POV: Lyra
We reached Jewel Station at 0456 hours. The Deputy Commander had gotten everyone to seal their quarters and hide in the emergency bunkers. The Rogues who came earlier were targeting the command center. In other words, Commander Frederick. The other officers who lived in the command sector had already been evacuated.
The Deputy, accompanied by the three surviving specialists, asked, "So, what do you need us to do?"
Their eyes moved from one station leader to another, wondering who was leading this alliance. When every Commander's and Specialist's eyes fell on me, one of the warriors behind the Deputy couldn't mask his surprise. His comrades were also taken aback that everyone was awaiting orders from the smallest Kaelari among them, and I wasn't even a station partner.
Same reaction every time. The Rainbow Commander doesn't look like much until she starts giving orders.
My voice rang through the dimly lit corridor, addressing the Deputy. "Two of your specialists protect Commander Frederick. I'm not allowing your Commander to face a Rogue yet. One should stay five meters outside the emergency shelter vault, the other by his side inside. Then—"
The surprised specialist interrupted. "But the vault hasn't been maintained. It hasn't been sanitized in months!"
"But is it secure?" I asked.
"Yes but—"
"Then there isn't an issue. Comfort isn't our concern right now. Take your Commander there and maintain positions. Toby and Lovelace, follow them but stay hidden. You two shouldn't be detected." Commander Frederick nodded to his specialists, and they escorted him out without further questions, with Toby and Lovelace shadowing them.
I continued, "Sylvia, Tate, and Jewel Station Deputy and specialists, position around the command center like you're defending it. Let's see if we can mislead the Rogues and divert their attention long enough from the vault to eliminate them." I looked at Sylvia and Tate. "Don't let anything happen to the Jewel Station members." They nodded and took positions.
"The rest of us hide and watch for now. Zeke, take the rear sector. Zelena, five meters starboard of the command center. Raden, five meters port. Juan, you and I take the main approach." Everyone nodded and dispersed.
'They're most likely coming from the main corridor, Lyra. We should activate combat mode,' Juan mind-touched.
'Couldn't agree more.'
I ducked behind a support pillar and activated my combat suit's stealth mode. The nano-fabric shifted, adapting to blend with the station's interior. My skin's natural opalescence dimmed to near-invisibility—a Kaelari advantage most didn't know about. Juan's suit shimmered as his stealth engaged, his larger frame harder to conceal completely.
In less than two minutes, my enhanced hearing picked up footsteps—rapid but controlled, moving through the station's corridors.
'The others aren't detecting anything. Looks like the attack's only from the main approach,' Juan linked.
'I'm only counting eight though. Didn't the Deputy mention at least ten?'
'Maybe the others were too damaged to return.'
'Not buying it. Get Zeke and Tate here, please.'
'On it.'
Within moments, two more stealth signatures appeared beside us—Zeke's massive frame and Tate's slightly smaller one. Station Commanders were known to handle two, sometimes three Rogues simultaneously. I'd learned to do the same through years of combat.
'The others still not detecting anything?' I linked Juan.
'Nothing.'
'This is too easy. Stay alert even after we've eliminated all eight.'
'I'll warn the rest.'
The footsteps slowed as the Rogues approached the command center. Through my helmet's display, I saw them—eight figures in modified combat armor, weapons charged. The one in the middle with scarred armor plating was largest, clearly their leader.
Underestimating me already. The small Kaelari female who isn't even a station partner. Classic mistake.
The Rogue leader studied my position, though he couldn't fully see through my stealth. With a hand signal from their leader, the Rogues charged forward, plasma weapons firing.
We deactivated stealth and engaged.
Having underestimated my capabilities, only one Rogue came at me—the smallest of them. I dodged his plasma burst, grabbed his weapon arm, and used his momentum to throw him hard against the metal wall. The impact cracked his helmet. Before he could recover, I drove my combat blade through his neck joint, the only weak point in standard armor.
I sprinted to Zeke, who was engaging three simultaneously. Catching them off-guard, I launched myself at the nearest despite him being the largest. My weight and momentum knocked him off-balance. He recovered quickly, aiming his plasma rifle at my head. I dodged, the burst scorching the wall behind me.
I swept his legs with a low kick, targeting where his armor showed stress fractures. He fell, and I drove both knees into his chest plate with my full weight, cracking it. His scream was cut short as I snapped his neck through the damaged armor. The Rogue leader and another turned toward me in shock, giving Juan the opening to tackle the leader.
I pursued the retreating Rogue. Coward.
The chase led to the station's water processing sector—a massive chamber with recycling tanks. No escape route. The Rogue turned, raising his weapon, and activated his comm unit with a specific frequency.
Not giving him time to call reinforcements, I charged and kicked him into the processing tank. His back hit the filtration unit hard before the current pulled him under. The system's automated safety protocols didn't activate for unauthorized bio-signatures. He drowned in seconds.
Panting, I turned to head back. That's when my enhanced senses detected something wrong. Three heat signatures that hadn't been on the battlefield. And their bio-readings... not standard Rogues.
I mind-touched Juan. 'Juan, I'm in water processing. Eliminated the Rogue but detecting something else. Also hostiles, but not Kaelari. Unrecognized bio-signatures.'
'How many?' Juan asked between combat sounds.
'Three, I think.'
'Sending Raden and Tate.'
As Juan's message came through, three figures emerged from the shadows of the processing chamber. Massive frames, over seven feet tall, wearing advanced armor I'd never seen on Rogues before.
No. It can't be.
Their bio-luminescent pathways glowed through their armor seams. Rogue Lyrokans.
'Juan, get them here NOW. These three are Rogue Lyrokans!'
We're so screwed. Regular Rogues we can handle. But Lyrokans who've gone rogue? That's a whole different threat level.
Meanwhile, back at the Capital Station, I knew Orion would be getting the alert any moment. Benjamin would've contacted someone by now. Christian probably, since the Duke actually kept his communicator nearby when sleeping.
He's going to be beyond furious that I didn't wake him. But eleven specialists dead? We didn't have time for protocol.
The first Rogue Lyrokan stepped forward, his pathways glowing an unnatural red—a sign of neural corruption from too much combat stim abuse. His voice was gravelly through his helmet speaker. "The Rainbow Commander. What an unexpected bonus."
They know who I am. This was planned.
I activated my emergency beacon, sending our coordinates to any allied forces in range. Then I faced the three corrupted Lyrokans, knowing I was about to fight the hardest battle of my life.
Just have to stay alive until backup arrives. How hard could that be?
The lead Rogue Lyrokan's pathways flared brighter. "The Emperor's new pet. This will send quite the message."
Oh, void. They know about Orion too.