Zara yanked hard on the control stick, and the Razorwing shot upward, forcing my body into the seat as we climbed at a ridiculous pace. Overhead sparks showered from a failing system, and the ship shuddered violently beneath us. Somewhere in the distance, a muffled explosion rocked the hull.

“Shit,” Zara muttered through clenched teeth. “They are not happy. We might have… a problem here.”

A glance at her told me all I needed to know—sweat beaded on her brow, her knuckles white as she gripped the controls. This was bad, worse than I’d thought. Jax’s voice cracked the silence as I opened my mouth.

“What do you mean ‘problem’?” His voice wavered, teetering on the edge of panic.

“They just fired a warning shot,” Zara replied, her voice tight with fear as she fought to keep the ship steady. The panic beneath her words was unmistakable.

Warning shot? My pulse spiked. This wasn’t just a game anymore. The cold weight of reality settled in my stomach, heavier with each second.

“You have to land,” I shouted, desperation creeping into my tone. “These guys will blow us out of the sky, Zara. Jax, tell her!”

“I can’t!” Zara snapped, her voice cracking.

Jax’s face twisted with rage, his fear rapidly morphing into anger. “What do you mean you can’t? You got us into this mess, you better land this damn ship!”

“I just can’t do it. Okay?” Zara’s voice wavered, her confidence unravelling before our eyes.

Jax’s frustration exploded. “You’re kidding me, right? We’re seconds away from getting blasted, and you’re worried about—”

I raised a hand, cutting him off before he could say something that would only make things worse. “Zara, why can’t you land? Is it the ship?”

Zara’s silence was deafening. The Razorwing lurched forward, twisting downward, and I saw the tears streaking down her face now. This wasn’t just about the ship malfunctioning. Something deeper was going on.

“Zara,” I pressed, trying to keep the rising fear from my voice, “please, talk to us. Why can’t we land?”

She glanced at me, her eyes wide with terror. The cool, confident pilot I’d met earlier had vanished, replaced by someone on the edge of breaking. “If we land… they’ll arrest me. Take my flight permits. I’ll be grounded… for life.” Her voice cracked with sobs, the words barely coherent between the gasps.

Grounded for life? My mind raced. So this is about her career. But that didn’t matter right now. None of it did. We were seconds from getting obliterated, and Jax… well, his patience had just run dry.

“You think we give a damn about your permits right now?!” Jax exploded, his fists clenched in the tight space of the cockpit. “You’ve put us in this position, and now we’re—”

I cut him off again, though I could feel his anger simmering beside me like a storm ready to break. I let out a sigh, knowing what I had to do. It wasn’t what I wanted, but Zara had put herself on the line for me. If I was going to get us out of this mess, I had to do something.

“Zara… turn the comms back on. Let me talk to them.”

Her hands shook as she flipped the switch on the console, and the voices from the other side flooded in immediately. They weren’t playing around—each one of them demanding we land, or they’d open fire. My heart pounded in my chest. Why haven’t they fired yet? Whatever had delayed the order was the only reason we were still alive.

“This is Lord Alexander Draven,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the tension gripping my throat. “I’m currently testing my new pilot’s flying abilities. Please, stand down weapons.”

Silence stretched for what felt like an eternity. Then, a new voice crackled over the comms. “Lord Alex? Explain why you ordered your pilot to flee from security and why communications were turned off.”

I groaned inwardly. That voice—it was one of my father’s personal commanders. Of course, it had to be him. I resisted the urge to glance at Zara, who had gone pale beside me. She clearly hadn’t checked who her passengers were before getting us into this mess.

“I ordered her to show me her skills,” I replied, hoping I sounded convincing. “It just so happened that your security ships provided an excellent test. I thank you for the assistance, Commander. It’s allowed me to make an informed decision on whether to employ her.”

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As the words left my mouth, I felt the sting of irony. Who am I kidding? I wasn’t even sure I’d survive this, much less employ anyone. The slim chance of securing the Nexus I wanted was probably dead by now. Still, I couldn’t afford to show weakness—not when I was so close to everything I’d been fighting for.

The comms crackled again, a different voice this time—female, but heavily modified by voice filters. “Please state your destination. We have you on a flight path to the capital.”

Zara looked at me, and I nodded. She took a deep breath, her hands steadying on the controls. “Affirmative control. The flight path is confirmed. Requesting permission to land.”

“Landing at Docking Platform 1759. Security will be on standby for your arrival,” the voice responded.

Zara exhaled slowly, relief washing over her face. “Thank… thank you, control. Razorwing out.”

As soon as the comms cut out, silence settled thickly in the cockpit. No one said a word. Zara focused on the controls, her hands steady but her expression tight. The Razorwing straightened out, gliding through the atmosphere as the capital loomed closer. Jax sat tense beside me, his anger still simmering beneath the surface, but even he kept quiet. I could feel the weight of his frustration pressing down on the already tense air between us. And me? My thoughts raced—about the Nexus, about what just happened, and what could still go wrong.

I hated this. The whole situation felt like it was spiralling out of control. And worst of all, I was starting to realise that no matter how much I fought against it, I’d have to pull the Draven family card again. Just thinking about it made my stomach churn.

We descended toward the capital, the landing platform drawing closer. Docking Platform 1759. My heart pounded as I spotted a small group of security officers waiting below. They were armed and ready, their stance screaming ‘trouble.’ Zara’s hands tightened on the controls again as she brought the ship down gently, its landing gear settling onto the platform with a low hiss.

For a few beats, none of us moved. The Razorwing’s engines powered down, the hum of the ship fading into a tense, oppressive quiet. Outside, I could see the security team already moving, approaching the ship with a determined pace.

“They’re coming,” I muttered under my breath.

Zara’s face was still streaked with tears, her earlier panic replaced by something colder, more distant. I could tell she was bracing herself for what was about to happen. Part of me wanted to tell her it would be fine, that I had this under control, but I wasn’t even sure if I believed that.

The boarding ramp lowered with a dull thud, and moments later, the officers stormed in, their boots loud against the metal floor.

“By order of the Imperial Security Corps, you are under arrest,” one of the officers barked, pointing at Zara without hesitation. He stepped forward, reaching for her arm.

I moved before I could think, stepping between them and Zara. “Hold on,” I said, my voice hardening. “You’re not touching her.”

The officer paused, his eyes narrowing at me. “Step aside, Lord Draven. This pilot is under arrest for evading Imperial security and endangering the lives of civilians.”

“I’m aware of the charges,” I replied, my voice sharper than I intended. “But I’m telling you to back off.”

I could see the uncertainty flicker in his eyes as he glanced at his fellow officers. They were trained to follow orders but knew when to pick their battles. Unfortunately for them, I wasn’t going to make this easy.

“You’re obstructing an official arrest, Lord Draven,” the officer said, but his voice lacked the conviction from before.

“I’m not obstructing anything,” I shot back, stepping closer to him. “I’m informing you that you will not be arresting my pilot.”

The officer’s eyes widened slightly. “Your… pilot?”

“Yes,” I snapped, the words tasting bitter in my mouth. I hated this. I hated pulling the Draven name, but I hated how it made people react even more. But there was no way I was letting them drag Zara off for something that was partly my fault. “She’s under my employ, and if you have any further issues, you can take them up with my father, Lord Draven. But I can guarantee you, he won’t be happy if he hears his son’s pilot was arrested over a minor misunderstanding.”

As the words left my mouth, I felt the weight of my name settle like a noose around my neck, tightening with every syllable. How many times had I vowed not to rely on it, only to betray that promise when the walls closed in?

There it was. The ugly truth. And I hated that I had to wield it like a weapon, but the effect was immediate.

The officer hesitated, his authority wavering in the face of my family name. His comrades exchanged uncertain glances.

“Fine,” he said after a long pause, lowering his hand. “But we’ll be filing a report. This won’t just go away because of your title, Lord Draven.”

I nodded, already tired of the whole situation. “Understood. Now, leave us. I’ll handle it from here.”

The officers exchanged looks but finally relented, backing off as they filed out of the ship. The tension in the air didn’t dissipate until the door slid shut behind them, and even then, it lingered like a bad aftertaste.

“Jax,” I said, turning toward him. “Get on the communicator. Have Zara registered as my personal pilot. Make it official.”

Jax’s eyes were still blazing, but he nodded, pulling out his comm device and muttering into it. He was pissed at Zara. That much was clear, but I knew he’d do what was needed. Right now, all of our lives were tangled together, and we didn’t have the luxury of letting tempers run wild.

I turned to Zara. She hadn’t moved, standing there frozen, her eyes downcast. The confident, sharp-tongued pilot was gone, replaced by someone else entirely—someone lost, unsure. I could see the weight of what just happened hanging on her like chains.

“Follow me,” I said, my voice gentler now.

She didn’t speak or even look at me as she nodded and followed in silence. The words she wanted to say, the explanations or apologies—I could feel them hovering in the air between us, but they never came. Maybe she didn’t have the strength to speak. Maybe she didn’t know how to explain what she was feeling. Whatever it was, I wasn’t going to push her. Not now.

As we stepped off the Razorwing and into the capital’s bustling terminal, I could feel the weight of it all crashing down on me. The Nexus, my family’s expectations, the arranged marriage, the mess we were now tangled in—it all pressed in like a vice. And for the first time, I wasn’t sure how long I could keep pretending to be in control.