No Honor Among Thieves

Cassian wiped the sweat from his brow and leaned against the cold metal wall of their underground hideout. It had been two days of laying low, planning every step, and rationing what little food they had. The Sovereigns' city was unlike anything he had seen—a wasteland covered in the guise of a civilization. Every shadow could be a patrol, every sound could be a drone scanning for intruders. And the only way out? Well… that's what they were here to discuss.

Cassian turned to Jace, who was flicking a rusted coin between his fingers, his expression unreadable.

"How long does it take to get to the nearest Time Jump?" Cassian asked.

Jace stopped flipping the coin and let out a dry chuckle. "Nearest? There are only two. The closest one is smack-dab in the headquarters of the Sovereigns." He leaned back. "And the other one doesn't exist anymore."

Cassian narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean it doesn't exist?"

Jace sighed and stretched his arms. "I mean the Sovereigns erased it. Like, poof. Gone. They didn't want anyone escaping, so they used their fancy Liranium tech to wipe it from existence." He shook his head. "No ruins. No remnants. Just an empty lot where a portal used to be."

Cassian exchanged glances with Rory, who already looked like she regretted asking.

"So, our only shot is the Sovereigns' HQ," Rory muttered. "Why does it always have to be the worst possible option?"

Cassian smirked. "Because the universe hates us."

---

The three huddled over a crude map Jace had drawn in the dirt.

"Security rotations change every four hours," Jace explained, dragging a finger across the outline. "We hit them just before shift change. Less experienced guards on duty, fewer reinforcements."

"What about alarms?" Rory asked.

"We disable them here," Jace pointed at a small structure on the outskirts of the HQ. "A maintenance hub. If we can cut their power for three minutes, it'll disrupt their scanners long enough for us to slip through."

Cassian grinned. "Sounds simple enough."

Jace scoffed. "You always say that right before something explodes."

"Because things tend to explode around me."

---

Two Days Later: The Infiltration

They moved under the cover of darkness, slipping past patrols, knocking out unsuspecting guards, and disabling security cameras with practiced precision. The plan was working.

Too well.

They made it inside without incident. The Sovereigns' HQ was a sleek, sterile place—black walls with pulsing blue lights, the air thick with the scent of metal and sterilizers.

As they crept through a side corridor, Cassian accidentally bumped into a shelf.

Clink.

A vial teetered. Rory's eyes widened.

"Cassian, don't—"

Cassian reached out to steady it, but the vial slipped, crashing to the floor. A thick, greenish gas hissed out, engulfing him.

He coughed, waving his hand in front of his face. "Oh, that's great. Real smooth, Cassian."

Rory picked up the vial. The label was barely readable, but one word stood out:

"Thanatox."

She paled. "Cassian… this stuff is literally called 'Death Mist.'"

Jace buried his face in his hands. "You absolute moron. Do you know how much that vial was worth?!"

Cassian wheezed out a chuckle. "Oh no, did I ruin your shopping trip? My deepest apologies."

"You don't get it, you—" Jace stopped mid-rant as Cassian coughed violently.

"Oh, come on," Cassian waved him off. "Nothing's gonna kill me."

Then he coughed again. Harder.

Rory frowned. "You sure about that?"

Cassian took a deep breath. His vision blurred for a second, but he shook it off. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Let's keep moving."

Jace sighed. "If you turn into a zombie or start growing tentacles, I'm leaving you behind."

Cassian grinned. "Noted."

---

Reaching the Time Jump

They sprinted through the halls, ducking past guards, using stolen access cards, and knocking out the occasional scientist who got in their way. The Sovereigns' technology was unlike anything Cassian had ever seen—holographic monitors displaying unreadable data, machines humming with untold power.

Finally, they reached the portal room.

A massive ring stood in the center, crackling with unstable energy.

Rory glanced at Jace. "Is your friend coming along?"

Cassian turned to him. "How about it, partner?"

Jace hesitated.

And then Cassian heard it.

Click.

A dozen guns cocked in unison.

From the shadows, Sovereign guards stepped forward, weapons raised.

Cassian slowly turned back to Jace, who was now walking toward the officers with his hands behind his back.

"Did you really think I was going to let that much money go, 'partner'?"

Cassian clenched his jaw. "You son of a—"

Chapter Ends.