Everything within Korsha slumped over. She fell against the cargo container, anchoring herself to it lest she fall over. She was detached, watching herself watch Ina’s descent down the ramp from his ship. She watched as a black garbed guard stood at the foot of the ramp. His hand clasping the rifle that was slung across his chest. They weren't thrilled to see the technomancer either. Perhaps that could be useful.

"This is a sovereign installation." The guard said as Inareached the bottom.

That confirmed the theory that this was in fact a black ops site. That meant that this was outside the purview of the general government and firmly in the hands of the great houses. If worst came to worst perhaps her allegiance to her master could persuade the guards to join her against Ina. It would be a stretch but…

"I assure you, I have the proper authorizations."

Korsha watched as the hologram appeared in Ina's hand. The guard leaned forward, his plate sliding up to reveal a weathered face. As this was happening Korsha took the opportunity to muster herself and make her way to another cargo pallet. She was close to a small transport ship, not so small that manual hyperspace was required. That was something beyond her capacity and required specialized equipment. But one that was just big enough to most likely house in acrena.

"He's clear!"

Korsha stopped. Her head snapping to the side. Once again a creeping dread skittered up her spine. Ina had been her master’s battle brother during his campaigns into the exterior. Yet what bothered her is that her master had never mentioned Ina before. That didn't mean that they hadn’t kept in communication but if he was such a confidential ally she would have thought her master would've mentioned him to her. You're a mage remember. Tools aren't supposed to know anything else other than where to strike the nail. She sighed, so much for using the guards against him.

She continued to listen to the conversation as she made her way towards the ship, always keeping as far to the wall as possible.

"Now that that's handled. I am searching for a rogue binder. She was last seen jumping in the hyperspace along this corridor."

"Why'd she come here?"

"She was once the servant to your employer but now has come to cover her accomplice’s trail."

Korsha cursed. If she hadn't destroyed the acrena it would have done several adjusting protocols to ensure that her trail would be covered. Just a three degree difference would've made all the difference. Yet her hand had been forced and so she'd taken the straight path. Yet there was something about the technomancers timing that itched at the back of her mind. He'd been able to make it in record time. Perhaps he was a legend. He did seem to have a way with tracking rogue mages.

She moved from pallet to pallet and then to a cargo container. She was at the final stretch. All she had to do now was run up the ramp. She sidled up to the edge of the container, and glanced around the corner. The others were still talking. She noticed that a portion of the guards had left. Another portion were heading to a ship at the other end of the line. There was an efficiency to them that told her they’d have her boxed-in in no time.

With her heart pounding in her chest she took off. Her boots pounded against the ramp and into the ship. She slammed her back against the wall and glanced outside. No one had seen her. The ship's interior was cramped. Filled with provisions, a small bunk, a preparation area and the cockpit. It was efficient. Utilitarian in its bleak aesthetic of straight lines and modular utilities. There was a clear decision to promote functionality over aesthetics. It was unlike any of the ships her master had.

She padded across the small space and onto the crash couch set up along the viewport in a short “U” shape. Set opposite to the couch was the acrena. The poor thing was smashed into a small closet of wires that seemed to spill out. Trotting over, she activated the ship’s internal power. The acrena's eyes flashed giving the strange sensation that it had blinked. Those artificial green eyes fixed themselves upon her. Korsha opened her hand and her identification appeared, hovering over her palm. The acrena's eyes flashed again.

"Operational status?"

The acrena's eyes turned from green to golden as it ran its diagnostic, "Fully operational."

Korsha nodded. That meant that this really was one of her master's facilities. That could explain why Ina had arrived so promptly.

"I am on a secret mission for jer Anadrov. I need you to activate emergency takeoff procedures. Ignore any transmissions from the network."

"Do you have the proper encryption phrase?"

Encryption phrase? She had never heard of that kind of protocol before. Yet it made sense. Her master was fond of using things that weren't typical. It would help catch infiltrators off guard. Unfortunately, this had also caught her off guard. She searched through her memories, trying to figure out what kind of phrase he would use. Most likely it was something literary in nature. He did love his books after all. Her eyes widened as she thought back to the book he left out on the table. It was his favorite book, one that he'd read over and over again.

"Until dawn runs out."

The acrena's eyes changed from green to yellow.

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"That is an old phrase but it hasn't been expunged. It is acceptable."

A second later the ship shuttered as the engines came to life. She rushed over to the viewport. She hopped onto the crash couch landing on her knees. The hangar bay door before the ship parted, revealing the orange haze of the nebula beyond.

The ship surged forward. We're going to make it. Korsha was now almost level with the hanger door. It would only take them a minute to get outside of the installation's gravity well. Once out there in the blackness of space she could jump out. She'd have to wait before jumping back in and retrieving her ship. That was it she decided to retrieve her ship at all. She could always-

The ship shuttered. The jolting force was so violent that it sent her head into the viewport. A twisted serpent of pain shot through her forehead. Though between her helmet and thick skull, it was dull and gone within heartbeats. Yet it was enough to crush her hopes and send her tumbling to the floor. She groaned as she pushed herself up. She gazed up at the acrena.

"It appears we have been restrained by a tractor beam."

"Activate emergency protocols. Break us free."

"I'm trying but the network is not responding."

Korsha's eyes widened and her heart sank. She ran back over to the viewport and gazed down at the hangar bay below. Nearby she saw Ina standing there with his hand outstretched. The air around it twisted as though fragments of broken glass were reflecting the world around it. The reason the network wasn't responding is because the tractor beam wasn't being activated by conventional means. Ina had co-opted the system by using his power.

“Shite. Shite. Shite.” Korsha said, as the ship dropped several feet before stabilizing again.

She turned to the acrena but but the question that she had been about to ask died on her lips. The acrena's eyes glowed a bright crimson that burned like two bloody moons.

"There is no escape, little mage." The acrena said, its voice distorted into a harsh rasping sound that grated against her nevers.

It was Ina.

She knew it.

He now had controlled the ship. Her only hope was to escape back into the facility and exit out of an airlock and propel herself out into the asteroid field. Maybe she could grab one of those mining acrena and use the remains of her ship's old acrena to cobble something together. At least to get her to the closest Stargate.

The ship shuddered. Dropped. Metal screeched as it collided with the floor of the hanger bay. Korsha ran to the side door, positioning herself for a quick exit. She dropped back into a ready stance. A second later the door flung open, just as she had anticipated. She tethered herself to it and used it to launch herself into the air. She shot out. Her momentum was great enough so that she landed on the next ship. Grabbing an coin from her pocket she threw it into the air. Latching herself to the coin, she made it to the next ship. She made it to the next and then the next. Keep moving! She shouted in her mind as bolts of lasers shot through the air.

“Hold your fire!” Ina shouted, “I want her alive.”

She leapt in the air, glancing down to see the guards staring up at her. The air, which had been whipping around her, slowed and then stopped. There was a moment of weightlessness. It was freeing as though she were drifting through the eternity of the universe. Yet in an instant it solidified. The air hardening around her as though she were being encased in stone. She fell with the force of a lightning strike. Smashing into the edge of the starfighter’s bulky nose. She rolled off it. Shoulders and ribs screaming out in pain as she tumbled down. The ground struck her, kicking the wind out of her. There was a jarring moment as the world went black.

Her eyes opened. The first thing she was aware of was the absence of her magic. It was such a subtle thing, like not being ready for something. It was glorious. This was what it felt like to be normal. To be someone who could stand before the Imperial Goddess without shame. This was what dignity felt like. Then she could sense it. Ina’s heavy presence. And wrapped around her like the hands of a giant, smothering her ability to get away.

“Vel'korsha'rahnan. Servant of the minor house Ada damar. Servant to Anadrov of House Damaran. You are under arrest. Come peacefully and dishonor your master no more.”

“I didn't do it.” She said weakly, still trying to gather air into her lungs.

“Do you surrender?” He said, yanking his staff free from its sheath.

He smacked the floor with the bottom of the staff. Angry sparks erupted from it. A storm of arcing lightning flickered along the staff’s ends. Hissing and striking at the air like elemental serpents. At this point he knew that he’d beaten her. But far be it from a technomancer to not lord it over a mage. Two hands roughly grabbed her biceps and hauled her up to her feet. The fingers pressed in against her armor and she knew there would be deep bruises from their constriction. Ina stalked forward, smirking. She tried to open her mouth to say something, but the words just weren't there.

He loomed over her now. A towering shadow that swallowed the world’s light. The pulsating lights of his own armor, his own flesh, flickered like sickly stars about to die. He raised his right hand. Her eyes widened as a log metal cord slithered out from his wrist. It rose into the air, arcing like a snake as its needled head pointed itself at her. Ina turned his hand over, allowing the cord to slid across his hand as it swayed in the air, drawing closer to her.

Korsha struggled. It was a half-hearted thing. One born from primal fear. Yet her higher functions, her rationality, had surrendered. The cord had reached her. The cold needle slithered across her skin, sliding behind her neck. Korsha took in a shuddering breath as she heard the needle find its mark. There was a sudden jolt as the needle pressed into the jack that sat along her armor’s collar. A moment later her armor betrayed her. Her entire body stiffened as the suit’s own needles stabbed into her. The chemicals pouring into her system drowned her in a hazy fog that smothered the colors of the world until everything was fuzzy and indistinct

She was distantly aware of hands patting her body. Her eyes were growing heavy and it took everything within her to keep them open. Something was tugged free from her belt. A moment later Ina was holding the computer spike up to her face.

"Stealing information. How far you’ fallen."

"Trying… to... try..." Korsha swayed her head lolling forward, her chin resting against her chest. Why had she been here? Her thoughts were thick and slow like honey. A warmth spread through her. Though it was not enough to overcome the desperation at her core. She'd come here for a purpose.

Purpose.

She had a purpose.

What was her purpose?

She forced her eyes open one last time, with everything she had she lifted her head. It was only enough to get her chin off her chest.

"I came to find," she never finished the statement as darkness took her.