on you.

  Waits for you to say something stupid.

  I wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction.

  Not now.

  If this was still the game, I’d have some dialogue options to help me out.

  But alas—this is my reality now.

  I have to improvise everything.

  Which, honestly?

  Has been kinda fun so far.

  I leaned back, eyes fixed on the shadows the flickering light cast across the walls.

  A shiver crept down my spine.

  Probably because of the draft, though looking at this place, I wouldn’t rule out a rat or two scurrying around.

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  Zara shifted beside me, her shoulder pressing against mine.

  I ignored it.

  She kept her gaze on the food, chewing quietly, expression distant.

  Lost in her own thoughts.

  Probably planning her next move.

  “Ares,” I murmured, activating the comms embedded discreetly in my ear.

  “Take the ship and stow the cargo somewhere out of sight.”

  A slight pause.

  “I’ll be back for it once this mess with Astra is sorted.”

  A moment later, Ares’s voice buzzed in my ear.

  “Understood, Commander. I’ll secure the crimson dust in a remote location and transmit coordinates only to you. Though I must say, the decision to abandon it for now is... unusual.”

  “Just do it,” I muttered.

  A flicker of movement caught my eye.

  I glanced at Zara.

  She was watching me.

  Eyebrow raised.

  Then—her expression darkened.

  Her eyes narrowed.

  Like she was piecing it together.

  “Crimson dust?”

  Her voice had an edge sharp enough to cut through steel.

  “You’re hauling crimson dust?”

  She jabbed a finger at my chest, her glare nothing short of murderous.

  “You’re the reason Astra’s in this mess?”

  Oops.

  “And you’re acting like you’re doing me… her… a big favor?”

  I held up my hands, hoping to calm her down.

  “Calm down.”

  Her eyes widened.

  Right. Wrong choice of words. I’m on a roll here.

  She practically hissed, “Calm down? You’re sitting here with the stash of contraband that got my sister kidnapped, and you want me to calm down?”

  “Look,” I said, lowering my voice, trying to stay reasonable, “I don’t even know if it’s the same shipment, all right? For all I know, it could be something entirely different that got her snatched.”

  “How convenient.”

  She crossed her arms, still glaring at me.

  “Is your brain going because you keep using those freaky mind powers?”

  I let out a half-hearted laugh. “Maybe it is. Hell, I don’t know. One moment, I had my whole crew with me, and the next thing I know, I’m alone on the ship with Ares’s sarcastic ass as my only company.”

  Zara’s gaze softened, just a bit.

  Like she was weighing my words.

  Trying to decide if I was lying, or if maybe—just maybe—I was actually telling the truth.

  The tension eased from her face.

  Replaced by something more… curious.

  She studied me, head tilted.

  Like she was trying to peel back layers she hadn’t noticed before.

  Then, after a moment, she murmured, almost to herself—

  “I think you might actually be telling the truth.”

  A pause.

  “I mean, you don’t seem like a complete bastard.”

  A faint smirk touched her lips.

  The closest thing I’d seen to a real smile since we met.

  “Well, don’t go spreading that around,” I replied, keeping my tone light. “You’ll ruin my reputation.”

  She huffed, rolling her eyes.

  But I could tell—she was fighting sleep.

  It’d been a long night.

  Even with adrenaline still buzzing through my veins, exhaustion was starting to creep in.

  Zara must’ve felt it too, because eventually, she let the quiet settle between us.

  The safehouse became a rare pocket of calm.

  A little bubble of silence in the chaos of Draxis Reach.

  In the cramped space, we both ended up slumped back on the lumpy couch, shoulder to shoulder.

  Her eyes grew heavier.

  And before I knew it, she’d drifted off.

  Her head resting against me.

  I didn’t move.

  Didn’t want to break the peace.

  I closed my own eyes, letting the tension drain from my muscles, sinking into the worn cushions.

  “Commander.”

  Ares’s voice crackled through my comms earpiece.

  “It’s time. The ship is ready, coordinates secured, and I trust you’ll be… punctual.”

  I opened my eyes.

  Blinking the haze of sleep away.

  “Got it,” I muttered softly, trying not to wake her.

  But Zara stirred, her eyes fluttering open.

  She blinked up at me, momentarily disoriented—

  Then seemed to remember where she was.

  I met her gaze.

  “We’re moving,” I said, nodding toward the door.