The Wildflower’s docking bay was alive with motion and chaos. Syndicate soldiers filed out of their shuttle, weapons drawn, their polished armor gleaming under the harsh bay lights. They moved with precision, fanning out into tactical positions, clearly expecting resistance.

But not this kind of resistance.

Shadows peeled away from the walls, darting with an eerie, otherworldly grace. Magnolia’s Pets—her Hive—moved like phantoms, faster than the eye could follow. Rahim struck first, a blur of calculated precision. His massive form descended on the closest soldier, a fluid mix of power and grace. The soldier barely had time to react before Rahim disarmed him, his blade slicing clean through the rifle.

Liora slipped through the fray, a silent specter. She darted behind another soldier, her movements almost too fast to track. A sharp twist of her wrist sent the soldier’s blaster clattering to the floor. Before he could react, her glowing claws raked across his chest plate, leaving deep gouges that smoked faintly.

“Contact! Contact!” one soldier barked, his voice trembling as the Hive pressed their assault.

Sira’s laughter echoed through the bay as she leapt onto a cargo crate, her whip-like weapon snapping through the air. The energy crackled with a deafening snap, coiling around another soldier’s arm and yanking him to the ground. She grinned down at him, her sharp teeth glinting in the light.

Eryon and Rilan worked as a seamless pair, their smaller forms darting between the soldiers. Eryon distracted them, his high-pitched taunts drawing their fire, while Rilan slipped behind them, sabotaging their equipment with quick, precise movements. Sparks erupted from a soldier’s pack, the device exploding in a cloud of smoke that sent him sprawling.

“They’re everywhere!” another soldier shouted, panic breaking their formation.

Viera and Lirael stayed back, their focus on supporting their siblings. Viera’s calming presence spread through the Hive like a balm, keeping their movements sharp and deliberate. Lirael, meanwhile, pulsed with raw energy, her form glowing faintly as she unleashed waves of disorienting light that left the soldiers stumbling and vulnerable.

Thyren moved through the chaos like a silent storm, his massive frame towering over the soldiers. His strikes were brutal and unrelenting, his blade cutting through armor as if it were paper. One soldier charged at him with a shout, only to be knocked aside with a single, devastating swipe.

On the sidelines, In-Su, Hanjoon, and Sela could do little but watch, their weapons ready but unused.

“Well,” In-Su muttered, gripping the hilt of his sword as he glanced at the Hive tearing through the syndicate. “This feels... unnecessary.”

“Unnecessary?” Hanjoon echoed, raising an eyebrow as Rahim threw a soldier across the bay like a ragdoll. “I’d call it efficient.”

Sela fired a single, precise shot at a soldier attempting to retreat, the blaster bolt hitting its mark. “At least they left us *something* to do.”

Within moments, only one syndicate soldier remained, his helmet knocked off and his face pale with terror. He stumbled back, tripping over a crate as Thyren loomed over him.

“Wait!” the soldier stammered, dropping his weapon and raising his hands. “I—I surrender!”

The Hive paused, their glowing eyes turning toward the bridge as if awaiting Magnolia’s command. Even in her absence, the bond between them and their Queen was palpable, an unspoken connection that guided their every action.

“Looks like he’s all yours,” Sira said, her voice dripping with mockery as she perched on a crate, her whip coiled lazily around her wrist.

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In-Su stepped forward, the blade in his hand still untested, its flames dormant. “Let’s see what he knows,” he said, his tone low and sharp.

Rahim gave the soldier one last piercing glare before stepping back into the shadows, the rest of the Hive following his lead.

As silence fell over the docking bay, the lone survivor trembled under the weight of the crew’s collective gaze. Whatever answers he held, they would have them soon enough.

“We’re a distraction.” The man said almost too quickly, willing to get others killed to save himself. “More are coming in stealth. A lot more.”

“How many on your ship?” In-Su asked.

The soldier shook his head.

In-Su’s sword was still gleaming when he swung it. The blade moved smoothly through the air, an elegant arc meant to disarm the soldier—but as it sliced through the air, a sudden burst of flame erupted from the blade with an explosive whoosh.

In-Su froze for a moment, his eyes widening as the flames roared around the edge of the sword, casting long shadows across the dock. The heat rolled toward his hand, but he didn’t let go. The fire was too magnificent, too wild, and for just a split second, he forgot about the soldier in front of him entirely.

“Well,” In-Su muttered to himself, watching the flames lick the blade like a hungry creature, “that’s new.”

The soldier, trembling in fear, took a step back, his wide eyes fixed on the fire. “What the hell...?”

In-Su gave a shrug, twirling the flaming sword effortlessly in his hand. “Don’t worry. I’m sure it’s fine.”

The flames flickered with each swing, now dancing along the length of the blade like some kind of fiery serpent. In-Su gave it another spin, grinning slightly. “Never had a flaming sword before. Feels... kind of badass.”

The soldier blinked, his mind clearly trying to process what was happening. “W-wait, you *don’t* know what’s going on?”

In-Su chuckled, looking down at the sword with genuine curiosity, as if he hadn’t expected it to light up quite like that. “Nope. It’s a mystery. But I’m guessing it’s part of the whole Tova-tech thing. Makes me feel like I’m in some kind of fantasy epic.”

Sela shot In-Su a dry look, but the faintest smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “Focus, In-Su. We’re in the middle of a battle here.”

“I know, I know,” he said, quickly shaking the extra flare of amusement off. “Just... wasn’t expecting this.”

The soldier gulped, his fear only escalating. “You... you have a *fire sword* and you’re *joking*?”

In-Su shrugged again, as if it was no big deal. “Hey, I didn’t ask for this, alright?” He raised the sword again, fire swirling dangerously around the edge. “But I might as well enjoy it.”

He turned his attention back to the soldier, who was practically shaking in place. “Alright, let’s get down to business. How many are on your ship?”

The soldier, his terror mixed with confusion, barely managed to speak. “I... I don’t know! It was supposed to be a quick mission—there were like twenty of us, maybe... a few more? I don’t know, we didn’t expect...” He trailed off, eyes flicking to the Hive standing ominously in the shadows.

In-Su's grin faded slightly, though the sword still crackled with flame in his hand. “Not what you were expecting, huh?”

“Definitely not,” the soldier mumbled. “Just... just make it quick.”

In-Su nodded, his smile returning just a touch. “Alright. Don’t worry, I won’t keep you on the hook too long.” He gave his sword one more casual twirl, the fire blazing brightly for just a second. Then, with a flick of his wrist, the flames vanished as quickly as they had appeared.

The soldier blinked, utterly dumbfounded.

“See?” In-Su said, sheathing the now-normal sword with a satisfied look. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Sela sighed. “You’re a piece of work, In-Su.”

“You know it,” he said with a wink.

As Rahim took the soldier away, In-Su couldn’t resist one last quip. “Guess I’ll have to see if I can get a *sword* upgrade next time. Maybe something with lightning.”

Sela rolled her eyes. “You’re impossible.”

The tension lifted for a brief moment as they returned to the task at hand, but the soldier’s confession still echoed in their minds. A stealth ship was on their tail. More trouble was on the way. And this was just the beginning.