“Guys,” In-Su’s voice crackled over the comlink, urgent and sharp. “Syndicate ship. Get back here now.”

Hanjoon’s head snapped up, his instincts kicking into high gear. He glanced at Sela and Lee, who both froze at the same moment, their faces mirroring his tension.

“Copy that,” Hanjoon responded, already moving. “We’re on our way.”

Sela swore under her breath, drawing her weapon as they started toward the exit. “How did they find us out here? We’re in the middle of nowhere.”

“Doesn’t matter how,” Lee said grimly, his long strides keeping pace with Hanjoon’s. “What matters is we’re not ready for a fight. If they’re Syndicate, they’ll be armed to the teeth.”

The three of them sprinted through the Forge’s winding corridors, the eerie quiet now replaced by the pounding of their boots and the rapid thrum of adrenaline. The oppressive atmosphere of the Forge seemed to press in closer, as if it too recognized the danger.

Hanjoon’s mind raced. The Syndicate didn’t just show up by accident. Either they’d tracked the *Wildflower* or someone had tipped them off. Neither option boded well.

“Did In-Su say how many?” Sela asked, her voice tight.

“No,” Hanjoon replied, checking his comm. “In-Su, report. How many ships?”

“Just one for now,” In-Su’s voice came back, the tension palpable. “But it’s a heavy cruiser. Definitely not here for a friendly chat.”

“Great,” Lee muttered. “Guess we’ll have to improvise.”

As they burst out of the Forge and into the open air, the *Wildflower* loomed ahead, its sleek form glowing faintly against the dusky sky. But the sight that greeted them made all three freeze mid-step.

Half a dozen Syndicate operatives, clad in tactical armor and bristling with weapons, stood between them and the ship. Their faces were obscured by sleek helmets, but the way they moved—calm, confident, and controlled—spoke volumes about their training.

“Well,” Sela muttered, raising her weapon, “that explains how they found us.”

“Spread out,” Hanjoon said quietly, his hand already on the hilt of his blade. His amber eyes narrowed, assessing the situation. “We need to make it to the ship. Don’t engage unless you have to.”

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Lee glanced at the operatives, his jaw tightening. “And if they engage first?”

Hanjoon didn’t answer. He didn’t have to.

The Syndicate squad noticed them immediately. One of the operatives raised a hand, signaling the others, while another leveled a rifle in their direction.

“Stand down,” came a distorted voice through their external comms. “You’re trespassing on Syndicate-claimed territory. Surrender, and we’ll consider letting you live.”

Sela barked a humorless laugh. “Yeah, that’s convincing.”

Hanjoon’s blade was already out, its edge glinting faintly in the dim light. “Move.”

The three of them broke into a sprint, zigzagging across the rocky terrain as the Syndicate operatives opened fire. Blasts of energy tore through the air, sizzling where they struck the ground or ricocheted off the Forge’s metallic walls.

Sela dove behind a jagged outcropping, returning fire with practiced precision. One operative went down, their rifle clattering to the ground, but the others were already advancing, moving in a tight, coordinated formation.

Lee darted toward the ship, his movements quick and fluid as he provided cover fire for Sela. Hanjoon, meanwhile, closed the distance to the operatives with alarming speed, his blade flashing in the low light.

He was on them before they could react, his strikes precise and brutal. One fell with a sharp cry, clutching their arm as their weapon hit the ground. Another swung at him with a baton crackling with electric energy, but Hanjoon sidestepped, his blade slicing clean through the weapon’s shaft.

Sela and Lee capitalized on the chaos, taking out another operative between them.

“Keep moving!” Hanjoon shouted, blocking a strike aimed at his ribs.

The *Wildflower*’s ramp was now tantalizingly close, the ship’s lights flaring as it readied for takeoff. The sound of thrusters powering up roared over the din of the skirmish.

“In-Su,” Hanjoon barked into the comm. “We’re almost there. Open the bay doors and prep for evasive maneuvers!”

“Don’t take all day!” In-Su’s voice shot back, laced with tension.

With a final coordinated push, the three of them broke through the Syndicate line, Hanjoon felling the last operative standing in their way.

The ramp began to rise the moment their feet hit the deck, sealing them inside as the *Wildflower* lifted off. The sound of Syndicate reinforcements echoed outside, but they were too late.

Hanjoon leaned against the wall, catching his breath as the ship angled sharply upward.

“What the hell was that about?” Lee demanded, his voice tight with frustration.

“No idea,” Hanjoon replied, his gaze hard. But his mind raced with questions. The Syndicate didn’t stumble across abandoned Forges without purpose.

And he didn’t believe in coincidences.