Infiltration

Hours after the station lockdown, Tienerra sat in her dimly lit room, reviewing the holographic map projected from her wrist device. The compound's security checkpoints, known patrol routes, and Sable's office location glowed in faint blue lines, each critical point marked with subtle highlights. She memorized every path, every possible escape route. Precision and timing would be everything.

She turned the map off with a flick of her fingers, the device retracting its display into darkness. Her weapons, ammunition, and gear lay in front of her, carefully arranged as she inspected each piece, making minute adjustments where necessary. The rhythmic clicking of metal and leather straps securing into place was the only sound accompanying her thoughts.

Outside, the station's artificial night was slowly breaking. The once-hushed streets hummed back to life, the distant echoes of foot traffic and murmured conversations signaling the end of the lockdown. Tienerra's eyes flickered toward the window, curiosity drawing her toward the outside world.

She pulled the curtain back slightly, peering into the slums below. There—Varek.

The Nypherian was alone, moving toward the compound with purpose. His posture carried a certain intent, and if he was heading there, it could mean Sable was expecting him.

Her fingers tightened around the curtain. She had to leave. Now.

But as she turned toward the door, she hesitated. Velora.

Her room was directly across from Tienerra's. The Kitsurai had been too perceptive, too calculating. There was no doubt in Tienerra's mind that she was being monitored. Going through the front door was out of the question.

Her gaze shifted back to the window, this time looking up. An emergency stairway led to the roof.

Without hesitation, she unlatched the window, slipping through before closing it behind her. The cold metal of the fire escape vibrated softly beneath her boots as she climbed, the exposed pipes and cables along the rooftop providing ample cover.

Crouched low, she maneuvered across the interconnected buildings, the rooftops a maze of antennas, wiring, and ventilation ducts. Moving undetected here was second nature—her steps deliberate, her breathing controlled.

She came to a stop just before the slums gave way to the compound's open courtyard. Below, Varek walked into the heavily guarded lobby, his silhouette disappearing beyond the security checkpoint.

Tienerra narrowed her eyes. Too many guards. Going in through the front was suicide. But she had a plan.

She turned away, heading toward the underground drainage system she had memorized from the map.

A small, decrepit building housed the entrance she was looking for. According to her data, an old janitorial closet concealed a grate leading to the sewers. She entered the structure swiftly, moving through the abandoned halls until she reached the marked storage room.

Inside, she pushed aside bags of cleaning supplies and stacks of rusted containers, revealing the metallic grate beneath. With swift, practiced movements, she pried it open and slipped inside, ensuring it was closed behind her.

The air was thick with humidity, the scent of damp metal and stagnant water filling her lungs. The tunnel stretched in several directions, but she knew exactly where to go.

Tienerra activated her digital wrist pad, checking her map once more. A vertical intersection lay ahead. The main pipeline would lead her closer to the compound's basement level.

When she reached the intersection, she looked up. The pipe she needed to climb was narrow but manageable. Using her legs, tail, claws, and wings, she pushed off with precision, propelling herself upward. Her wings extended slightly, pressing against the narrow walls for added stability, giving her the controlled lift she needed. Each movement was calculated, her tail wrapping around pipes for added leverage.

She maneuvered through multiple pipe systems, shifting between horizontal crawl spaces and vertical shafts, using her claws to grip and stabilize herself when the tunnels became tighter. Some pipes forced her to contort her body in unnatural angles, slithering through confined spaces with silent efficiency. With each level she passed, she remained hyper-aware of her surroundings, her ears finely attuned to the distant echoes of movement above and below.

As she ascended through multiple pipe levels, her body remained tense, listening for any sign of motion above. Eventually, she reached the access point—a vent leading into a darkened conference room.

Peering through the grating, she saw no immediate threats. Silent. Barely lit.

Carefully, she removed the vent cover and dropped into the room without a sound, staying close to the shadows. But just as she moved toward the door, voices filtered in from the hallway.

Instinct kicked in. She ducked under the table, pressing herself against the cool metal base.

The footsteps grew louder—two guards escorting Varek toward Sable's office.

She waited, motionless, listening.

As the sounds faded down the hall, her eyes flicked toward another door on the far side of the room. It led to the adjacent space—Sable's office.

Silently, she crept toward it, withdrawing a small, snake-like spy camera from her belt. Sliding it beneath the door, she adjusted the lens, the device relaying live footage onto her wrist pad.

Varek stepped into the dimly lit room, his boots making a soft thud against the polished floor. Sable sat behind his desk, his fingers interlaced, his expression unreadable as his gaze flicked up to meet Varek's approach. The glow from the monitor embedded into the desk cast an eerie light upward, illuminating his face from below, emphasizing the deep lines of contemplation and making the sharp angles of his expression appear even more severe.

"So," Sable leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "You have information on this so-called assassin? The one who's here for me—or the archaeologists?"

Varek bowed his head slightly. "Yes, Master Sable. The assassin is currently resting in a room across from Velora."

Sable's interest visibly piqued. He stood, walking around his desk until he stood beside Varek, resting a firm hand on his subordinate's shoulder. "Tell me everything. In detail. Do not leave anything out."

Varek nodded. "It appears that Velora and the assassin have been acquainted. They drank together, spoke at length. From their conversation, it seemed casual—talk of the lockdown, of her singing, and a warning about recovering the archaeologists. The assassin claimed she would no longer pursue the matter and returned to her room."

Sable walked toward the bar in his office, pouring two glasses of amber liquid. He handed one to Varek before sitting beside him. "So, you're telling me that Velora met her openly, and they discussed plans to kill me?"

Varek took a careful sip before responding. "Not directly. But Velora ensured that her room was positioned directly across from the assassin's. I do not know if they spoke more during the lockdown, but it raises questions."

Sable swirled his glass, his voice eerily calm. "I see now. Velora… after eleven years under my watch, after what I did to her family… perhaps she's finally decided to act."

He turned his gaze back to Varek. "She was the only survivor, you know. Her family fought to defend her, and they failed. I suppose she's been waiting for her chance ever since."

Varek inclined his head. "It may be wise to summon her here. Catch her by surprise."

Sable nodded, finishing his drink. Tapping on his desk console, he activated the station's comm system.

"Velora," he said, his voice smooth yet commanding. "Come to my office. We may have a lead on the missing archaeologists. I require your assistance."

Velora's response was prompt. "Understood, Master Sable. I'll retrieve Varek and head there now."

Sable smiled faintly. "No need. He's already here. Come alone."

The display flickered off. Sable turned back to Varek. "We'll escort her to an interrogation room. Let's go."

The two men left the office, their footsteps fading.

Tienerra remained motionless, her breathing slow and controlled as she listened to the fading footsteps in the hallway. The dull chime of the elevator rang out, followed by the mechanical hiss of its doors sliding shut. The distant hum of its descent echoed faintly through the vents, signaling that Sable and Varek were now on their way elsewhere.

Only then did she move.

Keeping low, she emerged from her hiding spot and approached Sable's desk, her fingers gliding across the smooth surface before tapping on the embedded touchscreen monitor. A faint blue glow flickered to life, illuminating the interface. Lines of encrypted data scrolled before her eyes, waiting for input.

With practiced efficiency, she navigated through the system, her fingertips skimming across the screen as she bypassed minor firewalls. After a few keystrokes, the screen dimmed momentarily before displaying a new prompt: Access Confirmed. Begin Data Extraction?

Without hesitation, she inserted her data prism into the console, initiating a transfer. The progress bar appeared—1%, 2%, 3%…

Her eyes scanned the room, quickly rifling through Sable's drawers. Her fingers skimmed over stacks of data pads, organized with meticulous precision, before halting at the sight of something unusual. Then she froze. A small, ornate box rested in the bottom of the drawer, half-buried beneath loose documents. The wood was smooth but worn at the edges, its surface intricately engraved with a familiar symbol—one that sent a jolt through her memory.

She hesitated, brushing dust off the emblem, her pulse quickening as childhood recollections stirred. It had been so long since she had seen this mark, but she recognized it instantly. Her breath slowed as she carefully lifted the box from its resting place, turning it over in her hands. The latch was locked, its mechanism unfamiliar but clearly advanced. Whatever was inside, Sable had deemed it important enough to keep hidden, yet close at hand.

Her mind raced. What was something from her past doing in Sable's possession? How much did he truly know?

She pocketed it, turning back to the monitor. 83% complete.

A noise. Someone approaching.

The sound was faint at first—a soft shuffle of boots against the polished floor, barely discernible beneath the low hum of the compound's systems. Then came a steady, deliberate rhythm—footsteps moving with certainty, closing in from the hallway. The tap of soles against metal, the subtle creak of shifting weight.

Tienerra's breathing slowed. She remained perfectly still, every muscle poised as the presence neared. Whoever it was, they weren't in a rush. They were moving with intention, as if they had all the time in the world to reach their destination. The hallway light dimmed briefly, a shadow flickering across the thin gap at the base of the door.

She could hear them now—pausing just outside. A hand grazing the handle. The quiet intake of breath.

Then, the door creaked open.

As the progress hit 95%, the door creaked open. A servant entered, their eyes adjusting to the dim lighting before freezing in place. For a brief moment, there was only silence—an almost disbelieving pause as they processed the figure standing behind Sable's desk. Their breath hitched, mouth parting as if struggling to form words. Then, realization struck.

Their face contorted in shock, and their voice cracked as they let out a panicked shriek, "Intruder! Intruder!"

Tienerra reacted immediately. 100% complete. She ripped the prism out, wiped the console, and smashed the monitor with her fist.

As she bolted into the hallway, her momentum carried her toward Sable's desk, using it as a launching pad. Her boots struck the surface with a sharp impact, sending loose documents scattering into the air as she propelled herself forward. The force of her leap cracked the embedded screen, spiderweb fractures spreading instantly across its illuminated surface.

On the shattered screen, a single corrupted file remained open. For a split second before the monitor flickered out, the screen displayed fragmented data logs and encrypted messages, the name "VOID" pulsing in distorted red text. Then, with a final sputter, the console went dark.