Gaz looked like he was about to protest, then dropped the bandage and tube of burn cream he was holding.

“When the shooting started,” he explained, “we headed towards the starport. We stopped near the tarmac, and we were thinking about what to do. I knew your lot were probably involved somehow, but I wasn’t sure how to approach. Then we heard more gunfire behind us, pretty close, so we went to check it out.”

Kayla nodded sadly. Pure dumb luck had saved her squad. But how had they been ambushed? And what was happening to the rest of the task force? Too many questions crowded her mind, and instinct told her that she had to find a way to get back outside and help.

A loud argument echoed through the building. Other concerns could wait—her squad came first. She pushed herself off the couch.

“Where are they?” she asked a man nearby, who was staring at her in concern.

He looked reluctantly at Gaz, who shrugged. “Right this way,” he said.

Kayla nodded, and, as she followed him, picked a length of metal pipe off a parts rack.

The eager medics had carried the bodies into the garage canteen, and Ray was now trying to convince the small crowd to get out and leave them alone.

“You have serious injuries,” a man said, loudly but patiently. “You have to let us help you and your friends.”

Kayla strode in front of the crowd. “Everyone, shut the hell up,” she yelled, and silence descended on the small room.

She held up her length of steel with both hands, then easily bent it in half.

“Here you go,” she said to the stunned medic, as she passed him the object. “I really appreciate your help, but you do not understand what is happening. Believe me when I say there is no more aid you can render us for the moment. Please respect our wishes, and wait outside.”

“Do what she says,” Gaz ordered from the door. “Come on guys, give them some room.”

Kayla nodded gratefully, and breathed a sigh of relief once he closed it behind him. Lyna was already frantically working on Kes, fixing her an intravenous drip while Jess pumped away at an air bag hooked up to the tube that ran down her throat.

Thandi opened her eyes and sat up. “Sorry. I came to when they were carrying me, and I thought I should play dead. I was a little confused.”

Kayla walked over to her and squeezed her in a bear hug. “How’s Bibi?” she asked.

“She’s fine,” Lyna said, without turning around. “Leg’s a mess but it’ll heal. She didn’t inhale too much smoke, so she’ll come to at some point.”

A raspy groan made them look around. Bibi stirred and slowly sat up. “What is—why is it hard to breathe?” she complained.

Ray moved to join her and passed her some water as she put an arm around her shoulders.

“Kes?” Kayla asked, as she felt a pit open in her stomach.

“She needs a friggin’ surgical room on the Banshee,” Lyna said. “Without that, it’s just a coin flip.”

Kayla heard the crack in the woman’s voice. The situation was desperate. “I’ll figure out what’s going on,” she promised.

Outside the canteen, she found some of Gaz’s crew huddled anxiously in the garage. Someone had switched on a tv, and they were watching the reports of battles across the city.

Gaz stepped over to join her. “I sent our surveillance teams back out,” he explained. “Told them to try and find any female combatants in civilian clothes.”

“Thanks,” Kayla said gratefully. “But they have no reason to trust you, so they’ll probably avoid you.”

Gaz shrugged.

“Your burns,” Sal said, pointing at her arms.

Kayla glanced down and saw the skin was already beginning to look healthier.

“You on some kind of super-soldier serum, or what?” Sal asked.

“Something like that,” Kayla admitted. She turned to the tv. “You getting some kind of picture of the situation out there?”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“It’s winding down,” Sal said. “Seems like a lot of the firefights have stopped and the cops are moving in to clean things up. The civilian death toll is in the hundreds, but none of these so-called terrorists have been captured.”

Kayla’s knees almost buckled. Although it didn’t mean her fellow Rangers were safe, it was at least one blessing.

“Can we get out on the streets?” she asked.

Gaz shrugged. “If we’re cautious. Cops are all over the place, searching anyone suspicious. Our teams had to go unarmed. To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if they show up here, what with our reputation.”

Which meant that moving casualties was out. And even if they could, without comms there was no chance of finding a ride up to the Banshee. Kes was on her own.

Kayla ran a hand through her hair. “Any mechs still out there?”

Sal’s brow furrowed. “Mechs? What mechs?”

Kayla stared at him. “The giant war machines that were walking around blowing shit up?”

“They haven’t shown anything like that on the news feeds,” Gaz said. “There are explosions, and you can hear gunfire. A few clips have some missiles shooting across the camera, but you don’t see what fired them. If VennZech had some new kind of weapon system out there, they’ve hidden them away again.”

Kayla wanted to laugh. A terrorist attack had taken place. Bullets and missiles had been fired; civilians had been killed. Presumably the task force had taken out a few of their objectives, if not all, leaving nothing but the destruction.

And a perfect opportunity for the League to take over Caldera. She rubbed her forehead. “I don’t get it. What was the next part of the plan?”

“I think I might know,” a small voice said.

Kayla looked around to see an older woman staring at her phone. She read from the screen, quoting the text of the message.

“The Barrochian troop carrier Augustine has just arrived in the system, carrying the First Guards regiment. After hurried consultations with League representatives, the committee of planets has agreed to allow them to land on Caldera. Their mission is to assist with the security situation, and put an end to the heinous acts of terrorism committed there today, for the safety of Helvetic citizens who are being targeted by radical separatists. The government of Barroche confirmed in a press release that preparations have been under way for days, following repeated attacks. They express their sincere regret that they were too late to prevent the catastrophe of the last few hours. Hopefully, this will show the League that the security of its citizens is a high priority that must be enforced across the galaxy.”

Total silence filled the room. Kayla sat down by a wall and put her head in her hands.

Christie’s vehicle stopped outside the gardens of VennZech’s headquarters. As she was hustled out of the car, she caught sight of a shuttle taking off from the building’s landing pad. It rose into the sky, then turned west, and raced towards the horizon. But they were already on the western edge of the city. What was out that way?

She was led roughly into the main lobby, where crowds of employees were milling around, some staring desperately at their phones, while others swapped rumors. Byoran was directing people, and he caught her eye.

“Put her with the other girls,” he announced loudly to the man escorting her.

When he glanced at her again, he only shrugged apologetically.

Christie was taken through a hallway to a large conference room, where dozens of young women were waiting with nervous expressions. They didn’t know why they had been separated, and those who welcomed Christie asked if she knew anything. She could only shake her head and claim ignorance.

Even though she knew exactly what was happening.

Half an hour passed by, and a few more female employees were led into the room. Those who tried to leave were stopped by guards posted outside. Some became frantic, and had to be calmed by their companions.

Then Rayker entered the room. She said nothing, but stood there in silence, her eyes moving between the faces.

Christie rose to her feet. “It’s just me, actually,” she announced. “You can let the others go.”

Rayker’s head snapped around, and her reptilian expression twisted into a sneer as she recognized Christie.

“Is that right? And why should I believe you?” she asked.

Christie felt a bottomless pit of fear open beneath her, but she forced herself to ignore it in favor of anger and self-righteousness. “Two would have been too obvious, given the timing. And, honestly, do you even need anyone else?”

Rayker studied her, then cocked her head. “True. Very well.” She turned to the guard. “Take the others back to the main hall, then prep our shuttle.”

The crowd hurried past Christie to escape the room, and the woman they both knew, and feared, as Carlotta Divine.

“Gosh,” Christie said, “Are we going on a trip?”

Her air of arrogance seemed to annoy her adversary, and a deep instinct told her to continue in that vein. She settled her nerves as the woman strode over to her.

“The sheer hubris,” Rayker said. “The arrogance to think that, after Ambrosia, you could infiltrate right under my nose.” Her lips twisted into a cold smile. “I think I’m going to like you.”

“How touching,” Christie replied sweetly. “But I rather think I’m out of your league.” She looked Rayker up and down. “Still can’t break out of the monochromatic style, I see,” she said disappointedly.

Rayker stepped closer until her eyes were inches away from Christie’s. “My league? Let’s find out.”

She raised her hand, and, though Christie didn’t break eye contact, out of the corner of her vision she both saw and heard the bone spike break through Rayker’s skin. The needle point pushed slowly, but forcefully into her shoulder. Agony lanced through Christie’s arm as her flesh was ripped apart, but she didn’t let her expression change. Pain blossomed in her mind and threatened to overwhelm her, as the spike forced its way through muscles and pushed apart bone. Her jaw clenched, but she kept her eyes steadily on Rayker, and didn’t make a sound.

Then, the spike withdrew in a snap that hurt just as much, and Christie felt her knees start to tremble.

Rayker held up her wrist as the skin began to seal itself back over the retracted weapon. She ripped Christie’s shirt open where the blood stain was soaking through, and watched carefully.

“Yes,” Rayker hissed. “Nanitic healing. I suppose we are in the same league after all, my dear.”

She grabbed Christie’s hair, and turned, dragging her out of the conference room.

“Prepare the heavy-duty restraints,” she snapped to the guard.

Christie was thrown against the hallway wall headfirst, and everything went black.