The room was silent, shadows stretching across the floor from the dim glow of the terminal screens. Velora sat quietly, her mind swirling with unease and suspicion. Her instincts nagged at her relentlessly, whispering warnings she couldn't ignore, though she couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong. A soft chime interrupted her contemplation, pulling her abruptly back into the present.
Velora's personal communicator buzzed sharply, the screen flickering to life with Sable's holographic image, his eyes piercing even through the translucent projection. His voice, calm yet edged with urgency, filled the room. "Velora, I require your presence immediately in the interrogation room. We have new information regarding the fifth archaeologist who escaped. Your particular skills will be essential."
Velora rose slowly, adjusting her attire meticulously and slipping her communicator into her pocket. Her instincts screamed at her, urging caution, compelling her to double-check the security footage from her monitor. The display clearly showed Tienerra, seemingly asleep, oblivious to the lockdown being lifted. Velora frowned, her instincts flaring sharply. Either Tienerra was an extraordinarily heavy sleeper, or something was deeply amiss. After another careful glance, finding nothing obviously out of place, she reluctantly moved towards the corridor. She cast one last wary glance at the monitor, her instincts still screaming that something was terribly wrong.
Velora arrived at the compound lobby, her footsteps echoing sharply against polished floors, the sound resonating ominously. Guards watched her carefully, eyes guarded yet expectant, clearly instructed in advance. She stepped into the elevator, a shiver running down her spine as the metal doors slid closed with a faint, foreboding hiss.
The elevator descended slowly, a mechanical voice softly announcing each passing floor. The ride seemed endless, stretching Velora's tension thinner with every passing moment. When the doors finally opened, she stepped into a wide, dimly lit hallway, its breadth clearly meant to accommodate freight or large equipment. Three solid doors stood silently on the right side, each imposing and uniform.
She approached the first door cautiously, opening it with measured care. Her breath caught as the stark, oppressive interrogation chamber came into view, deepening her unease. Inside, three archaeologists sat tied to chairs, their heads hanging in exhaustion and defeat, directly across from Sable and Varek. The scene sent a shiver down her spine, intensifying her apprehension. She saw Varek and Sable already seated, each flanked by attendants standing rigidly behind them. Between the two men was an empty chair.
Sable gestured smoothly, his expression unreadable. "Velora, please, sit."
Apprehension surged through her, yet she complied cautiously, lowering herself into the offered seat. Instantly, rough hands grabbed her wrists, pulling ropes tight enough to bite painfully into her skin.
"What the hell is going on?" Velora demanded, her eyes blazing with anger and confusion. "Sable? Varek? Explain yourselves, now!"
Ignoring her demand, Sable stood slowly, moving toward her with deliberate steps, his expression pained yet coldly controlled. "Velora, it pains me deeply that you would betray me after everything I've done for you, especially considering what happened to your family."
She stared defiantly up at him, her voice shaking with anger and fear. "I've betrayed no one, Sable!"
Sable turned to Varek, nodding slightly. "Varek, show her the video footage."
Varek stepped forward, a small device in his hand. He activated the projection, and Velora's heart dropped as she watched herself on the screen—standing idle, watching silently as Tienerra slipped undetected from her room. Her stomach twisted, confusion and fear flashing in her eyes.
"But how…? I had just seen her…" Velora whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
Sable stepped closer, his voice chillingly calm. "With this undeniable evidence, I have no choice but to send you back to Nexus-7." He nodded to the attendants, who swiftly placed a cloth hood over her head. Panic surged through Velora as darkness swallowed her sight.
"Varek," Sable commanded coldly, "begin."
Without hesitation, Varek stepped forward, initiating a sequence of shocks and waterboarding. Each jolt sent Velora into convulsions, her screams muffled by the wet cloth. Her mind blurred, pain and fear overwhelming her senses.
Tienerra had barely secured the data prism when the door suddenly swung open, an attendant freezing in shock upon seeing her behind Sable's desk. The brief hesitation gave Tienerra all the advantage she needed—she lunged forward swiftly, striking the attendant in the throat before they could scream. With a muted gasp, the attendant crumpled silently to the floor, unconscious.
Tienerra stood still for a heartbeat, breathing controlled, senses alert. Just as she exhaled in relief, her eyes caught the sudden pulsing of a red light. Above, a security camera lens stared blankly at her, blinking ominously red.
"Intruder alert," echoed a mechanical voice throughout the compound. "Security breach detected in main office."
"Damn it," Tienerra hissed.
Footsteps immediately thundered down the corridor outside. In a heartbeat, she heard the distinct mechanical click of weapons being primed. Three guards appeared from her left, rifles raised, laser sights painting red dots along the darkened walls. Two more guards materialized near the elevator, blocking her only clear exit.
Without hesitation, Tienerra surged forward, her powerful wings unfolding from beneath her cloak. Shots erupted around her, energy pulses sizzling through the air, narrowly missing as she gracefully flipped and twisted in mid-flight. Her tail whipped out, deflecting a shot just inches from her body.
With lightning precision, she unsheathed a sleek combat knife from her thigh, darting forward and slicing through the first guard's neck armor. He collapsed with a gurgled cry. Pivoting, she drew her pistol, its blasts echoing through the hallway as two precise shots silenced the second guard. As bullets ricocheted around her, she spiraled mid-air, using her wings to dodge and maneuver.
She spun quickly, whipping out a small rod from her gear. Flicking her wrist sharply, the rod extended, and she lunged toward another guard, jamming it against his chest. With a sharp hum, wires erupted from the tip, electrifying the guard instantly. He fell backward, convulsing as the electric charge surged, catching the final guard behind him. Both guards crashed heavily to the floor, unconscious.
Without pausing, Tienerra sprinted towards the elevator shaft, prying the doors open. Her wings unfurled gracefully as she dove into the darkness, descending rapidly but controlled, finally landing lightly at the bottom. Her heart raced, pulse pounding in her ears as she took stock of her new surroundings.
As she steadied herself, heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway ahead—two agile Khetari soldiers, their movements swift and predatory, accompanied by an imposing Tegmunas, his bulky armored form filling the corridor.
Tienerra sighed softly, her eyes narrowing. "Really, a hard shell…"
Without hesitation, the Khetari soldiers charged first, claws and blades at the ready. Tienerra weaved between their strikes, evading with ease and countering with swift kicks and precise slashes of her knife. She was a blur of movement, agile and lethal, but the Tegmunas soldier closed the gap quickly, roaring as he lunged forward.
Tienerra managed to land several blows, but the Tegmunas shrugged off each strike with ease. With surprising speed, the massive creature slammed into her, launching her through a reinforced metal door. She crashed violently into the interrogation room where Velora sat bound and hooded.
"Okay, that sucked," Tienerra groaned, pushing herself to her feet. Her eyes quickly scanned the room, catching Velora tied to a chair, hooded, soaked, and clearly in distress. Sable and Varek turned sharply in surprise at her explosive entry.
Tienerra shrugged sarcastically, regaining her footing. "Sorry to interrupt your quality family time."
Without waiting for a response, the Tegmunas burst through the doorway behind her, roaring angrily. Tienerra leaped up, her wings providing the lift to narrowly avoid the creature's crushing blow. Twisting mid-air, she wrapped her tail around the Tegmunas's neck, and with a powerful wrenching motion, snapped it decisively. The armored giant crumpled with a resounding thud.
Enraged, Varek surged forward, launching a brutal kick that connected squarely with Tienerra's chest, sending her crashing into Velora. The impact knocked them both to the floor in a heap, and in the chaos, Tienerra's data prism slipped from her pocket, sliding toward Velora's bound hands.
Velora reacted instantly, cutting the ropes binding her wrists with a hidden blade she'd concealed earlier. Seizing the prism, she shot to her feet, urgency blazing in her crimson eyes.
Sable watched silently from the sidelines, a smug expression barely concealed as he calmly exited the room, leaving Varek to clean up the chaos.
Tienerra, breathing heavily from pain and adrenaline, staggered to her feet. Her eyes met Varek's briefly—his were filled with pure hatred, a promise of vengeance clearly communicated. Without another moment's hesitation, she followed Velora out of the ruined interrogation chamber, knowing that their survival depended on escaping the compound quickly.
Earlier, unnoticed by Velora, Varek had returned quietly to his private office. Alone in the dimly lit room, illuminated only by the soft blue glow of his console, he swiftly accessed the security interface. His fingers moved deftly across the holographic keyboard, selecting and manipulating footage carefully. A cold, satisfied smirk spread slowly across his lips as he locked in a seamlessly looped recording of Tienerra sleeping, ensuring Velora would see nothing suspicious.
"Sleep well, sister," he whispered, his voice low and edged with bitterness. "You've always thought yourself so clever, so superior. Let's see how your pride fares when Master Sable sees this."
He leaned back, eyes glittering dangerously in the dim light as the final command engaged. The console flashed briefly, confirmation of his deception solidified, sealing Velora's fate with false evidence of betrayal. Varek rose from his chair with calculated confidence, knowing Velora's downfall would soon be complete, and his own triumph finally within reach.