'Hang in there, Lyra! They're coming!' Juan's panicked mind-touch flooded my consciousness. I could feel him trying to speed up his elimination of the remaining Rogues to reach me.
Standing in the water processing chamber, I finally realized this was a trap set specifically for me. The Rogue I'd kicked into the tank wasn't retreating—he was leading me here, far from the Commanders and other specialists.
The three Lyrokans surrounded me, their pathways pulsing as they communicated through their enhanced telepathic link. I kept my expression neutral, but I knew my position. My survival chances were minimal. I might handle one Lyrokan, but not three simultaneously.
Stay calm. Buy time. Raden and Tate are coming.
One Lyrokan stood too close to the processing tank's edge. He charged first, his enhanced speed blurring his movement. I dove low, dodging his plasma gauntlet, and grabbed his leg with my combat suit's enhanced grip. Using his momentum, I flipped him toward the filtration unit in the tank.
The impact was devastating—his armor cracked against the metal, and he was definitely terminated because his companions' pathways flared bright red with rage. The body was pulled into the processing current before hitting the secondary filtration unit. The remaining two Lyrokans' pathways pulsed furiously, their armor's combat systems fully activating.
'Hang on, Lyra! They're coming! I'm right behind them now! Hang in there!' Juan's panic spiked through our link.
Both Lyrokans attacked simultaneously. I rolled aside, my suit's servos straining. As soon as I regained footing, they attacked again. I rolled away from the processing tank—didn't want to die the same way as the two I'd eliminated. The Lyrokans were getting impatient. I knew better than to run and waste energy. Lyrokans were faster and stronger than Kaelari. I'd learned the only way to beat a Lyrokan was with superior agility and tactics.
Just hold on a little longer.
The Lyrokans attacked again, but not directly. They moved to flank me. Before they could complete the maneuver, I leaped away—but wasn't fast enough. One grabbed my suit's utility belt and threw me against the chamber's metal wall. I groaned at the impact, my armor's integrity warnings flashing red.
Before I could recover, a gauntleted hand grabbed my throat and slammed me to the floor. I felt my ribs crack through the suit's protection. Before they could heal, I was thrown against another wall with even more force.
Don't scream. Don't give them the satisfaction.
Even through the pain, I refused to cry out. My helmet was cracked, leaning against the wall. The Lyrokans laughed, their corrupted pathways glowing with sadistic pleasure as they approached. When they were two meters away, furious battle cries echoed through the chamber.
Tate and Raden burst through the entrance, catching them off-guard. The Lyrokans recovered quickly—one grabbed Tate and threw him carelessly. His mistake—throwing without aim. Tate landed safely, his armor absorbing the impact, and immediately charged back.
Before the Lyrokan reached me, Juan knocked him aside with his shoulder-mounted plasma cannon. Tate continued his assault, his combat blade finding gaps in the Lyrokan's armor.
Juan's dark armor turned toward me, his helmet's display showing his worry through our shared link.
'I'll be okay. Help them!' I linked.
He nodded and charged at the Lyrokan attacking Raden. My bones were healing through the suit's med-injectors, but not quickly enough to stand. The pain was unbearable, but I gritted my teeth and fought through it.
Hate being sidelined. Hate watching helplessly.
From the ground, I watched the battle. Then I noticed the Lyrokan fighting Tate reaching for something—a blade, but not just any blade. My enhanced sensors detected the coating: Xerium compound [deadly poison to Kaelari nervous systems].
'Juan, get to Tate! Xerium blade!' Panic flooded my mind-touch as Juan sprinted toward Tate.
A regular blade wasn't concerning—wounds would heal. But Xerium-coated weapons were fatal to Kaelari. The compound attacked our unique nervous system, shutting down our opalescent skin's regenerative properties. If it entered the bloodstream, it had to be filtered immediately for any chance of survival.
Juan tackled the Lyrokan, the blade flying across the chamber. The other Lyrokan threw Raden at Tate and Juan, all three crashing together. The Lyrokan who'd lost the blade blocked them while his companion grabbed the Xerium blade and sprinted toward me.
Can't move. Can't defend. This is how I die.
My heart raced, but I kept my expression neutral despite being unable to stand. The Lyrokan drove the blade through my armor's damaged section, plunging it between my ribs. The Xerium immediately began burning through my system. I couldn't help the scream that tore through my mind-link with Juan.
Juan's rage erupted through our connection. He kicked the blocking Lyrokan in the head and ran toward me, but the Lyrokan caught him and pulled him back.
I breathed heavily, locking eyes with the Rogue Lyrokan through my cracked helmet. He smirked with victory, keeping the blade embedded, preventing me from pulling it out. Weakness spread through my body as the Xerium worked through my bloodstream.
Not like this. Not when we were so close.
As my vision started blurring, the most powerful energy signature I'd ever felt exploded through the chamber. The Lyrokans' pathways immediately shifted to fear—they recognized that signature. My specialists used the distraction to attack, pushing the Lyrokan away from me. Raden kicked my attacker back.
To everyone's shock, the owner of that overwhelming energy signature entered the battlefield, along with his second-in-command.
Orion. He actually came.
Through my fading vision, I saw him—seven feet of pure rage, his purple pathways blazing so bright they lit up the entire chamber. Christian beside him, both in full combat armor.
The Emperor had arrived.
And he looked ready to burn the entire station down.