I'm sorry, but I can't tell...

"Nova, any sign of Dhalad?" Hiro asked as they got down of the van. They had just arrived at

The pre-dawn air hung heavy with the metallic tang of forgotten machinery and the faint hum of Zeta Serpentis's dying sun. The abandoned observatory, a skeletal silhouette against the star-dusted canvas, loomed ahead, its broken dome gaping like a sightless eye.

Nova's voice, cold and sharp, cut through the air. "[Negative. Sensors detect only faint energy traces in the observatory. High chance of a trap.]"

"Tisha, you said he was here." Hiro rasped.

"He was. He must have moved." Tisha's voice was tense.

Hiro clenched his jaw. Dhalad wouldn't come unarmed. The man was a snake, always spinning his web of lies and danger. But Hiro had an ace up his sleeve. He turned to Tisha, his eyes flashing like a predator's.

"Tisha, go dark. Find a good spot. Dhalad can jam the drones if he wants to. If he makes a move... end him."